Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Keycloak VS Azure Multi-Factor Authentication

Compare Keycloak VS Azure Multi-Factor Authentication and see what are their differences

Keycloak logo Keycloak

Open Source Identity and Access Management for modern Applications and Services.

Azure Multi-Factor Authentication logo Azure Multi-Factor Authentication

Azure Multi-Factor Authentication helps safeguard access to data and applications while meeting user demand for a simple sign-in process.
  • Keycloak Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-03-20
  • Azure Multi-Factor Authentication Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-19

Keycloak features and specs

  • Open-Source
    Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management solution, which means it is free to use and has a community-driven support system. This can lead to lower costs and more flexibility compared to proprietary solutions.
  • Feature-Rich
    Keycloak offers a comprehensive set of features including single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), user federation, identity brokering, and social login. This makes it suitable for a wide range of use cases.
  • Customizability
    With Keycloak, you can customize the authentication and authorization processes through its extensible architecture, allowing for the addition of custom features and integrations.
  • Integration Capability
    Keycloak supports integration with various protocols such as OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and SAML, making it versatile for integrating with different platforms and services.
  • Active Community
    Keycloak has an active and growing community of developers and users who contribute to its improvement and provide support, resources, and shared knowledge.

Possible disadvantages of Keycloak

  • Complexity
    Keycloak can be complex to set up and configure, especially for users who are not familiar with identity and access management concepts. This may require additional time and expertise.
  • Resource-Intensive
    Running Keycloak can be resource-intensive, requiring more CPU and memory compared to simpler authentication solutions. This may necessitate higher infrastructure costs.
  • Learning Curve
    The learning curve for Keycloak can be steep for new users due to its wide range of features and configuration options. Ample time might be required to fully understand and utilize its capabilities.
  • Documentation Quality
    While Keycloak has extensive documentation, some users find it to be insufficiently detailed or difficult to navigate, which can impede the setup and troubleshooting process.
  • Maintenance
    Operating a Keycloak instance involves ongoing maintenance tasks such as updates, security patches, and backups, which can be time-consuming and require dedicated resources.

Azure Multi-Factor Authentication features and specs

  • Enhanced Security
    Azure MFA adds an additional layer of security by requiring users to verify their identity through multiple methods, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
  • Flexible Authentication Options
    It supports various authentication methods such as phone calls, text messages, app notifications, and hardware tokens, providing flexibility for users.
  • Integration with Microsoft Services
    Seamless integration with other Microsoft services and Azure Active Directory ensures a cohesive security solution across different Microsoft platforms.
  • Compliance Support
    Helps organizations meet compliance requirements by providing an additional layer of security that is often mandated by regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, etc.
  • User-friendly
    Designed to be straightforward for end-users, reducing the friction typically associated with multi-factor authentication processes.
  • Conditional Access Policies
    Enables the configuration of conditional access policies to enforce MFA for specific scenarios, balancing security needs and user convenience.

Possible disadvantages of Azure Multi-Factor Authentication

  • Cost
    While some features are available for free, comprehensive usage of Azure MFA can incur additional costs depending on the Azure AD licensing model.
  • Setup Complexity
    Initial setup and configuration can be complex, especially for organizations without a dedicated IT team.
  • Reliance on Internet Connectivity
    Most verification methods require an internet connection, which can be a drawback in environments with unstable or unreliable internet access.
  • Potential User Resistance
    Some users may find the authentication process cumbersome or may resist changes to the login process, requiring additional user education and support.
  • Dependency on External Devices
    Authentication methods like text messages or app notifications depend on users having access to their mobile devices, which can be problematic if a device is lost or stolen.
  • Integration Challenges with Non-Microsoft Services
    While Azure MFA integrates well with Microsoft services, integration with third-party or non-Microsoft applications may require additional configuration and support.

