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Best alternatives to Clerk

Discover open-source, free tier, and premium alternatives to Clerk. Compare scores, pros/cons, and deployment paths instantly.

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A

Auth0

Alternative to Clerk

SubscriptionEnterpriseCloud-Native / SaaSProprietaryPublic APIWebhooksPluginsSDK
GitHubSlackJiraGoogleAWSAzure

Best for

Developer-led customer identity projects

Cost

Subscription pricing with usage-based and tiered plans; quote-based for larger deployments.

Summary

Developer-focused identity platform for authentication, authorization, SSO, MFA, and customer identity workflows.

Why Switch

Teams switch from Clerk to Auth0 when they need a more established enterprise identity platform with broader compliance, SSO, MFA, and authorization capabilities at scale.

SOC2GDPRISO 27001

Migration Playbook

  1. Export user data from Clerk using their provided CSV export feature, ensuring to include fields such as user_id, email, username, password_hash, and metadata. Map Clerk's user_id to Auth0's user_id, email to email, and metadata fields to user_metadata in Auth0.
  2. Prepare the exported CSV data to match Auth0's import format by converting password hashes to a compatible format if necessary, and structuring user metadata according to Auth0's schema. Use Auth0's User Import API or the Management Dashboard's bulk import tool to upload the user data into the Auth0 tenant.
  3. Configure Auth0 authentication flows to replicate Clerk's security features by setting up MFA, SSO, and authorization rules via Auth0's Dashboard or Management API. Test the migrated users' login and identity workflows to ensure seamless transition and functionality.

Pros

  • 🟢Excellent developer experience and APIs
  • 🟢Fast implementation for customer identity
  • 🟢Wide protocol and social login support

Cons

  • 🔴Can be costly as usage grows
  • 🔴Advanced enterprise features may require higher plans
  • 🔴Less suited to organizations wanting full self-host control

0 builders switched

Go to Auth0
K

Keycloak

Alternative to Clerk

Open SourceOn-Premises / Self-HostedOpen CorePublic APIWebhooksSDK
AWSAzureGitHubGitLab

Best for

Self-hosting and open-source IAM teams

Cost

Open source and free to self-host; commercial support available through third parties and Red Hat offerings.

Summary

Open-source identity and access management platform providing SSO, identity brokering, user federation, and OAuth2/OIDC/SAML support.

Why Switch

Teams switch from Clerk to Keycloak when they want full control over identity data and prefer a self-hosted, open-source IAM stack over a managed auth service.

SOC2GDPRISO 27001

Migration Playbook

  1. Export user data from Clerk using their provided export API or dashboard in JSON format, ensuring to include essential fields such as user ID, email, hashed passwords, and any custom attributes. Map Clerk's user attributes to Keycloak's user schema fields, for example, Clerk's 'email' to Keycloak's 'email', and custom metadata to Keycloak's 'attributes'.
  2. Prepare the exported JSON data for import by transforming it into Keycloak's User Import JSON format. Use a script or tool to convert Clerk's user data fields into Keycloak's expected structure, including setting up password hashes compatible with Keycloak or resetting passwords if necessary.
  3. Import the transformed user data into Keycloak using the Admin REST API's user import endpoints or via the Keycloak Admin Console's user import feature. After import, configure Keycloak realms, clients, and identity providers to replicate Clerk's authentication flows, and test user login and access to ensure successful migration.

Pros

  • 🟢No license cost for self-hosted deployments
  • 🟢Flexible and extensible
  • 🟢Supports common enterprise auth standards

Cons

  • 🔴Requires internal operations and security expertise
  • 🔴UI/UX and admin experience are less polished than SaaS leaders
  • 🔴Scaling and HA are your responsibility

0 builders switched

Go to Keycloak
W

WorkOS

Alternative to Clerk

SubscriptionEnterpriseCloud-Native / SaaSProprietaryPublic APIWebhooksPluginsSDK
GitHubGitLabSlackTeamsGoogleOkta

Best for

B2B SaaS adding enterprise auth features

Cost

Usage- and feature-based commercial pricing; some capabilities are available for early-stage or low-volume use through sales-assisted plans.

Summary

Developer-focused identity platform for adding SSO, SCIM provisioning, directory sync, and enterprise authentication features to SaaS products.

Why Switch

Teams switch from Clerk to WorkOS when their priority is enterprise SSO, SCIM, and directory sync for B2B customers rather than a general-purpose consumer auth layer.

