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Developer Tools · head to head

Namespace vs Signicat

Namespace logo

Namespace

Developer Tools

The dev platform for the next 100 billion commits

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Signicat logo

Signicat

Cybersecurity

European digital identity hub connecting national eID schemes

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Namespace has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Namespace developer plan is pay-as-you-go only; minimum usage unclear; Signicat national eID scheme fees are passed through on top of Signicat's own charge, so a single-country business almost always pays less by integrating with the scheme directly.
  • They diverge on capability: Namespace covers Devboxes, Signicat covers eID scheme brokering.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Namespace and Signicat actually diverge.

Attributes where Namespace and Signicat differ
AttributeNamespaceSignicat
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud, Mac, Windows, LinuxWeb, iOS, Android
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 Namespace

  • Devboxes
  • GitHub Actions runners
  • Docker builds
  • Cross-invocation caching
  • NVMe storage
  • High-speed networking
  • Multiple OS support
  • Bazel and Turborepo support

Only in Signicat

  • eID scheme brokering
  • Qualified electronic signatures
  • Document verification
  • AML screening
  • Authentication
  • Digital onboarding flows
  • eIDAS compliance

What people use each for

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

Namespace

  • Providing AI coding agents with cloud-based development environmentsnot Signicat
  • Accelerating CI builds with faster GitHub Actions runnersnot Signicat
  • Distributing builds across teams with managed infrastructurenot Signicat
  • Scaling development velocity for monorepo organizationsnot Signicat

Signicat

  • A lender expanding from Norway into Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands without four separate eID integrationsnot Namespace
  • An insurer needing eIDAS qualified signatures on policy documents that will hold up in a European courtnot Namespace
  • A bank that wants customers to onboard with their existing national bank ID rather than photographing a passportnot Namespace
  • A public sector body needing cross-border recognition of notified eID schemes under eIDASnot Namespace

Where each one falls short

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

Namespace

  • Developer plan is pay-as-you-go only; minimum usage unclear
  • Team plan $100/mo is competitive but usage limits may be tight
  • Devbox pricing separate at $0.004/minute could add up quickly
  • Enterprise plan requires custom sales conversation

Signicat

  • National eID scheme fees are passed through on top of Signicat's own charge, so a single-country business almost always pays less by integrating with the scheme directly.
  • Value is concentrated in Northern and Western Europe, and coverage in Southern and Eastern Europe is thinner, so a pan-European rollout still hits gaps requiring document fallback.
  • Pricing is per transaction and quoted, and because scheme rates vary by country the cost per onboarded customer differs materially between markets in ways that complicate unit economics.
  • Each eID scheme connection typically carries its own setup fee and approval process, so adding a country is a project with a lead time rather than a configuration change.
  • Availability is tied to the national schemes, meaning an outage at BankID or MitID stops your onboarding entirely and there is no vendor-side mitigation for it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Namespace

Free
  • DeveloperFree
    • Pay-as-you-go
    • On-demand compute
    • Docker builds
  • Team$100/month
    • 100,000 unit minutes
    • 1,000 Docker builds
    • Everything in Developer
  • Business$250/month
    • 250,000 unit minutes
    • 2,500 Docker builds
    • Everything in Team
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Custom compute/Docker build limits
    • Audit log export
    • Enterprise SSO

Signicat

On request
  • Signicat Platform$undefined/year
    • Priced per transaction with national scheme fees passed through
    • Signature and verification products licensed separately
    • Setup fee per eID scheme connected

Which should you pick?

Choose Namespace if

  • You need devboxes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Mac, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want github actions runners.
Namespace review

Choose Signicat if

  • You need eid scheme brokering.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want qualified electronic signatures.
Signicat review

Questions people ask

Is Namespace or Signicat better?
Neither clearly leads. Namespace starts at Free and Signicat at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Namespace or Signicat?
Namespace has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Namespace and On request for Signicat.
Does Namespace or Signicat run on more platforms?
Namespace runs on Cloud, Mac, Windows, Linux. Signicat runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Namespace for free?
Yes. Namespace has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Signicat starts at On request.
What is Namespace best used for?
Namespace is most often used for providing ai coding agents with cloud-based development environments, accelerating ci builds with faster github actions runners, distributing builds across teams with managed infrastructure, scaling development velocity for monorepo organizations. Of those, providing ai coding agents with cloud-based development environments and accelerating ci builds with faster github actions runners are not what Signicat is typically brought in for.
What can Namespace do that Signicat cannot?
Namespace covers Devboxes, GitHub Actions runners, Docker builds, Cross-invocation caching. Signicat covers eID scheme brokering, Qualified electronic signatures, Document verification, AML screening.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Namespace: How is compute usage metered on the Developer plan?

Developer plan uses pay-as-you-go billing. Devboxes bill at $0.004 per minute. Storage and caching services have separate usage-based fees. A 30-day free trial is available to test usage patterns.

Source
Signicat: Is this an alternative to a document verification vendor?

Only where national eID exists. In markets with a mature bank ID scheme it is better; elsewhere you fall back to document checks, which Signicat also provides.

Namespace: What is the difference between Team and Business plans?

Team ($100/mo) includes 100,000 unit minutes and 1,000 Docker builds with email support. Business ($250/mo) includes 250,000 unit minutes, 2,500 Docker builds, and high concurrency with a dedicated Slack channel.

Source
Signicat: Do we still pay the eID schemes?

Yes. Scheme fees are passed through in addition to Signicat charges. Ask for the split when comparing to a direct integration.

Namespace: Can Namespace support AI coding agents?

Yes, Namespace Devboxes are specifically designed as feature-rich development environments for AI coding agents, with full tooling and performance optimization.

Source
Signicat: Are signatures legally qualified?

Signicat supports eIDAS qualified electronic signatures, which carry the highest legal standing in the EU, as well as advanced signatures.

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