Auth · facts read November 6, 2026
Better Auth
Open-source TypeScript auth library that stores users in your own database. Free, open source, and your users stay in your own database.
- Free plan
- The library is free and MIT-licensed with no per-user costs. Optional managed infrastructure has a $0 Starter plan.
- Paid from
- Optional infrastructure Pro: $20/month (dashboard, audit logs, security detections).
- Monthly cost at 1,000 users
- $0/month Open-source library, no per-user cost.
- Free plan allows commercial use
- Not stated
- Open source
- Yes
- Self-hostable
- Yes
Source: Better Auth pricing, read November 6, 2026. Prices change; check the vendor's page before you commit.
Best for
- Owning user data with no per-user fees
- Self-hosted or open-source projects
- TypeScript backends
Watch out for
- You run it: security updates, email delivery and session storage are your job.
How Cuely scores Better Auth
The published scores, from −3 to +3, that decide when Cuely picks it. Method
- +3prefers open source or self-hosting. MIT-licensed library; users live in your own database.
- +3keep costs as low as possible. No per-user fees at any scale.
- +2EU data residency or GDPR. User data stays in whatever region your database runs in.
- +1sells to businesses (organizations, roles, SSO). Organization and SSO plugins exist, but you operate them yourself.
- −2native iOS or Android app. Runs inside your own server, which a phone app on a hosted backend doesn't have.
Better Auth alternatives
Recipes with Better Auth
- B2B SaaS with auth, billing and email · an alternative
- Consumer web app with accounts and an optional paid plan · the pick
- Casual or daily web game that survives viral spikes · the pick
- Marketplace where customers pay providers and you keep a cut · an alternative