Software Alternatives & Startups

Topaz.sh VS CloudLinux

Compare Topaz.sh VS CloudLinux and see what are their differences

Topaz.sh

Cloud-native authorization. Combining the best of OPA and Zanzibar

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source Free
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, Topaz.sh seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 1 time since March 2021.

social mentions
1 vs 0
Developer Tools popularity
100% vs 0%

Base details

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

Topaz.sh
CloudLinux
Website topaz.sh cloudlinux.com
Pricing
Open source Free
Open source
Platforms
Azure AWS GCP Node JS Java JavaScript Ruby Python Go .Net +7
—
Company 2022 —
Listed in

About Topaz.sh and CloudLinux

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

Topaz.sh
CloudLinux

Topaz is an open-source authorization service providing fine grained, real-time, policy based access control for applications and APIs. It comes with built in support for every major programming language as well as every popular authorization model (RBAC, ABAC, PBAM, ReBAC, and combinations).

Read more about Topaz.sh

No description of CloudLinux yet.

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Topaz.sh 5 features
CloudLinux 5 features
  • Graph directory
  • OPA decision engine
  • ReBAC
  • ABAC
  • RBAC
  • 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.

Topaz.sh
CloudLinux

Overall verdict

  • Topaz is a solid open-source authorization solution that combines fine-grained access control models (RBAC, ABAC, ReBAC) with a local, low-latency decision engine, making it a strong choice for teams needing flexible and performant authz.

Why this product is good

  • Open-source and built on proven foundations like Open Policy Agent (OPA) and Google Zanzibar-inspired relationship-based access control
  • Supports multiple authorization models including RBAC, ABAC, and ReBAC for flexible fine-grained permissions
  • Runs as a local sidecar or container for low-latency authorization decisions without network round-trips
  • Separates policy from application code, making authorization easier to manage and audit
  • Backed by Aserto, providing a path to managed and enterprise offerings if needed
  • Includes tooling for policy authoring, testing, and a directory for storing users, resources, and relationships

Recommended for

  • Development teams building applications that require fine-grained, centralized authorization
  • Organizations needing relationship-based access control similar to Google Zanzibar
  • Companies wanting to decouple authorization logic from application code
  • Teams that prefer open-source solutions with the option for managed enterprise support
  • Microservices architectures requiring low-latency, local authorization decisions

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.

Topaz.sh 0 videos + Add
CloudLinux 3 videos + Add

No Topaz.sh videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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
Topaz.sh
CloudLinux
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Topaz.sh and CloudLinux.

What makes your product unique?

Topaz.sh's answer

It is the only open-source authorization project to support every authorization model and combinations

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Topaz.sh's answer

Applications developers charged with implementing access controls for their applications/APIs

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

Topaz.sh's answer

Golang based and uses Open Policy Agent as the decision engine

User comments

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

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Social recommendations and mentions

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

Topaz.sh 1 mention
CloudLinux 0 mentions
  • Authorization is still a nightmare for engineers
    Congrats on the launch! [Disclosure: I'm one of the co-founders of Aserto, the creators of Topaz]. The problem of data filtering is indeed a huge part of building an effective authorization system. Partial evaluation is one way of doing... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago

Tracking CloudLinux since Mar 2021.

Alternatives to Topaz.sh and CloudLinux

When comparing Topaz.sh and CloudLinux, you can also consider the following products.