Clerk vs Better Auth in 2026
Clerk vs Better Auth is hosted auth against an auth library you run yourself. Clerk is a hosted service with prebuilt sign-in components, free for up to 50,000 monthly retained users per app, then Pro at $25 a month. Better Auth is an MIT licensed TypeScript framework that stores users in your own database, with an optional paid Infrastructure dashboard from $20 a month.
Facts and prices checked on against the sources listed below.
Quick verdict
Clerk
Starts atPro $25/mo
Pick Clerk if you want sign-in, user profiles and organizations working today with prebuilt UI, and you are fine with user records living at Clerk.
Better Auth
Starts atInfrastructure Pro $20/mo
Pick Better Auth if you want users in your own database, no per user bill, and features like passkeys, two factor and organizations as plugins.
Clerk vs Better Auth at a glance
| Feature | Clerk | Better Auth |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Hosted auth and user management | Open source auth framework for TypeScript |
| Free tier | 50,000 MRU per app, 3 dashboard seats, 100 organizations | The library is free; Infrastructure Starter is $0 |
| Paid plans | Pro $25 a month ($20 yearly), Business $300 ($250 yearly) | Infrastructure Pro $20 a month; Enterprise custom |
| Per user cost | $0.02 per MRU from 50,001 to 100,000, lower after | None; you pay for your own database |
| MFA | Pro and Business | Two factor and passkeys through plugins |
| SSO | 1 SAML connection per app on Pro, then from $75 a month each | SSO plugin; hosted SSO and Directory Sync $50 a month per extra connection |
| Frameworks | Next.js, React, Expo, Astro, Nuxt, Vue, iOS, Android and more | Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Astro, Hono, Expo, TanStack Start and more |
| Where users live | Clerk's servers | Your database: SQLite, PostgreSQL or MySQL, through Drizzle, Prisma, Kysely or MongoDB |
Pricing and free tier (checked Nov 2026)
Clerk bills by monthly retained users (MRU), not monthly active users. The free Hobby plan includes 50,000 MRU per app, up to 3 dashboard seats and 100 monthly retained organizations with up to 20 members each. Pro costs $25 a month, or $20 a month billed yearly, and Business $300 a month, or $250 billed yearly. Past 50,000, users cost $0.02 each up to 100,000, then $0.018, $0.015 and $0.012 at higher tiers. MFA starts on Pro. Pro and Business include 1 SAML connection per app, and extra connections cost $75 a month each from the 2nd to the 15th.
Better Auth is an MIT licensed library, so the auth itself costs nothing: you pay for the database and server you already run. Better Auth Infrastructure is the optional hosted layer, with a dashboard, audit logs and security detection. Its Starter plan is $0 and Pro is $20 a month, with add-ons such as a custom domain or log drain at $25 a month and SSO and Directory Sync at $50 a month per connection after the first.
Hosted or in your app
Clerk runs sign-in for you. You add its components, and users, sessions and organizations live on Clerk's servers. The upside is speed: sign-in, profiles and organizations work in an afternoon.
Better Auth runs inside your app and stores users in your own database: SQLite, PostgreSQL or MySQL, through Drizzle, Prisma, its built in Kysely adapter, MongoDB or community adapters. You build the screens, and you own the data.
Features
Better Auth adds two factor, passkeys, multi-tenancy, multi-session and SSO through plugins, and it can even act as your own identity provider. Clerk includes prebuilt components for sign-in, user profiles and organizations, with MFA and SAML on paid plans.
Frameworks
Clerk has SDKs for Next.js, React, Expo, TanStack React Start, React Router, Astro, Nuxt, Vue, iOS, Android and more, plus backend SDKs for Express, Fastify, Go, Python, Ruby on Rails, PHP, Java and C#. Better Auth's install guide covers Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, React Router, SolidStart, Hono, Cloudflare Workers, Express, Elysia, TanStack Start, Expo and Astro.
Open source and stars
Better Auth had 30.5k stars on GitHub when we checked, with v1.7.15 released on 1 November 2026. Clerk is a closed, hosted service.
When to pick Clerk
- You want working sign-in and organizations today.
- You are under 50,000 retained users per app, or happy to pay per user above it.
- You do not want to build auth screens.
When to pick Better Auth
- You want users in your own database.
- You expect many users and no per user bill.
- You want passkeys, two factor or SSO without a higher plan.
Read Better Auth vs NextAuth and Clerk vs Auth0, or check Clerk pricing.
FAQ
Is Better Auth free?
Yes. Better Auth is MIT licensed and you run it inside your own app, with users stored in your database. Better Auth Infrastructure adds a dashboard, audit logs and security detection, with a $0 Starter plan and Pro at $20 a month.
Is Clerk free?
Clerk's Hobby plan is free for up to 50,000 monthly retained users per app, with up to 3 dashboard seats. MFA needs Pro at $25 a month, or $20 a month billed yearly.
Which is cheaper at 100,000 users?
Better Auth, as long as you count only software costs: there is no per user fee. On Clerk Pro, users from 50,001 to 100,000 cost $0.02 each, so about $1,000 a month on top of the $25 plan. With Better Auth you pay for your own database, hosting and the time to run it.
Can I move from Clerk to Better Auth?
Yes, with planning. You export users from Clerk and import them into your own database, then replace Clerk's components with your own sign-in screens. Plan for password hashes, social connections and active sessions, and test the move with a small group first.
Sources, checked November 1, 2026
Prices and plans change often. If something here is out of date, tell us through the contact page.