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Comparison · Infra & APIs

Hanko vs Inspektor Gadget

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Hanko and Inspektor Gadget — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Shared themes:security

Hanko vs Inspektor Gadget: at a glance

FeatureHankoInspektor Gadget
SectorInfra & APIsInfra & APIs
Velocity score0.06.3
Sparks · 30d01
Top themesauthentication, passkeys, identity, securityebpf, kubernetes, observability, gpu
Last editorial update2h ago44m ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Hanko?

Hanko ships Firebase migration support and tightens session management — targeting auth stack replacements.

Hanko is a passkey-first authentication platform available as open-source self-hosted or cloud-managed. Monthly releases show consistent refinement across the auth stack: stronger passcode options, inactivity-based session termination, session token transparency, device trust handling improvements, and expanded OAuth/OIDC integration. The June 2026 Firebase Scrypt hash import signals an active effort to reduce friction for teams migrating away from Firebase Auth.

Read the full Hanko trajectory →

What is Inspektor Gadget?

Inspektor Gadget v0.56 adds Kubernetes multi-tenancy and GPU telemetry groundwork

Inspektor Gadget is expanding from a cluster-admin debugging tool toward a multi-tenant eBPF observability platform. v0.56 ships Kubernetes multi-tenancy (experimental), authenticating gadget requests via TokenReview and scoping them to namespaces authorized by RBAC — the first time the tool can be deployed safely in shared clusters without granting cluster-wide access. v0.55 laid GPU observability groundwork with a userspace daemon publishing telemetry through pinned BPF maps, and expanded eBPF program type support (SockOps, SkSKB, SkMsg).

Read the full Inspektor Gadget trajectory →

Hanko vs Inspektor Gadget: editorial side-by-side

H
Hanko
INFRA · APIS
0.0

Hanko ships Firebase migration support and tightens session management — targeting auth stack replacements.

◆ Current state

Hanko is a passkey-first authentication platform available as open-source self-hosted or cloud-managed. Monthly releases show consistent refinement across the auth stack: stronger passcode options, inactivity-based session termination, session token transparency, device trust handling improvements, and expanded OAuth/OIDC integration. The June 2026 Firebase Scrypt hash import signals an active effort to reduce friction for teams migrating away from Firebase Auth.

◆ Where it's heading

The consistent themes across these releases are session management hardening, migration tooling, and auth protocol breadth. Custom OAuth connections, user metadata via Admin API, Firebase import, and OIDC updates together sketch a product trying to compete with established auth platforms (Auth0, Clerk) on flexibility and self-hostability. The monthly cadence is execution-focused — incremental improvements rather than architectural shifts.

◆ Prediction

The next likely moves are broader migration support (other providers beyond Firebase, e.g. Supabase Auth or Cognito) and enterprise session controls such as SAML or organization-level device trust policies. Custom OAuth was the groundwork; SAML is the common next ask.

I
Inspektor Gadget
INFRA · APIS
6.3

Inspektor Gadget v0.56 adds Kubernetes multi-tenancy and GPU telemetry groundwork

◆ Current state

Inspektor Gadget is expanding from a cluster-admin debugging tool toward a multi-tenant eBPF observability platform. v0.56 ships Kubernetes multi-tenancy (experimental), authenticating gadget requests via TokenReview and scoping them to namespaces authorized by RBAC — the first time the tool can be deployed safely in shared clusters without granting cluster-wide access. v0.55 laid GPU observability groundwork with a userspace daemon publishing telemetry through pinned BPF maps, and expanded eBPF program type support (SockOps, SkSKB, SkMsg).

◆ Where it's heading

Inspektor Gadget is building toward production-grade eBPF observability that can operate safely in multi-tenant Kubernetes environments without requiring cluster-admin. The RBAC-scoped multi-tenancy in v0.56, combined with rootless image commands and stripped Go binary uprobes (which now work on production kubelets), shows a team deliberately removing the prerequisites that blocked enterprise adoption. GPU telemetry is early-stage but positions the tool for AI workload observability before competitors have native eBPF coverage there.

◆ Prediction

The Kubernetes multi-tenancy mode will graduate from experimental to stable in the next 1-2 releases as the SubjectAccessReview enforcement path gets broader testing. GPU telemetry will gain actual gadget consumers once the bridge daemon interface stabilizes.

Alternatives to Hanko and Inspektor Gadget

Other Infra & APIs products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Hanko or Inspektor Gadget.

See all Hanko alternatives → · See all Inspektor Gadget alternatives →

Recent activity from Hanko and Inspektor Gadget

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 1d agoInspektor GadgetRelease v0.56.0
  2. 18d agoInspektor GadgetRelease v0.55.1
  3. 1mo agoInspektor GadgetRelease v0.55.0
  4. 1mo agoInspektor GadgetRelease v0.54.1
  5. 2mo agoInspektor GadgetRelease v0.54.0
  6. 2mo agoInspektor GadgetRelease v0.53.2
  7. 3mo agoHankoJune 2026 Updates
  8. 5mo agoHankoApril 2026 Updates
  9. 6mo agoHankoMarch 2026 Updates
  10. 7mo agoHankoJanuary 2026 Updates
  11. 9mo agoHankoDecember 2025 Updates
  12. 9mo agoHankoNovember 2025 Updates

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Hanko and Inspektor Gadget?

Both compete on the same themes — security — within Infra & APIs. Inspektor Gadget is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 0.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Hanko better than Inspektor Gadget?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Inspektor Gadget is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 0.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Infra & APIs products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Hanko?

Top Hanko alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Hanko alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/hanko for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Inspektor Gadget?

Top Inspektor Gadget alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Inspektor Gadget alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/inspektor-gadget for the full list with editorial commentary on each.