Auth-as-a-service in 2026 has fragmented into B2C-first (Clerk, Auth0), B2B-first (WorkOS, Frontegg), and DIY-with-batteries (Supabase Auth). Pick wrong early and you'll re-implement auth in year 2.
The Right Pick by Use Case
- Indie SaaS / B2C app→Clerk. Best DX, generous free tier, beautiful UI components.
- B2B SaaS selling to enterprise→WorkOS. SSO/SAML/SCIM done right. Enterprise sales unblocked.
- Already on Supabase or Postgres→Supabase Auth. Free, integrates with Postgres RLS.
- Enterprise legacy / multi-app→Auth0(now Okta CIC). Mature, expensive, robust.
- Passkey-first / passwordless→Stytch. Most polished passkey UX.
Pricing in May 2026
| Provider | Free Tier | Paid Entry | SSO/SAML |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clerk | 10K MAU | $25/mo + $0.02/MAU | $100/mo (Enhanced) |
| WorkOS | 1M MAU (AuthKit) | SSO: $125/connection | Native |
| Supabase Auth | 50K MAU | $25/mo (Pro) | Pro: SSO included |
| Auth0 | 7.5K MAU (B2C) | $240/mo (Essentials) | B2B: $1,800/mo |
| Stytch | 10K MAU | $249/mo (Pro) | Custom |
Why WorkOS Won B2B
Five years ago every B2B SaaS founder reluctantly implemented SAML auth themselves or paid Auth0 enterprise pricing. WorkOS productized "enterprise-readiness" as a service: SSO, SAML, SCIM, audit logs, directory sync. The new free AuthKit tier (up to 1M MAU) means you can start with WorkOS and never need a separate consumer auth provider.
Why Clerk Won B2C
Clerk's pre-built UI components (sign-in, user profile, organization switcher) let you ship auth in literally one afternoon. The Organizations feature and the new 2.0 custom roles handle B2B2C scenarios well. Pricing is per-MAU which scales linearly — predictable but pricey at huge scale.
The Migration Trap
Auth migrations are nightmare-tier. Password hashes are bcrypt — portable. OAuth tokens, refresh tokens, MFA secrets, social logins — those reset for users. Plan a 3-6 month overlap where both systems run. Stytch and Auth0 offer "lazy migration" where users transition on next login.
