Top 5 Better Auth alternatives for secure authentication in 2026

Better Auth has quickly become a popular TypeScript-first authentication library, offering a modern alternative to NextAuth with a clean plugin architecture and strong developer experience. But as applications grow and enterprise requirements emerge, many teams find themselves hitting Better Auth's ceiling.

Whether you need SAML SSO, SCIM provisioning, pre-built UI components, or managed infrastructure, Better Auth's library-only approach means you're on your own. Understanding your options before you hit those walls can save months of custom development.

In this guide, we'll explore the top 5 Better Auth alternatives for 2026, from enterprise-grade platforms to open-source solutions, helping you find the right authentication approach for your application.

Why teams move beyond Better Auth

Before diving into alternatives, let's identify the common challenges that drive developers to look beyond Better Auth:

• No enterprise SSO support: Better Auth lacks native SAML and OIDC support for enterprise identity providers. If you need to sell to enterprise customers requiring SSO, you'll need to build it yourself or integrate additional services.
• No managed service or infrastructure: Better Auth is a library, not a platform. You're responsible for hosting, database management, session infrastructure, and keeping everything running reliably.
• No pre-built UI components: You'll need to build login pages, password reset flows, MFA screens, and account management interfaces from scratch.
• No SCIM provisioning or directory sync: Enterprise customers expect automated user lifecycle management. Better Auth has no built-in support for syncing with Okta, Azure AD, or Google Workspace.
• Limited multi-tenancy support: Building multi-tenant B2B applications requires significant custom architecture on top of Better Auth.
• No audit logging or compliance features: SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR compliance require tamper-proof audit trails that Better Auth doesn't provide out of the box.
• Smaller ecosystem: As a newer library, Better Auth has fewer community resources, third-party integrations, and battle-tested edge case handling than more established solutions.

1. WorkOS

WorkOS is an enterprise authentication platform built specifically for B2B SaaS applications. It provides AuthKit, a complete authentication solution with pre-built UI components, along with enterprise features like SSO, Directory Sync, and fine-grained authorization.

Key features

• Next.js App Router-focused SDK (@workos-inc/authkit-nextjs).
• AI-powered CLI: Run one command, the CLI handles the rest: framework detection, SDK installation, route creation, environment setup, and build validation. Your app goes from zero auth to full AuthKit integration in about two minutes.
• Server-side session validation via HTTP-only cookies, designed for App Router, Server Components, and edge-safe route protection.
• Flexible UI support via APIs and SDKs, with AuthKit as a highly customizable hosted login powered by Radix.
• Enterprise SSO with native SAML and OIDC, configurable by customers through an Admin Portal.‍
• SCIM provisioning: Automated user provisioning and deprovisioning that enterprises expect, handling the "remove this employee immediately" requests that inevitably arrive. Real-time synchronization with any identity provider (Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace, and more).
• Tamper-proof audit logs for SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR.‍
• Passkeys, MFA, social logins, magic auth, and more.
• Secure session handling with server-side validation and instant session revocation capabilities.‍
• Customizable JWT claims: Add custom data to JWT payloads with JWT templates for flexible token customization.‍
• Radar for suspicious login detection and threat monitoring that alerts you to potential account compromises.
• Fine-grained authorization: Role-based access control with customizable permissions.‍
• Feature flags: Integrated feature flagging for gradual rollouts.
• First-class multi-tenancy with organization management, member invitations, and role assignment.‍
• Enterprise SLA and dedicated support.‍
• Pricing that scales with growth, with $0 for the first 1 million users.

Best for

WorkOS is ideal for B2B SaaS companies building on Next.js that need to sell to enterprise customers. If your roadmap includes features like SSO, SCIM provisioning, or advanced multi-tenancy, WorkOS provides these out of the box instead of requiring months of custom development on top of Better Auth.

Trade-offs

If you truly only need a quick OAuth login for a hobby app, WorkOS can feel like bringing a well-organized toolbox to hang a single picture. The upside is: you won’t have to rebuild your walls later.

