Auth · facts read November 6, 2026

Clerk

Hosted auth with prebuilt UI components and organizations. Fastest to a polished sign-in, with drop-in UI components.

Free plan
Hobby: 50,000 monthly retained users per app, 100 monthly retained organizations (up to 20 members each); no MFA, passkeys or SSO.
Paid from
Pro: $20/month billed annually ($25 monthly), 50,000 MRU included, then $0.02 per MRU.
Monthly cost at 1,000 users
$0/month Hobby covers 50,000 retained users; custom roles and other B2B features are a $100/month add-on.
Free plan allows commercial use
Not stated
Open source
No
Self-hostable
No

Source: Clerk pricing, read November 6, 2026. Prices change; check the vendor's page before you commit.

Best for

  • Fast setup with prebuilt sign-in UI
  • Next.js and React apps
  • Consumer and prosumer apps

Watch out for

  • The free plan excludes MFA, passkeys and SSO.
  • B2B features beyond the basics (custom roles, domain restrictions) are a $100/month add-on.

How Cuely scores Clerk

The published scores, from −3 to +3, that decide when Cuely picks it. Method

Clerk alternatives

Recipes with Clerk