Skip to content

Clerk vs NextAuth.js

Reviewed byRoman K
Tagline
Clerk: Authentication and user management
NextAuth.js: Auth for Next.js
Pricing Model
Clerk: freemium
NextAuth.js: open-source
Starting Price
Clerk: $25/mo
NextAuth.js: $0/mo
Free Plan
Clerk: Yes
NextAuth.js: Yes
GitHub Stars
Clerk: 1.7k
NextAuth.js: 28.3k
npm Downloads/wk
Clerk: 1.5M
NextAuth.js: 4.2M
GitHub Forks
Clerk: 460
NextAuth.js: 4.0k
Open Issues
Clerk: 96
NextAuth.js: 589
Tags
Clerk: auth, sso, mfa, react
NextAuth.js: nextjs, oauth, open-source, sessions

Clerk vs NextAuth.js: which to choose

NextAuth.js has the larger community with 28.3k GitHub stars against 1.7k for Clerk, which usually means more integrations, examples and third-party help when you get stuck.

Both charge from day one, but NextAuth.js starts lower at $0/mo versus $25/mo for Clerk.

Choose Clerk if you lean toward auth and sso; choose NextAuth.js if nextjs and oauth matters more for your stack. All figures above are pulled from live GitHub and pricing data, not vendor marketing.

Frequently asked questions

Is Clerk or NextAuth.js better?

It depends on your priorities. Clerk has 1.7k GitHub stars and uses a freemium pricing model, while NextAuth.js has 28.3k stars and uses a open-source model. Both offer a free plan so you can try each before committing.

Is Clerk cheaper than NextAuth.js?

Clerk starts at $25/mo while NextAuth.js starts at $0/mo. Clerk has a free plan. NextAuth.js has a free plan.

What are the main differences between Clerk and NextAuth.js?

Clerk is tagged as auth, sso, mfa while NextAuth.js is tagged as nextjs, oauth, open-source. Clerk uses a freemium pricing model and has a community of 1.7k GitHub stars. NextAuth.js uses a open-source model with 28.3k GitHub stars.

Does Clerk or NextAuth.js have a free plan?

Yes, both Clerk and NextAuth.js offer a free plan.

More comparisons