Keycloak vs Directus

Detailed comparison to help you choose the right tool for your needs

K

Keycloak

Open-source identity and access management — self-hosted Auth0 alternative

4.2
Editorial Rating
D

Directus

Open-source headless CMS and data platform

4.5
Editorial Rating

Quick Comparison

Rating

4.2
vs
4.5

Starting Price

Free
vs
Free

Pricing Model

free
vs
freemium
Feature
Keycloak
Directus
Single Sign-On
SAML & OpenID Connect
Social login
User federation (LDAP/AD)
Admin console
Fine-grained authorization
REST & GraphQL API
Role-based access
File management
Webhooks
Custom dashboards

Keycloak Pros

  • Enterprise-grade identity management
  • Backed by Red Hat
  • Supports every auth protocol
  • Massive adoption in enterprise

Keycloak Cons

  • Java-based — heavier resource usage
  • Complex initial configuration
  • Documentation can be overwhelming

Directus Pros

  • Database-agnostic
  • Beautiful admin UI
  • Strong API
  • Active community

Directus Cons

  • Cloud plans expensive
  • Learning curve for complex setups
  • Self-hosting requires maintenance

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