AltFreeStack
ESEN
Auth & Identitydocker-readypermissive-license100% FOSS🟢 Lightweight · ~256MB

Keycloak: Open Source alternative to Auth0 in 2026

Keycloak is an open source identity and access solution with SSO, LDAP/AD federation, social login and role management for any app or API.

Alternative to Auth0Alternative to Okta
License Apache-2.037.3k starsWebsite GitHub Repository

Audit Snapshot

View notes →

  • License — Matches GitHub

  • GitHub — Active

  • Latest release — 26.8.1 · today

  • Docker Compose — Verified

  • Production — Not production-tested by AltFreeStack

Keycloak vs. Auth0

Pros

  • Permissive Apache-2.0 license, with 36k+ GitHub stars and a verified deployment

Things to consider

  • Higher memory usage than lighter alternatives

Quick Docker installation guide

Copy this docker-compose.yml, adjust the example passwords and run docker compose up -d on your server. See the full step-by-step guide →

💡 Official SaaS or self-hosted with AltFreeStack?

  • On the official cloud: a recurring monthly fee and usage limits on Auth0.
  • On your own VPS: 100% free software on your own server, with no artificial row, project or user limits.
docker-compose.yml
services:
  keycloak:
    image: quay.io/keycloak/keycloak:26.7.4
    command: start-dev
    environment:
      KEYCLOAK_ADMIN: admin
      KEYCLOAK_ADMIN_PASSWORD: change-me-super-secret
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"

🚀 Deploy in 1 command

Recommended for beginners

Copy this single command and paste it into your freshly created VPS's console (Vultr, DigitalOcean...). It downloads the script, prints it to your screen so you can see exactly what it's about to do (never a blind direct pipe), and only then installs Docker if needed, writes the files with secrets already generated, and starts everything — no nano, no pasting code blocks.

curl -sSL ".../api/deploy?stack=keycloak" -o deploy.sh && cat deploy.sh && bash deploy.sh
See what this script does →

This docker-compose corresponds to an actively maintained project — last commit today.

This docker-compose not working for you? Report it on GitHub →

Technical profile

License
Apache-2.0
Category
Auth & Identity
Replaces
Auth0, Okta
Tech stack
JavaQuarkus

Key features

  • SSO and LDAP/Active Directory federation
  • Social login (Google, GitHub...)
  • Granular role and permission management

Preview

Keycloak interface preview

Public image provided by Keycloak on its own website.

💾 Backups in 3 steps (Day 2)

As long as the ./data folder (the "volume" mapped into the container) exists on your server, your data survives any restart or container update — that's the only thing you need to back up.

1. Create a compressed backup on the server

tar -czvf backup-$(date +%F).tar.gz ./data

2. Download it to your computer

From your computer's terminal (not your server's):

scp root@YOUR_IP:~/app/backup-*.tar.gz ./

3. Restore in case of emergency

tar -xzvf backup-file.tar.gz
🌐 Connect your domain with free SSL

Step 1 — Set up the DNS

In your domain registrar's dashboard (Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy...), create a record:

Type
A
Name/Host
@ (root domain) or a subdomain, e.g. app
Content/Value
Your server's public IP

Wait 5 to 15 minutes for the record to propagate across the internet.

Step 2 — Automatic reverse proxy with Caddy

One single file, no Nginx config or manual certificates — Caddy issues and renews Let's Encrypt HTTPS on its own.

Create a file called Caddyfile:

yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:8080
}

Start Caddy with this command (pulls the image and runs it in the background):

docker run -d -p 80:80 -p 443:443 --name caddy --restart always -v $PWD/Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile -v caddy_data:/data caddy