SOC2GDPRISO 27001

Migration Playbook

  1. Export user data from Clerk using their provided JSON export API, ensuring to include fields such as user_id, email, username, and authentication metadata. Map these fields to WorkOS user schema equivalents: user_id to id, email to email, username to username, and authentication metadata to custom attributes.
  2. Extract group and role information from Clerk via their API or export tools, exporting in CSV or JSON format. Map Clerk groups and roles to WorkOS directory groups and roles, aligning group names and permissions accordingly. Prepare the data for import into WorkOS SCIM provisioning endpoints.
  3. Import the mapped user and group data into WorkOS using their SCIM API endpoints for user and group provisioning. Validate the data integrity post-import and configure WorkOS SSO and directory sync settings to replace Clerk's authentication flows in your SaaS application.

Pros

  • 🟢Excellent for B2B SaaS needing enterprise SSO and provisioning
  • 🟢Clean APIs and strong developer experience
  • 🟢Helps bridge the gap between startup auth and enterprise requirements

Cons

  • 🔴Not a full end-to-end consumer auth platform
  • 🔴Pricing and packaging can depend on sales engagement
  • 🔴Less suitable if you need a fully self-hosted stack

0 builders switched

Go to WorkOS
S

Supabase Auth

Alternative to Clerk

Cloud-Native / SaaSOpen-Source / FreemiumOpen CorePublic APIWebhooksPluginsSDK
GitHubGitLabSlackGoogleAWSStripe

Best for

Supabase-centric modern web apps

Cost

Open-source core with hosted plans; pricing depends on project usage, database, and platform resources.

Summary

Open-source authentication service built into Supabase for email/password, magic links, OAuth, and JWT-based session management.

Why Switch

Teams switch from Clerk to Supabase Auth when they want authentication tightly integrated with the Supabase backend and prefer an open-source foundation with a managed option.

SOC2GDPRPCI DSSISO 27001

Migration Playbook

  1. Export user data from Clerk using their CSV export feature, ensuring to include fields such as user_id, email, hashed_password, created_at, and user_metadata. Verify the export format is compatible with JSON or CSV for easier transformation.
  2. Map Clerk fields to Supabase Auth schema: user_id to id, email to email, hashed_password to encrypted_password, created_at to created_at, and user_metadata to user_metadata JSON field. Prepare a JSON array of user objects conforming to Supabase's expected format for bulk import.
  3. Import the transformed user data into Supabase Auth using the Supabase Admin API's 'auth.admin.createUser' endpoint for each user or utilize the Supabase SQL interface to insert users directly into the auth.users table, ensuring password hashes are compatible or require password resets.

Pros

  • 🟢Tight integration with the Supabase backend stack
  • 🟢Open-source foundation with a managed option
  • 🟢Good developer experience for modern web apps

Cons

  • 🔴Less comprehensive than dedicated enterprise IAM tools
  • 🔴Best suited to teams already adopting Supabase
  • 🔴Advanced enterprise features may require additional tooling

0 builders switched

Go to Supabase Auth
F

Firebase Authentication

Alternative to Clerk

Free TierProfessionalCloud-Native / SaaSFreemiumPublic APIWebhooksPluginsSDK
GoogleSlackJira

Best for

Mobile and web apps already on Google stack

Cost

Generous free usage for many apps, with pay-as-you-go pricing tied to broader Firebase/Google Cloud usage and certain identity features.

Summary

Google-backed authentication service for app sign-in, user management, and identity federation across web and mobile applications.

Why Switch

Teams switch from Clerk to Firebase Authentication when they want a quick-to-integrate sign-in service that fits naturally into a Firebase or Google Cloud-centric architecture.

SOC2GDPRISO 27001

Migration Playbook

  1. Export user data from Clerk by using their API to retrieve user profiles in JSON format, including fields such as user ID, email, password hashes, and metadata. Ensure to map Clerk's user ID to Firebase's UID, email to email, and any custom attributes to Firebase user custom claims.
  2. Transform the exported JSON data to match Firebase Authentication's user import schema. This includes converting password hashes to a supported format if possible, or setting temporary passwords and forcing password resets. Prepare the data to include UID, email, emailVerified status, passwordHash, passwordSalt, and custom claims as needed.
  3. Import the transformed user data into Firebase Authentication using the Firebase Admin SDK's importUsers() method or the Firebase CLI user import tool. Verify successful imports and configure Firebase Authentication settings such as email verification and multi-factor authentication to match the previous Clerk setup.

Pros

  • 🟢Fast to integrate for web and mobile apps
  • 🟢Supports common sign-in methods and anonymous auth
  • 🟢Works well for teams already using Firebase or Google Cloud

Cons

  • 🔴Enterprise identity features are more limited than dedicated IAM platforms
  • 🔴Vendor lock-in concerns for some architectures
  • 🔴Advanced B2B workflows like SCIM are not its core focus

0 builders switched

Go to Firebase Authentication

Community FAQ

Questions by product

Clerk FAQ

Does Clerk support full self-hosting or is it strictly cloud-based?

Clerk is primarily a cloud-based platform with limited self-hosting options. Currently, it does not offer a fully self-hosted version, so teams requiring complete on-premise control may find it restrictive.

