Ory Oathkeeper 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 Oathkeeper
Identity and access proxy for zero-trust networks
VS
SpiceDB
Open-source Zanzibar-inspired permissions database
| Feature | Ory Oathkeeper | 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 | ★ 3,590 | ★ 6,947 |
| First released | 2017 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Cloudflare Access | Auth0 FGA, OpenFGA |
Why pick each one
Choose Ory Oathkeeper if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Active community (3.6k 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 Oathkeeper or SpiceDB better?
Neither is universally better. SpiceDB has the larger community, while Ory Oathkeeper is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Ory Oathkeeper and SpiceDB free and open-source?
Yes. Ory Oathkeeper 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 Oathkeeper and SpiceDB with Docker?
Ory Oathkeeper: yes. SpiceDB: yes.