Permify
Permify is an open-source authorization-as-a-service platform, inspired by Google Zanzibar, that lets engineering teams centralize fine-grained RBAC, ABAC, and ReBAC access control via API and SDKs; it was acquired by FusionAuth in November 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Permify does
Permify is an open-source authorization platform founded in 2022 in San Francisco that provides centralized, fine-grained access control as an API for engineering teams building complex permission systems. Its core technology is inspired by Google Zanzibar and consists of a domain-specific schema language (Permify Schema, based on Common Expression Language) for modeling RBAC, ABAC, and ReBAC policies; a graph-based permission resolution engine that evaluates authorization queries with sub-10ms average response times; and a real-time data synchronization layer with snapshot consistency and a distributed cache using consistent hashing. The platform exposes REST and gRPC APIs (Check, Bulk Check, Lookup Entity, Subject Permission, Expand) and ships SDKs in Go, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, and Java, plus Helm Charts, a VS Code extension, an interactive Playground, and a Groq-powered AI assistant that generates schemas from natural language.
Permify serves engineering teams and enterprises that need to externalize authorization logic from application code, with documented production customers including Procter & Gamble, Mastercard, HPE, Sennder, and Dynamic Yield. Distribution is purely product-led and open-source: the platform is downloaded via Docker Hub, GitHub, and standard package managers, with adoption driven through documentation, a Discord community, GitHub, and developer-focused content. At the time of its November 2025 acquisition by FusionAuth, Permify had surpassed 1.2 million downloads and was processing 4.3 billion authorization checks per day across more than 40 production deployments, but had never operated under a publicly disclosed commercial pricing model. Following the acquisition, Permify became the authorization layer of FusionAuth's unified self-hostable AuthN+AuthZ platform, with a combined product and revised pricing expected in 2026.
Permify firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Permify
- Legal name
- Permify
- Website
- https://permify.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Permify is an open-source authorization-as-a-service platform, inspired by Google Zanzibar, that lets engineering teams centralize fine-grained RBAC, ABAC, and ReBAC access control via API and SDKs; it was acquired by FusionAuth in November 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Permify industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Authorization Software
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- GraphQL, gRPC & Modern API Protocols (BPAMAOAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Customer Permissioning & Consent Management (OAuth, scopes, revocation) (FSAGACAC)
Keywords
Where Permify is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Permify business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Open-Source Core (Self-Hosted): Open-source core product freely available via GitHub and Docker Hub. Revenue model not explicitly disclosed; company was acquired in November 2025 before a commercial model was established.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Open-source self-hosted |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Permify product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Permify provides an open-source, centralized authorization-as-a-service platform that lets engineering teams model and enforce fine-grained access controls without embedding permission logic in their codebases. The platform offers a domain-specific schema language, a graph-based permission resolution engine, and a real-time data synchronization layer supporting RBAC, ABAC, and ReBAC models, delivered via REST and gRPC APIs and SDKs in Go, Python, Java, JavaScript, and TypeScript.
Product overview
Permify is an open-source fine-grained authorization platform providing centralized authorization-as-a-service. The core offering consists of the Permify platform itself, featuring a domain-specific schema language for modeling permissions, a graph-based permission resolution engine achieving sub-10ms response times, and real-time data synchronization. The product portfolio includes the Permify Playground for interactive testing, SDK clients in Go, Python, Java, Node/TypeScript, and JavaScript (available in both gRPC and REST), Permify AI for natural language schema generation, and Data Bundles for automating authorization data synchronization. Helm Charts provide Kubernetes deployment support. The platform supports RBAC, ABAC, and ReBAC access control models and was acquired by FusionAuth in November 2025.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Permify Open-source fine-grained authorization platform inspired by Google Zanzibar, providing centralized authorization-as-a-service with a domain-specific schema language, a graph-based permission resolution engine, and a real-time data synchronization layer supporting RBAC, ABAC, and ReBAC models. Delivered via REST and gRPC APIs and SDKs to engineering teams and enterprises.
- Permify Playground Interactive web-based environment for visualizing, modeling, and testing Permify authorization schemas and access checks in real-time without requiring local installation. Targets developers evaluating or experimenting with Permify.
- Permify AI Natural language interface powered by Groq that generates Permify authorization schemas from user-described authorization logic or use cases. Streamlines the schema modeling process for developers and engineering teams.
