Clerk
Clerk: A broad application IAM toolkit with a free plan and extensive platform coverage. Ranked #26 of 44 in Identity and Access Management Software by our editors (6.6/10); pricing: Free plan; best for developer teams building application IAM.
At a glance
- Editor score6.6 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forDeveloper teams building application IAM
- Free planYes
- Paid from$20/mo
- MFA methodsSMS verification codes, authenticator applications (TOTP), backup codes, passkeys
- Facts checked19 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Free Hobby plan includes prebuilt authentication and profile UIs
- Supports web, iOS, Android, Chrome extensions, and APIs
- Covers SSO, MFA, directory sync, provisioning, and authorization
Where it doesn't
- Hobby limits each application to 50,000 monthly retained users
- MFA and custom session lifetimes start on the Pro plan
- Its broad feature set may exceed the needs of simple sign-in projects
Our verdict on Clerk
Clerk provides authentication and user management for teams building consumer, B2B, and multi-tenant applications. Its scope covers prebuilt sign-up and sign-in components, user profiles, organizations, billing components, enterprise SSO, MFA, authorization, directory synchronization, and deprovisioning. Developers can target web, iOS, Android, Chrome extensions, and APIs, with OAuth 2.0 and OIDC identity-provider capability available for broader identity flows.
Pricing is organized around monthly retained users rather than a simple included-user count. The free Hobby plan supports unlimited applications, a 50,000 MRU limit per app, prebuilt authentication and profile interfaces, custom domains, and seven-day fixed session lifetimes. Pro costs $20 per month when billed annually and includes 50,000 MRUs per app, one enterprise connection, MFA, custom session lifetimes, and seven-day application-log retention. Business costs $250 per month when billed annually and adds ten dashboard seats, a SOC 2 report, enhanced dashboard roles, priority support, and 30-day application and admin-log retention. Enterprise adds annual committed-use discounts, a 99.99% uptime SLA, enterprise SSO for the workspace, premium support SLA, and custom log retention.
The product is strongest when identity is part of a larger application architecture. Integrations include Convex, Firebase, Grafbase, Hasura, Instant, Neon, Nhost, Prisma Postgres, Supabase, Shopify, Vercel, and Google Analytics. Teams can combine authentication with organization management, role-based permissions, lifecycle provisioning, directory sync, and billing components instead of assembling each capability separately. Developer teams building multi-tenant products or applications with enterprise identity requirements should consider Clerk. Projects that need only a narrow sign-in flow may prefer a smaller, more focused implementation.
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Clerk pricing
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Clerk fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | $20/mo |
| SSO protocols | SAML, OIDC, OAuth 2.0 |
| MFA methods | SMS verification codes, authenticator applications (TOTP), backup codes, passkeys |
| Directory sync | Yes |
| Lifecycle provisioning | Yes |
| Adaptive access policies | Not verified |
| Included users | Not verified |
| Deployment | Cloud, Mobile, Browser extension |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Chrome extension |
| Integrations | 12 integrations: Convex, Firebase, Grafbase, Hasura, Instant, Neon … |
| Pricing | Free plan (source) |
| Website | clerk.com |
| Facts checked | 19 Sep 2026 |
Clerk integrations
Clerk lists 12 integrations on its own site.
- Convex
- Firebase
- Grafbase
- Hasura
- Instant
- Neon
- Nhost
- Prisma Postgres
- Supabase
- Shopify
- Vercel
- Google Analytics
Alternatives to Clerk
- Okta Workforce IdentityA broad workforce IAM suite for organizations with mature identity requirements.9.4
- Google Cloud IdentityA capable IAM choice for Google-centric teams that need MFA, SSO, and lifecycle controls.9.2
- Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Identity and Access ManagementA low-cost IAM option for OCI access, external users, and connected applications.9.1
Also Ranked In
Clerk is ranked in 5 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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