Keycloak videos

What is Keycloak and what are the main features | DevNation Live

More videos:

  • Review - Keycloak Overview
  • Review - Easily Secure Your Front and Back End app with Keycloak

Azure Multi-Factor Authentication videos

How to register for Azure Multi-Factor Authentication

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Keycloak and Azure Multi-Factor Authentication)
Identity And Access Management
Identity Provider
92 92%
8% 8
Two Factor Authentication
SSO
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Keycloak and Azure Multi-Factor Authentication

Keycloak Reviews

12 User Authentication Platforms [Auth0, Firebase Alternatives]
You can integrate Keycloak with your applications to have a single-sign-in and single-sign-out experience. Moreover, one can activate social logins without any modification in code. Additionally, it allows user authentication via existing OpenID Connect or SAML 2.0
Source: geekflare.com
10+ Open-source Single-Sign On (SSO) Solutions
Keycloak is a free, open-source identity and access management system with highly configurable Single-Sign-On (SSO) support.
Source: medevel.com
10 Best Auth0 Alternatives and Similar Platforms
Keycloak may be quite beneficial because it provides a built-in method for syncing with databases, such as LDAP or Active Directory, when your users already are registered on. If you use Social Login for social platforms such as Facebook, Keycloak might be a great tool for your organization.
Top 5 Open Source Single Sign-On Software In the Year 2021
KeyCloak is another free software that is based on OpenID Connect, OAuth2.0, and SAML2.0. It provides SSO capabilities across web applications and web services. Above all, this open source software provides integrations with LDAP and Active Directory. There is a logical user interface where users can manage roles, permissions, and sessions. Moreover, this free solution...
IAM: A comparison of open-source tools
/ Digitalberry news / IAM: A comparison of open-source toolsIAM: A comparison of open-source toolsWhy use an Identity Provider (IdP)?Comparative study of Identity Providers (IdP)1. Our team’s first choice: Keycloak2. In second place of our comparative study: Gluu3. Special mention: FusionAuthDiscover our expertiseContact our experts

Azure Multi-Factor Authentication Reviews

We have no reviews of Azure Multi-Factor Authentication yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Keycloak should be more popular than Azure Multi-Factor Authentication. It has been mentiond 4 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Keycloak mentions (4)

  • Beyond the login page
    Most of the time nowadays, I prefer offloading this to an identity provider, using OpenID Connect or soon Federated Credential Management (FedCM), even if that means shipping an identity provider as part of the deliverables (I generally go with Keycloak, with keycloak-config-cli to provision its configuration). I'm obviously biased though as I work in IT services, developping software mainly for... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Okta Says Hackers Stole Data for All Customer Support Users
    Yet another breach of Okta... Why are companies not running something like keycloak [1] themselves? Are administrative/maintenance costs too high or is it plausible deniability? [1] https://keycloak.org. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • I built a ready-to-use auth server with TypeScript and Express.js
    I'd stick with a solution like https://keycloak.org in that instance. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Authelia is an open-source authentication/authorization server with 2FA/SSO
    A few more projects in this space: - Keycloak (you won't get fired for picking this)[0] - CloudFoundry's UAA[1] - Gluu [2] - Keratin [3] - OpenUnison [4] - Dex[5] - Netlify's GoTrue[6] All of these solutions are a bit different but here are some of the axes: - Whether or not they function as an OAuth provider - Whether they're centered around application-user-login (email + password) or application auth (OAuth) or... - Source: Hacker News / about 4 years ago

Azure Multi-Factor Authentication mentions (2)

  • MFA for Outlook Online on cell phone
    This is the answer, more detail: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/authentication/concept-mfa-howitworks. Source: about 3 years ago
  • What do you do if you lost your phone with Microsoft Authenticator?
    Make sure that you back-up the active app-configuration, this way you have an easier way to recover; make sure you are allowed to verify using more than an authenticator, more here. Source: almost 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Keycloak and Azure Multi-Factor Authentication, you can also consider the following products

Auth0 - Auth0 is a program for people to get authentication and authorization services for their own business use.

Google Authenticator - Google Authenticator is a multifactor app for mobile devices.

Okta - Enterprise-grade identity management for all your apps, users & devices

Authy - Best rated Two-Factor Authentication smartphone app for consumers, simplest 2fa Rest API for developers and a strong authentication platform for the enterprise.

OneLogin - On-demand SSO, directory integration, user provisioning and more

Duo Security - Duo Security provides cloud-based two-factor authentication. Duo’s technology can be deployed to protect users, data, and applications from breaches, credential theft, and account takeover.