Auth0 vs Clerk

The identity-as-a-service darling that makes auth easy until you hit the enterprise pricing wall meets authentication made easy, so you can stop worrying about passwords and start building actual features. Here's our take.

Auth0

Nice Pick

The identity-as-a-service darling that makes auth easy until you hit the enterprise pricing wall.

Pros

• Enterprise features
• Many integrations
• Mature
• Customizable
• Quick setup with pre-built login UIs and social logins
• Handles complex protocols like OAuth 2.0 and SAML out-of-the-box
• Scalable for startups to large applications with minimal dev effort

Cons

• Complex
• Expensive
• Overkill for small apps
• Pricing can skyrocket with user counts and advanced features
• Customization beyond basics often requires wrestling with their rules engine

Clerk

Authentication made easy, so you can stop worrying about passwords and start building actual features.

Pros

• Beautiful UI components
• Easy setup
• Session management
• Organizations
• Pre-built UI components that look good out of the box
• Handles complex security like MFA and social logins without the headache
• Seamless integration with popular frameworks like Next.js and React

Cons

• Pricier
• Vendor lock-in
• Less customizable
• Can get pricey as your user base grows
• Limited customization options for advanced use cases

The Verdict

Use Auth0 if: You want enterprise features and can live with complex.

Use Clerk if: You prioritize beautiful ui components over what Auth0 offers.

The Bottom Line

Auth0 wins

The identity-as-a-service darling that makes auth easy until you hit the enterprise pricing wall.