7 Best Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) Tools of 2024

With countless RBAC tools available today, making the right choice can be overwhelming.

This guide cuts through the noise. We'll explore essential factors for selecting an RBAC tool and rank the top contenders of 2024. By the end of this article, you'll be confident in choosing the perfect solution for your organization.

Without further ado, let’s dive right in.

Factors to Consider When Choosing an RBAC Tool

Not all RBAC tools are good for your organization, so here are some key factors to consider when choosing an RBAC tool:

Is the Tool Scaling as You Grow?

Role-Based Access Control tools are traditionally difficult to scale. So, before selecting a tool, it’s crucial to verify that it can combine with relationship-based or attribute-based access control.

This will let you manage a growing user base, define roles, and assign user permissions without compromising its performance.

A reliable RBAC tool must be equipped to scale with your organization. It should also be flexible enough to adapt resources automatically while maintaining optimal response time, throughput, and latency.

Is the Tool Secure and Compliant?

At its core, role-based access control is all about compliance and security. Your RBAC tool should have features like audit trails, compliance reporting, and robust encryption, which are essential for demonstrating compliance and preventing sensitive data breaches.

Your chosen RBAC tool should also protect sensitive data with features like encryption and intrusion detection. This layered approach helps maintain data confidentiality and your organization's integrity.

Is the Tool Customizable?

Customizability ensures that the RBAC system can be tailored to fit the unique needs and structure of your organization, allowing for precise role definitions and adaptable workflows. Before you choose a tool, ensure that it offers a high degree of customization and supports fine-grained access control.

Fine-grained access control allows you to specify access rights at a much more specific level, defining not just who can access a resource but under what precise conditions they can do so. It enables you to set more detailed and context-sensitive access policies, such as restricting access based on factors like time of day, location, or the presence of certain security clearances.

What Are the Best RBAC Tools?

The best role-based access control (RBAC) tools in the market now are:

• Permify - Implement fine-grained access control and custom role definitions within your RBAC system.
• OpenFGA - Build granular access control using an easy-to-read modeling language.
• Casbin - Enforce custom access control policies across various programming languages and frameworks.
• Styra - Enforce and monitor policies across your cloud-native environments using a policy-as-code approach.
• Oso - Build applications with complex authorization requirements.
• Casl - Implement comprehensive permission systems that can handle both front-end and back-end logic.
• CanCanCan - Define and manage user permissions in Ruby and Rails applications in a clean and declarative way.

Permify

At the top of the list is our tool Permify, a powerful, customizable access control solution designed to help organizations implement fine-grained authorization across their applications.

We designed Permify based on Google’s Zanzibar, with the goal of allowing businesses to define precise role definitions and permissions, ensuring that users only have access to what they need, when they need it.

As our flagship product, we can confirm that Permify stands out with its flexible and scalable approach to authorization, and it also offers a comprehensive suite of features to address complex authorization challenges.

Permify Key Feature #1: Fine-Grained Access Control

Tired of complex permission setups? Permify simplifies it.

With Permify, you can easily create highly specific access rules for every user role. Not only can you decide who can access what, but also when and how by controlling access based on time of day, location, or device type.

This precise control minimizes security risks by granting only necessary permissions. The best part? Permify’s user-friendly interface makes setting up a breeze, and any changes you make take effect instantly.

Permify Key Feature #2: Single Authorization Storage

Permify lets you store all your authorization-related data as unified relationships in a centralized system.

This feature allows you to efficiently manage large volumes of data while ensuring high performance, with response times of up to 10ms for access control checks across any level of your applications and services.

By consolidating your authorization data into a single repository, Permify simplifies the management of complex access controls, enhances system security, and delivers rapid, reliable authorization decisions, even in the most demanding environments.

This centralized approach not only optimizes performance but also provides the scalability needed to grow alongside your organization.

Permify Key Feature #3: Multi-Tenancy Support

Got different user groups within a single application or organization? Permify has you covered.

Permify's multi-tenancy feature lets organizations manage permissions efficiently across multiple tenants within a single application by allowing you to define unique policies and data isolation rules for each tenant.

This ensures that sensitive data remains segregated and access is restricted to authorized users within their respective tenant, and it’s crucial for SaaS applications and any RBAC system requiring strict separation between user groups or organizations.

Permify Pricing

• Open Source (Free Tier)
  Since Permify is an open-source product, you can get started with Permify at no cost. The Free tier is ideal for small teams and projects, and it offers core features like schema testing, RBAC support, and multi-tenancy support.

  Basically, this tier allows you to experiment with Permify's capabilities and build simple authorization systems without any financial commitment.

