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Managed Keycloak Hosting - Picking a Provider

· 5 min read
Phase Two
Hosted Keycloak and Keycloak Support

Why consider Phase Two for your Managed Keycloak Provider

When it comes to identity and access management, Keycloak has established itself as the go-to open-source solution for authentication, authorization, and user management. However, successfully integrating and maintaining Keycloak requires more than just hosting—it requires expertise. That’s where the difference between Phase Two and other hosting providers becomes clear.

In this post, we’ll explore why Phase Two should be in strong consideration for your Managed Keycloak provider, especially when compared to providers like CloudIAM, Elest.io, and Servana, who focus solely on hosting the standard build of Keycloak.

The Managed Keycloak Landscape

The demand for hosted Keycloak solutions has given rise to providers like Cloud IAM, Elest.io, and Servana. These companies offer hosting services for the standard version of Keycloak, typically focusing only on infrastructure and uptime.

However, while these providers excel in devops, they lack the specialized Keycloak development expertise to go beyond hosting. This is where their limitations become apparent, as businesses often require customization, extensibility, and advanced support for their identity systems.

At Phase Two we started as Keycloak experts first. A large portion of our business is focused on Support of large Enterprises and helping them be successful with complex Keycloak deployments.

Why Phase Two Stands Out

At Phase Two, we do more than host Keycloak—we help you get the most out of it. Here’s how we differentiate ourselves:

  1. Keycloak Development Expertise and Community Maintainers

Unlike generic hosting providers, Phase Two is a team of Keycloak experts. We actively develop advanced features and extensions that enhance Keycloak’s capabilities. For instance, our Organizations Extension allows multi-tenant support out of the box, a feature not available in the standard Keycloak build.

This level of expertise ensures that your Keycloak deployment isn’t just functional, it’s optimized and future-proofed for your unique needs.

In addition, while these providers may suggest you can customize something, the reality is once you enter the realm of needing to add an extension for migration, organizations, theming or more, you will need more control.

We are active contributors to the Keycloak Project for bugs and features.

  1. Beyond Hosting – Full-Service Management

Phase Two provides comprehensive management of your Keycloak deployment. From custom configurations, region deployments, to integration with your existing systems, we tailor every deployment to fit your requirements.

With Phase Two, you’re not just getting a host, you’re gaining a partner who actively ensures your identity solution is robust, scalable, and secure.

On the other end of the email are real people, if you have a problem and reach out, we're there to quickly respond.

  1. Focus on Extensibility

Many businesses need to extend Keycloak to meet specific requirements, such as custom authentication flows or integrations with third-party systems. At Phase Two, we specialize in making Keycloak extensible, helping you unlock its full potential.

In contrast, standard hosting providers can only offer “out-of-the-box” Keycloak functionality, leaving you to navigate complex customizations alone.

For instance, we are the original implementers and continued maintainers of CockroachDB build, which is a fantastic database for distributed SQL.

  1. Enterprise-Grade Support and Reliability

We understand that uptime is critical, but we also know that businesses need proactive support. At Phase Two, we provide:

  • Continuous monitoring and optimization.
  • Regular security patches and updates.
  • Expert guidance to handle complex challenges.
  • Guidance for logging and eventing to a SIEM of your choice.

With Phase Two, we ensure your infrastructure is not only operational but also resilient and efficient.

  1. Managed Upgrades and Compatibility

Keycloak updates can introduce breaking changes, especially for custom deployments. Phase Two takes the headache out of upgrades, ensuring that your deployment remains stable and compatible.

This seamless upgrade process is something you won’t find with standard-hosting solutions, but you'll find that you'll need rather quickly. We coordinate with your team to make sure you're ready and help verify upgrades.

If downtime is required (some previous version required this), we work to keep this down to minutes and make sure you're app is back up fast.

Choosing a Partner That Understands Your Needs

Managed Keycloak isn’t just about hosting, it’s about delivering a solution that scales with your business, adapts to your evolving needs, and remains secure in the face of new challenges.

While other providers offer the basics, Phase Two combines hosting with unmatched Keycloak development expertise, enterprise-grade support, and a commitment to innovation. The result? A managed Keycloak solution that’s tailor-made for your success.

Ready to Elevate Your Keycloak Deployment?

If you’re looking for a Managed Keycloak provider that goes beyond hosting, Phase Two is here to help. Explore our Managed Keycloak Hosting or Enterprise Support to learn more.

Schedule a consultation today or get in touch at sales@phasetwo.io to learn how we can transform your identity solution.