Question 1

What is the best Auth0 alternative?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your needs. For cost: Firebase Auth (50K MAU free) or AWS Cognito ($0.0055/MAU). For developer experience: Clerk. For open-source: Supabase Auth. For passwordless: Descope. For B2B enterprise: Stytch. Each has different trade-offs.

Question 2

Is Clerk cheaper than Auth0?

Accepted Answer

Yes — Clerk offers 10,000 MAU free (vs Auth0's 7,500), and ~$0.02/MAU above that. At 50K MAU, Clerk costs ~$800/month vs Auth0's $1,035/month. Clerk is significantly cheaper than Auth0 Professional but still more expensive than Firebase or Cognito.

Question 3

Is Supabase Auth a real Auth0 alternative?

Accepted Answer

For many use cases, yes. Supabase Auth is included in the $25/month Supabase plan, supports email/password, social login, magic links, and phone auth. It lacks SAML Enterprise SSO and SCIM, making it less suitable for B2B enterprise. For consumer and indie apps, it's excellent value.

Question 4

What is Descope?

Accepted Answer

Descope is a newer authentication platform focused on passwordless-first flows (magic links, passkeys, biometrics). It has a no-code flow builder and strong developer experience. Free tier is 7,500 MAU; Growth plan from $199/month.

Question 5

Can I self-host an Auth0 alternative?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Keycloak (open source, Java) and Supabase Auth can be self-hosted. Ory (open source Golang) is another popular choice. Self-hosting eliminates per-MAU costs but adds infrastructure and maintenance overhead.

Provider	Free Tier	Cost at 50K MAU	Enterprise SSO	Best For
Auth0	7,500 MAU	~$1,035/mo	✓ B2B plans	Enterprise features
Firebase Auth	50,000 MAU	Free	✗ Not native	Consumer scale + cost
AWS Cognito	50,000 MAU	Free	✓ SAML/OIDC	AWS-native + cost
Clerk	10,000 MAU	~$800/mo	✓ Enterprise plans	Developer experience
Supabase Auth	Unlimited (free plan)	$25/mo	✗ Basic only	Postgres + indie devs
Descope	7,500 MAU	$199+/mo	✓ Growth+	Passwordless flows
Stytch	25 MAU	~$1,100/mo	✓ Business plans	B2B enterprise SSO

If your priority is...	Choose	Why
Lowest cost at scale	Firebase Auth or Cognito	Both free to 50K MAU, predictable PAYG pricing
Best developer experience	Clerk	Pre-built UI components, excellent React integration
Open source / self-host	Supabase Auth or Keycloak	Full control, no per-MAU fees
Passwordless / passkeys	Descope	Built for modern passwordless auth flows
B2B enterprise SSO	Auth0 or Stytch	Native SAML, SCIM, Organizations support
AWS ecosystem	AWS Cognito	Native IAM integration, HIPAA eligible
Feature depth + compliance	Auth0 Enterprise	Most mature, complete feature set

Auth0 Alternatives 2026: Clerk, Supabase, Descope, and More

Quick Comparison Matrix

Detailed Alternative Analysis

Firebase Auth

AWS Cognito

Clerk

Supabase Auth

Descope

Stytch

Decision Framework: Which to Choose