Firebase Authentication vs Keycloak

The lazy developer's dream for user sign-ins—just add water and pray it scales meets the swiss army knife of iam—if you don't mind sharpening it yourself. Here's our take.

Firebase Authentication

Nice Pick

The lazy developer's dream for user sign-ins—just add water and pray it scales.

Pros

• Dead-simple setup with pre-built UI components
• Handles social logins and phone auth without breaking a sweat
• Tight integration with other Firebase services like Firestore and Cloud Functions

Cons

• Vendor lock-in that makes switching away feel like a prison break
• Pricing can sneak up on you with high-volume phone authentication

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 Firebase Authentication if: You want dead-simple setup with pre-built ui components and can live with vendor lock-in that makes switching away feel like a prison break.

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

The Bottom Line

Firebase Authentication wins

The lazy developer's dream for user sign-ins—just add water and pray it scales.