Software Alternatives & Startups

Google Cloud IAM VS CloudLinux

Compare Google Cloud IAM VS CloudLinux and see what are their differences

Google Cloud IAM

Google Cloud Identity & Access Management (IAM) lets administrators authorize who can take action on specific resources, giving you full control and visibility to manage cloud resources centrally.

Rating
0 reviews
CloudLinux

Making Linux secure, stable, and profitable for thousands of hosting providers and data centers worldwide.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Google Cloud IAM seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 7 times since March 2021.

social mentions
7 vs 0
Identity And Access Management popularity
100% vs 0%

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Google Cloud IAM
CloudLinux
Website docs.cloud.google.com cloudlinux.com
Pricing —
Open source
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Google Cloud IAM 7 features
CloudLinux 5 features
  • Granular Access Control
    Google Cloud IAM allows for precise control over who has access to which resources, enabling administrators to assign roles at a very granular level.
  • Unified Management
    Provides a single view into managing permissions across all Google Cloud Platform resources, simplifying the management of who has access to what.
  • Predefined Roles
    Comes with predefined roles which make it easier to assign permissions without having to define custom roles, reducing the complexity for administrators.
  • Policy Versioning
    Supports IAM policy versioning, which helps in tracking changes and rollback to earlier versions, aiding in better managing access configurations over time.
  • Integration with GCP Services
    Seamlessly integrates with other Google Cloud Platform services, providing a more streamlined and coherent cloud environment.
  • Automated Recommendations
    Features intelligent access recommendations using Machine Learning to help administrators determine the most appropriate permissions for users and services.
  • Compliance and Security Auditing
    Offers extensive logging and auditing capabilities, essential for ensuring compliance and monitoring for any security breaches or unauthorized accesses.

Possible disadvantages

  • Complexity
    The granularity of permissions and the broad array of roles can lead to increased complexity, making it difficult for less experienced administrators to manage effectively.
  • Learning Curve
    Requires substantial learning and familiarity with both Google Cloud services and IAM concepts, which can be daunting for new users.
  • Limited Cross-Platform Support
    While powerful within Google Cloud, IAM’s capabilities and integrations are limited when it comes to non-GCP environments, making it less versatile for multi-cloud strategies.
  • Potential Over-privileging
    Improper configuration or misunderstanding of roles and permissions can lead to over-privileging, where users have more access than necessary, posing security risks.
  • Cost
    Managing IAM effectively often requires dedicated resources and potentially third-party tools, which can add to the overall cost of using Google Cloud Platform.
  • Latency in Permission Changes
    In some cases, there can be latency in the propagation of changes to permissions, which can delay the enforcement of new policies.
  • Enhanced Server Stability
    CloudLinux uses its lightweight virtualization technology (LVE) to isolate each tenant on a shared hosting server, preventing any single user from consuming excessive resources and crashing the server for everyone else. This ensures consistent uptime and performance.
  • Improved Security with HardenedPHP and KernelCare
    CloudLinux offers HardenedPHP, which patches old and unsupported PHP versions against known vulnerabilities, and KernelCare, which provides live kernel patching without requiring server reboots. These features significantly enhance server security posture.
  • Resource Limit Management
    Administrators can set granular resource limits (CPU, memory, I/O, number of processes, etc.) per user account using LVE Manager. This makes it easy to manage shared hosting environments and ensure fair resource distribution among tenants.
  • CageFS File System Virtualization
    CageFS creates a virtualized file system for each user, preventing them from seeing other users on the server, viewing sensitive configuration files, or exploiting server vulnerabilities. This adds an important layer of isolation and security.
  • Wide Compatibility with Hosting Panels
    CloudLinux integrates seamlessly with popular hosting control panels such as cPanel, Plesk, and DirectAdmin, making it straightforward for hosting providers to adopt without overhauling their existing infrastructure or workflows.

Possible disadvantages

  • Additional Licensing Cost
    CloudLinux requires a paid monthly or annual license on top of the base server cost. For smaller hosting providers or individual server owners, this additional expense can add up and may not always be justifiable compared to free alternatives.
  • Limited to CentOS/RHEL-Based Systems
    CloudLinux is built on top of RHEL/CentOS and does not support other Linux distributions like Ubuntu or Debian. This limits its adoption for hosting providers who prefer or already run non-RHEL-based environments.
  • Learning Curve for Configuration
    While CloudLinux provides powerful resource management tools, properly configuring LVE limits, CageFS, PHP Selector, and other features requires a solid understanding of the platform. Misconfiguration can lead to users being unnecessarily restricted or resources being poorly allocated.
  • Potential Performance Overhead
    The additional layers of virtualization, resource monitoring, and file system isolation introduced by CloudLinux can impose a slight performance overhead on the server compared to running a bare, unmodified Linux distribution without these controls.
  • Dependency on CloudLinux Ecosystem
    Adopting CloudLinux means relying on their ecosystem for kernel updates, PHP patches, and security fixes. If the company experiences delays in releasing patches or changes its pricing/licensing model, hosting providers may find themselves locked into a dependency that is difficult to migrate away from.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Google Cloud IAM
CloudLinux

