Authentication · decision tool
Better Auth vs WorkOS — for your app, not in general
Better Auth or WorkOS? Set your usage, budget and constraints; the verdict, monthly cost and risks update live from verified pricing.
Prices verified 2026-07-15 against official pricing pages · fit weights are our estimates (see methodology) · share the URL to share your configuration
As of Jul 2026, with 5,000 monthly active users, a $50 budget for this slot, WorkOS ranks first for these inputs at 96% fit and a StackSays-estimated $0/month (Better Auth: 77% fit, $0/month). Fit weights are our estimates; prices trace to official pages. Change any input below and the verdict recomputes.
Your situation
The verdict updates as you move these.
Clear pick for your inputs
Free to 1M users; you pay per enterprise SSO connection instead
vs Better Auth: fit 96% against 77%, est $0 against $0 per month
Comparing 2 tools head-to-head. Open the full field (7 options) →
The decision, in plain words
For a solo builder at 5,000 monthly active users and a $50.00/mo budget for the auth provider slot, WorkOS leads at 96% fit and $0/mo. The two rules doing the work: budget fit (Runs free at your usage — $0 vs your $50/mo budget); batteries included (Bundles prebuilt sign-in UI, organizations/teams, enterprise SSO — fewer services to glue at team size 1).
The gap to Better Auth (77% fit) is wide at these inputs — you'd need to change your requirements, not your taste, to flip it.
Honest weak spot of the pick: hosted user store — migrating away means a coordinated export (password hashes via support).
Generated from the calculation above — every number traces to the sourced data; nothing here is written by an AI making things up.
Why WorkOS scores 96%
How the $0/mo estimate is calculated
What could change this verdict
Cost risk
Official prices verified 2026-07-15; calculation is deterministic code over those prices.
At a glance
| Tool | Free tier | Paid entry | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Better Auth | No free tier | — | 2026-07-15 |
| WorkOS | First 1,000,000 MAU free | — | 2026-07-15 |
Data sources
| Tool | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Better Auth | Better Auth pricing page | 2026-07-15 |
| WorkOS | WorkOS pricing page | 2026-07-15 |
A monitor re-checks these pages for changes; when a vendor moves a price, the date updates and every verdict recomputes.