Stytch vs SuperTokens

Stytch is built around the idea that passwords are a liability. Instead of email/password as the default, it leads with magic links, one-time passcodes, passkeys, and biometric auth. The API is well-designed: you can have passwordless login working in under an hour. It also offers fraud tools such as device fingerprinting, with 10,000 fingerprints included free. Twilio completed its purchase of Stytch on 14 November 2025, and the product continues under the Stytch name.

Pricing is pay as you go with no monthly base fee. The free tier covers 10,000 monthly active users and AI agents, unlimited organizations, 5 SSO or SCIM connections and 1,000 machine-to-machine tokens, and usage above that is billed per unit with no hard caps. Full email customization and removal of Stytch branding cost $99. If your product specifically benefits from passwordless (fewer support tickets, higher conversion on sign-up), Stytch is a strong fit. If you just need standard social login and email/password, Clerk or Firebase Auth are simpler to set up.

SuperTokens is an open-source auth provider that gives you a real alternative to paying per-user fees. Self-host the SuperTokens core (a Java service) alongside your app, and you get email/password, social login, passwordless, session management, and MFA without paying anyone anything. The managed version is free up to 5,000 MAU if you do not want to run infrastructure.

The tradeoff is operational complexity. Self-hosting means you own the auth infrastructure: updates, monitoring, backups. The core service runs on Java, which adds a dependency some teams would rather avoid. If you are building a product where long-term auth costs matter (high user count, thin margins), SuperTokens can save you thousands per year. If you just want auth working in an afternoon and do not mind paying Clerk or Auth0 later, those are faster to set up.