Clerk
clerk.comBuild Difficulty: 4/5
A few focused days to build a solid replacement
More than authentication, Complete User Management
How to Replace ClerkOverview
Features
74 features across 11 categories
Administration(3)
Comprehensive audit logging for compliance and security tracking
Advanced role management for dashboard team collaboration
Access application as a user for easy troubleshooting and support
Authentication(16)
Fast and reliable OTP delivery with brute force prevention
Six-digit code authentication sent to user email
Passwordless magic link authentication via email
SAML, OIDC, and EASL-supported enterprise authentication
Passwordless authentication using email magic links with spam/fraud filtering
Authenticate users with passkeys across devices
Secure password authentication with breach detection and recovery options
Use same session across applications on different domains
Single-use token authentication generated by API
SMS-based authentication codes for users
Enable users to sign in with social providers
Social authentication with 20+ options including Google, GitHub, Facebook, and more
Drop-in component for user authentication and login
Drop-in component for user registration and account creation
Classic username-based authentication method
Authenticate with MetaMask and Coinbase Wallet
B2B Features(11)
Allow users to discover and join organizations based on email domain
Automatically invite users based on verified email domain membership
Basic role-based access control with Admin and Member roles
Component allowing users to create new organizations
Fully customizable authorization with custom roles and permission sets
Simple team invitation system to fuel application growth
Component displaying list of organizations and memberships
Full suite of components for managing organizations and team structures
Component for managing organization settings and details
Component for users to switch between multiple organizations
Restrict organization members to specific email domains
Billing(7)
Subscription billing with React components, no payment code or webhook management needed
Plan-based access control and feature gating based on subscription level
Define and manage subscription plans with pricing tiers
Component to display pricing plans with feature comparisons and subscription options
Native integration with Stripe for payment processing
Prebuilt components for pricing pages and customer self-service subscription management
Unified view of user and subscription information in one system
Compliance(4)
California Consumer Privacy Act compliance
Service built to comply with GDPR principles with Data Privacy Agreement
HIPAA compliance available with Business Associate Agreement
SOC 2 Type 2 compliance report available
Customization(3)
Deploy authentication components to custom domain
Tailor authentication messages users receive
Remove 'Secured by Clerk' branding from prebuilt UIs
Integration(1)
Synchronize Clerk user data with external systems via webhooks
Reliability(1)
Service uptime guarantee of 99.99%
Security(18)
Protect users from automated brute forcing attacks
SOC 2 type 2 compliant with regular third-party audits and penetration tests
Allow and deny users based on domain, phone number, Web3 wallet address, etc.
Prevent sign-ups from known disposable email services
Prevent abuse by blocking email subaddresses with plus separator
Machine learning-powered bot detection to reduce fraudulent sign-ups
Completely custom token claims for external service integration
Set custom password requirements beyond NIST 800-63B defaults
Set maximum session duration from 5 minutes to 10 years
Add custom data into default authentication tokens
Allow users to view and log out devices actively accessing their account
Block high-risk disposable email domains and restrict email subaddresses
Self-serve MFA settings with authenticator apps, SMS codes, and backup codes
Automatically check passwords against leaked password databases
Restrict application access to invited users only
Full session lifecycle management including device monitoring and session revocation
Allow users to sign in to multiple accounts on one device
Prevent unwanted users from returning to application
Support(4)
Active Discord community with over 10,000 members supported by Clerk staff
24/7 access to expert support staff
Dedicated onboarding and migration assistance for enterprise customers
Priority email support and SLA guarantees
User Management(6)
Ensure only one account created when using multiple authentication methods
No-questions-asked data exports of all Clerk user data
Dropdown menu component providing account access and user options
Store custom data with user objects in Clerk
Component to manage user profile information and settings
Component for managing waitlists and signups
Pricing
Hobby
- ✓Unlimited applications
- ✓50,000 MRU limit per app
- ✓3 dashboard seats
- ✓Up to 5 user impersonations
- ✓APIs and prebuilt UIs for Sign up, Sign in, and User profile
- ✓Most authentication features included
- ✓Account lockout/brute-force protection
- ✓Bot protection
- ✓Block email subaddresses
- ✓Block disposable email addresses
- ✓Require invitations
- ✓Custom session tokens
- ✓Custom JWT templates
- ✓Device tracking and revocation
- ✓Full data exports
- ✓Community support
- ✓GDPR/DPAs compliance
- ✓Web3 wallet authentication
- ✓Usernames
- ✓Passwords
- ✓Email codes
- ✓Email links
- ✓Sign in tokens
- ✓Automatic account linking
- ✓User metadata
- ✓Webhooks for data sync
- ✓Basic RBAC with custom permissions
- ✓100 MRO included per app
- ✓Up to 20 members per Organization
- ✓Admin & Member roles
Pro
- ✓Everything in Hobby
- ✓50,000 MRU included per app
- ✓$0.02/mo each for additional users
- ✓1 Enterprise connection included
- ✓$75/mo each for additional connections
- ✓Remove Clerk branding
- ✓Multifactor authentication (MFA)
- ✓Satellite domains at $10/mo each
- ✓Custom session lifetime
- ✓SMS Authentication available
- ✓Passkeys authentication
- ✓Custom password requirements
- ✓Custom email & SMS templates
- ✓User bans
- ✓Allowlist/blocklist
- ✓Simultaneous sessions
- ✓Social connections (unlimited)
- ✓Unlimited social connections
- ✓Email support for billing, registration, and abuse queries
- ✓SOC2 Report available
- ✓B2B Authentication add-on available
- ✓Administration add-on available
Business
- ✓Everything in Pro
- ✓10 dashboard seats included
- ✓$20/mo each for additional seats
- ✓SOC 2 Report
- ✓Enhanced dashboard roles
- ✓Priority support
- ✓Audit Logs (coming soon)
- ✓Custom email & SMS templates
- ✓Verified domains & automatic invitations
- ✓Custom roles & role sets
- ✓HIPAA compliance available
Enterprise
- ✓Everything in Business
- ✓Annual committed use discounts
- ✓99.99% Uptime SLA
- ✓Premium support SLA with dedicated Slack channel
- ✓HIPAA compliance with BAA available
- ✓Onboarding & migration support
- ✓Tailored solutions and guarantees
Cost Calculator
Keep Paying Clerk
Build It Yourself
Total Cost Comparison
DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 74 features at easy complexity.
Build vs Buy
Should you build a Clerk alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 74 features.
Buy Clerk
Better ValueBuild Your Own
Buying Clerk saves ~$83,400 over 3 years vs building.
Estimates based on 74 features and a BuildScore of 4/5. Actual costs vary.
Integrations
15 known integrations