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WorkOS alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave WorkOS: each enterprise SSO connection is billed monthly, and cloud only. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces WorkOS, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Clerk currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Zitadel logoZitadelOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 455.3
  1. Zitadel logo

    1. ZitadelTop pick

    Best for: B2B SaaS teams that want multi-tenant identity with the option to self-host

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from WorkOS

    Open-source and multi-tenant, so you can self-host and avoid per-connection fees.

    Pros

    • Multi-tenancy and delegated admin built into the core
    • Choice of managed cloud or self-hosting the same code
    • Full audit trail from its event-sourced design

    Cons

    • AGPL licence may need legal review for some companies
    • Smaller community than Keycloak
    • Free cloud tier is limited in daily active users
    Visit Zitadel Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Zitadel a good WorkOS alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    AGPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    $0/month cloud tier
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zitadel.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro price
    $100/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zitadel.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Data location
    EU, US, Switzerland or Australia
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zitadel.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best WorkOS alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Cl

Best WorkOS alternative for most people

Clerk

Richer prebuilt UI for consumer and B2B apps, priced by users rather than connections.

Zitadel logo

Best WorkOS alternative for a free option

Zitadel

Open-source and multi-tenant, so you can self-host and avoid per-connection fees.

PropelAuth logo

Best WorkOS alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

PropelAuth

B2B-focused auth with unlimited SAML connections on paid plans.

Zitadel logo

Best WorkOS alternative for open source

Zitadel

Open-source and multi-tenant, so you can self-host and avoid per-connection fees.

Zitadel logo

Best WorkOS alternative for self-hosting

Zitadel

Open-source and multi-tenant, so you can self-host and avoid per-connection fees.

Cl

Best WorkOS alternative for iPhone and Android

Clerk

Richer prebuilt UI for consumer and B2B apps, priced by users rather than connections.

Frontegg logo

Best WorkOS alternative for working in the browser

Frontegg

Adds an embeddable admin portal and entitlements for multi-tenant SaaS.

WorkOS alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to WorkOS?

Clerk ranks first right now. Richer prebuilt UI for consumer and B2B apps, priced by users rather than connections. PropelAuth and Frontegg follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to WorkOS?

Yes. Clerk (free plan + paid), PropelAuth (free plan + paid), Frontegg (free plan + paid) and Auth0 (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to WorkOS?

Yes: Zitadel. Zitadel can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from WorkOS?

The complaints we hear most: each enterprise SSO connection is billed monthly; cloud only; less suited to consumer apps with heavy fraud concerns.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces WorkOS, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.