Comparison

Auth.js (NextAuth.js) vs Clerk

On the evidence we track, Clerk leads this comparison with a composite score of 71/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

Machine formatsMarkdownJSONGraphQLMarkdown is open. JSON and GraphQL need a free key.
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)52
★Clerk71
Score
vioscaleAI score
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)52 / 100low · 40%
Clerk71 / 100medium · 71%
Pricing
Free tier
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)✓
Clerk✓
Model
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)open_source
Price level
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)free
Clerkmid
Starting price
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)–
Clerk$20
Transparent
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)✓
Clerk✓
Integrations
Count
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)1
Clerk7
Security
Certifications
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)–
Disclosure policy
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)✓
Clerk✓
Gdpr
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)–
Clerk✓
Hipaa
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)–
Clerk✓
Scorecard
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)5.5
Clerk–
Soc2
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)–
Clerk✓
Reliability
Sla pct
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)–
Clerk99.99
Status page
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)✓
Clerk✓
Adoption
Dependent repos
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)6,629
Clerk–
Github stars
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)28,363
Clerk–
Package downloads weekly
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)6,703,298
Clerk–
Activity
Commits last 30d
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)0
Clerk–
Release
History
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)20 items
Clerk–
License
Spdx
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)ISC
Clerk–
Language
Primary
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)TypeScript
Clerk–
Market
Availability
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)–
Content
Faq
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)5 items
Clerk6 items

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for auth & identity software. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Deployment
Hosting
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)Self-hosted only
ClerkCloud only
Methods
Social login
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)✓
Clerk✓
Passwordless
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)✓
Clerk✓
Passkeys / WebAuthn
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)✓
Clerk✓
Multi-factor auth
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)-
Clerk✓
Enterprise
SAML SSO
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)-
Clerk✓
SCIM provisioning
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)-
Clerk✓
B2B / multi-tenancy
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)-
Clerk✓
Standards
OpenID Connect provider
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)✓
Clerk✓
Delivery
Hosted UI
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)Headless
ClerkBoth
Access
RBAC
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)-
Clerk✓
Licensing
Self-hostable OSS core
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)✓
Clerk✓

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

Auth.js (NextAuth.js)

A suite of open-source authentication packages built on standard web APIs, designed to work with any JavaScript framework and runtime, with support for OAuth, passwordless authentication, and WebAuthn.

Independently observed

Clerk

Leader

Provides embeddable components and APIs for adding authentication, profile management, organizations, and subscription billing to applications. Supports enterprise features like SAML, SCIM provisioning, and multi-tenancy.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

Auth.js (NextAuth.js)

Open sourceFree tier

Free and open source

as of verify ↗

Clerk

Leader
from $20/moSubscriptionFree tier

Free up to 50K MRU. Pro from $20/mo billed annually (includes 50K MRU + 1 enterprise connection). Add-ons available.

  • FreeFree
    • Social authentication (Google, GitHub, Facebook)
    • Email/password authentication
    • Magic links
    • Organizations
    • Multifactor authentication
    • +1 more
  • Pro$20/mo billed annually (includes 50K MRU + 1 enterprise connection)
    • 50K monthly retained users included
    • 1 enterprise SSO connection included
    • Custom session lifetime
    • Clerk branding removal
    • Directory sync
    • +5 more
as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)✓
Clerk✓
iOS
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)✗
Clerk✓
CLI
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)✗
Clerk✓
Deployment
Cloud / SaaS
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)✓
Clerk✓
Self-hosted
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)✓
Clerk✗

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

In common (1)
  • GitHub

Auth.js (NextAuth.js)

1 total - 0 not shared
  • GitHub
Independently observed

Clerk

Leader
11 total - 10 not shared
  • Google OAuth
  • GitHub OAuth
  • Google Workspace
  • Convex
  • MCP
  • Stripe
  • Okta Workforce
  • Microsoft Entra ID
  • Google
  • Facebook
Independently observed
Still deciding?

Auth.js (NextAuth.js) or Clerk: which one depends on you

A composite score cannot know your constraints. Describe them and both get re-weighted against what you actually need, with the evidence behind every position.

Free to run, no account needed to start. How the evaluation works

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.