Keycloak as a Service

Identity and access management (IAM) has become one of the biggest challenges for modern businesses. Teams need secure authentication, single sign-on (SSO), and flexible user management, without the overhead of managing complex infrastructure. This is where Keycloak as a Service comes in. Instead of deploying and maintaining Keycloak manually, organizations can rely on a managed, cloud-hosted solution that delivers the same enterprise-grade security with far less effort.

In this article, we’ll explore what Keycloak as a Service is, how it works, the key benefits it offers, and why it is becoming the go-to choice for companies seeking scalable IAM solutions.

Keycloak as a Service is a managed, cloud-hosted version of Keycloak that provides identity and access management without the burden of self-hosting. It enables secure authentication, single sign-on (SSO), user federation, and role-based access control while offering scalability, reliability, and reduced operational overhead.

Why IAM Matters in the USA IT Sector

The USA IAM market is booming, valued at $7.9 billion in 2024 and projected to hit $33.7 billion by 2032 (15.3% CAGR). Why? Cyberattacks are skyrocketing, 68% of USA breaches in 2024 involved stolen credentials. Whether you’re in tech, finance, or healthcare, a robust IAM solution like Keycloak ensures secure access, boosts user retention, and saves costs. For a Texas e-commerce client, we implemented Keycloak’s social login, increasing sign-ups by 15% in three months.

IAM isn’t just security, it’s a competitive edge.

Keycloak vs. Competitors: How It Stacks Up in the USA

The USA IAM market is crowded, with Keycloak holding a 1.83% share (1,252 customers) against giants like Azure AD and Okta.

Here’s a head-to-head comparison:

• Microsoft Azure AD (21.95% market share, 1,309 USA customers):
  • Pros: Seamless Microsoft integration (Office 365, Azure), robust MFA, HIPAA-compliant.
  • Cons: $6-$9/user/month, less flexible for non-Microsoft stacks.
  • Best for: Enterprises tied to Microsoft ecosystems.
• Okta (~10%, 12,195 USA customers):
  • Pros: Cloud-native, 7,000+ app integrations, user-friendly SSO.
  • Cons: $15+/user/month, limited self-hosting.
  • Best for: SaaS startups needing quick setup.
• Ping Identity (~5%):
  • Pros: Biometric support, hybrid deployments, strong in finance.
  • Cons: Complex setup, costly for small businesses.
  • Best for: Large enterprises with legacy systems.
• Auth0 (~4%):
  • Pros: Developer-friendly, social logins, owned by Okta.
  • Cons: Limited self-hosting, premium pricing.
  • Best for: Developer-heavy startups.
• AWS Cognito (~3%):
  • Pros: Serverless, AWS-integrated, pay-as-you-go.
  • Cons: Cloud-only, limited customization.
  • Best for: AWS-centric companies.
• Others: FusionAuth, Ory, Supertokens (<1%), IBM Security Verify, CyberArk, SailPoint, OneLogin, Centrify (Delinea), ForgeRock, RSA SecurID, Oracle Identity Manager, SecureAuth.
  • Niche Strengths: CyberArk excels in privileged access, SailPoint in governance, RSA in high-security sectors.
  • Drawbacks: Often costly or specialized, lacking Keycloak’s flexibility.

Why Keycloak? It’s free, self-hosted, and supports hybrid deployments, saving 30-50% over Okta or Azure AD. Its 10,000+ GitHub stars prove its community strength.

Credits: Milan Jovanović

Why Keycloak asa Service Wins for USA Businesses

Keycloak is a no-brainer for cost-conscious USA companies.

Here’s why:

• Zero Licensing Costs: Unlike Okta’s $15+/user/month, Keycloak’s Apache 2.0 license means you only pay for hosting ($100-500/month on AWS).
• Hybrid Flexibility: Supports cloud and on-premises, unlike Cognito’s cloud-only model.
• Robust Features: SSO, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and SAML 2.0 rival enterprise solutions.
• Scalable: We scaled Keycloak for a media client’s 50,000 daily users with Kubernetes.
• Community-Driven: 10,000+ GitHub stars ensure constant updates and support.

Stat: 78% of enterprises using open-source IAM like Keycloak report 30-50% cost savings.

Step-by-Step: Set Up Keycloak for a Node.js App

Let’s secure a Node.js app with Keycloak SSO in under an hour.

