Authentik vs Better Auth: Features, Pricing and User Reviews 2026
Compare features, pricing, reviews, and more to make an informed decision
Authentik
Authentik is an open-source identity provider that offers secure single sign-on and access control for modern applications.
Better Auth
Better Auth is a free, open-source authentication framework for TypeScript that works with any framework and includes everything you need.
Authentik
Authentik is an open-source identity provider that offers secure single sign-on and access control for modern applications.
Better Auth
Better Auth is a free, open-source authentication framework for TypeScript that works with any framework and includes everything you need.
Authentik
Multiple protocol support (OAuth, SAML, LDAP, RADIUS)
Self-hosted and open source
Multi-factor authentication options
Social login integration
Customizable authentication flows
Web-based remote access (SSH, RDP, VNC)
Fine-grained access policies
Visual admin dashboard
API and automation support
Docker and Kubernetes deployment
Enhanced audit logging (Professional)
Enterprise integrations available
Better Auth
Multiple authentication methods including email, social, and passwordless
Framework-agnostic design working with all major frameworks
Two-factor authentication and passkey support
Organization and team management features
50+ social sign-in providers supported
Built-in rate limiting and security features
Open source and completely free
Automatic database management
Type-safe TypeScript implementation
Active community and regular updates
Authentik
Authentik offers three pricing tiers to match different needs:
Open Source (Free): Perfect for homelab users and simple setups. Includes all core authentication protocols, web-based remote access, support for both business and consumer use cases, and community Discord support. No cost and no limits on users.
Professional ($5/user/month): Adds enterprise functionality with enhanced audit logging for compliance, Google Workspace and Microsoft Entra ID integration, external OAuth and SAML source embedding, Chrome Enterprise Device Trust connector, and password history compliance checks. External users cost only $0.02 per month. Service accounts are free. Includes ticket-based support for subscriptions over $1,000. Billed annually.
Enterprise ($20,000+ annual): Designed for large organizations needing custom contracts. Includes everything in Professional plus dedicated customized support, volume discounts for thousands of users, and FIPS compliance for federal requirements.
Better Auth
Better Auth is completely free to use with no costs or limitations. As an open-source project released under the MIT License, you can use it in any project including commercial applications without paying anything.
There are no usage limits, user caps, or features locked behind paid tiers. Every feature mentioned in the documentation is available to all users. This includes advanced capabilities like two-factor authentication, organization management, and all authentication methods.
The project is supported by the developer community and backed by Y Combinator. While the core framework remains free, the team behind Better Auth is building optional infrastructure services for scaling, but these are separate from the core library.
You can self-host everything on your own servers with complete control over your user data and no recurring subscription fees.