Auth0 vs Clerk: Complete Comparison Guide
Compare Auth0 and Clerk on authentication, developer experience, UI components, and enterprise features. Discover which auth platform best fits your web application.
Auth0
An enterprise-grade authentication and authorization platform owned by Okta. Auth0 offers extensive RBAC (Role-Based Access Control), machine-to-machine authentication, over 7,000 integrations, and advanced security features like breached password detection and adaptive MFA. The platform serves both B2C and B2B use cases with Organizations support.
Clerk
A modern authentication platform purpose-built for React and Next.js applications. Clerk delivers beautiful, pre-built UI components for sign-in, sign-up, and user management. The platform provides an exceptional developer experience with easy integration, a user-friendly dashboard, and built-in user profile pages.
Comparison table
| Feature | Auth0 | Clerk |
|---|---|---|
| Target audience | Enterprise and large organizations with complex auth requirements | Startups and modern web applications with React/Next.js |
| UI components | Universal Login with limited customization, Lock widget | Full pre-built React components (SignIn, UserButton, UserProfile) |
| RBAC & authorization | Advanced RBAC, permissions, Organizations for B2B multi-tenant | Basic roles and permissions, Organizations since 2024 |
| Machine-to-machine | Full M2M authentication with client credentials flow | Limited M2M support, focus on user authentication |
| Integrations | 7,000+ integrations via Okta ecosystem, enterprise SSO | Focus on modern web ecosystem: Next.js, Remix, Expo |
| Pricing | Free up to 25,000 MAU, then usage-based with enterprise tiers | Free up to 10,000 MAU, then $0.02/MAU with Pro plan |
Verdict
Auth0 and Clerk serve different segments of the authentication market. Auth0 is the undisputed choice for enterprise environments where complex authorization, compliance, and a broad integration ecosystem are essential. Clerk, on the other hand, has captured the market with a superior developer experience for modern web frameworks. Clerk's pre-built React components save weeks of development time, while Auth0 offers the depth enterprise customers need. Your choice depends on the complexity of your authorization requirements and your technical stack.
Our recommendation
At MG Software, we use Clerk as our primary authentication solution for new projects. The seamless integration with Next.js, beautiful UI components, and user-friendly dashboard make it ideal for the modern web applications we build. For enterprise clients with complex B2B requirements or existing Okta integrations, we recommend Auth0. Our experience shows that Clerk significantly reduces time-to-market without compromising on security or user experience.
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