- Permify SDK Clients Software development kits in Go, Python, Java, Node/TypeScript, and JavaScript for integrating Permify authorization APIs into applications, available in both gRPC and REST variants and distributed via standard package managers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.3 billion authorization checks processed per day at time of acquisition
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Permify
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Permify technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature9 records
Permify partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- FusionAuthflagshipFusionAuth acquired Permify in November 2025 to create the first fully self-hostable platform unifying authentication (AuthN) and authorization (AuthZ). The acquisition combines FusionAuth's authentication capabilities with Permify's fine-grained authorization engine, targeting AI-driven and autonomous systems. FusionAuth plans to launch a unified product and revised pricing model in 2026.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Permify competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Ory Keto: Ory Keto is an open-source permission server based on Google's Zanzibar, part of the broader Ory identity stack. It competes with Permify for Zanzibar-style authorization use cases while benefiting from Ory's broader identity ecosystem, giving it stronger bundled identity positioning.
- Keycloak: Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management solution from Red Hat/CNCF offering authentication and authorization features. It overlaps with Permify in providing self-hostable authorization tooling, particularly attractive to enterprises seeking unified open-source IAM.
- Casbin: Casbin is an open-source authorization library supporting RBAC, ABAC, and ReBAC models with policy files. It overlaps with Permify in providing developer-facing authorization tooling, though typically embedded in applications rather than offered as a centralized service.
- Styra (OPA): Styra is the commercial company behind Open Policy Agent (OPA), an open-source policy engine widely adopted for cloud-native authorization. OPA's Rego policy language and Styra's enterprise platform compete for centralized authorization use cases where Permify operates.
Direct peers
- SpiceDB: SpiceDB by AuthZed is an open-source Zanzibar-inspired permission system offering relationship-based authorization as a managed service. It directly competes with Permify on the same core capability (graph-based ReBAC) and targets similar enterprise developer audiences.
- Cerbos: Cerbos is an open-source authorization as a service platform providing policy-based access control decoupled from application code. It competes directly with Permify for engineering teams seeking centralized, fine-grained authorization, though with a different policy model (YAML policies vs. Zanzibar-style schema).
- OpenFGA: OpenFGA is an open-source fine-grained authorization engine inspired by Google Zanzibar, developed initially by Auth0/Okta. It is the most direct competitor to Permify, offering ReBAC-based authorization as a service with a similar developer-led GTM and overlapping customer profile.
Broad incumbents
- Okta: Okta is the leading cloud identity platform serving enterprises globally, with an integrated authorization offering (via OpenFGA and Workforce Identity). It is the broadest incumbent in identity and access management and competes with Permify/FusionAuth for enterprise IAM contracts.
- AWS IAM Identity Center: AWS IAM is the dominant cloud-native authorization service, deeply integrated into the AWS ecosystem with broad role-based and attribute-based access controls. It competes with Permify for cloud-deployed enterprise workloads, particularly where customers standardize on AWS.
- Auth0: Auth0 (now part of Okta) is a leading identity-as-a-service platform that offers fine-grained authorization (FGA) capabilities alongside its core authentication product. It competes broadly with Permify for enterprise developer budgets and is the parent of direct competitor OpenFGA.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Permify social profiles
Digital presencePermify compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Permify financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Permify leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Permify funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Permify M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Permify
What does Permify do?
Permify provides an open-source, centralized authorization-as-a-service platform that lets engineering teams model and enforce fine-grained access controls without embedding permission logic in their codebases. The platform offers a domain-specific schema language, a graph-based permission resolution engine, and a real-time data synchronization layer supporting RBAC, ABAC, and ReBAC models, delivered via REST and gRPC APIs and SDKs in Go, Python, Java, JavaScript, and TypeScript.
Is Permify a public or private company?
Permify is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Permify founded?
Permify was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Permify based?
Permify is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Permify make money?
One revenue line is on record: open-Source Core (Self-Hosted).
Who are Permify's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Ory Keto, Keycloak, Casbin and Styra (OPA). Direct peers are SpiceDB, Cerbos and OpenFGA. Broad incumbents are Okta, AWS IAM Identity Center and Auth0.
Does Permify have an API?
Yes. Permify provides REST and gRPC APIs for fine-grained authorization. The API enables access checks, bulk permission checks, schema management, data writes, entity filtering, and subject permission lookups. Supports OIDC and Pre-Shared Keys authentication. Clients available in Go, Python, Java, Node, TypeScript, and JavaScript. Developer documentation is at docs.permify.co.
What industry is Permify in?
Permify's product category is Authorization Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAOAK, GraphQL, gRPC & Modern API Protocols, with a secondary code of FSAGACAC, Customer Permissioning & Consent Management (OAuth, scopes, revocation). Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7372.