# forgerock

Source: https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/iam/forgerock/
Last updated: 2026-06-19
License: content by Start with Identity. Cite the source URL.

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## Overview

ForgeRock built its reputation on flexibility for very large customer identity (CIAM) deployments, with deep self-hosted and sovereign-cloud options favored by telecoms, banks, and governments. It is no longer an independent vendor: Thoma Bravo acquired ForgeRock in 2023 and merged it into [Ping Identity](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/iam/ping-identity/), so ForgeRock now lives as part of Ping's combined portfolio with a converging roadmap. New buyers are increasingly steered toward the unified Ping platform.

## What it is good at

The historical strength is scale and control. ForgeRock's Identity Platform handles tens of millions of identities, bespoke authentication journeys (Intelligent Access trees), and strict data-residency requirements that rule out pure SaaS. Self-hosted and Kubernetes deployment, strong directory services, and broad standards support make it a fit for engineering-led organizations building custom identity at carrier scale.

## Where it falls short

The platform is heavy. It demands real identity engineering capacity to deploy and operate, and it is overkill for ordinary workforce or mid-market use. The biggest current question is the merger itself: customers must track how ForgeRock and Ping capabilities consolidate, which products are strategic, and where overlap gets rationalized. Pricing is opaque and enterprise-only.

## Pricing

Quote-based enterprise licensing, now sold under Ping Identity. Expect significant professional-services investment alongside license cost. Model the total with our [TCO calculator](https://startwithidentity.com/tools/tco-calculator/).

## Best for, and who should look elsewhere

Choose ForgeRock (via Ping) for large-scale CIAM with self-hosted or sovereign requirements and bespoke identity flows. Look elsewhere if you are a small team without identity engineers, or buying greenfield, where evaluate the combined Ping offering directly and compare against [Okta](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/iam/okta/) and [Microsoft Entra](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/iam/microsoft-entra/).

## Bottom line

A powerful CIAM platform for carrier-scale, sovereignty-bound deployments, now best evaluated as part of Ping Identity rather than as a standalone vendor.