Better Auth

Open-source TypeScript authentication framework that runs inside your app with your own database.

Open sourceSelf-hostableAuthentication providers

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Better Auth

Better Auth is a framework-agnostic authentication library for TypeScript. Instead of calling an external service, you add it to your server code, point it at your own database through adapters for Prisma, Drizzle, Kysely or plain SQL, and configure features in a single file. Email and password, social OAuth providers and sessions are built in, and a large plugin ecosystem adds two-factor authentication, passkeys, magic links, organisations and teams, SSO, API keys, admin tools and more. It works with Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Hono, Express and many other frameworks, with client libraries for React, Vue and Svelte. The library is MIT licensed and free; the company also sells optional managed infrastructure that adds a dashboard, audit logs and security detection on top of a self-hosted install. Auth.js has become part of Better Auth. It suits developers who want auth in code under version control, but you own the security of the setup.

Best for: TypeScript developers who want auth as code, stored in their own database.

What works

Free, MIT-licensed and keeps users in your own database
Large plugin ecosystem for 2FA, passkeys, orgs and SSO
Works across most JavaScript frameworks

Why people leave

TypeScript and JavaScript only
You are responsible for hosting, email delivery and security
No admin dashboard without the paid infrastructure add-on

Top Better Auth alternatives

See all 5

1
Auth.js (NextAuth.js)
The older Next.js-centred library, now maintained under the Better Auth project.
66.5
2Cl
Clerk
Hosted alternative with prebuilt UI if you would rather not own auth code.
62.6
3
SuperTokens
Open-source with prebuilt UI and back-end SDKs beyond TypeScript.
59.6
4
Logto
Standalone open-source identity service with an admin console and free cloud tier.
57.2
5
Keycloak
Separate identity server for when several apps and languages need shared SSO.
55.3

Why people left Better Auth

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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Better Auth: common questions

Is Better Auth free?

Yes. Better Auth is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.

Is Better Auth open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at better-auth/better-auth. You can also run it on your own server.

What platforms does Better Auth run on?

Better Auth is available for Web and Self-hosted.

What are the best alternatives to Better Auth?

The highest-ranked Better Auth alternatives right now are Auth.js (NextAuth.js), Clerk and SuperTokens. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Better Auth alternatives

Better Auth facts

4 of 4 verified

License: MIT; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: MIT (MIT License).”
Language: TypeScript, framework-agnostic; Checked Oct 25, 2026better-auth.com(opens source in a new tab); “Copy MD Open in Better Auth is a framework-agnostic, universal authentication and authorization framework for TypeScript.”
Free plan: Framework is free and open source; Checked Oct 25, 2026better-auth.com(opens source in a new tab); “The Better Auth framework is free and open source .”
Infrastructure price: Pro $20/month; Checked Oct 25, 2026better-auth.com(opens source in a new tab); “Pro For production teams running auth in the critical path. $20 / month”