AuthZed
AI NativeCreators of SpiceDB: open-source permissions database inspired by Google's Zanzibar. YC W21.
Creators of SpiceDB: open-source permissions database inspired by Google's Zanzibar. YC W21.
Published Oct 15, 2026
| Starting Price | Cloud marketed with published entry-tier pricing; Dedicated/Self-hosted are quote-based | Developer and startup/enterprise tiers with vendor-published pricing | OpenFGA: self-hosted; Auth0 FGA: hosted with vendor-published pricing |
| Best For | Teams seeking a Zanzibar-style permissions database and APIs; platform-centric authorization | Teams that prefer a policy language approach and flexible authorization logic | Teams aligned to the FGA ecosystem; hosted option may include SLA and compliance commitments |
| Key Strength | Zanzibar-inspired engine with an ecosystem of OSS tooling; multiple datastore options supported | Policy language (Polar) enables expression of arbitrary authorization logic in some workflows | Widely discussed FGA model; hosted option provides ops and SLA characteristics |
| Key Weakness | Modeling and operations complexity; ABAC/search intersection can be awkward; limited visibility on mainstream review platforms | Not a pure Zanzibar DB; requires adoption of a policy language and integration work | Self-hosting shifts operational burden to buyers; hosted offerings may tie customers into a vendor ecosystem |
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AuthZed versus Oso
AuthZed versus OpenFGA/Auth0 FGA
AuthZed versus building in-house