Compare two open source identity solutions: AIM for AI agents and Keycloak for human users. Both self-hostable, different identity subjects.
by OpenA2A
Purpose-built for AI agents. Cryptographic identity, capability-based access, and continuous trust scoring. Open source and self-hosted.
by Red Hat / CNCF
Open source identity and access management for human users. SSO, OAuth/OIDC, SAML, user federation, and fine-grained authorization.
Both AIM and Keycloak are open source and self-hostable, but they solve different problems. Keycloak manages human user identity (SSO, OAuth, SAML, user directories). AIM manages AI agent identity (cryptographic proof, behavioral trust, capabilities). They complement each other rather than compete.
| Feature | AIM | Keycloak |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | AI agent identity | Human user identity |
| Licensing | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Self-Hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptographic Agent Identity | Ed25519 per agent | Not designed for agents |
| Continuous Trust Scoring | 8-factor real-time | Not available |
| Capability-Based Access | Code-level enforcement | Fine-grained RBAC |
| MCP Server Attestation | Native support | Not supported |
| AI Framework Integration | LangChain, CrewAI, etc. | Not applicable |
| Single Sign-On (SSO) | Not the focus | Core feature |
| OAuth 2.0 / OIDC | Not applicable | Full support |
| SAML 2.0 | Not applicable | Full support |
| User Federation (LDAP/AD) | Not applicable | LDAP, Kerberos, AD |
| Social Login | Not applicable | Google, GitHub, etc. |
| Operational Complexity | Simple (docker compose) | Moderate (Java, DB setup) |
| Cost | Free | Free |
AIM asks: "Is this AI agent trustworthy?"
Keycloak asks: "Is this person who they claim to be?"
with AIM
with Keycloak
AIM secures AI agents. Keycloak authenticates human users. Different tools for different jobs.
from aim_sdk import secure
# Register and secure an AI agent
agent = secure(
"data-analyst",
capabilities=[
"database:read",
"api:call"
]
)
# Agent has cryptographic identity
# Capabilities are enforced
# Trust is continuously scored// Authenticate a human user
import Keycloak
from 'keycloak-js';
const keycloak = new Keycloak({
url: 'https://keycloak.example',
realm: 'my-realm',
clientId: 'my-app'
});
// Human logs in via browser
await keycloak.init({
onLoad: 'login-required'
});AIM and Keycloak solve different problems and complement each other perfectly:
Human identity (Keycloak) + Agent identity (AIM) = Complete open source identity stack.
Both AIM and Keycloak are Apache-2.0 licensed and fully self-hostable. Together, they provide a complete open source identity solution: Keycloak for your human users, AIM for your AI agents. No vendor lock-in, no per-user pricing, complete control over your infrastructure.
AIM provides what Keycloak can't: purpose-built identity for AI agents. Both open source, both self-hosted, perfect together.
Apache-2.0 license • Self-hosted • Works alongside your Keycloak setup