WorkOS
Enterprise-readiness platform adding SSO, directory sync, audit logs and user management to an app.
Pricing FreemiumPaid from $125 a month per connection for Single Sign-On or Directory SyncOpen source noStars 224npm a week 4.3M
Better Auth alternatives
8 tools you can use instead of Better Auth, ranked by live GitHub stars and npm downloads. WorkOS, Clerk and SuperTokens are the most used. Stats updated 5 hours ago.
When Better Auth is not a good fit
Better Auth is an open source authentication framework for TypeScript, with built-in sessions, 50+ authentication methods, multi-tenancy and enterprise features such as SSO and SAML. On 7 July 2026 the team announced that Better Auth is joining Vercel. The framework is free, and a managed dashboard and infrastructure service costs $20 a month on the Pro plan.
It is a weaker choice for:
- Non-TypeScript back ends: the framework is TypeScript
- Teams that want a fully hosted login service with no auth code to maintain
- Anyone who needs a statement on long-term pricing after the Vercel deal: the announcement gives none
The alternatives
Most used first.
View WorkOS
Clerk
Hosted authentication and user management with prebuilt sign-in, profile and organization components.
Pricing FreemiumPaid from $25 a month, or $20 a month billed yearly (Pro)Open source noStars 1.8knpm a week 3.1M
SuperTokens
Open source authentication platform, free to self-host with no limits, or managed cloud from $0.02 per MAU.
Pricing FreemiumPaid from $0.02 per MAU (managed cloud, beyond free tier)Open source yesStars 15.3knpm a week 78.1k
Ory
Open source identity and access management platform, self-hosted or as a managed cloud service.
Pricing FreemiumPaid from $770 a year for the Production planOpen source yesStars 13.9knpm a week 202k
Auth0
Identity and access management platform for authentication and single sign-on, owned by Okta.
Pricing FreemiumPaid from $35 a month for Essentials (up to 500 monthly active users)Open source noStars 2.3knpm a week 1.1M
Stytch
Authentication platform with passwordless, fraud prevention and B2B SSO/SCIM support, priced pay-as-you-go.
Pricing FreemiumPaid from Usage-based pricing beyond free tier limits (Pay as You Go plan)Open source noStars 116npm a week 348k
FusionAuth
Authentication and user management platform, free to self-host or available as a hosted service.
Pricing FreemiumPaid from $162 a month billed annually (Starter, hosted)Open source nonpm a week 77.6k
Kinde
Authentication and user management platform with a generous free tier and built-in billing tools.
Pricing FreemiumPaid from $25 a month (Pro plan)Open source noStars 184npm a week 56.4k
Better Auth and its alternatives, side by side
| Tool | Pricing | Free plan | Paid from | Open source | GitHub stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Better Auth | Open source | The framework is free. The managed Starter plan is $0 a month with 1 dashboard seat. | $20 a month for Pro (managed infrastructure) | Yes, MIT | None |
| WorkOS | Freemium | Yes: AuthKit is free for up to 1 million monthly active users | $125 a month per connection for Single Sign-On or Directory Sync | No | 224 |
| Clerk | Freemium | Yes: Hobby plan with 50,000 monthly retained users per app and up to 3 dashboard seats | $25 a month, or $20 a month billed yearly (Pro) | No | 1.8k |
| SuperTokens | Freemium | Yes: self-hosted open source features are free with no limits; managed cloud is free under 5,000 MAU | $0.02 per MAU (managed cloud, beyond free tier) | Yes, Apache-2.0 | 15.3k |
| Ory | Freemium | Yes: the Developer plan is free, with 2 development environments and community support; self-hosting the open source components is also free | $770 a year for the Production plan | Yes, Apache-2.0 (core open source components) | 13.9k |
| Auth0 | Freemium | Yes: up to 25,000 monthly active users, 1 custom domain, passwordless auth, unlimited social connections, 5 organizations | $35 a month for Essentials (up to 500 monthly active users) | No | 2.3k |
| Stytch | Freemium | Yes: 10,000 monthly active users and AI agents, unlimited organizations, 5 SSO/SCIM connections and 1,000 M2M tokens included free | Usage-based pricing beyond free tier limits (Pay as You Go plan) | No | 116 |
| FusionAuth | Freemium | Yes: Community edition is free and self-hosted with unlimited users | $162 a month billed annually (Starter, hosted) | No | None |
| Kinde | Freemium | Yes, forever free: 10,500 monthly active users included, no setup or hidden fees | $25 a month (Pro plan) | No | 184 |
Pricing facts come from each tool's official pricing page, with the checked date on the tool's own page.
Questions
What is the most popular alternative to Better Auth?
By GitHub stars, WorkOS is the most used alternative to Better Auth listed on ScratchDB, with 224 stars.
Which Better Auth alternatives are open source?
SuperTokens and Ory are open source.
Which Better Auth alternatives have a free plan?
WorkOS, Clerk, SuperTokens, Ory, Auth0, Stytch, FusionAuth and Kinde have a free plan. The table on this page shows what each one includes.