• Cloud ($200 Monthly)
  Designed for growing businesses, the Cloud tier provides additional features and increased resource limits. You'll benefit from enhanced customization options, support for multiple environments, access to basic audit logs, enhanced performance, support for larger user bases, and priority customer support.

  This plan is suitable for organizations that require more advanced authorization capabilities.

• On-Premise
  For large enterprises with complex authorization requirements, this tier offers tailored solutions and dedicated support. It includes advanced features like a dedicated account engineer, custom integrations, on-premises deployment options, and comprehensive security measures. It's perfect for organizations prioritizing data security and control.

Pros and Cons of Permify

• Flexibility: Permify offers a high degree of customization, allowing businesses to tailor authorization policies to specific needs. This flexibility is crucial for complex environments and organizations.
• Strong Developer Experience: With features like policy-as-code and comprehensive documentation, Permify offers a smooth experience for developers looking to implement RBAC and manage authorization policies.
• Performance: Permify is designed for efficiency, so it can handle real-time authorization decisions without impacting application performance. This is critical for high-traffic applications.
• Steeper Learning Curve: Due to its extensive customization options and advanced features, Permify can have a steeper learning curve, especially for teams that are new to access control management or lack dedicated IT resources.
• Potential for Overhead in Complex Environments: In environments with highly complex access requirements, managing and maintaining fine-grained access controls and multi-tenancy can require significant administrative effort, potentially leading to overhead if not managed efficiently. This is only an issue for the free version, however, as Permify handles everything on your behalf with the cloud tier.

Whether you're managing a single user or multiple teams, you can simplify user access control with Permify by getting started with our free plan today!

Oso

Best for: Flexible and expressive authorization in applications.

OSO is an authorization-as-a-service framework that simplifies the implementation of access control within applications. It allows developers to define and enforce authorization policies using declarative language, making it easier to manage who can access various resources within an application.

OSO supports both role-based access control (RBAC) and attribute-based access control (ABAC), offering flexibility and scalability for different use cases.

Similar to: Casbin, LaunchDarkly

Who Is It For?

OSO is particularly well-suited for teams that want to implement role-based access control (RBAC) or attribute-based access control (ABAC) without the complexity of building an entire authorization system from scratch.

OSO’s Top Features

• OSO uses Polar, a simple and powerful declarative language that allows developers to define authorization rules with clarity and precision. Polar makes it easy to write and maintain complex access control policies in a way that is both readable and efficient.
• OSO is designed to work seamlessly with multiple programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, and Rust, making it highly adaptable to different application environments.
• One of OSO’s key strengths is its ability to be rolled out incrementally across your services and applications. This allows teams to implement OSO in phases, gradually integrating it into existing systems without disrupting current workflows.

OSO Pricing

• Developer (Free): This tier is free and great for developers experimenting and learning with OSO.
• Pro ($149/month): This is ideal for growing teams needing basic SLAs for production.
• Growth (Custom): For organizations that need advanced security, SLAs, and support.
• OSO Migration Services ($9.9k): This tier is for organizations transitioning from other authorization solutions that need expert assistance with migration within one month.

OSO Pros and Cons

• OSO's flexibility allows it to be adapted to various authorization models beyond RBAC and ABAC, such as custom, domain-specific models, providing versatility for unique business requirements.
• OSO’s design allows for quick policy updates and iterations, making it easier to implement changes without extensive downtime or complex deployment processes.
• OSO can be integrated seamlessly with existing CI/CD pipelines, logging, and monitoring tools, enhancing its utility in modern DevOps environments and ensuring smooth workflows.
• For organizations with highly complex authorization needs, OSO may require additional customization or extensions, potentially increasing implementation time and complexity.
• While OSO offers robust capabilities, it lacks some advanced enterprise features like multi-tenancy support, which might not be ideal for all organizations.

Casl (Code Access Security Language)

Casl is a JavaScript library specifically designed for implementing authorization logic in web applications.

CASL allows you to define what various users are allowed to do in your application and control access at both the model and view level, providing fine-grained permissions across your entire stack.

CASL is particularly useful for single-page applications (SPAs) where user permissions can change dynamically and need to be enforced in real-time.

Best for: Implementing fine-grained authorization in JavaScript applications.

Similar to: CanCanCan, ZoKrates

Who Is It For?

CASL is ideal for JavaScript developers working on complex web applications, particularly single-page applications (SPAs) where dynamic and fine-grained access control is crucial.

CASL’s Top Features

• CASL allows developers to define detailed permissions at a granular level, controlling what users can see and do across different parts of an application. This includes actions like reading, updating, and deleting resources, which can be customized per user role.
• CASL can be used in both front-end and back-end JavaScript environments, including popular frameworks like React, Vue, and Node.js. This universal support makes it easy to implement consistent access control logic across the entire application stack.
• CASL is built to handle dynamic permissions, which is particularly useful in SPAs where user permissions can change in real-time based on their actions or changes in the application state.

