OpenPubkey vs Signo
OpenPubkey
github.comSigno
github.comSide by side
| Figure | OpenPubkey | Signo |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 0 |
| Spec score · Code Signing Software | 8.3 (#6) | 6.9 (#25) |
| Integrations | The project identifies Docker as using OpenPubkey to sign Docker Official Images and BastionZero as using it for secure remote infrastructure access. | The README names YubiKey as a hardware-token example and points to a separate signo-client NPM package for API use. |
| License | OpenPubkey is a Linux Foundation project released under the Apache 2.0 license. | The repository identifies the project as GPL-3.0 licensed. |
| Purpose | OpenPubkey binds user or workload identities to public keys through OpenID Connect, allowing identities to sign messages or artifacts. | Signo is an open source, self-hosted signing service that signs files through an HTTP API. |
Plans
In their own words
OpenPubkey
OpenPubkey binds a user or workload identity established through OpenID Connect to a public key, so the identity can sign messages or artifacts. A PK Token represents control of an OIDC identity and its related private key at a particular time, provided the verifier trusts the identity provider. The project lists Google, Azure/Microsoft, Okta, OneLogin and Keycloak as compatible without changes to those providers; however, its client and verifier currently create and verify tokens from Google for users and GitHub for workloads. Current workload identity use requires GQ signatures. For user identity, they are unnecessary when the PK Token is not public. GQ signatures allow the identity provider’s signature to be stripped from an ID Token while preserving proof of that signature, preventing use against OIDC resource providers. OpenPubkey says it needs no additional certificate authority because the OpenID Provider fulfills that role. Public PK Tokens can reveal claims from an OIDC ID Token, potentially including a name or email address. The project is free under the Apache 2.0 license and is a Linux Foundation project; its repository says it is being prepared for version 1.0. The project directs technical questions to GitHub issues and offers a community Slack channel.