BastionAuth vs Keycloak

Both BastionAuth and Keycloak are self-hostable open-source authentication solutions. Here's how they compare.

TL;DR

Choose BastionAuth if you want modern developer experience, React/Next.js-first tooling, and faster time-to-value.

Choose Keycloak if you're in the Java ecosystem, need SAML today, or have existing Keycloak expertise.

Feature Comparison

Key Differences

1. Developer Experience

Keycloak: Java-centric. No official React SDK. Integration requires understanding OIDC flows manually.

BastionAuth: JavaScript/TypeScript native. First-class React and Next.js support. Clerk-like DX.

// BastionAuth - Simple React integration
import { BastionProvider, SignIn, useAuth } from '@bastionauth/react';
 
function App() {
  return (
    <BastionProvider publishableKey="pk_...">
      <SignIn />
    </BastionProvider>
  );
}
 
// Keycloak - Manual OIDC integration
import Keycloak from 'keycloak-js';
 
const keycloak = new Keycloak({
  url: 'https://keycloak.example.com',
  realm: 'myrealm',
  clientId: 'myclient',
});
 
keycloak.init({ onLoad: 'login-required' });

2. Resource Requirements

Keycloak: JVM-based. Requires 1GB+ RAM minimum. Heavy container images.

BastionAuth: Node.js-based. Runs on 256MB RAM. Lightweight containers.

# Keycloak resources
resources:
  requests:
    memory: "1Gi"
    cpu: "500m"
 
# BastionAuth resources
resources:
  requests:
    memory: "256Mi"
    cpu: "200m"

3. UI Components

Keycloak: Functional but dated admin console. Login themes require FreeMarker templates.

BastionAuth: Modern glass-ui design. Pre-built React components. CSS customization.

4. Protocol Support

Keycloak: Extensive protocol support (SAML, OIDC, Kerberos, LDAP).

BastionAuth: Modern protocols (OAuth 2.0, OIDC). SAML coming soon.

5. Configuration

Keycloak: XML/JSON configuration. Steep learning curve. Many options.

BastionAuth: Environment variables. Sensible defaults. Quick setup.

Admin Dashboard Comparison

Keycloak Admin

• Functional but complex
• Many configuration options
• Steep learning curve
• FreeMarker theme customization

BastionAuth Admin

• Modern, intuitive interface
• Clean statistics dashboard
• Quick user management
• Real-time audit logs

When to Choose Keycloak

• You're in a Java/Jakarta EE ecosystem
• You need SAML SSO today
• You require LDAP/Active Directory integration
• You need Kerberos authentication
• You have existing Keycloak expertise
• You need fine-grained authorization (UMA)

When to Choose BastionAuth

• You're building with React/Next.js
• Developer experience is a priority
• You want quick setup and modern tooling
• Resource efficiency matters
• You prefer JavaScript/TypeScript ecosystem
• You want pre-built, beautiful UI components

Migration from Keycloak

# Export users from Keycloak
npx @bastionauth/cli migrate keycloak \
  --url https://keycloak.example.com \
  --realm myrealm \
  --admin-user admin
 
# Import to BastionAuth
npx @bastionauth/cli migrate keycloak --import

Coexistence Strategy

For gradual migration, both can coexist:

1. Use BastionAuth for new frontend apps
2. Keep Keycloak for legacy SAML apps
3. Share database/user store via federation
4. Migrate apps incrementally