Ory vs Auth0
Ory is open source identity infrastructure, with components for authentication, authorization and OAuth2 and OIDC, that you can self-host for free or use through Ory Cloud. Auth0 is a managed identity and access management platform owned by Okta, with prebuilt SDKs, social login, SSO and MFA. Choose Ory if you want open source control and self-hosting, and Auth0 if you want a mature managed service with a large free tier.
Facts checked on against the official sources listed at the end. Usage numbers update daily.
Best for
Teams wanting open source identity components they can self-host or run in a cloud
Free plan. Paid from $770 a year for the Production plan.
Best for
Teams wanting a fully managed identity platform with prebuilt SDKs
Free plan. Paid from $35 a month for Essentials (up to 500 monthly active users).
Ory vs Auth0 at a glance
| Compared on | Ory | Auth0 |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosting | Yes, core components are open source and self-hostable | No; managed service only |
| Architecture | Modular: Kratos, Keto and Hydra for different jobs | One integrated platform |
| Pricing meter | Active daily users plus environments on paid cloud plans | Monthly active users and feature tier |
| B2B SSO | Included from the Growth plan | Organizations on the free plan, with enterprise features on higher tiers |
| Vendor | Independent open source company | Owned by Okta since 2021 |
| Open source | Yes, Apache-2.0 (core open source components) | No, Proprietary |
| Free plan | Yes: the Developer plan is free, with 2 development environments and community support; self-hosting the open source components is also free | Yes: up to 25,000 monthly active users, 1 custom domain, passwordless auth, unlimited social connections, 5 organizations |
| Paid plans from | $770 a year for the Production plan | $35 a month for Essentials (up to 500 monthly active users) |
| Made by | Ory | Okta, Inc. (Auth0 by Okta) |
| Launched | Not listed | 2013 |
What's the difference between Ory and Auth0?
Open source vs managed only
Ory's core components are Apache-2.0 and run on your own infrastructure at no license cost. Auth0 is only offered as a managed service.
Modular vs integrated
Ory splits identity into separate pieces for authentication, authorization and OAuth2, so you assemble what you need. Auth0 packages login, SSO, MFA and role-based access in one product.
Free tier shape
Auth0's free plan covers up to 25,000 monthly active users. Ory's cloud Developer plan is free but limited to 2 development environments, so production use needs a paid plan or self-hosting.
Paid pricing model
Ory's Production plan is $770 a year with usage on top, while Auth0 is priced monthly from $35 for Essentials, both at small user counts.
Ory vs Auth0 pricing
Ory's open source components are free to self-host. Auth0 has a generous free plan, with paid tiers by monthly active users.
Ory
Self-hosting is free. Cloud Developer is free with 2 development environments. Production is $770 a year, Growth $9,350 a year, and Enterprise is custom.
- Developer
- $0
- Production
- $770 a year
- Growth
- $9,350 a year
- Enterprise
- Custom pricing
Auth0
Free up to 25,000 monthly active users. Essentials is $35 a month and Professional $240 a month, both starting at 500 MAU. Enterprise is custom.
- Free
- $0 a month
- Essentials
- $35 a month
- Professional
- $240 a month
- Enterprise
- Custom pricing
Prices in USD from the official pricing pages on 5 October 2026. They change often, so confirm on ory.com and auth0.com before you commit.
Usage and activity
Ory has 6.0 times as many GitHub stars as Auth0 (13.9k against 2.3k). Weekly npm downloads: 202k for @ory/client and 1.1M for @auth0/nextjs-auth0.
| Measure | Ory | Auth0 |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 13,908 | 2,310 |
| npm downloads a week | 202k (@ory/client) | 1.1M (@auth0/nextjs-auth0) |
| Latest release | v26.2.0, 6 months ago | v4.31.0, 6 days ago |
| Releases in 90 days | 0 | 6 |
From the public GitHub and npm APIs, updated daily. Stars and downloads show developer interest, not product quality.
Should you choose Ory or Auth0?
Choose Ory if
- You need to self-host identity infrastructure
- You want open source components and avoiding lock-in
- You are comfortable assembling and operating modular services
- You want data residency control
Choose Auth0 if
- You want a managed service with minimal operations
- You want prebuilt SDKs and a large free allowance
- You need social login, MFA and SSO quickly
- You prefer a long-established vendor
Switching between Ory and Auth0
Moving from Auth0 to Ory means exporting users, handling password hash compatibility, and replacing Auth0's SDKs and rules with Ory's flows, which is real integration work. Moving from Ory to Auth0 means importing users and giving up self-hosting.
Ory vs Auth0: common questions
Is Ory free?
Self-hosting the open source components is free, and Ory Cloud has a free Developer plan limited to development environments.
Can I self-host Auth0?
No, Auth0 is a managed service only.
Who owns Auth0?
Okta, since 2021.
What are Kratos, Keto and Hydra?
They are Ory's components for authentication, authorization and OAuth2 and OIDC.
Which has the larger free tier?
Auth0, with up to 25,000 monthly active users.
Other options to consider
All auth toolsNextAuth.js
Open source authentication library for Next.js and React, now stewarded by the Better Auth team.
WorkOS
Enterprise-readiness platform adding SSO, directory sync, audit logs and user management to an app.
Clerk
Hosted authentication and user management with prebuilt sign-in, profile and organization components.
SuperTokens
Open source authentication platform, free to self-host with no limits, or managed cloud from $0.02 per MAU.
Sources
Related comparisons
ClerkvsAuth0
Clerk is a hosted authentication service with prebuilt UI components, billing by monthly retained users per app since February 2026, with a free tier covering 50,000 users.
Auth0vsWorkOS
Auth0 is an identity and access management platform owned by Okta that adds login, social sign-in, SSO and MFA for consumer and business apps, with a free plan up to 25,000 monthly active users.