Clerk vs Keycloak
On the evidence we track, Clerk leads this comparison with a composite score of 71/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.
Capabilities
Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for auth & identity software. “-” means undocumented, not absent.
What each one is
The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.
Clerk
LeaderProvides embeddable components and APIs for adding authentication, profile management, organizations, and subscription billing to applications. Supports enterprise features like SAML, SCIM provisioning, and multi-tenancy.
Keycloak
An open-source identity management solution that allows users to authenticate once and gain access to multiple applications, eliminating the need for individual login handling at the application level.
Pricing
List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.
Clerk
LeaderFree up to 50K MRU. Pro from $20/mo billed annually (includes 50K MRU + 1 enterprise connection). Add-ons available.
- FreeFree
- Social authentication (Google, GitHub, Facebook)
- Email/password authentication
- Magic links
- Organizations
- Multifactor authentication
- +1 more
- Pro$20/mo billed annually (includes 50K MRU + 1 enterprise connection)
- 50K monthly retained users included
- 1 enterprise SSO connection included
- Custom session lifetime
- Clerk branding removal
- Directory sync
- +5 more
Platform & deployment
Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.
Integrations
What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.
- GitHub
Clerk
Leader- Google OAuth
- GitHub OAuth
- Google Workspace
- Convex
- MCP
- Stripe
- Okta Workforce
- Microsoft Entra ID
Keycloak
- LDAP
- Active Directory
- Kerberos
- Kubernetes
- Apache APISIX
- OpenTelemetry
- OpenID Connect
- SAML 2.0
Clerk or Keycloak: which one depends on you
A composite score cannot know your constraints. Describe them and both get re-weighted against what you actually need, with the evidence behind every position.
Free to run, no account needed to start. How the evaluation works
Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.