| Website | cerbos.dev |
| Category | Authorization / Security |
| License | Apache 2.0 (open source) |
| Pricing | Free (open source), Enterprise plans available |
Overview
Cerbos is an open-source authorization engine. Define access policies in YAML, deploy as a sidecar or service. Decoupled authorization for microservices.
Pros
- Apache 2.0 license
- Policy-as-code (YAML)
- Language-agnostic (gRPC/REST API)
- Sidecar or standalone deployment
- Audit logging
- Playground for testing policies
Cons
- Authorization-only (no authentication)
- Learning curve for policy language
- Smaller community
- Complex policies can be hard to debug
- Limited UI for policy management
Verdict
Cerbos solves authorization the right way: policies defined in code, deployed as a service, independent of your application language. The policy-as-code approach means authorization rules are version-controlled, testable, and reviewable. For microservices architectures where authorization logic is scattered across services, Cerbos centralizes it.
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