--- title: "3 Best OpenFGA Alternatives in 2026 (Compared)" description: "Looking for an OpenFGA alternative? Compare the best Authorization & Permissions alternatives to OpenFGA by pricing, free tiers, and features — find the right fit for your startup." source: https://appstackbuilder.com/tool-alternatives/openfga retrieved: 2026-10-28 --- Authorization & Permissions # The 3 Best OpenFGA Alternatives in 2026 Looking for an alternative to [OpenFGA](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/openfga)? Below we compare the best authorization & permissions alternatives by pricing, free tiers, and what each is best for — so you can pick the right fit for your budget and stack. Category Authorization & Permissions OpenFGA pricing Free tier available Free tier Yes Alternatives 3 compared ## Why look for a OpenFGA alternative? OpenFGA is a solid authorization & permissions choice, but it isn't the right fit for everyone. The most common reasons teams evaluate alternatives: * −Relationship modelling has a learning curve * −You run and monitor the service yourself * −No built-in admin UI for non-engineers ## OpenFGA vs Alternatives — Quick Comparison | Tool | Pricing | Free tier | Rating | Best for | | ------------------------------------- | -------------------------- | --------- | ------ | --------------------------------------------- | | [OpenFGA](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/openfga)You searched | Free · paid plans by quote | ✓ | 4.5 | Authorization & Permissions — rebac, zanzibar | | 1.[SpiceDB](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/spicedb) | Free · then usage-based | ✓ | 4.5 | Authorization & Permissions — rebac, zanzibar | | 2.[Cerbos](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/cerbos) | Free · paid from $25/mo | ✓ | 4.5 | Authorization & Permissions — rbac, abac | | 3.[Permit.io](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/permit-io) | Free · paid plans by quote | ✓ | 4.4 | Authorization & Permissions — rbac, abac | ## Top OpenFGA Alternatives, Explained ![SpiceDB](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=authzed.com&sz=128) ### 1. SpiceDB Free tier4.5· Free · then usage-based SpiceDB stores relationships between users and resources and answers permission checks with consistency guarantees modelled on Google's Zanzibar paper, including protection against the "new enemy" problem when access is revoked. It has about 7,200 GitHub stars, a schema language with a playground, and runs on Postgres, CockroachDB, Spanner or MySQL. It is the most complete open-source Zanzibar implementation, which suits products with sharing, nested groups and large permission graphs. The engine is free under Apache-2.0\. AuthZed sells managed versions: AuthZed Cloud is resource-based and usage-billed (from about $2 an hour for a permissions system), Dedicated Cloud is priced on reserved vCPU capacity, and Self-Hosted is an annual licence per region and per vCPU with support. As of October 2026. * ✓Most complete open-source Zanzibar implementation * ✓Strong consistency guarantees on revocation * ✓Several production-grade datastores [SpiceDB pricing & review ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/spicedb)[OpenFGA vs SpiceDB ](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/openfga-vs-spicedb) ![Cerbos](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=cerbos.dev&sz=128) ### 2. Cerbos Free tier4.5· Free · paid from $25/mo Cerbos separates authorization logic from code: rules live in YAML policy files, versioned and tested like code, and a stateless decision point answers "can this principal do this action on this resource?" over gRPC or HTTP. Because it holds no data of its own, you pass in the attributes, which keeps it simple to deploy as a sidecar, a service or embedded via WebAssembly. It has about 4,600 GitHub stars and SDKs for the main languages. Cerbos Hub adds a policy editor, CI builds, rollout to every decision point, audit logs and multi-tenant policies. The PDP is free forever under Apache-2.0 with no account. Hub has a free Proof of Concept tier for 100 monthly active principals, Development from $25 a month (100 principals included, three-month free trial) and Production from $933 a month with 5,000 included; extra principals start at $0.25 each and fall with volume. Enterprise is custom. Paying yearly saves 15%. As of October 2026. * ✓Free, stateless PDP that is easy to deploy * ✓Policies as code with built-in testing * ✓Published, usage-based Hub pricing [Cerbos pricing & review ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/cerbos)[OpenFGA vs Cerbos ](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/cerbos-vs-openfga) ![Permit.io](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=permit.io&sz=128) ### 3. Permit.io Free tier4.4· Free · paid plans by quote Permit.io lets developers define permissions as code or in a web UI that product and support teams can use too, then enforces them through a policy decision point (PDP) that runs next to your app, so checks stay fast and keep working if Permit's cloud is unreachable. It supports role-based, attribute-based and relationship-based models, multi-tenancy, approval flows and embeddable user-management components, and it keeps policy in sync using OPAL, its Apache-2.0 open-source project. It has added permission controls for AI agents and MCP tools. The Community plan is free forever for up to 1,000 monthly active users, 20 tenants, 25 roles and 3 environments. Pro and Enterprise are priced on request; Enterprise removes the limits and adds SOC 2, HIPAA BAA, on-prem deployment and an uptime SLA. Startups and open-source projects can ask for discounts. As of October 2026. * ✓RBAC, ABAC and ReBAC in one product * ✓UI that non-engineers can use to manage permissions * ✓Local decision point keeps checks fast [Permit.io pricing & review ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/permit-io)[OpenFGA vs Permit.io ](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/openfga-vs-permit-io) ## Frequently Asked Questions What are the best alternatives to OpenFGA in 2026?⌄ The best OpenFGA alternatives in 2026 are SpiceDB, Cerbos, Permit.io. Each is a authorization & permissions option you can compare on pricing, free tiers, and features in the table above. Is there a free alternative to OpenFGA?⌄ Yes — SpiceDB, Cerbos, Permit.io offer free tiers, making them strong free OpenFGA alternatives for bootstrapped startups. Why look for a OpenFGA alternative?⌄ A common reason teams switch is relationship modelling has a learning curve. Beyond that, people compare authorization & permissions tools on pricing, specific feature gaps, ease of use, and whether an open-source or free-tier option exists — so they can pick the best fit for their stack and budget. What is the cheapest OpenFGA alternative?⌄ SpiceDB is among the most affordable OpenFGA alternatives — free · then usage-based. Check the comparison table above for the full pricing breakdown. Which OpenFGA alternative is rated highest?⌄ SpiceDB is the highest-rated OpenFGA alternative in our catalog at 4.5 out of 5, making it a strong pick if you want a well-reviewed option. ## Find your perfect authorization & permissions tool Skip the research. Get a free AI-powered tech stack matched to your budget, app type, and team size in seconds. [Build my stack free ](https://appstackbuilder.com/)