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Developer Tools · head to head

Helm vs Immuta

H

Helm

Developer Tools

The package manager for Kubernetes

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit HelmFull review
Immuta logo

Immuta

Databases

Attribute-based access control and masking applied inside Snowflake, Databricks and BigQuery

From
On request
Free plan
No
Visit ImmutaFull review

The short version

  • Helm is a Kubernetes package manager, licensed Apache 2.
  • Helm is free; Immuta prices on request.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Helm and Immuta actually diverge.

Attributes where Helm and Immuta differ
AttributeHelmImmuta
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen-sourceQuote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, API
CategoryDeveloper ToolsDatabases

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 Helm

Nothing recorded that Immuta does not also cover.

Only in Immuta

  • Attribute-based policy
  • Native enforcement
  • Dynamic masking
  • Row-level filtering
  • Purpose-based access
  • Sensitive data tagging
  • Audit logging
  • Multi-platform

What people use each for

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

Helm

  • Kubernetes package manager and deployment toolnot Immuta

Immuta

  • A bank whose Snowflake estate has grown to tens of thousands of roles that no one can review before an auditnot Helm
  • A healthcare analytics team that must let researchers query patient data with identifiers masked unless a specific purpose is recordednot Helm
  • A multinational applying different residency and access rules per jurisdiction to the same tables without duplicating datasetsnot Helm
  • An organisation running both Snowflake and Databricks that wants one policy set rather than two divergent implementationsnot Helm

Where each one falls short

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

Helm

  • Contributors must sign commits under the Developer Certificate of Origin to have them accepted, per helm.sh, a process requirement not all Kubernetes tools impose

Immuta

  • Contracts commonly start around one hundred to two hundred thousand US dollars a year for mid-market deployments and exceed five hundred thousand at enterprise scale, which excludes most data teams without a regulatory mandate
  • Policy is only as good as the data classification underneath it, so an organisation with poorly tagged columns will spend months on classification before Immuta enforces anything useful
  • Native enforcement means capability varies by platform, and a feature available on Snowflake may be absent or behave differently on BigQuery, which undermines the promise of one policy set everywhere
  • Adding an access governance layer creates a new dependency in the path to data: a misconfigured policy silently returns fewer rows rather than erroring, and analysts can act on incomplete results without noticing
  • It governs cloud data platforms, so personal data in operational databases, files and SaaS applications sits outside its scope and needs separate controls, meaning Immuta is rarely the whole answer

Pricing, plan by plan

Helm

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Helm review.

Immuta

On request
  • Immuta PlatformOn request
    • Attribute-based policy authoring
    • Native enforcement in supported data platforms
    • Dynamic masking and row-level security

Which should you pick?

Choose Helm if

  • You want to start without paying.
Helm review

Choose Immuta if

  • You need attribute-based policy.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want native enforcement.
Immuta review

Questions people ask

Is Helm or Immuta better?
Neither clearly leads. Helm starts at Free and Immuta at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Helm or Immuta?
Helm has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Helm and On request for Immuta.
Does Helm or Immuta run on more platforms?
Helm runs on Web. Immuta runs on Web, API.
Can I use Helm for free?
Yes. Helm has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Immuta starts at On request.
What is Helm best used for?
Helm is most often used for kubernetes package manager and deployment tool. Of those, kubernetes package manager and deployment tool is not what Immuta is typically brought in for.
What can Helm do that Immuta cannot?
Immuta covers Attribute-based policy, Native enforcement, Dynamic masking, Row-level filtering.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Helm: How much does Helm cost?

Helm is free and open-source. It is a graduated project in the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) with no commercial pricing model.

Source
Immuta: Does Immuta sit in the query path?

No. It compiles policies into the data platform's own native controls, so queries run at normal speed through your existing tools.

Immuta: What does it cost?

Not published. Market data suggests roughly 100,000 to 200,000 US dollars a year for mid-market deployments and considerably more at enterprise scale.

Immuta: Is Immuta still independent?

Yes. It remains independently owned, unlike several competitors in data access governance that have been acquired.

Immuta: Does it work across more than one warehouse?

Yes, one policy set can target Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery and Starburst, though enforcement capability varies by platform.

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