Auth0 alternatives: 8 open-source picks
Auth0 costs $70/mo — $840 a year. These 8 alternatives replace it for $0, led by Keycloak, Better Auth and Authentik. All 8 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
Battle-tested identity and access management server with SSO, OIDC/SAML, federation, and admin console
licenseApache-2.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Framework-agnostic TypeScript auth library that keeps users in your own database with plugins for 2FA, orgs, passkeys
licenseMIT
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Flexible self-hosted identity provider supporting OIDC, SAML, LDAP, and SCIM with a modern flow-based UI
licenseMIT (+EE)
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Open-source auth (email/password, social, passwordless, sessions, MFA) with SDKs and a self-hostable core
licenseApache-2.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
API-first identity server for login, registration, MFA, and account recovery flows.
licenseApache-2.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Cloud-native IAM in Go with multi-tenancy, audit trail, and every SSO acronym your enterprise customers will ask for.
licenseApache-2.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Developer-friendly identity: prebuilt sign-in flows, social/OIDC/SAML, RBAC and multi-tenant orgs, in one container.
licenseMPL-2.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Passkey-first auth backend and web components — add passwordless login without shipping passwords at all.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
What each one is, in full: Keycloak · Better Auth · Authentik · SuperTokens · Ory Kratos · ZITADEL
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
how to choose a Auth0 alternative
Easiest to get running
Better Auth — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
Most proven
Keycloak, with 28,000 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 8, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
Needs real ops to self-host
Keycloak is capable but expects someone to run a server, updates and backups. Budget for that before choosing it.
what you give up by leaving Auth0
- somebody else being responsible when login breaks
- compliance paperwork done for you
- anomaly detection and breached-password checks
- hosted MFA and passkey flows
- an upgrade path you did not have to test
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Auth0 alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keycloak | Apache-2.0 | self-host, real ops | self-hosted, web | 28,000 | 2026-08 |
| Better Auth | MIT | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 20,000 | 2026-08 |
| Authentik | MIT (+EE) | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 17,000 | 2026-08 |
| SuperTokens | Apache-2.0 | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 14,000 | 2026-08 |
| Ory Kratos | Apache-2.0 | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 12,000 | 2026-08 |
| ZITADEL | Apache-2.0 | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 10,000 | 2026-08 |
| Logto | MPL-2.0 | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 10,000 | 2026-08 |
| Hanko | AGPL-3.0 | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 8,000 | 2026-08 |
why people still pay for Auth0
Because authentication is the one system where a quiet mistake is a breach, and paying someone to own that is cheaper than owning it yourself. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $840 a year.
questions about switching from Auth0
Is there an open-source alternative to Auth0?
Yes: Keycloak, Better Auth, Authentik and 5 more. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace Auth0?
Our verdict is YES. Keycloak (28k stars), Better Auth (20k stars), Authentik (17k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Auth0 — self-host with real ops work and stop paying $70/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/auth0.
What is the easiest open-source Auth0 alternative to set up?
Better Auth — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
What is the most popular open-source Auth0 alternative?
By GitHub stars, Keycloak (28,000). Better Auth is next with 20,000.
