Boundary vs SpiceDB
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Boundary
Identity-based secure access to systems and services
VS
SpiceDB
Open-source Zanzibar-inspired permissions database
| Feature | Boundary | SpiceDB |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | BUSL-1.1 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,055 | ★ 6,947 |
| First released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Teleport, StrongDM | Auth0 FGA, OpenFGA |
Why pick each one
Choose Boundary if…
- Released under the BUSL-1.1 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
Choose SpiceDB if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 6.9k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Boundary or SpiceDB better?
Neither is universally better. SpiceDB has the larger community, while Boundary is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Boundary and SpiceDB free and open-source?
Yes. Boundary is licensed under BUSL-1.1 and SpiceDB under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Boundary and SpiceDB with Docker?
Boundary: yes. SpiceDB: yes.