Ory Keto 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?
Ory Keto
Permission and authorization server based on Zanzibar
VS
SpiceDB
Open-source Zanzibar-inspired permissions database
| Feature | Ory Keto | SpiceDB |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,383 | ★ 6,947 |
| First released | 2018 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Auth0 FGA, OpenFGA | Auth0 FGA, OpenFGA |
Why pick each one
Choose Ory Keto if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 5.4k GitHub stars
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 Ory Keto or SpiceDB better?
Neither is universally better. SpiceDB has the larger community, while Ory Keto is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Ory Keto and SpiceDB free and open-source?
Yes. Ory Keto is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SpiceDB under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ory Keto and SpiceDB with Docker?
Ory Keto: yes. SpiceDB: yes.