Which is cheaper, Clerk or Stack Auth?

Clerk is 2.0x cheaper than Stack Auth. Clerk starts at $0/mo, Stack Auth starts at $0/mo.

Does Clerk have a free tier?

Yes, Clerk offers a free tier with mruPerApp: 50000, dashboardSeats: 3.

Clerk has significant switching cost. Stack Auth has drop-in switching cost. Stack Auth is easier to switch away from.

Auth

Clerk

← More affordable

Authentication and user management platform with prebuilt UI components, OAuth/OIDC support, and enterprise SSO

Switching Cost: significant

Stack Auth

Open-source Auth0/Clerk alternative with managed hosting or free self-hosting, built for Next.js

Switching Cost: drop-in

The cost difference is substantial — Stack Auth runs about 2.0x what Clerk charges.

You'll notice different pricing structures: hybrid for Clerk versus per-seat for Stack Auth.

Price-conscious teams should choose Clerk — the cost advantage is hard to ignore, especially for growing workloads.

Price-conscious teams should choose Clerk — the cost advantage is hard to ignore, especially for growing workloads.

Price Difference

2.0x

Clerk is cheaper by $24/mo

Pricing Model

Different

Tools charge using different pricing philosophies

Switching Costs

Stack Auth

Lower switching costs for easier migration