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Cloud · head to head

Cilium vs Frontegg

Cilium logo

Cilium

Cloud

eBPF-based networking, observability and security for Kubernetes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Frontegg logo

Frontegg

Cybersecurity

Customer identity and access management platform for SaaS applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cilium requires a recent Linux kernel, which rules out older distributions and some managed environments; Frontegg detailed per-unit pricing beyond the free tier is not published, requiring use of an online calculator or sales contact to estimate costs.
  • They diverge on capability: Cilium covers eBPF datapath, Frontegg covers Hosted login.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cilium and Frontegg actually diverge.

Attributes where Cilium and Frontegg differ
AttributeCiliumFrontegg
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeusage-based
PlatformsKubernetes, Linuxweb, api
CategoryCloudCybersecurity

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Cilium

  • eBPF datapath
  • Identity-based policy
  • Hubble observability
  • Sidecar-free mesh

Only in Frontegg

  • Hosted login
  • Enterprise SSO/SCIM
  • Multi-tenant organizations
  • Custom domains
  • M2M tokens
  • Fraud protection

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cilium

  • Kubernetes networking at a scale where iptables-based CNI performance degradesnot Frontegg
  • Network policy expressed on workload identity rather than fragile IP rulesnot Frontegg
  • Seeing which services actually talk to each other, and what policy is droppingnot Frontegg

Frontegg

  • Adding enterprise SSO/SCIM to a B2B SaaS productnot Cilium
  • Multi-tenant customer identity managementnot Cilium
  • White-labeled, custom-domain login experiencesnot Cilium
  • Securing AI agent access to a SaaS product via Agen.conot Cilium

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cilium

  • Requires a recent Linux kernel, which rules out older distributions and some managed environments
  • eBPF is genuinely hard to debug when it misbehaves, and the skill is rare on most teams
  • Broad scope — CNI, policy, mesh, observability — means the learning curve covers several domains at once

Frontegg

  • Detailed per-unit pricing beyond the free tier is not published, requiring use of an online calculator or sales contact to estimate costs.
  • Advanced fraud protection and multiple environments are Enterprise-only, unavailable on the Pay As You Go plan.
  • The 7,500 free monthly active users is comparatively modest next to some competitors' free tiers.
  • As a broader CIAM platform, it can be more complex to integrate than lighter-weight developer-first auth tools for smaller apps.

Pricing, plan by plan

Cilium

Free
  • CiliumFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Frontegg

Free
  • Pay As You GoFree
    • 7,500 monthly active users included
    • 5 enterprise connections (SSO/SCIM)
    • Unlimited organizations
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Multiple environments
    • Advanced fraud protection

Which should you pick?

Choose Cilium if

  • You need ebpf datapath.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Kubernetes, Linux.
  • You also want identity-based policy.
Cilium review

Choose Frontegg if

  • You need hosted login.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want enterprise sso/scim.
Frontegg review

Questions people ask

Is Cilium or Frontegg better?
Neither clearly leads. Cilium starts at Free and Frontegg at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cilium or Frontegg?
Cilium starts at Free and Frontegg at Free.
Does Cilium or Frontegg run on more platforms?
Cilium runs on Kubernetes, Linux. Frontegg runs on web, api.
Can I use Cilium for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Cilium best used for?
Cilium is most often used for kubernetes networking at a scale where iptables-based cni performance degrades, network policy expressed on workload identity rather than fragile ip rules, seeing which services actually talk to each other, and what policy is dropping. Of those, kubernetes networking at a scale where iptables-based cni performance degrades and network policy expressed on workload identity rather than fragile ip rules are not what Frontegg is typically brought in for.
What can Cilium do that Frontegg cannot?
Cilium covers eBPF datapath, Identity-based policy, Hubble observability, Sidecar-free mesh. Frontegg covers Hosted login, Enterprise SSO/SCIM, Multi-tenant organizations, Custom domains.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cilium: Is Cilium free?

Yes, open source and CNCF-graduated. Isovalent sells an enterprise distribution and support.

Frontegg: What does Frontegg cost?

Frontegg's Pay As You Go plan is free up to 7,500 monthly active users, after which pricing scales with users, enterprise connections and M2M tokens via an online calculator; Enterprise pricing is custom.

Source
Cilium: What does eBPF change?

It lets Cilium run packet-processing programs inside the kernel instead of relying on iptables rule chains, which behave poorly as the number of services grows.

Frontegg: Is there a free plan and what are its limits?

Yes, the free Pay As You Go plan includes 7,500 monthly active users, 5 enterprise SSO/SCIM connections, unlimited organizations, and a custom domain.

Source
Cilium: Does Cilium replace a service mesh?

It can cover much of what a mesh does without sidecars, though full mesh feature sets still favour Istio or Linkerd.

Frontegg: How is usage metered?

Pricing is consumption-based, driven by monthly active users, monthly enterprise connections (SSO/SCIM), and monthly M2M tokens, with customers paying only for usage beyond the free 7,500-user threshold.

Source
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