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Developer Tools · head to head

Spacelift vs TrustArc

Spacelift logo

Spacelift

Developer Tools

Infrastructure-as-code orchestration for Terraform, OpenTofu, Pulumi and Kubernetes

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
TrustArc logo

TrustArc

Cybersecurity

Privacy management platform with regulatory research and the TRUSTe certification programme

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Spacelift has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Spacelift users are unlimited and private workers are metered, so deployment concurrency rather than headcount drives the bill, which inverts how most engineering budgets are built and is easy to under-forecast.; TrustArc the software layer is generally shallower than OneTrust, particularly automated data discovery across large heterogeneous estates, so organisations with sprawling infrastructure often still need a separate discovery tool.
  • They diverge on capability: Spacelift covers Multi-tool orchestration, TrustArc covers Nymity Research.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Spacelift and TrustArc actually diverge.

Attributes where Spacelift and TrustArc differ
AttributeSpaceliftTrustArc
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelBy private worker and tier, not by userquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, CloudWeb
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 Spacelift

  • Multi-tool orchestration
  • Policy as code
  • Private workers
  • Spaces
  • Blueprints
  • Drift detection

Only in TrustArc

  • Nymity Research
  • TRUSTe certification
  • Consent and preference management
  • Privacy assessments
  • Data inventory and mapping
  • Individual rights requests
  • Cookie consent manager
  • Privacy programme benchmarking

What people use each for

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

Spacelift

  • Platform teams running infrastructure changes through approval gates rather than through application CInot TrustArc
  • Organisations standardising Terraform and OpenTofu across many teams with policy enforcementnot TrustArc
  • Estates needing private runners so cloud credentials never leave the networknot TrustArc
  • Teams wanting drift detection and reconciliation rather than plan-time checks alonenot TrustArc

TrustArc

  • A consumer brand that needs an independent privacy seal on its website because enterprise customers or app stores ask for third-party verificationnot Spacelift
  • A multinational privacy team that needs a maintained answer to what a given jurisdiction requires without retaining outside counsel for every questionnot Spacelift
  • An organisation running DPIAs at volume that wants templates tied to a maintained regulatory library rather than to a consultant word documentnot Spacelift
  • A privacy programme being audited that needs documented maturity benchmarking against a recognised framework of programme activitiesnot Spacelift

Where each one falls short

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

Spacelift

  • Users are unlimited and private workers are metered, so deployment concurrency rather than headcount drives the bill, which inverts how most engineering budgets are built and is easy to under-forecast.
  • There is no affordable paid entry point. The free tier stops at two users and the next tier is a five-figure commitment with nothing in between.
  • Three of the five tiers are quote-only, so a shortlist cannot be costed without entering a sales process with each vendor on it.
  • The self-hosted build lags the hosted one, has no public worker pool and lacks the Azure and Google Cloud integrations available in the SaaS product, with OIDC federation offered as the workaround.
  • Stacks, Rego policies, Blueprints, Spaces and Spacelift-managed state are proprietary constructs, so leaving means rebuilding the orchestration layer rather than pointing it at a different runner.

TrustArc

  • The software layer is generally shallower than OneTrust, particularly automated data discovery across large heterogeneous estates, so organisations with sprawling infrastructure often still need a separate discovery tool.
  • The integration catalogue is smaller than the market leader, which means more of the data inventory is maintained by hand and drifts out of date between reviews.
  • Certification services are sold separately from the platform subscription, so the seal that is often the reason for choosing TrustArc is an extra line item and an extra annual renewal.
  • Reported contract values vary enormously by module mix and organisation size, and the absence of published pricing means smaller buyers have no anchor and routinely discover the entry price is higher than expected.
  • TrustArc stays inside privacy, so organisations that later want third-party risk, security compliance or ethics reporting on the same platform will be running a second vendor anyway.

Pricing, plan by plan

Spacelift

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Two users
    • Public workers only
    • No private workers
  • Starter Plus$undefined/year
    • Unlimited users
    • Two public workers
    • One to two private workers
  • Business$undefined/year
    • Unlimited users
    • Three private workers
    • Quoted
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Unlimited users
    • Five to thirty private workers
    • Self-hosted option

TrustArc

On request
  • TrustArc Privacy Platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted by module, entity count and data volume
    • TRUSTe certification and assessment services priced separately from platform subscription
    • Nymity Research licensed as a separate module

Which should you pick?

Choose Spacelift if

  • You need multi-tool orchestration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud.
  • You also want policy as code.
Spacelift review

Choose TrustArc if

  • You need nymity research.
  • You also want truste certification.
TrustArc review

Questions people ask

Is Spacelift or TrustArc better?
Neither clearly leads. Spacelift starts at Free and TrustArc at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Spacelift or TrustArc?
Spacelift has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Spacelift and On request for TrustArc.
Does Spacelift or TrustArc run on more platforms?
Spacelift runs on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud. TrustArc runs on Web.
Can I use Spacelift for free?
Yes. Spacelift has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. TrustArc starts at On request.
What is Spacelift best used for?
Spacelift is most often used for platform teams running infrastructure changes through approval gates rather than through application ci, organisations standardising terraform and opentofu across many teams with policy enforcement, estates needing private runners so cloud credentials never leave the network, teams wanting drift detection and reconciliation rather than plan-time checks alone. Of those, platform teams running infrastructure changes through approval gates rather than through application ci and organisations standardising terraform and opentofu across many teams with policy enforcement are not what TrustArc is typically brought in for.
What can Spacelift do that TrustArc cannot?
Spacelift covers Multi-tool orchestration, Policy as code, Private workers, Spaces. TrustArc covers Nymity Research, TRUSTe certification, Consent and preference management, Privacy assessments.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Spacelift: How is Spacelift priced?

By tier and by private worker count rather than per user. Users are unlimited on every paid plan. The published figure on the pricing page carries no period label, and the FAQ describes the tier as an annual subscription, so confirm the period in writing.

TrustArc: What does TrustArc have that OneTrust does not?

Nymity Research, a maintained regulatory intelligence library acquired in 2019, and the TRUSTe third-party certification and seal programme.

Spacelift: Does it support OpenTofu?

Yes, and Spacelift sponsors the OpenTofu project, which is a substantive hedge for anyone avoiding Terraform under the Business Source Licence.

TrustArc: How much does TrustArc cost?

Not published. Reported enterprise agreements range widely depending on modules and organisation size, and certification services are quoted on top of the platform subscription.

Spacelift: Is there a self-hosted version?

Yes, described as carrying Enterprise functionality, but it is priced on request and lags the hosted product on cloud integrations.

TrustArc: Is TRUSTe the same company?

Yes. TrustArc is the renamed TRUSTe business and still operates the TRUSTe certification programme as a subsidiary.

Spacelift: Why not just use the CI system we already have?

That is the real comparison. General purpose CI handles state, drift, approval gates and concurrency control for infrastructure poorly, and whether that is worth a five-figure floor depends on how much infrastructure change your organisation actually ships.

TrustArc: Does it handle cookie consent for Europe?

Yes, it includes a consent manager with scanning and banner delivery, though pure-play consent vendors are cheaper if that is all you need.

Spacelift: What happens to our pipelines if we leave?

They do not port. Rego policies, Blueprints, Spaces and managed state are Spacelift constructs and the orchestration has to be rebuilt elsewhere.

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