CASL Pricing

Casl is an open-source JavaScript library, which means it's entirely free to use. There are no licensing fees or subscription costs associated with the core library.

CASL Pros and Cons

• CASL's declarative and composable API simplifies the process of defining and managing permissions, leading to cleaner and more maintainable codebases.
• CASL is highly flexible, allowing developers to extend its capabilities with custom logic, ensuring it can be adapted to suit a wide range of application requirements.
• CASL works smoothly with state management libraries like Redux, allowing for cohesive integration of access control within complex application states.
• CASL’s flexibility and power come with a learning curve, particularly for developers who are new to complex access control or who are unfamiliar with its API structure.
• CASL doesn’t provide centralized authorization benefits and is unable to manage several applications with many services.

CanCanCan

CanCanCan is a popular Ruby gem designed specifically for implementing RBAC in Rails applications. It is an extension of the original CanCan library, offering a modernized and maintained approach to access control.

The library simplifies the implementation of complex permission logic through a centralized ‘Ability’ class, making it easier to define, maintain, and enforce rules across an entire application.

Best for: Simplifying authorization logic in Ruby on Rails applications.

Similar to: Pundit, Devise

Who Is It For?

CanCanCan is ideal for Ruby on Rails developers who need an efficient and flexible way to manage user permissions and access control in applications with complex authorization requirements, where roles, permissions, and access levels are central to the application's functionality.

CanCanCan Key Features

• CanCanCan integrates directly with Rails, providing methods for authorizing user actions in controllers and conditionally displaying content in views based on user permissions.
• CanCanCan supports namespaced models and actions, allowing it to handle authorization in larger applications with organized or modular structures.
• CanCanCan's scoping and aliasing features enhance its flexibility and expressiveness, allowing you to define granular and reusable authorization rules.

CanCanCan Pricing

CanCanCan is an open-source Ruby gem, which means it's free to use. The core library does not have licensing or subscription fees.

CanCanCan Pros and Cons

• CanCanCan supports complex conditions, custom logic, and can be extended to suit the specific needs of different applications.
• The library includes built-in helpers that make it easy to show or hide content in views based on user permissions, enhancing the user interface without needing additional code.
• CanCanCan is actively maintained, ensuring it stays up-to-date with the latest Rails versions and security practices, which is crucial for long-term application stability.
• CanCanCan is specifically designed for Ruby on Rails applications, which limits its use to developers working within this framework. It’s not suitable for projects outside of the Rails ecosystem.
• CanCanCan is less suited for scenarios where permissions need to be highly dynamic or based on data not readily available at runtime. It also doesn’t work with applications that have many services.

Casbin

Casbin is a powerful and lightweight authorization library that supports various access control models, including RBAC, ABAC, and ACL. Its modular design makes it adaptable to a wide range of use cases, from simple role-based access control to complex policy-based management.

Best For: Flexible and high-performance authorization enforcement.

Similar to: Apache Shiro, Keycloak

Who Is It For?

Casbin is designed for developers, software architects, and organizations that require a highly customizable and extensible authorization framework to implement role-based access control.

Casbin Features

• Casbin abstracts access control models into a configuration file (CONF) based on the PERM metamodel, which stands for Policy, Effect, Request, and Matchers. This abstraction allows developers to switch or upgrade the authorization mechanism for a project simply by modifying the configuration file.
• Casbin offers unparalleled flexibility by supporting Golang, Java, PHP, and Node.js with a unified API. This means you can learn Casbin once and seamlessly integrate it into your projects across different technology stacks, saving time and effort.
• Beyond basic in-memory and file storage, Casbin supports a wide range of databases, including MySQL, Postgres, Oracle, MongoDB, Redis, and Cassandra.

Casbin Pricing

Casbin is an open-source project, which means the core library is available for free. However, while Casbin itself is free, organizations that require professional support, custom development, or enterprise-grade solutions can opt for paid services offered by the Casbin team or third-party vendors.
These services typically include consultation, implementation support, and the development of custom features or integrations to meet specific business needs.

Casbin Pros and Cons

• Open-Source and Free: Casbin is available as a free, open-source project under the Apache License 2.0, making it an attractive option for organizations that don't want to incur licensing costs.
• Active Community and Development: Casbin has a strong open-source community and active development, which means that it regularly receives updates, new features, and bug fixes.
• Performance Optimization: Casbin is designed for high performance, making it suitable for use in applications that require fast and efficient authorization checks, even under heavy load.
• As an open-source project, Casbin does not provide the same level of enterprise support or SLAs that other tools in this list offer.
• Casbin is not ideal for an organization that needs a centralized authorization system, especially one that also needs to consider performance.

