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Developer Tools · head to head

Cloud Native Buildpacks vs Entrust Identity as a Service

Cloud Native Buildpacks logo

Cloud Native Buildpacks

Developer Tools

Specification and tooling that turns source code into OCI images without Dockerfiles

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Entrust Identity as a Service logo

Entrust Identity as a Service

Cybersecurity

Workforce and customer authentication from a certificate authority

From
$2/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Cloud Native Buildpacks has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cloud Native Buildpacks the operational cost is real: you own builder images, base image refresh cadence and migrations between specification versions, which currently sit at Buildpack API 0.10 and Platform API 0.12 with published migration guides, so breaking changes are a recurring chore.; Entrust Identity as a Service the application integration catalogue is smaller than that of the dedicated identity vendors, so uncommon SaaS applications more often need custom SAML configuration rather than a template.
  • They diverge on capability: Cloud Native Buildpacks covers Detect and build lifecycle, Entrust Identity as a Service covers Multi-factor authentication.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cloud Native Buildpacks and Entrust Identity as a Service actually diverge.

Attributes where Cloud Native Buildpacks and Entrust Identity as a Service differ
AttributeCloud Native BuildpacksEntrust Identity as a Service
Starting priceFree$2/month
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feePer user per month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, CLI, Docker, KubernetesWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, Linux
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity

Identical on both: 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 Cloud Native Buildpacks

  • Detect and build lifecycle
  • Image rebasing
  • Reproducible layers
  • Builder images
  • Automatic SBOM output
  • pack CLI

Only in Entrust Identity as a Service

  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Single sign-on
  • Adaptive authentication
  • Passwordless login
  • Credential lifecycle
  • Derived PIV credentials
  • Directory integration

What people use each for

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

Cloud Native Buildpacks

  • Patching a base image once and rebasing hundreds of application images rather than rebuilding and redeploying eachnot Entrust Identity as a Service
  • Removing per-team Dockerfiles at an organisation where inconsistent base images have become an audit findingnot Entrust Identity as a Service
  • Giving application teams a supported path to a hardened image without teaching every team container securitynot Entrust Identity as a Service
  • Choosing a build system that a risk committee will accept because governance is vendor neutral rather than single vendornot Entrust Identity as a Service

Entrust Identity as a Service

  • A government agency needing derived mobile credentials from an existing PIV smart card estatenot Cloud Native Buildpacks
  • A bank that must support hardware tokens for corporate treasury users alongside push authentication for staffnot Cloud Native Buildpacks
  • An organisation already buying Entrust certificates that wants credential issuance and authentication from one vendornot Cloud Native Buildpacks
  • A defence supplier required to use certificate-based authentication that mainstream cloud identity products handle poorlynot Cloud Native Buildpacks

Where each one falls short

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

Cloud Native Buildpacks

  • The operational cost is real: you own builder images, base image refresh cadence and migrations between specification versions, which currently sit at Buildpack API 0.10 and Platform API 0.12 with published migration guides, so breaking changes are a recurring chore.
  • A cold build with no warm cache is noticeably slower than a well layered Dockerfile, and because the cache lives in a cache image or volume, ephemeral continuous integration runners pay full price on every run unless you deliberately warm them.
  • Reproducibility depends on discipline rather than defaults, because buildpacks resolve runtime patch versions at build time unless you pin them and stability is only as good as the builder image tag you point at.
  • The specification is neutral but the buildpacks are not, and in practice you depend on Paketo, Heroku or Google, whose roadmaps, support levels and update cadences differ; CNCF also records contributing organisations down 12 per cent year on year.
  • Native dependencies, unusual monorepo layouts and non-standard project structures push you into writing custom buildpacks or extensions, which is a genuine engineering investment and not a configuration change.

