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Developer Tools · head to head

Nx Cloud vs Semperis

Nx Cloud logo

Nx Cloud

Developer Tools

Distributed CI and remote caching for monorepo teams

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Semperis logo

Semperis

Cybersecurity

Identity threat detection and Active Directory forest recovery for AD, Entra ID and Okta, from a privately held US vendor.

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Nx Cloud has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Nx Cloud requires Nx workspace setup; integration limited to Nx build system; Semperis scope is limited to Active Directory, Entra ID and Okta, so an organisation whose critical identity lives elsewhere gets little from it, and the recovery value declines in direct proportion to how much has already moved off on-premises AD.
  • They diverge on capability: Nx Cloud covers Nx Replay, Semperis covers Active Directory Forest Recovery.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Nx Cloud and Semperis actually diverge.

Attributes where Nx Cloud and Semperis differ
AttributeNx CloudSemperis
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelcredits-basedquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, CI/CD SystemsWeb
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 Nx Cloud

  • Nx Replay
  • Nx Agents
  • Remote execution
  • Advanced analytics
  • Conformance rules
  • AI-powered recovery
  • Multi-repository visibility

Only in Semperis

  • Active Directory Forest Recovery
  • Malware-free restore
  • Replication-stream monitoring
  • Automated rollback
  • Attack indicator scoring
  • Entra ID and Okta coverage
  • Purple Knight
  • Forest Druid

What people use each for

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

Nx Cloud

  • Accelerating monorepo CI pipelines with distributed task executionnot Semperis
  • Reducing build times through remote caching and incremental buildsnot Semperis
  • Scaling development teams across complex multi-package projectsnot Semperis
  • Enforcing consistency and standards across monorepo workspacesnot Semperis

Semperis

  • An organisation that cannot answer an auditor or insurer asking how long it would take to rebuild Active Directory after a destructive attacknot Nx Cloud
  • Post-incident recovery where domain controllers are compromised and restoring from system-state backup would reintroduce the attacker's footholdnot Nx Cloud
  • Continuous detection of privileged group changes and directory-level tampering that domain controller security logs missnot Nx Cloud
  • Hybrid estates where AD, Entra ID and Okta all matter and no single tool currently shows changes across the threenot Nx Cloud

Where each one falls short

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

Nx Cloud

  • Requires Nx workspace setup; integration limited to Nx build system
  • Free tier restricted to 5 contributors; larger teams require paid plans
  • Credits system adds complexity to cost prediction vs flat-rate competitors
  • Self-hosted Enterprise deployment requires significant operational overhead

Semperis

  • Scope is limited to Active Directory, Entra ID and Okta, so an organisation whose critical identity lives elsewhere gets little from it, and the recovery value declines in direct proportion to how much has already moved off on-premises AD.
  • The licence buys tooling, not a proven runbook: forest recovery is only worth what your last rehearsal demonstrated, and a plan that has never been executed end to end in a lab is an untested assumption regardless of what was purchased.
  • It overlaps with backup and directory management products from Quest, Veeam, Commvault and others, so the buyer must argue internally why a dedicated product is needed alongside a backup contract that already claims to protect Active Directory.
  • Running Directory Services Protector well requires someone who understands AD internals, replication metadata and Tier 0 attack paths, and without that person the alerts on privileged changes are either ignored or auto-reverted in ways that break legitimate administration.
  • Licensing is driven by identity object counts, so directories carrying years of stale user accounts and service principals pay for objects that should have been deleted, and the cleanup project that would reduce the bill is the one nobody has time for.

Pricing, plan by plan

Nx Cloud

Free
  • HobbyFree
    • 50,000 monthly credits
    • 5 contributors
    • 10 concurrent CI connections
  • Team$29/month
    • Usage-based credits ($29 base plus overage)
    • Unlimited contributors
    • Remote caching
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Complete feature access
    • Conformance rules
    • Cross-repository visibility

Semperis

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Semperis review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Nx Cloud if

  • You need nx replay.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CI/CD Systems.
  • You also want nx agents.
Nx Cloud review

Choose Semperis if

  • You need active directory forest recovery.
  • You also want malware-free restore.
Semperis review

Questions people ask

Is Nx Cloud or Semperis better?
Neither clearly leads. Nx Cloud starts at Free and Semperis at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Nx Cloud or Semperis?
Nx Cloud has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Nx Cloud and On request for Semperis.
Does Nx Cloud or Semperis run on more platforms?
Nx Cloud runs on Web, CI/CD Systems. Semperis runs on Web.
Can I use Nx Cloud for free?
Yes. Nx Cloud has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Semperis starts at On request.
What is Nx Cloud best used for?
Nx Cloud is most often used for accelerating monorepo ci pipelines with distributed task execution, reducing build times through remote caching and incremental builds, scaling development teams across complex multi-package projects, enforcing consistency and standards across monorepo workspaces. Of those, accelerating monorepo ci pipelines with distributed task execution and reducing build times through remote caching and incremental builds are not what Semperis is typically brought in for.
What can Nx Cloud do that Semperis cannot?
Nx Cloud covers Nx Replay, Nx Agents, Remote execution, Advanced analytics. Semperis covers Active Directory Forest Recovery, Malware-free restore, Replication-stream monitoring, Automated rollback.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Nx Cloud: What is included in the free Hobby plan?

The Hobby plan includes 50,000 monthly credits, support for 5 contributors, 10 concurrent CI connections, and basic analytics at no cost with no credit card required.

Source
Semperis: Does this replace my backups?

No. It replaces the Active Directory recovery procedure specifically. You still need backups for everything else, and the point of Semperis is that a generic system-state backup of a domain controller is a poor way to recover a forest because it restores the operating system along with whatever compromised it.

Nx Cloud: How are overages charged on the Team plan?

The Team plan starts at $29/month with included credits. Additional credits cost $5.50 per 10,000 credits, extra contributors cost $19 each, and additional CI connections cost $2.25 each.

Source
Semperis: Is it useful if we are cloud-only on Entra ID?

Partly. Directory Services Protector covers Entra ID and Okta for change tracking and posture, but the forest recovery product, which is the strongest reason to buy, applies to on-premises Active Directory. A genuinely cloud-only organisation should weigh it against Microsoft's own tooling.

Nx Cloud: Can Nx Cloud be self-hosted?

Yes, Enterprise customers can deploy Nx Cloud on-premises or on managed infrastructure to maintain full control over data and infrastructure.

Source
Semperis: Are Purple Knight and Forest Druid really free?

Yes, both are free downloads with no licence requirement, and they are widely used by organisations that are not Semperis customers. They are also, transparently, the top of the sales funnel.

Semperis: How long does forest recovery actually take?

The honest answer is whatever your rehearsal took. The vendor's case is hours instead of days, and automation genuinely removes most manual steps, but the number that matters for your board is the one from a test in your own environment.

Semperis: Does it require agents on domain controllers?

It collects directory changes from the AD replication stream, which is what lets it see changes that bypass the security log. Deployment details vary by product and version, so confirm the exact architecture against your domain controller change-control rules.

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