Which is cheaper, Clerk or Zitadel?

Clerk is 4.0x cheaper than Zitadel. Clerk starts at $0/mo, Zitadel 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. Zitadel has moderate switching cost. Zitadel 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

Zitadel

Open-source identity management with DAU-based cloud pricing

Switching Cost: moderate

The pricing gap between Clerk and Zitadel runs about 4.0x — significant consideration for scaling.

Their pricing models diverge: Clerk uses hybrid, while Zitadel operates on a flat-rate basis.

If budget is your primary constraint, Clerk is the clear winner with its more wallet-friendly pricing structure.

If budget is your primary constraint, Clerk is the clear winner with its more wallet-friendly pricing structure.

Price Difference

4.0x

Clerk is cheaper by $75/mo

Pricing Model

Different

Tools charge using different pricing philosophies

Switching Costs

Zitadel

Lower switching costs for easier migration