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Clerk vs WorkOS
Comparing two authentication platforms on pricing, features, free tier, and trade-offs.
Quick summary
Clerk — Authentication and user management. Clerk provides drop-in authentication, user management, and organizations with pre-built UI components.
WorkOS — Enterprise-ready features with just a few lines of code. WorkOS provides SSO, SCIM, audit logs, and directory sync — the B2B enterprise features SaaS apps need.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Clerk | WorkOS |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Paid |
| Starting price | $25/mo | $125/connection |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | No |
| MFA | Yes | Yes |
| SAML/SSO | Yes | Yes |
| Free Tier | 10k MAU | 1M MAU |
| Self-hosted | No | No |
| Pre-built UI | Yes | No |
| Social Login | Yes | Yes |
| Organizations | Yes | Yes |
Clerk
Authentication and user management
Pros
- Beautiful pre-built components
- Organizations and B2B features
- Great Next.js integration
Cons
- Vendor lock-in on auth layer
- Gets expensive at scale
WorkOS
Enterprise-ready features with just a few lines of code
Pros
- Best-in-class SSO/SCIM
- Generous free tier for startups
- Enterprise-focused
Cons
- Per-connection pricing adds up
- Overkill for B2C apps
Which should you choose?
Choose Clerk if a free tier is important for your stage. Choose WorkOS if a free tier is important for your stage, and you need production-grade features and are ready to pay.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Clerk or WorkOS?
There is no universal “better.” For most teams, Clerk is the safer default because Clerk has a larger community and more third-party integrations, which often translates to better long-term support. For edge cases, the comparison table above highlights where each tool wins.
Is Clerk cheaper than WorkOS?
Clerk starts at $25/mo, while WorkOS starts at $125/connection. Exact costs depend on usage — check both vendors' calculators before committing.
Can I migrate from Clerk to WorkOS?
Migration difficulty depends on how deeply Clerk-specific features (APIs, SDK conventions, data schemas) are baked into your app. Most authentication migrations take days to weeks. Both vendors typically publish migration guides — check their docs.
Is Clerk or WorkOS open source?
No — both Clerk and WorkOS are proprietary managed services. If open source is a requirement, see our alternatives pages.
Does Clerk or WorkOS have a free tier?
Both Clerk and WorkOS offer a free tier.
Which is best for startups and indie hackers?
Startups usually optimize for the lowest friction to ship and the cheapest possible free tier. The one with the most generous free tier here is Clerk. For production workloads, revisit the trade-offs in the feature table above.