Clerk

Clerk provides authentication and user management for applications, including Organizations and Billing. Prebuilt components support sign-up, sign-in, and user profiles, while Frontend, Backend, and Platform HTTP APIs cover client-side, server-side, and workspace operations. Clerk Billing handles subscriptions and charges 0.7% of billing volume in addition to Stripe fees. The free B2B offer includes 100 monthly retained organizations per app and up to 20 members per Organization. Listed integrations include Convex, Firebase, Supabase, Shopify, Vercel Marketplace, and Google Analytics. Security practices include account lockout, bot protection, rate limiting, breached-password detection, and MFA enforcement. Clerk lists SOC 2 Type 2 and HIPAA certifications; SOC 2 reports are available on Business and above, and a HIPAA BAA is available on Enterprise. Data is hosted on US infrastructure, with no regional data residency. Hobby is free; Pro is listed at $20 a year, billed monthly, annually, and Business at $250 a year, billed monthly, annually. The service is available across Android, iOS, web, APIs, and extensions, with an iOS SDK for native Apple apps.

Clerk combines application authentication with user and organization management, and offers APIs and integrations for development workflows. Check the listed billing fees, data residency, and plan-dependent compliance details against your requirements.

Clerk may suit application teams that need sign-in, user profiles, organization management, or subscription billing. Its integrations and APIs are relevant to developers connecting authentication to other services.

Clerk is an authentication and user-management service for teams building web and mobile apps, including apps with business organizations and subscriptions. It suits developers who want account flows, APIs, and organization tools together. Its breadth is appealing, but session and log limits, US-only hosting, and Billing fees can change the fit.

Overview

Clerk combines sign-in and account management with Organizations and Billing. Prebuilt components handle sign-up, sign-in, and user profiles, and Frontend, Backend, and Platform HTTP APIs cover client-side, server-side, and workspace resource operations. That combination is useful for teams building customer-facing products or software with organization accounts; it may be more than a project needs if it only requires a narrower identity component.

Key features

Authentication and account controls

Clerk supports SAML, OIDC, and OAuth 2.0, plus directory synchronization and lifecycle provisioning. MFA options include SMS codes, TOTP authenticator apps, backup codes, and passkeys. Account lockout, bot protection, rate limiting, breached-password detection, and MFA enforcement provide a broad set of account safeguards. Teams with compliance requirements should account for the plan gates: SOC 2 reports are available on Business and above, while a HIPAA BAA is available on Enterprise.

Organizations, integrations, and billing

The free B2B allowance covers 100 monthly retained organizations per app, with up to 20 members in each. This gives smaller projects room to build organization features, though the retained-organization cap matters for apps that grow beyond that scale. Clerk documents integrations with Convex, Firebase, Supabase, Shopify, Vercel Marketplace, and Google Analytics.

Clerk Billing supports subscription billing, charging 0.7% of billing volume in addition to Stripe fees. That can consolidate billing with identity and organization management, but teams should include both charges in their cost estimates.

Mobile and security trade-offs

Clerk offers an iOS SDK for native Apple applications and lists Android, iOS, web, API, and extension among its platforms. Its security practices include account lockout, bot protection, rate limiting, breached-password detection, and MFA enforcement. Data is hosted on US infrastructure, with no regional data residency; that rules Clerk out for teams that must keep application data in a particular region.

Pricing

Clerk uses a freemium model, with a free plan and paid plans from $20/mo (annual). There is no free trial, so teams evaluating paid capabilities need to consider the plan terms directly.

Hobby — free

Hobby includes 50,000 MRU per app, up to three dashboard seats, up to five user impersonations, and three social connections. It is a practical starting point for small apps, but its fixed seven-day session lifetime and one-day application log retention leave less room for teams that need longer sessions or historical troubleshooting.

Pro — $20 a year (billed per month, billed annually)

Pro includes 50,000 MRU per app, one enterprise connection, and one Directory Sync connection. Additional MRU costs $0.02/mo each. It fits applications that need those connections and expect to remain near the included monthly active user allowance; the additional-user charge makes growth beyond it a cost to plan for.

Business — $250 a year (billed per month, billed annually)

Business includes 10 dashboard seats and 30-day log retention; additional seats cost $20/mo each. Priority support and access to SOC 2 reports also make this the relevant step up for teams that need those provisions. The higher price and per-seat charge are meaningful for larger administrative teams.

Enterprise — custom pricing

Enterprise is billed only annually and includes a 99.99% uptime SLA, custom log retention, onboarding and migration support, and HIPAA compliance available with a BAA. A premium support SLA and dedicated Slack channel add a higher-touch support option. This plan suits organizations that need those contractual and support provisions, but its custom pricing calls for a direct cost assessment.

Platforms

Clerk lists Android, iOS, web, API, and extension support. Its iOS SDK is specifically for native Apple applications. Teams building native mobile apps should confirm that Clerk's platform coverage matches their intended implementation, since the SDK detail applies to iOS.

Who it's for

Clerk is a strong fit for application teams that want prebuilt account screens, user and organization management, and APIs in one service. Its B2B allowance can support early organization features, while Directory Sync and lifecycle provisioning serve teams managing connected identity workflows. It is a weaker fit when regional data residency is mandatory, when a project needs longer sessions or log retention on Hobby, or when Billing's percentage charge and Stripe fees undermine the subscription economics.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Prebuilt sign-up, sign-in, and profile components reduce the account flows a team must build itself.
• Pros: Organizations, APIs, directory sync, and lifecycle provisioning cover both application identity and business-account workflows.
• Pros: MFA includes passkeys, TOTP, SMS, and backup codes, alongside several listed account protections.
• Cons: Hobby fixes session lifetime at seven days and retains application logs for only one day.
• Cons: Data stays on US infrastructure, with no regional residency option.
• Cons: Clerk Billing adds 0.7% of billing volume on top of Stripe fees.
• Cons: SOC 2 reports require Business or above, and a HIPAA BAA requires Enterprise.

Alternatives

Bitwarden is worth considering when password management across unlimited devices and passwords is the priority; its free plan includes basic password management and it also offers a free trial.

Descope may suit teams that prefer open-source SDKs and a free tier with 7,500 MAUs, 10 monthly active tenants, and three SSO connections.

Hanko is an option for teams comparing a free 10,000-user, two-project starter plan with a $29 a month Pro tier.

id3 Face SDK may fit projects focused on face authentication, with a 30-day evaluation plan that limits API calls and use to one platform.

Passwordless.dev is relevant for teams seeking a free tier for up to 10,000 users, one app per organization, and one console administrator.

StrongKey FIDO Server offers a free open-source Community Edition with unlimited users, applications, and transactions.

WorkOS is another option for teams comparing free AuthKit access for up to one million users or a Radar tier with its first 1,000 checks free.

HUAWEI Analytics Kit is a free option for teams seeking data analysis and more than 30 automatically collected events.

Readers comparing identity and authentication tools can also browse Biometric Authentication Software, Identity and Access Management Software, Passkey Authentication Software, and Passwordless Authentication Software.

Verdict

Choose Clerk if your application needs authentication plus user and organization management, and you value prebuilt account flows, broad APIs, and integrated subscription billing. Its range is the main reason to choose it; US-only hosting, plan-dependent compliance access, short Hobby retention, and the extra Billing charge are the main reasons to look elsewhere.