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Kanidm alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Kanidm: administration is mainly through the CLI, and no SAML support. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Kanidm, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. authentik currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Keycloak logoKeycloakOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Linux, macOS +14 of 462.6
2JumpCloud logoJumpCloudPaidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +33 of 357.2
  1. Keycloak logo

    1. KeycloakTop pick

    Best for: Organisations that want standards-based SSO on their own infrastructure at no licence cost

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Linux, macOS, Windows

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kanidm

    Industry-standard SSO server with SAML and LDAP federation.

    Pros

    • Free and open source under Apache 2.0
    • Supports OIDC, OAuth 2.0 and SAML with LDAP and AD federation
    • Mature, widely deployed and well understood

    Cons

    • You run, scale and upgrade it yourself
    • Admin concepts and theming have a steep learning curve
    • Login pages look dated without custom themes
    Visit Keycloak Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Keycloak a good Kanidm alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Protocols
    OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, SAML
    Checked Oct 25, 2026keycloak.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Directory federation
    LDAP and Active Directory
    Checked Oct 25, 2026keycloak.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Deployment
    Container image for Docker, Podman, Kubernetes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026keycloak.org(opens source in a new tab)
  2. JumpCloud logo

    2. JumpCloud

    Best for: Small and mid-sized IT teams managing identities and mixed devices from one console

    PaidWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kanidm

    Managed cloud directory with device management if you want a commercial service.

    Pros

    • Identity and device management in one product
    • Cloud LDAP and RADIUS for Wi-Fi, VPN and legacy systems
    • Works across Mac, Windows and Linux

    Cons

    • Costs add up when combining several packages
    • SSO features less deep than dedicated IAM vendors
    • Admin console can be slow with large fleets
    Visit JumpCloud Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is JumpCloud a good Kanidm alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    SSO package
    $11 per user/month, billed annually
    Checked Oct 25, 2026jumpcloud.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Device management
    $9 per user/month, billed annually
    Checked Oct 25, 2026jumpcloud.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    30 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026jumpcloud.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Kanidm alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

authentik logo

Best Kanidm alternative for most people

authentik

Full web admin UI plus SAML and an application proxy.

Keycloak logo

Best Kanidm alternative for a free option

Keycloak

Industry-standard SSO server with SAML and LDAP federation.

Pocket ID logo

Best Kanidm alternative for open source

Pocket ID

Simpler passkey-only OIDC provider when you only need web SSO.

authentik logo

Best Kanidm alternative for self-hosting

authentik

Full web admin UI plus SAML and an application proxy.

JumpCloud logo

Best Kanidm alternative for Mac

JumpCloud

Managed cloud directory with device management if you want a commercial service.

Keycloak logo

Best Kanidm alternative for Windows

Keycloak

Industry-standard SSO server with SAML and LDAP federation.

Keycloak logo

Best Kanidm alternative for Linux

Keycloak

Industry-standard SSO server with SAML and LDAP federation.

JumpCloud logo

Best Kanidm alternative for iPhone and Android

JumpCloud

Managed cloud directory with device management if you want a commercial service.

JumpCloud logo

Best Kanidm alternative for working in the browser

JumpCloud

Managed cloud directory with device management if you want a commercial service.

Kanidm alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Kanidm?

authentik ranks first right now. Full web admin UI plus SAML and an application proxy. Keycloak and Pocket ID follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Kanidm?

Yes. authentik (open source), Keycloak (open source) and Pocket ID (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Kanidm?

Yes: authentik, Keycloak and Pocket ID. authentik, Keycloak and Pocket ID can also be self-hosted.

Which Kanidm alternatives work on Linux?

Keycloak and JumpCloud run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Kanidm?

The complaints we hear most: administration is mainly through the CLI; no SAML support; volunteer-run with no commercial support.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Kanidm, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.