Editorial take
Why it stands out
Cerbos should be framed around policy-as-code and PDP deployment, not as a general identity tool.
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Tool profile
Policy-as-code authorization system with free open-source PDPs and a managed Cerbos Hub layer priced by monthly active principals.
Policy-as-code authorization
Cerbos belongs in the catalog because it is one of the clearest policy-as-code authorization products in the current market. The official site and pricing page make the split easy to understand: open-source distributed policy decision points are free forever, while Cerbos Hub adds managed control-plane features, audit logs, CI/CD support, and team workflows. That makes Cerbos especially relevant for teams that want externalized authorization logic without surrendering runtime enforcement to a fully opaque SaaS.
The pricing quality here is genuinely strong. Cerbos publishes a free open-source tier, a free Proof of Concept cloud plan, Development from $25 per month, Production from $933 per month, and Enterprise as custom. The pricing page also clearly explains the billing unit: monthly active principals. That transparency makes Cerbos one of the best authorization entries to compare because teams can reason about both the OSS adoption path and the commercial scaling model.
Quick fit
Editorial take
Cerbos should be framed around policy-as-code and PDP deployment, not as a general identity tool.
What it does well
Primary use cases
Fit notes
Compare with
Pressure-test this pick against nearby alternatives.
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Pricing snapshot
Cerbos offers free open-source PDPs, a free PoC tier at $0/month, Development from $25/month, Production from $933/month, and Enterprise as custom. Billing is based on monthly active principals according to the official pricing page.
Arcjet
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