Authentik vs Clerk: 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.
Clerk
Clerk is a developer-friendly authentication platform with pre-built components, flexible APIs, and admin dashboards for complete user management.
Authentik
Authentik is an open-source identity provider that offers secure single sign-on and access control for modern applications.
Clerk
Clerk is a developer-friendly authentication platform with pre-built components, flexible APIs, and admin dashboards for complete user management.
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
Clerk
Pre-built authentication components and user interfaces
20+ social login providers including Google and GitHub
Multi-factor authentication with SMS and authenticator apps
Password authentication with automatic breach detection
Organizations with roles and permissions for teams
Enterprise SSO with SAML and OAuth support
Session management and device tracking
Webhooks and API access for custom integrations
SOC 2 and HIPAA compliance
Free tier with 10,000 monthly active users
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.
Clerk
Clerk offers flexible pricing to support projects of all sizes. The free plan includes 10,000 monthly active users with all core features, pre-built components, and custom domain support. Users who sign up but never return are completely free.
The Pro plan charges just $0.02 per monthly active user after your first 10,000 free users. Pro includes removing Clerk branding, allowlist and blocklist features, and customizable session duration.
For advanced needs, add-ons cost $100 per month each. The Enhanced Authentication add-on provides multi-factor auth, device tracking, and enterprise SSO. The Enhanced Administration add-on includes user impersonation and audit logs.
Organizations start at $1 per monthly active organization after your first 100 free, with unlimited members per organization in Pro.
Enterprise plans offer custom pricing with 99.99% uptime guarantees, support SLAs, HIPAA compliance, dedicated Slack support, and onboarding assistance. Startup discounts are available through partners like Y Combinator and Stripe Atlas.
