django-rules vs django-guardian

Side-by-side — pricing, strengths, tradeoffs, and fit.

django-rules

Tiny app providing object-level permissions to Django without requiring a database.

django-guardian

Per-object permissions for Django applications

At a glance

Open SourceFree Tier
◌ Declining·From $0
Open SourceFree Tier
● Established·From $0

Overview

One-liner

Tiny app providing object-level permissions to Django without requiring a database.

One-liner

Per-object permissions for Django applications

Maturity

Declining

Maturity

Established

Open source

✓ Yes

Open source

✓ Yes

Pricing

Free tier

✓ Available

Open source — free to use

Free tier

✓ Available

Open source — free to use

Starts at

$0

Starts at

$0

Model

Flat rate

Model

Flat rate

Enterprise

✕ None

Enterprise

✕ None

Best for

✓ Best for

Developers building secure web applications using Django who need fine-grained permission control without database overhead.
Projects requiring complex object-level permissions for enhanced data security.

✓ Best for

Projects requiring detailed permission management for individual objects
Applications where access control needs to be highly customizable per user and object

Not ideal for

✕ Not for

Applications that require real-time updates to permissions
Scenarios where a database is necessary for storing and managing permissions

✕ Not for

Simple web apps with minimal security requirements
Non-Django projects or those using different frameworks without similar integration

Strengths

↑ Strengths

Object-level permissions without a database
Flexible permission handling for Django applications
Enhanced security through fine-grained access control

↑ Strengths

Per-object permissions for Django models
Integration with Django's authentication system
Supports both object-level and model-level permissions

Weaknesses

↓ Weaknesses

Limited documentation and examples for complex use cases
Performance overhead due to runtime checks

↓ Weaknesses

Frequent breaking changes between versions
Limited documentation for advanced use cases
Performance overhead with large datasets
Full django-rules profile →Full django-guardian profile →