Better Auth: Pricing, Features & Alternatives
Better Auth is a modern open-source, TypeScript-first authentication and authorization framework that's been rapidly gaining adoption in 2026. It's more opinionated than Auth.js and handles more edge cases out of the box (sessions, social login, 2FA, organizations, and plugins) all self-hosted with no per-MAU pricing.
Who it’s for: TypeScript teams who want auth running inside their own app and database, with optional paid infrastructure for dashboards and SSO.
Category
Auth
Pricing
Free tier available
Free tier
Yes
Best for
Auth: TypeScript, self-hosted, open source
Better Auth at a Glance
- What it is
- Open-source auth framework
- Who hosts it
- Runs inside your app
- How you pay
- Free; optional infrastructure plan
- Free access
- Framework free, no user limit
- Enterprise SSO
- SSO plugin; managed connections $50 a month after the first
Checked November 2026 against Better Auth, Better Auth pricing, Vercel acquires Better Auth (Vercel blog).
Better Auth Pricing Plans (2026)
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Open SourcePopular | $0 (open source, self-hosted) |
Pricing summary: Free. Always confirm current pricing on the official site.
Key Better Auth Features
- Framework: free and open source under MIT; Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Astro, Hono and 20+ more
- 50+ plugins: 2FA, passkeys, organisations, magic links, API keys, SSO, SAML 2.0 and SCIM
- Infrastructure Starter (free): 1 dashboard seat, 10,000 audit logs a month
- Infrastructure Pro: $20 a month; unlimited seats, 1 self-service SSO and 1 Directory Sync connection, then $50 a month each
- Acquired by Vercel in July 2026; Vercel says the library stays MIT-licensed and framework-agnostic
- Auth.js / NextAuth.js is now part of Better Auth
Pros
- +No per-MAU pricing (self-hosted)
- +TypeScript-first DX
- +Handles many edge cases
- +Framework-agnostic & extensible
Cons
- −You host and maintain it
- −Younger than Auth0/Clerk
- −No managed UI dashboard
Best Better Auth Alternatives
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Better Auth Compared
Better Auth FAQ
What is Better Auth used for?⌄
Better Auth is a auth tool. Open-source, TypeScript-first authentication framework: full, self-hosted, and free.
Is Better Auth free?⌄
Yes. Better Auth has a free tier you can start with, and paid plans for more usage and features.
How much does Better Auth cost?⌄
Better Auth is free to use.
What are the best Better Auth alternatives?⌄
Popular Better Auth alternatives include Clerk, NextAuth.js, SuperTokens, Auth0, Firebase Authentication. Compare pricing and features on our Better Auth alternatives page.
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