WorkOS vs Better Auth(2026)
WorkOS is better for teams that need free up to 1m mau. Better Auth is the stronger choice if free and open source. WorkOS is freemium (from $0 (free up to 1M MAU)) and Better Auth is free.
Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.
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WorkOS
WorkOS provides enterprise-ready authentication APIs — SSO (SAML), SCIM, and Admin Portal in days, not months.
Starting at $0 (free up to 1M MAU)
Visit WorkOSBetter Auth
Better Auth is a framework-agnostic TypeScript authentication library with plugins for email, social, 2FA, organizations, and more.
Visit Better AuthHow Do WorkOS and Better Auth Compare on Features?
| Feature | WorkOS | Better Auth |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Starting price | $0 (free up to 1M MAU) | Free |
| SAML SSO | ✓ | — |
| SCIM provisioning | ✓ | — |
| Admin Portal | ✓ | — |
| Directory Sync | ✓ | — |
| MFA | ✓ | — |
| AuthKit | ✓ | — |
| Email/password auth | — | ✓ |
| Social providers | — | ✓ |
| 2FA | — | ✓ |
| Organizations | — | ✓ |
| Magic links | — | ✓ |
| Session management | — | ✓ |
| Plugin system | — | ✓ |
WorkOS Pros and Cons vs Better Auth
W
WorkOS
+Free up to 1M MAU
+Best enterprise SSO DX
+Admin Portal included
+SCIM built-in
−Enterprise-focused (not ideal for consumer apps)
−Less community content vs Auth0
−Less social login flexibility
B
Better Auth
+Free and open source
+TypeScript-first
+Plugin ecosystem
+No vendor lock-in
+Modern API
−Newer project
−Smaller community than NextAuth
−Requires self-hosting
Should You Use WorkOS or Better Auth?
Choose WorkOS if…
- •Free up to 1M MAU
- •Best enterprise SSO DX
- •Admin Portal included
Choose Better Auth if…
- •Free and open source
- •TypeScript-first
- •Plugin ecosystem