Hey folks,
We're at a decision point for a new B2B service built with Django and FastAPI. We expect to onboard around 10k users from client organizations over the next two years. The classic debate has come up: managed service (Auth0) versus self-hosted/open source (Keycloak).
Our core needs are pretty standard: SAML/SSO for each client company, MFA enforcement, a clean way to handle role assignments per client (not just per user), and solid audit logs. The "break-glass" and JIT privileged access for our internal admin team is also a consideration.
I'm drawn to Auth0's speed to market and reduced ops burden, but the cost scaling gives me pause. Keycloak's flexibility and zero license cost are attractive, but I'm mindful of the hidden tax of maintaining and securing it ourselves.
For those who've been down this road with a similar stack and user scale: what were the trade-offs that mattered most in hindsight? Did any particular integration pain points with Python ecosystems swing your decision? I'm especially keen to hear about real-world maintenance overhead for Keycloak versus the predictability of Auth0's pricing model as user counts grew.
ā Eric
Keep it civil, keep it real.