Clerk vs AWS Amplify

Authentication made easy, so you can stop worrying about passwords and start building actual features meets aws's 'easy button' for full-stack apps that works great until you need to escape its walled garden. Here's our take.

Clerk

Nice Pick

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

AWS Amplify

AWS's 'easy button' for full-stack apps that works great until you need to escape its walled garden.

Pros

• Tight integration with AWS services like Cognito, AppSync, and S3 out of the box
• CLI and UI that simplify deployment, hosting, and backend setup for React, Next.js, and other frameworks
• Built-in CI/CD pipelines and environment management for rapid prototyping
• Generous free tier for small projects and startups

Cons

• Vendor lock-in: migrating away from Amplify often requires rewriting chunks of your backend
• Limited customization for complex use cases—you'll hit walls if you need fine-grained control over infrastructure

The Verdict

Use Clerk if: You want beautiful ui components and can live with pricier.

Use AWS Amplify if: You prioritize tight integration with aws services like cognito, appsync, and s3 out of the box over what Clerk offers.

The Bottom Line

Clerk wins

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