About MaxKey
MaxKey, from the Dromara community, is an IAM and IDaaS product written in Java and released under the Apache-2.0 license. It provides single sign-on, identity management, access management, RBAC-based permission control, and resource management. The name is a homophone of a phrase about a master key that unlocks enterprise security needs, according to the README.
It supports standard protocols including OAuth 2.x and OpenID Connect, SAML 2.0, CAS, JWT, and SCIM, and its topics also list LDAP, Active Directory, Kerberos, multi-factor authentication, TOTP, and multi-tenancy. Features focus on user lifecycle management and compliance, and the project presents itself as open, secure, and self-controlled. Documentation is in English and Chinese.
MaxKey is aimed at enterprises, particularly in Chinese-speaking markets, that need a self-hosted alternative to commercial identity platforms. Teams should confirm industry claims in the README against their own requirements.
Key features
- Single sign-on across applications
- OAuth 2.x, OpenID Connect, SAML 2.0, and CAS
- SCIM provisioning and user lifecycle management
- RBAC permission management
- LDAP, Active Directory, and MFA integration
- Multi-tenancy support
Good fit for
- →Enterprise single sign-on
- →Centralized identity and access management for internal systems
- Built with
- Java
- Tags
- iam
- sso
- oidc
- saml
- oauth2
- scim
- rbac
- java
MaxKey: questions and answers
- What is MaxKey used for?
- MaxKey is a Java identity and access management product offering single sign-on with OAuth 2, OpenID Connect, SAML, CAS, JWT, and SCIM, plus RBAC and user lifecycle management. It is a good fit for enterprise single sign-on, and centralized identity and access management for internal systems.
- Is MaxKey open source?
- Yes. MaxKey is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at dromara/MaxKey and is written mainly in Java.
- Is MaxKey free?
- Yes. MaxKey is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
- Can I self-host MaxKey?
- Yes. MaxKey can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
- What is MaxKey an alternative to?
- MaxKey is an open-source alternative to OneLogin, Ping Identity, Microsoft Entra ID and Okta. Other open-source alternatives to OneLogin include Keycloak, OpenAM and WSO2 Identity Server.
- Is MaxKey actively maintained?
- Yes. The most recent commit to MaxKey was on 23 September 2026, and the latest release is 4.1.12, published on 30 June 2026. The project has 2k stars on GitHub.
Open-source alternatives to MaxKey
See all
Keycloak
Auth & Identity
Open Source Identity and Access Management For Modern Applications and Services
Apache-2.0vs Auth0★ 37k
OpenAM
Auth & Identity
OpenAM is an open-source access management solution for identity authentication, authoriza
OSSvs Ping Identity★ 897
WSO2 Identity Server
Auth & Identity
Welcome to the WSO2 Identity Server source code! For info on working with the WSO2 Identit
Apache-2.0vs Auth0★ 881
Authentik
Auth & Identity
The authentication glue you need.
OSSvs Auth0★ 26k
Casdoor
Auth & Identity
An open-source Agent-first Identity and Access Management (IAM) /LLM MCP & agent gateway a
Apache-2.0vs Auth0★ 15k
Apereo CAS
Auth & Identity
Apereo CAS - Identity & Single Sign On for all earthlings and beyond.
Apache-2.0vs Ping Identity★ 11k
SaaS alternatives to MaxKey
See all
OneLogin
Auth & Identity
Cloud single sign-on and MFA for workforce identity, from One Identity
SaaS
Ping Identity
Auth & Identity
Enterprise workforce and customer identity management with SSO and MFA
SaaS
Microsoft Entra ID
Auth & Identity
Microsoft cloud identity service for SSO, MFA and conditional access, formerly Azure AD
SaaS
Okta
Auth & Identity
Cloud identity platform for workforce single sign-on, multifactor authentication and lifecycle management
SaaS
IBM Verify
Auth & Identity
IBM SSO, MFA and identity governance for workforce and customer identities
SaaS
JumpCloud
Auth & Identity
Cloud directory for identity, device management and SSO
SaaS

