Authentication & Identity Comparison
Clerk vs NextAuth.js (Auth.js)
Clerk wins with 82.0
Updated 2026-03-19Clerk
82Winner
vs
NextAuth.js (Auth.js)
78.7Dimension Breakdown
ClerkNextAuth.js (Auth.js)
Value
7295
Capability
8575
Experience
9572
Reliability
8072
Support
8268
Ecosystem
7282
Momentum
9278
The Verdict
Clerk is a managed service with beautiful pre-built components - fastest path to auth. NextAuth.js is free, self-hosted, and has zero vendor lock-in. If you want to own your auth infrastructure, NextAuth. If you want to ship fast, Clerk.
Pricing Comparison
| Tier | Clerk | NextAuth.js (Auth.js) |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Free |
| Pro | $25/mo | - |
| Enterprise | Custom | - |
Feature Comparison
Clerk
- ✓ Pre-built UI
- ✓ Social login
- ✓ MFA
- ✓ Organizations
- ✓ Webhooks
- ✓ User management
- ✓ Session management
- ✓ React/Next.js SDK
NextAuth.js (Auth.js)
- ✓ OAuth providers (80+)
- ✓ Credentials auth
- ✓ Magic links
- ✓ Database adapters
- ✓ JWT & session
- ✓ Callbacks & events
- ✓ Multi-framework
- ✓ TypeScript
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