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Firebase vs Keycloak
Firebase Auth is a cloud service with tight Google ecosystem integration; Keycloak is platform-agnostic and self-hosted.
Which to pick
Pick Firebase if you want…
- Integrated backend services for apps
- Google-centric app auth
- Integrations with iOS, Android or Web (on Firebase'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 Firebase's)
Side by side
- What it is
- Firebase:Firebase is Google’s platform of services for building, running and scaling mobile and web apps.
- Keycloak:Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management solution providing SSO, social login, and fine-grained authorization.
- Best for
- Firebase:Integrated backend services for apps
- Keycloak:Open-source SSO and auth management
- Who it’s for
- Firebase:Mobile and web developers building modern applications.
- Keycloak:Developers and ops teams needing centralized authentication for apps and services
- Pricing
- Firebase:Freemium
- Keycloak:Open source
- Plans
- Firebase:Spark (Free) $0
- Keycloak:—
- Open source
- Firebase:—
- Keycloak:Yes, 37,083 GitHub stars
- Works with
- Firebase:iOS, Android, Web, Flutter, Unity, C++, Google Ads, AdMob
- Keycloak:OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0, LDAP, Active Directory
Firebase features
- Authentication. Provides user sign-in, phone auth and identity platform with generous free limits.
- Realtime Database & Firestore. Scalable NoSQL databases with real-time sync and offline support.
- Hosting & Cloud Functions. Static web hosting with SSL and serverless functions for backend logic.
- Crashlytics & Performance Monitoring. Live crash reporting and performance metrics to improve app quality.
- Remote Config & A/B Testing. Feature flagging and experiments to personalize user experiences.
- Firebase AI Logic. Generative AI integration powered by Gemini and Google Cloud pricing.
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.
Firebase vs Keycloak FAQ
Is Firebase or Keycloak free?+
Firebase has a free plan (Spark (Free)) and paid plans. Keycloak is free and open source.
Is Firebase or Keycloak open source?+
Keycloak is open source (keycloak/keycloak on GitHub, Apache-2.0 license). DevHunt has no public source repository on record for Firebase.
Do Firebase and Keycloak integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: Firebase lists iOS, Android, Web, Flutter and 9 more; Keycloak lists OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0, LDAP and 1 more.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.