Compare
Clerk vs FusionAuth
Short answer: Pick Clerk if you want turnkey auth and user management; pick FusionAuth if you want self-hosted CIAM with predictable pricing. Clerk has a free plan; FusionAuth has a free plan, paid from $162/month.
Which to pick
Pick Clerk if you want…
- Turnkey auth and user management
- SaaS user management
- Integrations with Next.js, React or Expo (on Clerk's list, not FusionAuth's)
Pick FusionAuth if you want…
- Self-hosted CIAM with predictable pricing
- Self-hosted auth platform
- Integrations with OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect or SAML v2 (on FusionAuth's list, not Clerk's)
Clerk is a SaaS-only user management platform, while FusionAuth can be self-hosted with unlimited users.
Side by side
- What it is
- Clerk:Clerk provides embeddable UI components, APIs, and dashboards for full-stack user authentication, management, and billing.
- FusionAuth:FusionAuth is a self-hostable CIAM platform offering authentication, MFA, SSO and fine-grained authorization via APIs.
- Best for
- Clerk:Turnkey auth and user management
- FusionAuth:Self-hosted CIAM with predictable pricing
- Who it’s for
- Clerk:Developers building web or mobile apps that need authentication, multi-tenant user management, and subscription billing.
- FusionAuth:Developers and teams building apps that need customizable, scalable identity management.
- Pricing
- Clerk:Freemium
- FusionAuth:Freemium
- Starting price
- Clerk:—
- FusionAuth:$162/month (Starter)
- Free plan or trial
- Clerk:Free plan (Hobby) · Free trial
- FusionAuth:Free plan (Community)
- Plans
- Clerk:Hobby $0 · Pro $20 per month, billed annually · Business $250 per month, billed annually
- FusionAuth:Community Free · Starter $162 per month (billed annually) · Essentials $240 per month (billed annually)
- Works with
- Clerk:Next.js, React, Expo, React Router, Astro, Supabase, Convex, Vercel
- FusionAuth:OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, SAML v2, LDAP, SCIM, Kafka, Docker, Kubernetes
Clerk features
- Pre-built UI components. Drop-in React components for sign-up, sign-in, profile, organization and billing UI.
- Multi-tenancy & org management. Components and APIs to create organizations, switch accounts, invite members and manage roles.
- MFA & advanced security. Built-in multifactor authentication, bot detection, passkeys and SOC 2/CCPA compliance.
- Session & device management. Full session lifecycle with active device monitoring and revocation.
- Billing & subscriptions. Ready-to-use subscription billing UI, plan definition and revenue tracking.
- SDKs for modern frameworks. Libraries for Next.js, React, Expo, React Router, Astro and more.
- API keys & machine auth. Generate secure API keys and M2M tokens for user-scoped access.
- CLI for AI agents. Command-line tool to configure Clerk without leaving the terminal.
FusionAuth features
- API-first identity. All authentication, authorization and user management functions are exposed via full-featured APIs.
- Multi-factor authentication. Supports basic TOTP as well as advanced MFA methods like email, SMS, voice and intelligent policies.
- Enterprise-grade isolation. Dedicated deployments with controlled upgrades and HA hosting for critical workloads.
- Customizable theming. Advanced application theming and internationalized UI for branded login experiences.
- Passkeys & WebAuthn. Passwordless authentication using WebAuthn cross-platform authenticators.
- Flexible deployment. Run on-prem, self-hosted, hybrid, air-gapped or in FusionAuth Cloud.
Clerk vs FusionAuth FAQ
What is the difference between Clerk and FusionAuth?+
FusionAuth is self-hosted and open source, while Clerk is a managed SaaS with built-in UI components. Clerk is a SaaS-only user management platform, while FusionAuth can be self-hosted with unlimited users.
Should I use Clerk or FusionAuth?+
Pick Clerk if you want turnkey auth and user management, saaS user management or integrations with Next.js, React or Expo (on Clerk's list, not FusionAuth's). Pick FusionAuth if you want self-hosted CIAM with predictable pricing, self-hosted auth platform or integrations with OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect or SAML v2 (on FusionAuth's list, not Clerk's).
Is Clerk or FusionAuth free?+
Clerk has a free plan (Hobby) and paid plans. FusionAuth has a free plan (Community); paid plans start at $162/month (Starter).
Do Clerk and FusionAuth integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: Clerk lists Next.js, React, Expo, React Router and 4 more; FusionAuth lists OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, SAML v2, LDAP and 4 more.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.