Better Auth vs Keycloak

Better Auth is a TypeScript library for auth logic; Keycloak provides a complete server and UI solution.

Better AuthOpen-source authentication framework for TypeScript

KeycloakOpen-source identity and access management

Which to pick

Pick Better Auth if you want…

Composable, self-hosted auth for TypeScript apps
TypeScript-first auth framework
Integrations with Next.js, Nuxt or SvelteKit (on Better Auth's list, not Keycloak's)

Pick Keycloak if you want…

Open-source SSO and auth management
A free, open-source tool
Integrations with OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0 or SAML 2.0 (on Keycloak's list, not Better Auth's)

Side by side

What it is: Better Auth:Better Auth is an open-source, TypeScript-first authentication framework that runs inside your app.; Keycloak:Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management solution providing SSO, social login, and fine-grained authorization.
Best for: Better Auth:Composable, self-hosted auth for TypeScript apps; Keycloak:Open-source SSO and auth management
Who it’s for: Better Auth:Full-stack developers building web apps with TypeScript.; Keycloak:Developers and ops teams needing centralized authentication for apps and services
Pricing: Better Auth:Freemium; Keycloak:Open source
Plans: Better Auth:Starter $0 per month · Pro $20 per month; Keycloak:—
Open source: Better Auth:Yes, 30,143 GitHub stars; Keycloak:Yes, 37,083 GitHub stars
Works with: Better Auth:Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Astro, Hono, Google, GitHub, Apple; Keycloak:OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0, LDAP, Active Directory

Better Auth features

Framework agnostic. Works with Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Astro, Hono and 20+ other frameworks.
Built-in credential auth. Provides sessions, email verification and password reset out of the box.
Social sign-on. Supports Google, GitHub, Apple, Discord and additional providers.
Multi-tenancy. Teams, roles, invitations and access-control built in.
Enterprise SSO & SCIM. Offers SSO, SAML 2.0, SCIM provisioning and directory sync.
Passkeys & magic links. Includes passkey, magic-link, API-key, JWT and other auth methods.
AI agent auth. Provides token exchange and delegation for AI agents.
Security & observability. Bot detection, IP blocking, email validation and audit-log monitoring.

Keycloak features

Single-Sign-On. Users log in once to access multiple applications without re-authenticating.
Identity Brokering & Social Login. Add social network or external OpenID Connect/SAML providers via the admin console without code changes.
User Federation. Connect to existing LDAP or Active Directory directories, or custom user stores.
Admin & Account Consoles. Central UI for managing apps, users, policies and for users to manage profiles and MFA.
Authorization Services. Define fine-grained permission policies beyond role-based access.
Standard Protocol Support. Built-in OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0 and SAML 2.0 support.

Better Auth vs Keycloak FAQ

Is Better Auth or Keycloak free?+

Better Auth has a free plan (Starter); paid plans start at $20/month (Pro). Keycloak is free and open source.

Which is cheaper, Better Auth or Keycloak?+

Keycloak is free, so it costs less. Better Auth starts at $20/month (Pro).

Is Better Auth or Keycloak open source?+

Yes, both are open source: Better Auth (better-auth/better-auth on GitHub, MIT license) and Keycloak (keycloak/keycloak on GitHub, Apache-2.0 license).

Do Better Auth and Keycloak integrate with the same tools?+

Their integration lists don't overlap: Better Auth lists Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Astro and 5 more; Keycloak lists OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0, LDAP and 1 more.

On DevHunt

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