SSOGEN / Keycloak Alternative for ERP, Legacy Apps and AI Agents
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Keycloak Alternative for ERP, Legacy Apps and AI Agents
SSOGEN and Keycloak are both SAML and OpenID Connect identity providers. As a Keycloak alternative, SSOGEN brings a Web Agent that signs people in to Oracle ERP and legacy apps with no code change, owned identities for AI agents, and commercial support. The table compares these with what Keycloak's documentation describes.
Teams that run Keycloak usually chose it for good reasons: it is open source, it speaks the standard protocols and their developers know it.
Three situations lead teams to compare Keycloak alternatives:
- An ERP or legacy web app has no SAML or OpenID Connect setting. SSOGEN protects Oracle E-Business Suite, PeopleSoft and JD Edwards through its Web Agent, with no code change.
- AI agents need their own identity. SSOGEN gives each agent an owned identity with key-bound tokens and a kill switch.
- You need a vendor you can call. SSOGEN is one commercial product, in production since 2016.
This page compares what each product documents, who each suits, and how a move works.
Facts about Keycloak below come from Keycloak’s own site, its server administration guide and its securing-applications overview, read on 2026-10-09.
What Keycloak does, in its own words
Keycloak’s documentation calls it a single sign-on solution for web apps and RESTful web services. Its list of features:
- Protocols. OpenID Connect and OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0.
- Federation. User federation from LDAP and Active Directory.
- Brokering. Identity brokering with external OpenID Connect or SAML providers.
- Social login. Social login.
- Two-factor. Two-factor authentication, including passkeys, recovery codes and TOTP/HOTP.
- Consoles. An Admin Console and an Account Console for self-service.
Keycloak’s homepage says it is a Cloud Native Computing Foundation incubation project. In practice, Keycloak holds users or federates them, and apps that speak SAML or OpenID Connect redirect to it.
Where Keycloak fits
Keycloak is a sound choice in these cases:
- Your apps already speak SAML or OpenID Connect. Keycloak is the identity provider they redirect to, and it does that job.
- You want an open-source project you can run, read and extend within your own engineering practices.
- You want to secure the apps and services you build. Its homepage pitch is adding authentication “with minimum effort”.
- Your team can operate it and does not need a vendor contract behind it.
The rest of this page covers the cases SSOGEN is built for.
When SSOGEN fits
Apps that cannot redirect to anything
Oracle E-Business Suite, PeopleSoft, JD Edwards and in-house sites behind Apache predate SAML and OpenID Connect.
- Web Agent. SSOGEN’s Web Agent is an Apache module for Apache 2.4, Apache 2.2 and Oracle HTTP Server. It signs people in, then tells the app who they are, with no application code change.
- Supported module. Keycloak’s securing-applications guide points Apache users to the third-party modules mod_auth_openidc and mod_auth_mellon. It says Keycloak provides no official support for either. SSOGEN builds and supports its own module.
- App Proxy. For apps that cannot host a module, the SSOGEN Gateway App Proxy checks the sign-in first, then forwards the request.
- Choosing guide. The choosing guide shows how SSOGEN picks between SAML, OpenID Connect, the Web Agent and the App Proxy.
AI agents as identities
SSOGEN registers each AI agent, MCP client, automation or service as a non-human identity.
- Owned identity. It has up to five owners, an expiry date up to 365 days ahead or a review date, and an explicit list of applications and scopes.
- Keys. An agent proves itself with a key pair, not a password. Tokens are tied to that key and last about four minutes.
- Approval. An agent acting for a person needs that person’s approval. Scopes marked Sensitive need a fresh approval each time.
See AI agent identity.
One commercial vendor
SSOGEN is a complete identity provider: local users, LDAP or Active Directory, SAML and OpenID Connect providers, plus MFA, policies, provisioning and the audit log.
- Connect now. Any application that speaks SAML 2.0 or OpenID Connect connects now.
- Entra gallery. Microsoft lists SSOGEN in the Microsoft Entra gallery.
