OpenFGA vs SpiceDB: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between OpenFGA and SpiceDB? 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 OpenFGA and SpiceDB are strong authorization & permissions choices. The right pick comes down to your specific feature needs, existing stack, and team preferences.
OpenFGA vs SpiceDB — Side by Side
| OpenFGA | SpiceDB | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Authorization & Permissions | Authorization & Permissions |
| Pricing | Free · paid plans by quote | Free · then usage-based |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Free tier | ||
| Rating | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Best for | Authorization & Permissions — rebac, zanzibar | Authorization & Permissions — rebac, zanzibar |
Pros & Cons
- Free and vendor-neutral under the CNCF
- Zanzibar-style model scales to sharing and nested resources
- Managed path through Auth0 FGA
- Relationship modelling has a learning curve
- You run and monitor the service yourself
- No built-in admin UI for non-engineers
- Most complete open-source Zanzibar implementation
- Strong consistency guarantees on revocation
- Several production-grade datastores
- Overkill for simple role checks
- Steeper learning curve than RBAC tools
- Managed pricing needs a sales conversation beyond Cloud
Key Features Compared
OpenFGA
- Self-hosted engine
- Postgres, MySQL or SQLite
- SDKs and modelling playground
- Check, list-objects and expand APIs
SpiceDB
- Self-hosted
- Postgres, CockroachDB, Spanner, MySQL
- Schema language and playground
- Community support
Choose OpenFGA if…
- You want a free tier to validate before paying.
- Free and vendor-neutral under the CNCF
- Zanzibar-style model scales to sharing and nested resources
- Managed path through Auth0 FGA
Choose SpiceDB if…
- You want a free tier to validate before paying.
- Most complete open-source Zanzibar implementation
- Strong consistency guarantees on revocation
- Several production-grade datastores
Frequently Asked Questions
Is OpenFGA better than SpiceDB?⌄
Both OpenFGA and SpiceDB 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 OpenFGA and SpiceDB?⌄
OpenFGA — Open-source (Apache-2.0) relationship-based authorization engine inspired by Google Zanzibar, a CNCF incubating project created by Auth0/Okta. Free to self-host; Auth0 FGA is the managed version. SpiceDB — Open-source (Apache-2.0) Zanzibar-style permissions database from AuthZed, used by Red Hat, IBM and GitPod. Free to self-host; AuthZed Cloud is usage-billed from about $2 an hour. Both are authorization & permissions tools; the comparison table above breaks down pricing, free tiers, and what each is best for.
OpenFGA vs SpiceDB: which is cheaper?⌄
OpenFGA pricing: Free · paid plans by quote. SpiceDB pricing: Free · then usage-based. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.
Which is rated higher, OpenFGA or SpiceDB?⌄
In our catalog, OpenFGA rates 4.5 out of 5 and SpiceDB rates 4.5 out of 5 — they are evenly matched.
See more options in our guide to the best authorization & permissions tools for startups.
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