Deep dive into RBAC vs ReBAC for enterprise sso. Learn which authorization model fits your ciam strategy and how to avoid role explosion in complex apps.

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RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) assigns permissions through static roles like admin or editor, which works well for simple structures but leads to "role explosion" in complex hierarchies. ReBAC (Relationship-Based Access Control) grants access based on resource relationships, making it ideal for nested structures like folders or multi-tenant SaaS. RBAC offers faster lookups and easier auditing but struggles with scalability, while ReBAC provides flexibility for complex organizational charts at the cost of more complex query logic. ABAC (Attribute-Based Access Control) uses dynamic attributes for even more granular control. Most modern applications benefit from a hybrid approach, starting with RBAC and adopting ReBAC as complexity grows.

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