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Zitadel alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Zitadel: AGPL licence may need legal review for some companies, and smaller community than Keycloak. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Zitadel, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Keycloak currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Keycloak logoKeycloakOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Linux, macOS +14 of 466.5
2Logto logoLogtoOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 462.6
3Ory logoOryOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 459.6
  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

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Zitadel

    More established open-source server with a permissive Apache licence.

    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 ×0.3100
    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 Zitadel 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. Logto logo

    2. Logto

    Best for: SaaS developers who want open-source, standards-based auth with an affordable cloud

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Zitadel

    Open-source with a polished developer experience and a cheaper starting cloud plan.

    Pros

    • Open source and self-hostable, with a free cloud tier
    • Clean admin console and customisable sign-in pages
    • Multi-tenant organisations and RBAC built in

    Cons

    • Smaller ecosystem than Auth0 or Keycloak
    • Some enterprise features are cloud or paid only
    • Usage-based token billing takes some estimating
    Visit Logto 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 Logto a good Zitadel alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MPL-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    Up to 50,000 MAU
    Checked Oct 25, 2026logto.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    Pro from $24/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026logto.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026logto.io(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Ory logo

    3. Ory

    Best for: Engineering teams that want modular, API-first identity at large scale

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Zitadel

    Headless, modular components with an Apache licence for teams building their own UI.

    Pros

    • Apache-licensed components you can self-host freely
    • Separate services for login, OAuth2 and permissions
    • Proven at very large scale

    Cons

    • Headless design means building or adapting your own UI
    • Managed plans are priced for businesses, billed annually
    • Several components to learn and operate
    Visit Ory Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    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 Ory a good Zitadel alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    Apache-2.0 (Kratos)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    Ory Network Production $770/year
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ory.sh(opens source in a new tab)
    Growth plan
    $9,350/year
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ory.sh(opens source in a new tab)
    Notable user
    OpenAI
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ory.sh(opens source in a new tab)

The best Zitadel alternative for…

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

Keycloak logo

Best Zitadel alternative for most people

Keycloak

More established open-source server with a permissive Apache licence.

Logto logo

Best Zitadel alternative for a free option

Logto

Open-source with a polished developer experience and a cheaper starting cloud plan.

Auth0 logo

Best Zitadel alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Auth0

Fully managed with a big ecosystem if self-hosting is no longer appealing.

Ory logo

Best Zitadel alternative for open source

Ory

Headless, modular components with an Apache licence for teams building their own UI.

Keycloak logo

Best Zitadel alternative for self-hosting

Keycloak

More established open-source server with a permissive Apache licence.

Keycloak logo

Best Zitadel alternative for Mac

Keycloak

More established open-source server with a permissive Apache licence.

Keycloak logo

Best Zitadel alternative for Windows

Keycloak

More established open-source server with a permissive Apache licence.

Keycloak logo

Best Zitadel alternative for Linux

Keycloak

More established open-source server with a permissive Apache licence.

WorkOS logo

Best Zitadel alternative for working in the browser

WorkOS

Managed B2B auth free up to a million users, paying only for enterprise connections.

Zitadel alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Zitadel?

Keycloak ranks first right now. More established open-source server with a permissive Apache licence. Logto and Ory follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Zitadel?

Yes. Keycloak (open source), Logto (open source), Ory (open source) and Auth0 (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Zitadel?

Yes: Keycloak, Logto and Ory. Keycloak, Logto and Ory can also be self-hosted.

Which Zitadel alternatives work on Linux?

Keycloak runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from Zitadel?

The complaints we hear most: AGPL licence may need legal review for some companies; smaller community than Keycloak; free cloud tier is limited in daily active users.

How is this list ranked?

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