2. Supabase Auth

Supabase Auth is part of the broader Supabase platform, providing authentication alongside a PostgreSQL database, storage, and real-time subscriptions. It's a popular choice for developers who want an integrated backend platform and are building applications that benefit from combining auth with a managed database.

Key features

• Multiple auth methods: Email/password, magic links, OAuth providers, phone authentication, and passkeys.
• Row-level security: Database-level security policies that integrate directly with authenticated user identity.
• Social providers: Pre-configured OAuth integrations with popular providers out of the box.
• Open source: Self-hostable for compliance or data residency requirements.
• Integrated platform: Works seamlessly with Supabase database, storage, and edge functions.
• JavaScript client: Official client library with Next.js support.

Best for

Supabase Auth works for developers who want an integrated backend platform and are building applications that benefit from PostgreSQL, real-time features, and storage in addition to authentication. It's suitable for startups and indie developers who want a complete backend solution, though enterprise features are limited.

Trade-offs

• No enterprise features: No native SAML SSO or SCIM provisioning; unsuitable for B2B SaaS targeting enterprise customers without significant custom work.
• Platform lock-in: Authentication is tightly coupled to Supabase infrastructure. Migrating away later is complex.
• No pre-built UI components: You'll need to build login pages and auth flows yourself.
• Multi-tenancy requires custom architecture: Tenant isolation via row-level security policies and database schemas must be designed and maintained by your team.
• No built-in audit logging: Compliance-grade activity tracking requires custom implementation.

3. Firebase Authentication

Firebase Authentication is Google's managed authentication service, part of the Firebase platform. It provides strong provider support and deep integration with Google Cloud services. It's a well-established option with a generous free tier, though teams with B2B requirements often find themselves needing the paid Identity Platform upgrade.

Key features

• Multiple auth methods: Email/password, phone, OAuth providers, and anonymous authentication.
• Google ecosystem integration: Deep integration with Google Cloud Platform, Firestore, and other Google services.
• Security rules: Client-side security rules that work with Firestore and Realtime Database.
• Identity Platform tier: Upgraded paid tier adds SAML SSO and multi-tenancy support.
• Generous free tier: Suitable for getting started without upfront costs.
• Official JavaScript SDK: Compatible with Next.js applications.

Best for

Firebase Authentication works for developers already using Firebase or Google Cloud Platform who want authentication tightly integrated with Google services. It's a natural fit for consumer-facing applications and teams already invested in the Google ecosystem.

Trade-offs

• Enterprise features require paid upgrade: SAML SSO and multi-tenancy are only available on the Identity Platform tier, which can become expensive at scale.
• Vendor lock-in: Migrating away from Firebase is complex. Architecture decisions made early around Firestore and security rules are hard to unwind.
• No Next.js App Router SDK: No official App Router integration — you'll need to implement token handling and refresh logic manually.
• No SCIM provisioning: Enterprise user lifecycle management is not supported.
• No pre-built UI: The Firebase UI library is basic and difficult to customize deeply.
• No audit logging: Compliance-grade activity tracking requires building your own solution.

4. Stack Auth

Stack Auth is an open-source, Next.js-native authentication library with a managed cloud option. It sits in a similar space to Better Auth (TypeScript-first, developer-friendly, actively maintained) but adds pre-built UI components and a hosted tier, making it a natural step up for teams that want to own their auth code without building every screen from scratch.

Key features

• Next.js-native: Built specifically for Next.js with first-class App Router support and server component integration.
• Pre-built UI components: Comes with ready-made login, signup, and account management components that can be customized to match your brand.
• Open source: Fully open-source and self-hostable, with Stack Auth Cloud as a managed option.
• TypeScript-first: Fully typed API with strong IDE support throughout.
• OAuth providers: Pre-configured integrations with popular social providers.
• Magic links and passkeys: Passwordless auth methods supported out of the box.
• Basic multi-tenancy: Team and organization primitives are available, though enterprise-grade isolation requires additional work.

Best for

Stack Auth is a strong fit for developers who want a modern, open-source auth library with more out-of-the-box functionality than Better Auth (particularly the pre-built UI components) without committing to a fully managed platform. It's a practical upgrade path for Next.js teams who want to move fast without building every auth screen themselves.

