Auth0 vs Better Auth
Pricing
Auth0: Free up to 7k MAU, from $23/mo
Better Auth: Free and open source (MIT); optional managed dashboard from $20/mo
Description
Auth0: Enterprise-grade auth that handles every login method, from social login to SAML SSO
Better Auth: Open-source TypeScript authentication framework that runs inside your app and stores users in your own database
Pros
- Supports every auth method: social, email, passwordless, SAML, LDAP
- 7,000 MAU free tier is solid for early-stage products
- Battle-tested at scale, used by thousands of companies
- Free under the MIT licence; you pay only if you want the optional managed dashboard
- Works across frameworks and lets you bring your own database
- Plugins add OAuth providers and security features such as rate limiting, bot detection and breached-password checks
Cons
- Way more complex than you need if you just want Google login
- Pricing tiers jump steeply: you can go from free to $240/mo quickly
- Documentation is extensive but can be hard to navigate
- Built for TypeScript projects only
- It runs inside your own app, so updates and security patches are your job, unlike hosted services such as Clerk or Auth0
- The free Starter dashboard keeps audit logs for one day and caps them at 10,000 a month
Details
Auth0 is the auth provider you pick when your app needs enterprise features: SAML SSO, LDAP, MFA policies, organization management. It supports every login method that exists and has been battle-tested by companies from startups to Fortune 500s. It is now part of Okta.
For solo founders, Auth0 is often more than you need. If you just want social login and email/password, Clerk or Supabase Auth is simpler and faster to set up. Where Auth0 earns its complexity is when you need to sell to companies that require SSO, or when compliance demands specific auth flows. Start with something simpler and migrate to Auth0 when enterprise requirements show up.
Better Auth is a library, not a hosted service. You install it in your TypeScript app, point it at your own database, and it handles sign-in and OAuth providers, with plugins for the extras. Your users stay in your database, and the framework itself costs nothing.
It suits developer founders who want to own their auth without writing it from scratch. The team also took over Auth.js (formerly NextAuth.js), and Better Auth’s site announces that it is joining Vercel.
The paid part is an optional managed dashboard with audit logs, security detections, transactional email and SMS, and single sign-on. Starter is free with one seat; Pro is $20/month plus usage.
Auth0 verified
Better Auth verified
