European Alternatives to Okta
Looking for a European or self-hosted alternative to Okta? Okta is a US-based identity provider that stores sensitive authentication data on American servers. For organizations with data sovereignty requirements, compliance needs, or those preferring self-hosted solutions, there are excellent alternatives.
We've curated the best open-source and European identity management solutions. These alternatives offer SSO, MFA, user management, and API access while keeping your identity data under your control or within EU jurisdiction.
Why Choose an Alternative to Okta?
Data Sovereignty
Keep identity data on your servers or in EU data centers under your control.
Open Source
Audit the code, customize features, and avoid vendor lock-in.
Cost Savings
Self-hosted solutions can significantly reduce per-user licensing costs.
GDPR Compliance
European providers and self-hosting ensure full compliance with EU regulations.
Best Alternatives to Okta
We've curated the best open-source and European identity management solutions. Each alternative has been evaluated for features, scalability, and compliance capabilities.
Keycloak
Enterprise-grade open-source identity management by Red Hat
Zitadel
Swiss identity infrastructure with cloud and self-hosted options
Authentik
Flexible open-source identity provider for any application
Ory
German open-source identity infrastructure for developers
FusionAuth
Full-featured auth platform with free self-hosting option
Feature Comparison: Okta vs Alternatives
| Feature | Okta | Keycloak | Zitadel | Authentik |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | USA | Self-hosted | Switzerland | Self-hosted |
| Open Source | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| EU Cloud Option | Partial | Self-host | Yes | Self-host |
| Free Tier | Limited | Unlimited | Yes | Unlimited |
| SSO/SAML | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MFA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Frequently Asked Questions
Keycloak is the most mature and widely-adopted open-source alternative to Okta. It's backed by the CNCF and offers enterprise-grade features. For a more modern, API-first approach, Zitadel from Switzerland is excellent. For simpler deployments, Authentik provides an intuitive UI with powerful customization options.
Yes, several alternatives offer strong GDPR compliance. Zitadel is based in Switzerland with EU cloud options. Ory is a German company with EU data residency. Self-hosted solutions like Keycloak and Authentik can be deployed on European infrastructure, giving you complete control over data residency and regulatory compliance.
Migration complexity depends on your setup. Most alternatives support standard protocols (SAML, OIDC, SCIM), making integration migration straightforward. User migration may require password resets unless you export password hashes. Keycloak and Zitadel both have user migration tools. Plan for a parallel running period during transition.
Yes, Keycloak is used by major enterprises and government organizations globally. It supports clustering for high availability and can handle millions of users. Zitadel is designed for multi-tenant SaaS applications at scale. The key is proper infrastructure planning and deployment best practices.
Okta charges per user per month, which can become expensive at scale. Self-hosted solutions like Keycloak and Authentik are free with unlimited users - you only pay for infrastructure. For an organization with 1,000 users, the savings can be substantial (tens of thousands per year). However, factor in the operational overhead of self-hosting.
Yes, all major alternatives support social login (Google, Microsoft, GitHub, Apple, etc.) through identity brokering. Keycloak has built-in support for many providers. Authentik and Zitadel also offer extensive social login options. You can configure which providers to offer and how to handle account linking.
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