AWS Amplify vs Keycloak

AWS's 'easy button' for full-stack apps that works great until you need to escape its walled garden meets the swiss army knife of iam—if you don't mind sharpening it yourself. Here's our take.

AWS Amplify

Nice Pick

AWS's 'easy button' for full-stack apps that works great until you need to escape its walled garden.

Pros

• Tight integration with AWS services like Cognito, AppSync, and S3 out of the box
• CLI and UI that simplify deployment, hosting, and backend setup for React, Next.js, and other frameworks
• Built-in CI/CD pipelines and environment management for rapid prototyping
• Generous free tier for small projects and startups

Cons

• Vendor lock-in: migrating away from Amplify often requires rewriting chunks of your backend
• Limited customization for complex use cases—you'll hit walls if you need fine-grained control over infrastructure

Keycloak

The Swiss Army knife of IAM—if you don't mind sharpening it yourself.

Pros

• Open-source with robust SSO and OAuth 2.0/OpenID Connect support
• Built-in user federation and social login integrations
• Fine-grained authorization policies for complex access control

Cons

• Steep learning curve for advanced configurations
• Can be resource-heavy and tricky to scale in production

The Verdict

Use AWS Amplify if: You want tight integration with aws services like cognito, appsync, and s3 out of the box and can live with vendor lock-in: migrating away from amplify often requires rewriting chunks of your backend.

Use Keycloak if: You prioritize open-source with robust sso and oauth 2.0/openid connect support over what AWS Amplify offers.

The Bottom Line

AWS Amplify wins

AWS's 'easy button' for full-stack apps that works great until you need to escape its walled garden.