AuthZed vs OpenFGA

The honest comparison

AuthZed (the company behind SpiceDB) and OpenFGA are the two leading open implementations of Google Zanzibar-style relationship-based access control (ReBAC). Both let you model fine-grained, relationship-driven permissions ("user X is editor of document Y") and check them at scale. SpiceDB/AuthZed emphasizes a production-hardened engine with commercial support and a managed offering; OpenFGA is a CNCF sandbox project originating from Auth0/Okta with a fast-growing community.

When AuthZed wins

• You want a commercially supported, production-proven Zanzibar implementation
• A managed service (AuthZed Cloud) or enterprise support is important
• Advanced features like consistency controls and large-scale performance are priorities
• You are standardizing fine-grained authorization across many services and want vendor backing

When OpenFGA wins

• You prefer a vendor-neutral, CNCF-governed open-source project
• Tight fit with the Okta/Auth0 ecosystem and its tooling is useful
• A straightforward developer experience and strong docs accelerate adoption
• You want to self-host without a commercial relationship

Pricing

Both have free open-source cores (SpiceDB and OpenFGA). AuthZed adds paid managed and enterprise tiers; OpenFGA is community-driven with managed options available through partners and the broader Okta ecosystem.

Verdict

Choose AuthZed when you want commercial support and a battle-tested Zanzibar engine behind your authorization layer. Choose OpenFGA for a CNCF-governed, community-first project, especially within the Okta ecosystem. For policy-as-code engines rather than ReBAC, compare OpenFGA vs Cerbos and see the authorization guide and category.