# SpiceDB

> Apache-2.0 Google Zanzibar permissions DB; AuthZed Cloud optional

**Category:** Next.js  
**Pricing:** freemium  
**URL:** https://authzed.com/spicedb/  
**GitHub:** https://github.com/authzed/spicedb  
**Added:** 2026-09-04

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## The Hook

SpiceDB is the AuthZed Zanzibar permissions database when OpenFGA is the CNCF twin and Cerbos is YAML ABAC.

## What's Good

Apache-2.0. Relationship-based authZ graph faithful to Google Zanzibar. Schema language, ZedTokens for consistency, Postgres/Cockroach/Spanner/MySQL stores. Self-host free; AuthZed Cloud is usage-based when you do not want to operate it.

## The Catch

Vs OpenFGA/Cerbos/Topaz: AuthZed production Zanzibar + ZedTokens/Cloud — not OpenFGA CNCF Check API twin, not Cerbos YAML PDP, not Topaz Rego+ReBAC bundle. Free path is self-host; Cloud is paid usage.

## Verdict

Apache-2.0 Zanzibar permissions DB. Self-host free; AuthZed Cloud optional.