Community insight informed by Reddit discussions

Can Clerk's authentication services function offline or in air-gapped environments?

No, Clerk's authentication services depend on cloud infrastructure and require internet connectivity. It does not support offline or air-gapped deployments, making it unsuitable for environments without reliable network access.

Community insight informed by Hacker News discussions

Who owns the user data stored and processed by Clerk, and how is data privacy handled?

User data in Clerk is stored on their cloud servers, and while developers retain ownership of their user data, Clerk acts as a data processor under GDPR and similar regulations. They provide compliance features, but teams should review their data handling policies to ensure alignment with privacy requirements.

Community insight informed by StackOverflow discussions

Are there any API rate limits or restrictions when using Clerk for authentication and user management?

Yes, Clerk enforces API rate limits to protect service stability, which vary depending on your subscription plan. The limits are generally sufficient for typical applications but may require adjustment or negotiation for high-volume use cases.

Community insight informed by Forums discussions

What options does Clerk provide for migrating existing user databases or exporting user data?

Clerk supports importing user data through CSV and JSON formats and provides export capabilities via their dashboard and API. However, migration tools are somewhat manual and may require custom scripting for complex scenarios.

Community insight informed by Reddit discussions

Auth0 FAQ

Can Auth0 be fully self-hosted to keep all identity data on-premises?

No, Auth0 is primarily a cloud-based identity platform and does not offer a fully self-hosted version. While you can customize and extend Auth0 via rules and hooks, the core authentication and user data storage remain managed by Auth0's cloud infrastructure. Organizations requiring full on-premises control should consider alternative open-source identity providers.

Community insight informed by Reddit discussions

Does Auth0 support offline authentication or functioning without internet connectivity?

Auth0 requires internet connectivity to perform authentication flows since it relies on its cloud service to validate credentials and tokens. There is no built-in offline mode or local token validation. For use cases requiring offline authentication, you would need to implement a local identity solution or cache tokens externally, but this is not natively supported by Auth0.

Community insight informed by Hacker News discussions

What are the data ownership and export capabilities with Auth0? Can I export all user data easily?

Auth0 allows exporting user data via its Management API, including bulk user exports in JSON or CSV formats. However, the process can be rate-limited and may require pagination for large datasets. While you retain ownership of your data, it resides in Auth0's infrastructure, so compliance and data residency should be evaluated carefully. Full data export is possible but may require scripting and handling API constraints.

Community insight informed by StackOverflow discussions

Are there any API rate limits or usage quotas that could affect scaling with Auth0?

Yes, Auth0 enforces rate limits on its Management and Authentication APIs, which vary based on your subscription plan. Free and lower-tier plans have stricter limits, which can impact high-volume applications. Enterprise plans offer higher thresholds. It's important to design your integration to handle rate limiting gracefully and consider plan upgrades as usage grows.

Community insight informed by Forums discussions

What migration paths exist if I want to move users from Auth0 to another identity provider?

Auth0 supports user migration via bulk export of user profiles and credentials (password hashes) through the Management API. For password migration, Auth0 provides a seamless migration feature where users' passwords are verified against the legacy system on first login and then imported into Auth0. Moving away from Auth0 requires exporting user data and adapting password hashes to the new system's format, which can be complex depending on the hashing algorithms used.

Community insight informed by Reddit discussions

Keycloak FAQ

How complex is it to set up and maintain Keycloak in a high-availability self-hosted environment?

Setting up Keycloak for high availability requires configuring a clustered environment with shared database and session replication. You need to manage load balancing, database failover, and ensure consistent cache synchronization. This demands solid internal operations expertise, especially for tuning performance and handling failover scenarios. Keycloak does not provide built-in HA orchestration, so you must implement and monitor these components yourself.

Community insight informed by Reddit discussions

Does Keycloak support offline authentication or token validation without connectivity to the main server?

Keycloak supports offline tokens (offline refresh tokens) that allow clients to obtain new access tokens without user interaction, but initial authentication and token issuance require connectivity to the Keycloak server. For truly offline authentication, Keycloak is not designed to function without network access to its services, as it relies on centralized token validation and user federation.

Community insight informed by StackOverflow discussions

Who owns the user data stored in Keycloak and how can it be exported or migrated?

When self-hosting Keycloak, you retain full ownership and control over all user data since it is stored in your chosen database backend. Keycloak supports export and import of user data and configuration via its export/import commands and partial export APIs, enabling migration between instances or backups. However, the export format is JSON-based and may require custom scripts for complex migrations.

Community insight informed by Hacker News discussions

Are there any significant API limitations when integrating Keycloak with custom applications?

