Zitadel
February 22, 2026
What it is
Zitadel is an open source identity platform built for the cloud: API-first, multi-tenant, with support for OIDC, OAuth 2.0, and SAML. It supports both human and machine identities and is designed for SaaS and modern stacks.
Usage
- SaaS identity — Multi-tenant IdP for your own product or platform.
- Workforce and customer SSO — OIDC/SAML for internal and external apps.
- Machine/auth tokens — API and service-to-service authentication.
- Passwordless and biometric — Built-in support for passwordless flows.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Native multi-tenancy | Newer than Keycloak; smaller ecosystem |
| API-first, cloud-native | Fewer third-party integrations today |
| Passwordless and modern auth | |
| Lightweight deployment (e.g. Docker/K8s) | |
| Integrated audit and compliance features |
Alternatives
- Keycloak — More mature, broader LDAP/SAML use; single-tenant (realms) by default.
- Authentik — More UI/flow focused; less multi-tenant oriented.
Why choose Zitadel
Best when you’re building a SaaS or platform and need a multi-tenant IdP with a modern, API-first design. Strong fit for greenfield and cloud-native stacks.
Suggested tech stack
- Runtime: Docker or Kubernetes; supports various DBs (PostgreSQL, CockroachDB, etc.).
- Consumption: Use from web apps, SPAs, mobile, and backend services via OIDC/OAuth2.
When to use it
- You need multi-tenant identity (many orgs/customers).
- You want an API-first IdP with passwordless and machine auth.
- You prefer a lighter, cloud-native deployment over Keycloak.
Links
- Homepage: https://zitadel.com/
- Documentation: https://zitadel.com/docs
- Source: https://github.com/zitadel/zitadel