Clerk vs NextAuth.js
Updated . Stats refresh daily.
Short answer: Clerk: The most comprehensive User Management Platform. NextAuth.js: Authentication for Next.js. Compare their pricing models, features and live usage from GitHub and npm below.
At a glance
| Attribute | Clerk | NextAuth.js |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Open Source |
| Main job | User Auth | Next.js Auth |
| GitHub stars | 1,759 | 28,373 |
| npm downloads a week | 2.7M | 6.8M |
| Latest release | @clerk/mosaic@0.1.2, 1 day ago | next-auth@4.24.15, 2 months ago |
| Founded | 2019 | 2016 |
Strengths and weaknesses
Clerk
Strengths
- Drop-in UI components
- Great DX
- Multi-session support
Weaknesses
- Expensive at scale
- Less customizable UI
- Vendor lock-in
NextAuth.js
Strengths
- Open Source
- Own your data
- Deep Next.js integration
Weaknesses
- Maintenance burden
- Database adapter complexity
- Less 'batteries included'