Clerk vs Auth0
Clerk and Auth0 priced per monthly active user, and why only one of them will tell you what 100,000 users costs.
| Service | Plan at 10,000 users | 1,000 users | 10,000 users | 100,000 users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ClerkDrop-in auth with pre-built React components and organisations. | Free4 Aug 2026 | $0 | $0 | $1,025 |
| Auth0The incumbent identity platform, now inside Okta. | Free4 Aug 2026 | $0 | $0 | not published |
| WorkOSAuthKit free to a million users; the money is in SSO and Directory Sync. | AuthKit4 Aug 2026 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Better AuthOpen-source TypeScript auth that runs inside your own app and database. | Self-hosted4 Aug 2026 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Change any of those assumptions in the calculator.
Where this actually starts
Auth0 is the incumbent, now part of Okta. Clerk is the one most new Next.js apps reach for. They are aimed at genuinely different buyers, and the pricing pages show it.
The most important difference on this page is not a number. It is that one of these publishes a rate you can multiply and the other does not.
What actually separates them
One publishes a scale, the other publishes a slider
Clerk prints the whole ladder: 50,000 monthly active users included, then $0.02 each to 100,000, $0.018 to a million, $0.015 beyond. You can work out your bill at any size with a calculator. Auth0 publishes $35/mo at 500 users and moves everything above that behind an interactive slider, so this page shows "price not published" for Auth0 above its base — because it is.
Components against configuration
Clerk ships React components — a sign-in box, a user button, an organisation switcher — that look finished on the first render. Auth0 ships a hosted login page and a large configuration surface. Clerk is faster to something presentable; Auth0 bends further once requirements get strange.
Enterprise SSO
Clerk charges $75/mo per enterprise connection on Pro, dropping with volume. Auth0 pushes SSO-heavy customers toward its B2B plans and enterprise contracts. If SAML is a near-term requirement, WorkOS is in the table above for a reason: free to a million users, $125 per connection, and no tier jump.
Which to pick
| If | Then |
|---|---|
| A new Next.js product | Clerk — you will have working auth today and you can predict the bill. |
| Enterprise SSO is the requirement | WorkOS — priced per connection rather than by pushing you up a tier. |
| You are already inside Okta | Auth0 — the integration story is the reason, not the price. |
Questions
Why does Auth0 show no price above its base?
Because its pricing page publishes $35/mo and $240/mo at 500 monthly active users and then hands the rest to a slider widget rather than a table. This catalogue records what the vendor publishes as text, and records the absence honestly instead of guessing.
