# keycloak vs Apache SkyWalking

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | keycloak | Apache SkyWalking |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 86/100 ✓ | 76/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 40 in Authentication | #2 of 9 in Application Performance Monitoring |
| GitHub stars | 37 590 ✓ | 24 978 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +609 ✓ | +4 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 ✓ | 3 |
| Latest release | 26.8.1 · 13 Oct 2026 ✓ | v11.0.0 · 28 Aug 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Java | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

keycloak scores 86/100 against 76/100 for Apache SkyWalking, so it is the safer default.

keycloak ships more often: 14 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Apache SkyWalking.

If you want the quickest setup, keycloak is easier to run; Apache SkyWalking needs more configuration.

keycloak is growing faster right now (+609 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [keycloak](https://selfhost.directory/project/keycloak) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/keycloak.md)
- [Apache SkyWalking](https://selfhost.directory/project/skywalking) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/skywalking.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/keycloak-vs-skywalking