Styra

Styra is an advanced policy-as-code platform designed to manage, monitor, and enforce policies across cloud-native environments. Styra is a great tool for RBAC implementation, as it lets you define a user's job function and enforce access control policies using Open Policy Agent (OPA), which allows you to create fine-grained access control policies.

Best for: Enforcing permission-based policies across cloud-native environments with a focus on authorization.

Similar to: OPA, Aqua Security

Who Is It For?

Styra is ideal for organizations that operate within complex, cloud-native environments and require a centralized, scalable approach to RBAC implementation and policy enforcement.

Styra Key Features

• Styra enables organizations to define multiple roles and enforce policies as code, allowing for greater flexibility and consistency across environments.
• Styra offers centralized policy management, allowing organizations to enforce policies consistently across multiple clusters, services, and environments.
• As the creators of OPA, Styra provides deep integration and a user-friendly interface for managing OPA policies.

Styra Pricing

Styra offers a flexible pricing model designed to cater to different organizational needs, from small teams to large enterprises. The pricing structure is typically based on the number of services or clusters you need to manage and the level of features and support you require. You’ll need to contact Styra to get a price range for your organization.

Styra Pros and Cons

• Styra offers advanced monitoring and analytics features, giving organizations visibility into policy enforcement, violations, and overall system compliance.
• Styra integrates seamlessly with Kubernetes and other cloud-native technologies, making it a versatile tool for organizations with complex, multi-cloud, or hybrid cloud infrastructures.
• Styra is designed to scale effectively, making it suitable for large enterprises managing multiple clusters and services across diverse environments.
• Some of Styra’s more advanced features, such as enterprise-grade support and custom integrations, are only available in higher-tier plans, which may limit accessibility for smaller organizations or those on a tight budget.
• As an Open Policy Agent (OPA) that lacks Google Zanzibar abilities, Styra might not give the best RBAC results and is instead best suited for ABAC situations.

OpenFGA

OpenFGA provides a foundation for organizations looking to build custom authorization logic. Like Permify, it tries to take the best ideas from Zanzibar to allow developers to define and enforce fine-grained permissions across their applications, ensuring secure and efficient access management.

Best for: Building flexible and performant authorization systems.

Similar to: Casbin, Permify

Who Is It For?

OpenFGA is ideal for developers, security architects, and organizations that require a robust and scalable solution for managing complex access control models.

OpenFGA Key Features

• OpenFGA's millisecond response times for authorization checks enable it to handle projects of any scale. Whether you're a solo developer building a single app or a large enterprise creating global platforms, OpenFGA can adapt.
• With pre-built SDKs for the most widely used programming languages, integrating OpenFGA into your application is a breeze. And if your preferred language isn't supported, creating a new SDK is straightforward.
• OpenFGA provides a unified approach to authorization, covering Relationship-Based, Role-Based, and Attribute-Based Access Control.

OpenFGA Pricing

OpenFGA is an open-source project, making it freely available under an open-source license. This means developers and organizations can use, modify, and deploy OpenFGA without incurring licensing fees.

OpenFGA Pros and Cons

• OpenFGA is designed for low-latency access control checks, ensuring that authorization decisions are made quickly, even as the complexity and volume of data increase.
• The platform provides a comprehensive API, making it easy to integrate with existing applications and allowing for dynamic management of access control policies.
• OpenFGA allows for very granular access control policies, enabling organizations to define permissions at a very detailed level, which is crucial for applications with complex authorization requirements.
• While being open-source is a strength, it also means that ongoing improvements and updates depend heavily on community contributions, which may not always align with the specific needs or timelines of an organization.
• As an open-source project, OpenFGA may require additional development and customization to meet specific enterprise needs, potentially leading to longer implementation times.

Next Steps: Secure RBAC System Made Simple with Permify

Managing access control doesn’t have to be complicated or costly. Whether you're dealing with complex role-based structures or need detailed policy management, we’ve outlined several tools to suit your needs.

• If you care about deep integration and comprehensive RBAC features for a Ruby project, use CanCanCan.
• If you need a versatile, open-source authorization library for an SPA, consider CASL.
• If you want fine-grained access control, scalable centralized authorization, extensive customization, and multi-tenancy, the best choice is Permify.

Permify provides an easy-to-use, yet powerful solution for organizations that need to manage complex access control environments efficiently.

By leveraging its fine-grained controls, you can ensure that users have the right level of access, improving both security and operational efficiency.

Permify is the best choice if you want:

• Simple and efficient RBAC management
• A free plan to get started
• A focus on user access control without complexity

Ready to streamline your access control? Start your free Permify trial today!