# keycloak vs Thingsboard

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

| | keycloak | Thingsboard |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 86/100 ✓ | 76/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 40 in Authentication | #1 of 10 in IoT |
| GitHub stars | 37 583 ✓ | 22 615 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +616 ✓ | +145 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 | 24 ✓ |
| Latest release | 26.8.1 · 13 Oct 2026 | v4.3.1.8 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | Java | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

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

Thingsboard ships more often: 24 stable releases in the past year, against 14 for keycloak.

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

keycloak is growing faster right now (+616 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [keycloak](https://selfhost.directory/project/keycloak) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/keycloak.md)
- [Thingsboard](https://selfhost.directory/project/thingsboard) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/thingsboard.md)

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