Step 1: Install Keycloak

Requirements: Java 11+ (OpenJDK), AWS EC2 (us-east-1), optional PostgreSQL.

1. Download Keycloak (26.0.2, May 2025):

wget https://github.com/keycloak/keycloak/releases/download/26.0.2/keycloak-26.0.2.tar.gz
tar -xvzf keycloak-26.0.2.tar.gz
cd keycloak-26.0.2

       2. Start in Dev Mode:

./bin/kc.sh start-dev

Access http://localhost:8080, create an admin user, and secure the password.

Pro Tip: Use PostgreSQL for production to handle 10,000+ users. A client’s dev setup crashed without it.

Step 2: Configure a Realm

A realm is your app’s user and settings container.

1. Create a Realm:
   • In the admin console, click “Create Realm”, name it myapp-realm.
   • Select it from the dropdown.
2. Add a Client:
   • Go to “Clients” > “Create Client”.
   • Set Client ID to myapp-client, Protocol to OpenID Connect, Root URL to http://localhost:3000.
   • Set “Valid Redirect URIs” to http://localhost:3000/callback.

Step 3: Secure Your App

Here’s a Node.js/Express app with Keycloak SSO.

Code: Node.js with Keycloak

const express = require('express');
const session = require('express-session');
const Keycloak = require('keycloak-connect');
const app = express();

const memoryStore = new session.MemoryStore();
app.use(
  session({
    secret: 'hakuna-matata-secure-123',
    resave: false,
    saveUninitialized: true,
    store: memoryStore,
  })
);

const keycloak = new Keycloak({ store: memoryStore }, {
  realm: 'myapp-realm',
  'auth-server-url': 'http://localhost:8080',
  'ssl-required': 'external',
  resource: 'myapp-client',
  'public-client': true,
});

app.use(keycloak.middleware());

app.get('/', keycloak.protect(), (req, res) => {
  res.send(`Welcome, ${req.kauth.grant.access_token.content.preferred_username}!`);
});

app.listen(3000, () => console.log('App running at http://localhost:3000'));

Install Dependencies:

npm install express express-session keycloak-connect

How It Works:

• keycloak-connect redirects unauthenticated users to Keycloak’s login page.
• protect() ensures only logged-in users access the route.
• Use a secure secret to prevent session hijacking.

Pro Tip: Test redirect URIs to avoid 500-error loops. We caught this in a client’s beta test.

Step 4: Customize the Login Page

Brand your login page for a seamless UX.

1. Create a Theme:

     cp -r themes/base/login themes/myapp/login

           Edit themes/myapp/login/login.ftl:

<div class="login-page" style="background-color: #f0f0f0; padding: 20px;">
  <h1>Welcome to MyApp</h1>
  ${kcForm}
</div>

       2. Apply Theme:

            In “Realm Settings” > “Themes”, set “Login Theme” to myapp

Security and Scaling: Pro Tips

Security

With 68% of USA breaches tied to credentials, secure Keycloak like this:

• Short Tokens: Set access token lifespan to 15 minutes in “Realm Settings” > “Tokens”:

{
  "accessTokenLifespan": 900
}

• Prevent XSS: Allow only trusted URLs (e.g., http://localhost:3000) in CORS settings.
• Secure Admin Console: Restrict http://your-server:8080/admin with AWS Security Groups.

Lesson: A California healthcare client failed a HIPAA audit due to loose CORS. We fixed it and passed with zero findings.

Scaling

For high traffic (50,000+ users):

• Kubernetes: Multi-node clusters for redundancy.
• PostgreSQL: Index user tables for 25% faster queries.
• Caching: Infinispan cut latency for a media client.

Stat: 65% of Keycloak users with 10,000+ users need database tuning.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Log Splitting: Fix keycloak.log splitting in conf/logback.xml:

<appender name="FILE" class="ch.qos.logback.core.FileAppender">
  <file>keycloak.log</file>
  <append>true</append>
</appender>

• Role Deletion: A client broke logins by deleting a role. Restore from backups and restrict permissions.

Hakuna Matata’s Success Stories in the USA

We’ve transformed USA businesses with Keycloak:

• New York Fintech: SSO for 100,000 users, cutting login failures by 40%.
• California Healthcare: Active Directory integration for HIPAA compliance.
• Texas E-commerce: Google login boosted sign-ups by 15%.