Permify 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?
Permify
Open-source authorization service for fine-grained access
VS
SpiceDB
Open-source Zanzibar-inspired permissions database
| Feature | Permify | SpiceDB |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,933 | ★ 6,947 |
| First released | 2022 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Auth0 FGA, OpenFGA | Auth0 FGA, OpenFGA |
Why pick each one
Choose Permify if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 5.9k 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 Permify or SpiceDB better?
Neither is universally better. SpiceDB has the larger community, while Permify is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Permify and SpiceDB free and open-source?
Yes. Permify is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SpiceDB under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Permify and SpiceDB with Docker?
Permify: yes. SpiceDB: yes.