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Identity

Better Auth

Open-source TypeScript authentication framework with application-owned persistence and optional managed infrastructure services.

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Editorial verdict

Choose Better Auth when owning the authentication runtime, schema, and data is a requirement rather than an implementation preference.123

Best for

  • TypeScript teams that need application-owned authentication
  • Products that want a plugin-based framework instead of a managed identity data plane
  • Teams prepared to operate security-sensitive persistence and delivery paths
12

Not ideal for

  • Teams expecting a fully operated authentication service
  • Products that need polished account administration with minimal implementation
  • Organizations without capacity to own authentication operations
1
Main trade-off

Better Auth maximizes control and portability, while shifting more security, persistence, email, upgrade, and operational responsibility to the application team.14

Product boundary

Decide whether the team should operate an application-owned authentication framework instead of adopting a managed identity platform.

Better Auth is an application authentication framework; optional Better Auth Infrastructure services do not turn the core framework into a fully managed identity platform.12

For: TypeScript product teams with explicit authentication ownership, portability, or deployment-control requirements

  • The team cannot staff authentication operations
  • A managed account UI is more important than runtime control
  • Enterprise connections are required at material scale
  • Self-hosting and database ownership are contractual requirements

Why teams consider Better Auth

  • Application-owned stateThe authentication runtime and persistence live with the application rather than in a vendor identity data plane.1
  • Composable frameworkCore authentication can be extended through plugins for organizations, passkeys, SSO, and other capabilities.12
  • Open-source foundationThe framework is source-available under an MIT license and can be evaluated without a platform contract.4

Pricing

Free open-source framework plus optional managed infrastructure subscription, usage overages, and paid add-ons3

Framework

Open-source framework — free

The Better Auth framework is free and open source; hosting, storage, email, and operations remain application costs.34

Managed services trial

Infrastructure Starter — $0

Includes one seat, 10,000 monthly audit logs with one-day retention, and 1,000 security detections.34

Managed services

Infrastructure Pro — $20/month

Adds unlimited seats and included usage with metered overages and optional paid connection or domain features.34

Core license
MIT-licensed framework; no framework subscription is required.34
Optional enterprise identity
Pro lists one SSO and Directory Sync connection, then $50/month per additional connection.34
Pricing checked View official pricing

Better Auth vs alternatives

Clerk

Choose when
A managed account experience and shorter integration path matter more than ownership.
Compared with Better Auth
The application gives up infrastructure control for a more operated product.56

WorkOS AuthKit

Choose when
Enterprise identity features should arrive as part of a managed authentication product.
Compared with Better Auth
The system is vendor-operated rather than application-owned.78

Supabase Auth

Choose when
The application already uses Supabase and wants auth integrated with that backend.
Compared with Better Auth
Platform alignment replaces framework portability as the primary advantage.910

Resources and sources

Official resources

  • Better Auth introduction
    Open
  • Better Auth organization plugin
    Open
  • Better Auth pricing
    Open
  • Better Auth repository
    Open

Starter stacks

  1. 1
    Better Auth introduction

    Better Auth · Accessed Official

  2. 2
    Better Auth organization plugin

    Better Auth · Accessed Official

  3. 3
    Better Auth pricing

    Better Auth · Accessed Official

  4. 4
    Better Auth repository

    Better Auth · Accessed Official

  5. 5
    Clerk documentation

    Clerk · Accessed Official

  6. 6
    Clerk Organizations

    Clerk · Accessed Official

  7. 7
    AuthKit documentation

    WorkOS · Accessed Official

  8. 8
    WorkOS users and organizations

    WorkOS · Accessed Official

  9. 9
    Supabase Auth documentation

    Supabase · Accessed Official

  10. 10
    Auth and Row Level Security

    Supabase · Accessed Official