| Website | cerbos.dev |
| Category | Authorization |
| License | Open Source (Apache-2.0) |
| Pricing | Open-source free; Cerbos Cloud offers a free tier and paid plans based on usage and team needs. |
Overview
Cerbos is an open-source authorization engine that lets teams write, test, and deploy fine-grained access policies outside application code.
Pros
- Developer-friendly YAML policies
- Policies are testable and version-controlled
- Language-agnostic SDKs and APIs
- Supports RBAC, ABAC, and dynamic conditions
- Self-hosted or managed cloud options
Cons
- Less mature than large identity vendors
- Limited built-in governance UI
- Policy complexity can grow at scale
- Enterprise features may require paid plans
Verdict
Cerbos excels at making authorization explicit, testable, and decoupled from application logic. It is best for engineering teams that need fine-grained access control without vendor lock-in. The main trade-off is less out-of-the-box governance than broader identity platforms.
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