Overall verdict

  • Google Cloud IAM is an effective and comprehensive solution for managing access and identity in cloud environments, particularly for those already using Google Cloud Platform. Its strengths lie in its ease of use, integration capabilities, and security features, making it a valuable tool for organizations seeking to manage permissions and roles efficiently.

Why this product is good

  • Google Cloud IAM (Identity and Access Management) is considered good due to several reasons. It offers fine-grained access control and visibility into Google Cloud resources, enabling the implementation of the principle of least privilege. It allows organizations to define who (users) has what access (roles) to which resources, thus providing robust security and controlled access. It integrates seamlessly with other Google Cloud services and supports a wide range of authentication methods, including integration with existing identity systems. Additionally, it enhances audit and compliance capabilities by keeping detailed audit logs of all access events.

Recommended for

  • Organizations using Google Cloud Platform and seeking to manage user access efficiently.
  • Teams requiring detailed access control and audit trails for compliance purposes.
  • Businesses that need to implement the principle of least privilege to enhance security.
  • Companies looking for integration capabilities with existing identity systems.

Overall verdict

  • CloudLinux is a well-regarded, mature Linux OS distribution and toolset specifically designed for shared hosting and multi-tenant server environments, offering strong isolation, resource management, and security features that make it a solid choice for hosting providers.

Why this product is good

  • Provides LVE (Lightweight Virtual Environment) technology for per-tenant resource isolation, preventing 'bad neighbor' effects on shared servers
  • Enhances server stability and security by isolating users so that one account's issues (crashes, resource spikes) don't affect others
  • Offers extended lifecycle support (longer than standard CentOS/RHEL support windows), which is valuable for legacy systems
  • Includes tools like CloudLinux OS Shield, Imunify360 integration, and hardened kernel options for improved security
  • Compatible with popular control panels like cPanel and Plesk, making it easy to integrate into existing hosting stacks
  • Backed by an established company with a long track record in the hosting industry and responsive support
  • Offers granular control over CPU, memory, I/O, and other resources per user account
  • Provides PHP Selector and multiple PHP version support, useful for hosting providers serving diverse client needs

Recommended for

  • Web hosting companies running shared or reseller hosting environments
  • Hosting providers needing to isolate customer accounts on the same physical server
  • Businesses requiring extended OS support lifecycles beyond standard RHEL/CentOS EOL dates
  • Enterprises using cPanel or Plesk that want tighter security and resource control
  • Hosting companies looking to reduce support tickets caused by noisy-neighbor resource contention
  • IT teams managing multi-tenant infrastructure who need governance and monitoring tools built into the OS layer

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Google Cloud IAM 1 video + Add
CloudLinux 3 videos + Add

Manage Access Control with Google Cloud IAM | Google Cloud Labs

When To Use Cloudlinux On Your Virtual Private Server (VPS)

More videos

  • - CloudLinux OS+ in a minute: Explore Features
  • - How CloudLinux Plans to Keep CentOS 6 Alive

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Google Cloud IAM
CloudLinux
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Google Cloud IAM and CloudLinux. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Log in or Post with

Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Google Cloud IAM no reviews yet
CloudLinux no reviews yet

We have no reviews of CloudLinux yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Google Cloud IAM 7 mentions
CloudLinux 0 mentions
  • When Google Sneezes, the Whole World Catches a cold![The Full Story Inside.]
    GCP’s Identity and Access Management (IAM) is the front door every API call must pass. When the fleet that issues and validates OAuth and service account tokens misbehaves, the blast radius reaches storage, compute, control planes... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • IAM Best Practices [cheat sheet included]
    While it is commonly associated with AWS, and their AWS IAM service, IAM is not limited to their platform. All cloud providers, such as Google Cloud and Azure DevOps, offer IAM solutions that allow users to access resources and systems.... - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
  • Cloud Incident Response
    Cloud Identity and Access Management: This service provides fine-grained control over who has access to what resources within an organization's Google Cloud environment. It can be used to quickly revoke access to compromised accounts or... - Source: dev.to / almost 4 years ago

View more

Tracking CloudLinux since Mar 2021.

Alternatives to Google Cloud IAM and CloudLinux

When comparing Google Cloud IAM and CloudLinux, you can also consider the following products.