Cerbos vs Permit.io: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Cerbos and Permit.io? Both are popular authorization & permissions tools. Below we compare them on pricing, free tiers, features, and pros & cons so you can pick the right fit for your stack.
Quick verdict
Both Cerbos and Permit.io are strong authorization & permissions choices. The right pick comes down to your specific feature needs, existing stack, and team preferences.
Cerbos vs Permit.io — Side by Side
| Cerbos | Permit.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Authorization & Permissions | Authorization & Permissions |
| Pricing | Free · paid from $25/mo | Free · paid plans by quote |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Free tier | ||
| Rating | 4.5 | 4.4 |
| Best for | Authorization & Permissions — rbac, abac | Authorization & Permissions — rbac, abac |
Pros & Cons
- Free, stateless PDP that is easy to deploy
- Policies as code with built-in testing
- Published, usage-based Hub pricing
- You pass in all attributes on each check
- Relationship graphs are less natural than in Zanzibar engines
- Hub Production is a big step up from Development
- RBAC, ABAC and ReBAC in one product
- UI that non-engineers can use to manage permissions
- Local decision point keeps checks fast
- Paid pricing is not published
- Free plan caps tenants at 20
- Another hosted dependency in the request path
Key Features Compared
Cerbos
- 100 monthly active principals included
- 5 developers, 10 PDPs
- 3 months of audit logs
- 3-month free trial
Permit.io
- 1,000 monthly active users
- 20 tenants
- 3 environments, 25 roles
- Unlimited developers and PDPs
Choose Cerbos if…
- You want a free tier to validate before paying.
- Free, stateless PDP that is easy to deploy
- Policies as code with built-in testing
- Published, usage-based Hub pricing
Choose Permit.io if…
- You want a free tier to validate before paying.
- RBAC, ABAC and ReBAC in one product
- UI that non-engineers can use to manage permissions
- Local decision point keeps checks fast
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cerbos better than Permit.io?⌄
Both Cerbos and Permit.io are strong authorization & permissions choices. The right pick comes down to your specific feature needs, existing stack, and team preferences.
What is the difference between Cerbos and Permit.io?⌄
Cerbos — Open-source (Apache-2.0) policy decision point: write RBAC and ABAC rules in YAML, run the stateless PDP next to your app for free, and add Cerbos Hub from $25 a month to manage and roll out policies. Permit.io — Hosted authorization with a UI for roles, attributes and relationships (RBAC, ABAC, ReBAC). Free for 1,000 monthly active users and 20 tenants; policy runs in a local decision point built on the open-source OPAL. Both are authorization & permissions tools; the comparison table above breaks down pricing, free tiers, and what each is best for.
Cerbos vs Permit.io: which is cheaper?⌄
Cerbos pricing: Free · paid from $25/mo. Permit.io pricing: Free · paid plans by quote. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.
Which is rated higher, Cerbos or Permit.io?⌄
In our catalog, Cerbos rates 4.5 out of 5 and Permit.io rates 4.4 out of 5, so Cerbos has a slight edge on reviews.
See more options in our guide to the best authorization & permissions tools for startups.
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