# RudderStack-managed Plans vs. RudderStack Open Source


This guide compares the features available in [RudderStack-managed plans](https://www.rudderstack.com/pricing/) (Free, Growth, and Enterprise) against a self-hosted [RudderStack Open Source]({{< ref "get-started/rudderstack-open-source/_index.md" >}}) deployment.

Use this guide to decide which setup fits your environment and data needs, especially if you're evaluating RudderStack in a [build vs. buy](https://www.rudderstack.com/blog/when-to-build-vs-buy-data-pipelines) context.

## RudderStack-managed vs. RudderStack Open Source

- RudderStack-managed setup: RudderStack hosts **both** the control plane and data plane for you.

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For a detailed breakdown of feature availability and limits across different RudderStack-managed plans, see [Plan Comparison]({{< ref "dashboard-guides/billings-plans/plan-comparison.md" >}}).
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- RudderStack Open Source setup: You host the data plane and use the [RudderStack-managed control plane](https://app.rudderstack.com/signup?type=opensource) to manage your source-destination configurations.

## Comparison overview

Some advanced RudderStack features are not supported in RudderStack Open Source.

| Feature | <div style="width: 250px;">Description</div> | [RudderStack plans](https://www.rudderstack.com/pricing/) | RudderStack Open Source |
| :-------| :-------| :------| :------|
| [Events]({{< ref "#events-related-features" >}}) | Features related to tracking, collecting, and routing your events. |  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i> | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i> |
| [Reverse ETL]({{< ref "#etl-and-reverse-etl" >}}) | Send data from your warehouse to third-party platforms. | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i> | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>  |
| [Data Governance]({{< ref "#data-governance" >}}) | Investigate and troubleshoot inconsistencies in your event data. | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i> | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>  |
| [Deployment and security]({{< ref "#deployment-and-security" >}}) | Scale and secure your RudderStack deployment. |  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i> | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>  |
| [Monitoring and observability]({{< ref "#monitoring-and-observability" >}}) | Monitor your data pipelines using different tools and alerting mechanisms. |  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i> | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>  |
| [Audits and user management]({{< ref "#auditing-and-user-management" >}}) | Manage users and set access controls for various RudderStack features. |  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i> | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>  |

## Detailed feature comparison

See the following sections for a detailed comparison of the features available in RudderStack plans and RudderStack Open Source.

### Events-related features

| Feature |  [RudderStack plans](https://www.rudderstack.com/pricing/) | RudderStack Open Source | <div style="width:250px;">Notes</div> |
| :--------| :-------------------| :--------------------------| :-----| 
| [Event metrics]({{< ref "dashboard-guides/event-metrics.md" >}}) | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>| <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>  | Applicable only for [cloud mode]({{< ref "destinations/rudderstack-connection-modes.md#cloud-mode" >}}) destinations. | 
| [Event backup in your own bucket]({{< ref "user-guides/administrators-guide/bucket-configuration-settings.md" >}}) |  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>|  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i> | - | 
| [Live Events]({{< ref "monitor/live-events.md" >}}) |  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>| <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>  | Applicable only for [cloud mode]({{< ref "destinations/rudderstack-connection-modes.md#cloud-mode" >}}) destinations. | 
| RudderStack-managed object storage | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i> |  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>  | Use the RudderStack-managed object storage to **temporarily** store your events before forwarding them to your warehouse destination. **RudderStack does not persist any of this data**. |
| [Event Replay]({{< ref "user-guides/administrators-guide/event-replay.md" >}})| <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>|  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>  | Not available in all plans. See [Plan Comparison]({{< ref "dashboard-guides/billings-plans/plan-comparison.md" >}}) for details. | 
| Maintaining event ordering | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>|  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>  | Crucial for a multi-node RudderStack setup. |
| [Transformations]({{< ref "transformations/overview.md" >}}) | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>| <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>| <ul><li>**5 transformations** limit in RudderStack Open Source</li><li>Transformation limits vary by different RudderStack-managed plans — see [RudderStack Plans Comparison]({{< ref "dashboard-guides/billings-plans/plan-comparison.md" >}}) guide for details.</li></ul> |

### Reverse ETL

| Feature |  [RudderStack plans](https://www.rudderstack.com/pricing/) | RudderStack Open Source | Notes |
| :--------| :-------------------| :--------------------------| :-----| 
| [Reverse ETL]({{< ref "sources/reverse-etl/_index.md" >}}) | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>|  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>  |  RETL connection limits vary by RudderStack-managed plan — see [RudderStack Plans Comparison]({{< ref "dashboard-guides/billings-plans/plan-comparison.md" >}}) guide for details.  | 
| Data syncs scheduling | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>|  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>   |  - |
| [Models]({{< ref "data-pipelines/reverse-etl/features/models.md" >}}) | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>|  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>   | - |