Keycloak provides comprehensive REST APIs for user management, authentication flows, and token operations, but some advanced features like fine-grained admin operations or custom authenticator management may require direct database access or custom SPI extensions. Rate limiting and pagination on some endpoints are limited, so large-scale integrations should implement their own throttling and caching.

Community insight informed by Forums discussions

WorkOS FAQ

Can WorkOS be fully self-hosted or is it strictly a cloud service?

WorkOS is a cloud-based platform and does not offer a fully self-hosted deployment option. Its architecture relies on managed infrastructure to handle SSO, SCIM provisioning, and directory sync, so if you require a fully self-hosted stack for compliance or control reasons, WorkOS may not be suitable.

Community insight informed by Reddit discussions

Does WorkOS support offline authentication or any form of local caching for SSO sessions?

WorkOS does not support offline authentication or local caching of SSO sessions. Since it acts as a cloud intermediary for enterprise identity providers, an active internet connection is required for authentication flows to complete successfully.

Community insight informed by Hacker News discussions

Who owns the user identity data when using WorkOS, and can it be exported or migrated easily?

User identity data processed through WorkOS remains the property of the SaaS application using the platform. WorkOS provides APIs for SCIM provisioning and directory sync, enabling synchronization and export of user data to your systems. However, full data export or migration depends on your implementation of these APIs and the connected identity providers.

Community insight informed by StackOverflow discussions

Are there any notable API limitations or rate limits when integrating WorkOS for enterprise SSO and SCIM?

WorkOS enforces rate limits on its APIs to ensure stability and fair usage, but these limits are generally sufficient for typical B2B SaaS workloads. The exact thresholds depend on your subscription plan and can be discussed with their sales team. Additionally, some advanced features may require specific API calls that need careful integration to avoid hitting limits.

Community insight informed by Forums discussions

Supabase Auth FAQ

How complex is it to self-host Supabase Auth as part of a fully on-premise Supabase stack?

Self-hosting Supabase Auth requires deploying the Supabase Auth Docker container along with its dependencies like Postgres and the GoTrue API. While Supabase provides Docker Compose configurations for local development, a fully on-premise production setup demands configuring secure networking, SSL termination, and scaling considerations. The process is moderately complex and best suited for teams familiar with container orchestration and PostgreSQL management.

Community insight informed by Reddit discussions

Does Supabase Auth support offline authentication or local token validation without network calls?

Supabase Auth primarily relies on JWT tokens issued by the server which can be validated locally by clients without network calls, enabling offline session validation. However, initial authentication flows (email/password, OAuth) require network connectivity to the Supabase Auth API. Offline usage is limited to token verification and session management on the client side.

Community insight informed by Hacker News discussions

Who owns the user data stored in Supabase Auth, and how easy is it to export or migrate that data?

User data in Supabase Auth is stored in your own PostgreSQL database, so you retain full ownership and control. Exporting user data is straightforward via SQL queries or database dumps. Migration to other authentication systems requires exporting user credentials and metadata, but password hashes are stored in standard formats compatible with many systems, easing migration efforts.

Community insight informed by StackOverflow discussions

Are there any API limitations or rate limits when using Supabase Auth in managed mode?

The managed Supabase Auth service enforces soft rate limits to protect against abuse, but these limits are generally high and suitable for most modern web applications. The API supports standard authentication flows but lacks some advanced enterprise IAM features like granular role delegation or multi-tenant management. For heavy enterprise use cases, additional tooling or custom solutions may be necessary.

Community insight informed by Forums discussions

Firebase Authentication FAQ

Can Firebase Authentication be self-hosted or run offline for privacy-sensitive applications?

Firebase Authentication is a fully managed service by Google and does not support self-hosting or offline operation. All authentication flows require connectivity to Firebase backend servers, so it is not suitable for environments requiring offline or isolated deployments.

Community insight informed by Reddit discussions

What are the data ownership and export options for user accounts in Firebase Authentication?

User data in Firebase Authentication is stored on Google's servers under Firebase's terms. You can export user account data via the Firebase Admin SDK or REST API, but there is no built-in tool for full data migration to other identity providers. Data ownership remains with the project owner, but vendor lock-in is a consideration.

Community insight informed by StackOverflow discussions

Are there API limitations when integrating Firebase Authentication with custom backend systems?

Firebase Authentication provides REST APIs and Admin SDKs for user management and token verification, but it lacks advanced IAM features like SCIM provisioning or fine-grained enterprise policies. Custom backend integrations must handle token validation and user state accordingly, as the API surface is focused on common auth flows rather than complex identity management.

Community insight informed by Hacker News discussions

What is the recommended migration path if we want to move users away from Firebase Authentication?

Firebase Authentication does not offer a direct migration tool to export and import users into other identity providers. The typical approach involves exporting user data via Admin SDK, then scripting user creation in the new system. Password hashes are not exportable, so users may need to reset passwords after migration.

Community insight informed by Forums discussions

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