Entrust Identity as a Service

  • The application integration catalogue is smaller than that of the dedicated identity vendors, so uncommon SaaS applications more often need custom SAML configuration rather than a template.
  • Developer experience for customer identity use cases is behind the specialists, and teams building consumer signup flows will find the APIs and documentation less complete.
  • Advanced capabilities including adaptive authentication and credential management sit above the published entry price, so the two dollar figure rarely reflects what a regulated buyer actually spends.
  • There are two overlapping products, Identity as a Service and Identity Enterprise, and choosing wrongly at the start means a migration later rather than a licence change.
  • Identity governance, access certification and privileged access are not covered, so an organisation with audit-driven access review requirements needs a second vendor alongside it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Cloud Native Buildpacks

Free
  • Cloud Native BuildpacksFree
    • Apache-2.0, hosted by the CNCF
    • No commercial edition from the project itself
    • Commercial support only from vendors of specific buildpack distributions

Entrust Identity as a Service

$2/month
  • Workforce Standard$2/month
    • Multi-factor authentication
    • Single sign-on
    • Directory integration
  • Higher tiers$undefined/month
    • Adaptive risk-based authentication
    • Certificate and smart card credential management
    • Derived PIV credentials

Which should you pick?

Choose Cloud Native Buildpacks if

  • You need detect and build lifecycle.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, CLI, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want image rebasing.
Cloud Native Buildpacks review

Choose Entrust Identity as a Service if

  • You need multi-factor authentication.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want single sign-on.
Entrust Identity as a Service review

Questions people ask

Is Cloud Native Buildpacks or Entrust Identity as a Service better?
Neither clearly leads. Cloud Native Buildpacks starts at Free and Entrust Identity as a Service at $2/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cloud Native Buildpacks or Entrust Identity as a Service?
Cloud Native Buildpacks has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cloud Native Buildpacks and $2/month for Entrust Identity as a Service.
Does Cloud Native Buildpacks or Entrust Identity as a Service run on more platforms?
Cloud Native Buildpacks runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, CLI, Docker, Kubernetes. Entrust Identity as a Service runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, Linux.
Can I use Cloud Native Buildpacks for free?
Yes. Cloud Native Buildpacks has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Entrust Identity as a Service starts at $2/month.
What is Cloud Native Buildpacks best used for?
Cloud Native Buildpacks is most often used for patching a base image once and rebasing hundreds of application images rather than rebuilding and redeploying each, removing per-team dockerfiles at an organisation where inconsistent base images have become an audit finding, giving application teams a supported path to a hardened image without teaching every team container security, choosing a build system that a risk committee will accept because governance is vendor neutral rather than single vendor. Of those, patching a base image once and rebasing hundreds of application images rather than rebuilding and redeploying each and removing per-team dockerfiles at an organisation where inconsistent base images have become an audit finding are not what Entrust Identity as a Service is typically brought in for.
What can Cloud Native Buildpacks do that Entrust Identity as a Service cannot?
Cloud Native Buildpacks covers Detect and build lifecycle, Image rebasing, Reproducible layers, Builder images. Entrust Identity as a Service covers Multi-factor authentication, Single sign-on, Adaptive authentication, Passwordless login.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cloud Native Buildpacks: What does CNCF graduation actually change?

Nothing technically, but it signals audited governance, security review and multi-vendor maintenance, which is usually what a procurement or risk team needs before approving a build system.

Entrust Identity as a Service: Is MFA included or extra?

Multi-factor authentication is included in the workforce bundles rather than sold separately, which is not true of every competitor. Adaptive risk-based authentication sits in higher tiers.

Cloud Native Buildpacks: How is this different from writing a Dockerfile?

Container build knowledge lives with the platform team in a builder image rather than in every repository, and rebasing lets you patch the runtime base of many images without rebuilding them.

Entrust Identity as a Service: Does it do identity governance?

No. Access certification, role mining and joiner-mover-leaver governance require a separate product such as SailPoint or Saviynt.

Cloud Native Buildpacks: Does it cost anything?

No. The specification and tooling are Apache-2.0 and free. You pay only if you buy commercial support for a specific buildpack distribution from Broadcom, Heroku or Google.

Entrust Identity as a Service: Why choose this over Okta or Entra ID?

Almost always because of PKI, smart cards or derived credentials. Without that requirement the mainstream platforms are the stronger general purpose choice.

Cloud Native Buildpacks: Is it slower than a Dockerfile?

On a cold build with no cache, yes. Warm builds are competitive, but continuous integration runners that start empty every time will feel the difference.

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