django-guardian

Per-object permissions for Django applications

EstablishedOpen SourceLow lock-in

Pricing

Free tier

Flat rate

Adoption

Stable

License

Open Source

Data freshness

Aging · Jun 8, 2026

Overview

What is django-guardian?

django-guardian is a flexible per-object permission system for Django that allows developers to manage fine-grained access control in their web applications.

Key differentiator

django-guardian stands out by offering a robust, flexible solution for managing per-object permissions in Django applications, providing developers with fine-grained control over access rights.

Capability profile

Capability Radar

Ease of StartEcosystemValueMaturityFlexibilityScale Ready

Honest assessment

Strengths & Weaknesses

↑ Strengths

Per-object permissions for Django modelsmedium

Integration with Django's authentication systemmedium

Supports both object-level and model-level permissionsmedium

↓ Weaknesses

Steep learning curve for non-Python developershigh

API requires Python-specific patterns, TypeScript SDK is community-maintained

Frequent breaking changes between versionsmedium

v1.4 to v2.0 migration required significant adjustments in permission handling logic

Limited documentation for advanced use caseshigh

Official documentation lacks examples for complex scenarios like custom user models and inheritance

Performance overhead with large datasetsmedium

Query performance degrades significantly when managing permissions on a large number of objects

Fit analysis

Who is it for?

✓ Best for

Projects requiring detailed permission management for individual objects

Applications where access control needs to be highly customizable per user and object

✕ Not a fit for

Simple web apps with minimal security requirements

Non-Django projects or those using different frameworks without similar integration

Cost structure

Pricing

Free Tier

Available

Open source — free to use

Starts at

$0

Model

Flat rate

Enterprise

None

Performance benchmarks

How Fast Is It?

Ecosystem

Relationships

Next step

Get Started with django-guardian

Step-by-step setup guide with code examples and common gotchas.

View Setup Guide →