Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!
AWS Service Catalog vs Oathkeeper: What are the differences?
Introduction
When comparing AWS Service Catalog and Oathkeeper, it is important to understand the key differences between the two services.
Deployment Scope: AWS Service Catalog is a service that enables organizations to create and manage catalogs of IT services that are approved for use on AWS. It allows administrators to control which AWS services and third-party software can be deployed by users within the organization. On the other hand, Oathkeeper is an Open Source Identity & Access Proxy (IAP) that verifies incoming requests based on a set of access control rules. It primarily focuses on securing APIs and microservices.
Vendor Dependency: AWS Service Catalog is a service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and is tightly integrated with their ecosystem. This means that users who want to utilize AWS Service Catalog must be using AWS as their cloud service provider. In contrast, Oathkeeper is an open-source project that can be used independently of any specific cloud provider. This provides users with the flexibility to integrate Oathkeeper with various platforms and services.
Functionality: AWS Service Catalog is focused on managing and provisioning IT services within an organization. It provides features for defining and assigning access levels, tracking resource usage, and enforcing compliance policies. Oathkeeper, on the other hand, is a specialized tool for handling authentication and authorization for APIs. It offers capabilities for defining and enforcing access control rules based on various criteria.
Cost: AWS Service Catalog is a commercial service offered by AWS, which means that users have to pay for its usage based on their subscription plan and resource consumption. Oathkeeper, being an open-source project, is free to use without any licensing costs. This can be advantageous for organizations looking to implement an access control solution without incurring additional expenses.
Community Support: As an AWS service, AWS Service Catalog benefits from the support and resources provided by AWS, including documentation, training materials, and customer support. Oathkeeper, being an open-source project, relies on community contributions for updates, bug fixes, and enhancements. While this can lead to a more dynamic and diverse development environment, it may also result in varying levels of support and expertise.
Summary
In summary, AWS Service Catalog is a comprehensive IT service management tool tied to the AWS ecosystem, while Oathkeeper is a versatile identity and access management solution focused on securing APIs and microservices, with vendor independence and no licensing costs.