What each product documents
| Capability | Keycloak (per its documentation) | SSOGEN |
|---|---|---|
| Standard protocols | OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0 | SAML and OpenID Connect for applications and for upstream providers |
| Directories | User federation from LDAP and Active Directory | Active Directory or LDAP over LDAPS, local accounts, CSV import |
| Upstream providers | Identity brokering with OpenID Connect and SAML providers | Entra ID, Okta, Keycloak and any SAML or OpenID Connect provider |
| Second factor | Passkeys, recovery codes, TOTP/HOTP; step-up authentication support | MFA with step-up through sign-in policies, and the SSOGEN Authenticator |
| Apache module for apps with no SAML or OIDC | Points to third-party modules (mod_auth_openidc, mod_auth_mellon) with no official Keycloak support | The Web Agent for Apache and Oracle HTTP Server |
| Gateway for unmodified internal apps | No gateway on the pages read (homepage, administration guide, securing-applications overview) | App Proxy, Remote Access, Outbound Connector, Directory Connector |
| AI agent identities | No agent identity on the pages read (same three) | Owned identities, key-bound tokens, delegation, approvals, kill switch |
“On the pages read” means the Keycloak pages we read do not mention the capability. It does not mean it cannot be done. Check Keycloak’s current documentation and its ecosystem for your case.
Moving from Keycloak
Before the move, check each item:
- Every client. List the SAML and OpenID Connect clients in each realm, with redirect URIs, signing settings and any mappers.
- Where users live. If Keycloak federates an LDAP directory, SSOGEN connects to the same directory. If users are stored in Keycloak, plan an import.
- Claims and attributes your apps rely on, such as email, groups or custom attributes.
- Authentication flows. Note which users have a second factor and which step-up rules apply.
- Sign-out behavior of each app.
- The apps nobody can change. SSOGEN adds the most value there, through the Web Agent and the App Proxy.
Move one low-risk app first and compare the claims it receives. Cut over only when sign-in and sign-out behave the same.
Keycloak as the sign-in source during the move
While applications move, SSOGEN accepts Keycloak as an identity provider. People sign in with their Keycloak accounts through the configured SAML or OpenID Connect connection.
Two Keycloak client settings decide whether this pairing works the first time:
- Sign assertions. For SAML, turn Sign assertions On in the Keycloak client. SSOGEN requires the assertion itself to be signed, and SSOGEN’s SAML guide sets this because Keycloak does not sign the assertion by default.
- Client signature required. Turn Client signature required Off on the client’s Keys tab unless you enabled request signing in SSOGEN. With that option on, Keycloak expects signed requests and refuses SSOGEN’s unsigned ones. Keycloak’s administration guide describes the option (“documents coming from a client are expected to be signed”); confirm both settings in your Keycloak version.
For OpenID Connect, enter the issuer exactly as Keycloak publishes it, for example https://keycloak.acme.example/realms/acme, with no trailing slash. SSOGEN refuses a mismatch.
Full steps are in Keycloak SSO with SSOGEN and the OpenID Connect provider guide.
Questions people ask
Is there a better alternative to Keycloak?
The answer depends on the job. For apps that already speak SAML or OpenID Connect, Keycloak is a capable choice. For ERP and legacy apps, agent identity or a commercial vendor, SSOGEN is built for exactly those needs.
Is Keycloak an SSO provider?
Yes. Keycloak’s documentation calls it a single sign-on solution for web apps and RESTful web services.
Can Keycloak stay the sign-in source during the move?
Yes. Add Keycloak to SSOGEN as a SAML or OpenID Connect identity provider. People sign in with their Keycloak account while applications move to SSOGEN.
Where to go next
- Connect an app. Read how to choose how to connect an application.
- Apache modules. Compare the open-source modules in mod_auth_openidc and mod_auth_mellon alternatives.
- Products. See the Web Agent and the Gateway, or browse single sign-on software for the whole product.
- Row by row. See the Keycloak vs SSOGEN comparison.
Sources, all read 2026-10-09: Keycloak, server administration guide, securing applications overview, mod_auth_openidc, mod_auth_mellon.
About this comparison. SSOGEN Corporation prepared this page from the Keycloak project’s public documentation and web pages, last read on 2026-10-09.
We took care to be accurate, but products, plans and prices change, and we may have misread or missed something, so some statements may be wrong or out of date. This page is for general information only and comes without any warranty.
SSOGEN is not responsible for errors, omissions or decisions made from it. Check the vendor’s own pages and test the products yourself before you decide. If you see a mistake, tell us and we will correct it.
Keycloak, Cloud Native Computing Foundation, Active Directory, Entra ID, Okta, Oracle E-Business Suite, PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, Apache, mod_auth_openidc, mod_auth_mellon and Oracle HTTP Server are names or trademarks of their respective owners. SSOGEN is an Oracle partner, but Oracle has not reviewed or endorsed this page.
Except for Oracle, the owners named are not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by SSOGEN.