LLDAP 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?
LLDAP
Lightweight LDAP server with a simple web interface
VS
SpiceDB
Open-source Zanzibar-inspired permissions database
| Feature | LLDAP | SpiceDB |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Rust | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,421 | ★ 6,947 |
| First released | 2021 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Active Directory, OpenLDAP | Auth0 FGA, OpenFGA |
Why pick each one
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 LLDAP or SpiceDB better?
Neither is universally better. SpiceDB has the larger community, while LLDAP is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are LLDAP and SpiceDB free and open-source?
Yes. LLDAP is licensed under GPL-3.0 and SpiceDB under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run LLDAP and SpiceDB with Docker?
LLDAP: yes. SpiceDB: yes.