### Data governance

| Feature |  [RudderStack plans](https://www.rudderstack.com/pricing/) | RudderStack Open Source | Notes |
| :--------| :-------------------| :--------------------------| :-----| 
| [Data Governance]({{< ref "data-governance/_index.md" >}}) | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>|  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>  | - |
| [Tracking Plans]({{< ref "data-governance/tracking-plans/_index.md" >}}) | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>|  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>  | Tracking Plan limits vary by RudderStack-managed plan — see [RudderStack Plans Comparison]({{< ref "dashboard-guides/billings-plans/plan-comparison.md" >}}) guide for details. |
| [Data regulation and suppression]({{< ref "api/user-suppression-api/_index.md" >}}) | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>|  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>  | Not available in all RudderStack-managed plans — see [RudderStack Plans Comparison]({{< ref "dashboard-guides/billings-plans/plan-comparison.md" >}}) guide for details. |

### Deployment and security

| Feature |  [RudderStack plans](https://www.rudderstack.com/pricing/) | RudderStack Open Source | 
| :--------| :-------------------| :--------------------------| 
| Multi-node scaling | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>|  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>   | 
| Single sign-on (SSO) | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>|  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>   |
| VPC deployment | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>|  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>   |

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The above deployment and security features are not available in all RudderStack-managed plans. See [RudderStack Plans Comparison]({{< ref "dashboard-guides/billings-plans/plan-comparison.md" >}}) guide for details.
{{< /info >}}

### Monitoring and observability

| Feature |  [RudderStack plans](https://www.rudderstack.com/pricing/) | RudderStack Open Source | 
| :--------| :-------------------| :--------------------------| 
| [Grafana dashboards]({{< ref "monitor/rudderstack-grafana-dashboard.md" >}}) | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>|  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>   |  
| [Alerting and error notifications]({{< ref "monitor/alerts.md" >}}) | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>|  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>   |  

### Auditing and user management

| Feature |  [RudderStack plans](https://www.rudderstack.com/pricing/) | RudderStack Open Source | 
| :--------| :-------------------| :--------------------------|
| [Invite team members to your workspace]({{< ref "access-management/plan-wise-features.md#member-management" >}}) | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>|  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>   | 
| [Audit Logs]({{< ref "dashboard-guides/audit-logs.md" >}}) | <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-check fa-xl" style="color: #2F965D;"></i>|  <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-xmark fa-xl" style="color: #2E2E2E;"></i>   | 

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Limits for the above auditing and user management features vary by RudderStack-managed plans. See [RudderStack Plans Comparison]({{< ref "dashboard-guides/billings-plans/plan-comparison.md" >}}) guide for details.
{{< /info >}}


## Setup comparison

To understand the effort involved in setting up RudderStack, it's helpful to take a look at RudderStack's architecture — comprising the [control plane]({{< ref "get-started/rudderstack-open-source/rudderstack-architecture.md#control-plane" >}}) and the [data plane]({{< ref "get-started/rudderstack-open-source/rudderstack-architecture.md#data-plane" >}}). These two components work together to govern the data flow between your event sources and destinations.

- The **control plane** refers to the front-end RudderStack dashboard where you can manage the configuration of your sources and destinations.
- The **data plane** is RudderStack's core engine responsible for receiving event data and transforming it into the required destination format before relaying events to the destination.

### RudderStack dashboard

In the [RudderStack dashboard](https://app.rudderstack.com/signup/), you get a RudderStack-managed data plane and control plane so you need not worry about the setup. You can set up a source and destination and see the events flow within minutes.

RudderStack-managed plans offer multiple sources, destinations, and key features like [Live Events]({{< ref "monitor/live-events.md" >}}) and [Transformations]({{< ref "transformations/overview.md" >}}). 

See [RudderStack Plans Comparison]({{< ref "dashboard-guides/billings-plans/plan-comparison.md" >}}) guide for a detailed breakdown of features and limits across plans.

### RudderStack Open Source

For [RudderStack Open Source]({{< ref "get-started/rudderstack-open-source/_index.md" >}}), you have the following data plane and control plane setup options:

1. [Set up the data plane]({{< ref "get-started/rudderstack-open-source/data-plane-setup/_index.md" >}}) on Docker, Kubernetes, or in your own development environment. **RudderStack will not host the data plane for you**.

2. Use the [RudderStack-hosted control plane](https://app.rudderstack.com/signup?type=opensource) (**Recommended**).

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You can also self-host your source-destination configurations by setting up your own control plane using [Control Plane Lite]({{< ref "get-started/rudderstack-open-source/control-plane-lite.md" >}}). However, note that:

- Control Plane Lite is now deprecated and not supported for the latest `rudder-server` versions (after v1.2).
- Cloud-based features like [Transformations]({{< ref "transformations/overview.md" >}}) and [Live Events]({{< ref "monitor/live-events.md" >}}) are not available if you use the Control Plane Lite utility.
{{< /info >}}