Same standards. Different economics.
Every serious identity platform speaks OIDC, OAuth 2.0 and SAML. The real differences are how you pay as you grow, where the platform runs, who operates it, and how much of the delivery arrives already built.
Midships Keycloak against the platforms banks ask us about.
| Platform | Pricing basis | Where it runs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PingOne Advanced Identity Cloud | CIAM licensed per Annual Active User; workforce per managed identity1 | Ping-operated cloud tenant | Compare → |
| Ping Identity software | Managed (stored) identity, counted whether active or not2 | Your data centre or cloud | Compare → |
| Auth0 (Okta Customer Identity) | Monthly active users on published plans; enterprise by quote3 | Auth0 public cloud, or a dedicated private cloud on AWS or Azure4 | Compare → |
| Microsoft Entra External ID | Monthly active users, with premium add-ons such as SMS and data residency5 | Microsoft cloud | Compare → |
| Amazon Cognito | Monthly active users; Essentials USD 0.015 and Plus USD 0.020 per MAU above free tiers6 | AWS regions | Compare → |
| Red Hat build of Keycloak | Supported Keycloak distribution, entitled through OpenShift, Runtimes or bundles, counted against cores7 | Your environment | Compare → |
| Midships Keycloak | Annual subscription. No per identity or per device fees | Your data centre or your own cloud tenancy | Learn more → |
Summarised for orientation as at October 2026, from each vendor's documentation. Confirm current terms with the vendor.
Compare Midships Keycloak with other platforms.
Is Keycloak a build decision?
Raw Keycloak is. Midships Keycloak is bought.
Read the argument →CompareMidships Keycloak vs Ping Advanced Identity Cloud
Per active user SaaS, or a platform you own
Read the comparison →CompareMidships Keycloak vs Ping Identity (self-managed)
Per stored identity licensing, or none
Read the comparison →CompareMidships Keycloak vs Auth0
Per MAU SaaS, or a platform you own
Read the comparison →CompareMidships Keycloak vs Entra External ID
Per MAU in Microsoft cloud, or cloud neutral
Read the comparison →CompareMidships Keycloak vs Amazon Cognito
AWS-native per MAU, or portable
Read the comparison →CompareMidships Keycloak vs Red Hat build of Keycloak
Complementary, not competing
Read the comparison →Frequently asked questions.
What is the best alternative to Ping Identity for a bank?
For banks that want to run customer identity in their own environment and stop paying per identity, Midships Keycloak is the option we recommend: the same open standards, a production platform in your environment, and a subscription that does not charge per identity.
What is the best alternative to ForgeRock?
Midships Keycloak migrations are designed to reproduce the token and API contracts your applications depend on, so the platform changes without changing the systems that use it.
Is Keycloak cheaper than Ping or Auth0?
In the cases we have modelled at bank scale, usually yes, because neither the software nor the Midships subscription is priced per identity or per active user. Model your own figures in the Keycloak savings calculator.
How we sourced this comparison.
Statements about other vendors come from their public documentation and pricing pages, checked in October 2026. Vendors change products and prices; confirm current terms with them. Product names are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify those products. If you believe anything here is inaccurate, tell us at sales@midships.io and we will correct it.
- Ping Identity licensing guide: PingOne Advanced Identity Cloud
- Ping Identity licensing guide: Advanced Identity Software (PingAM, PingDS, PingIDM)
- Auth0 pricing
- Auth0 documentation: deployment options
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Entra External ID pricing
- Amazon Cognito pricing
- Red Hat: subscription requirements for Red Hat build of Keycloak
Decide before the contract decides for you.
If your identity platform renews within 24 months, set out renew, renegotiate and migrate side by side while every option is still open.
What would your identity cost on Midships Keycloak?
Enter your licence figures and see five-year cost, payback and break-even. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.