Trade-offs

• No SAML SSO: Enterprise identity provider support is not available, making it unsuitable for B2B SaaS targeting enterprise customers without significant custom work.
• No SCIM provisioning: Automated user lifecycle management for enterprise directories is not supported.
• Limited multi-tenancy: Organization primitives exist but fall short of the built-in multi-tenancy that enterprise B2B apps require.
• No audit logging: Compliance-grade activity tracking requires custom implementation.
• Younger project: Stack Auth is still maturing; fewer battle-tested production deployments and a smaller ecosystem than more established platforms.
• Cloud tier limitations: The managed Stack Auth Cloud option is less feature-complete than dedicated auth platforms like WorkOS.

5. Ory

Ory is an open-source identity infrastructure platform offering a suite of tools: Kratos for identity management, Hydra for OAuth 2.0 and OIDC, Keto for permissions, and Oathkeeper for access proxies. It's one of the most comprehensive open-source auth stacks available, and Ory Network provides a managed cloud version for teams that want open-source principles without self-hosting complexity.

Key features

• Comprehensive open-source stack: Separate services for identity (Kratos), OAuth (Hydra), permissions (Keto), and access control (Oathkeeper).
• OIDC and OAuth 2.0: Full standards-compliant implementation for federating identity.
• Ory Network: Managed cloud version with a free tier for getting started.
• Self-hostable: Full control over your infrastructure and data if preferred.
• Fine-grained permissions: Keto implements Google Zanzibar-style relationship-based access control.
• Open source: Apache 2.0 licensed with an active community.

Best for

Ory is best suited for engineering teams with strong infrastructure expertise who need a comprehensive, standards-based auth stack and want open-source flexibility. It's particularly appealing for organizations with strict compliance or data residency requirements that prevent using closed-source platforms.

Trade-offs

• Steep learning curve: Configuring Kratos, Hydra, and Keto together requires deep understanding of each service's role and significant initial investment.
• No native Next.js SDK: Integration requires manual implementation of OIDC flows — no App Router-native support.
• No pre-built production UI: Ory's UI components are basic and intended as starting points, not production-ready interfaces.
• No SCIM provisioning out of the box: Enterprise directory sync requires custom integration work.
• Infrastructure overhead: Self-hosted deployments require managing multiple services, databases, and inter-service communication.
• Complex multi-tenancy: B2B tenant isolation requires careful custom architecture.

Choosing the right Better Auth alternative

The best authentication solution depends on your specific use case, team size, and growth trajectory:

• Choose WorkOS if you're building a B2B SaaS application that needs to sell to enterprise customers. Pre-built AuthKit UI, SSO, SCIM, audit logs, and multi-tenancy come out of the box; no auth expertise required.
• Choose Supabase Auth if you're a startup or indie developer who wants an integrated backend platform with PostgreSQL and real-time features. Accept that enterprise features and custom UI will be your responsibility.
• Choose Firebase Authentication if you're already on Google Cloud or Firebase and building consumer-facing apps. Be prepared to upgrade to Identity Platform if you need enterprise SSO or multi-tenancy.
• Choose Stack Auth if you want an open-source, Next.js-native library with pre-built UI components and a managed cloud option. It's the closest drop-in upgrade from Better Auth, but be aware that enterprise features like SAML and SCIM will still need to be built or sourced elsewhere.
• Choose Ory if your team has strong infrastructure expertise and you need open-source flexibility with a comprehensive, standards-based stack. Expect significant setup and operational investment.

Conclusion

Better Auth has raised the bar for TypeScript-first authentication libraries, but its library-only approach means that as your application grows, you'll increasingly find yourself building the infrastructure, UI, and enterprise features that larger platforms provide out of the box.

Open-source options like Lucia and Ory offer control and flexibility, but require significant operational investment and custom development for enterprise features. Managed platforms like Supabase and Firebase reduce infrastructure burden but come with vendor lock-in and limited B2B capabilities.

For teams building B2B SaaS applications, especially those targeting enterprise customers, WorkOS offers the most complete path forward. AuthKit eliminates the need to build auth UI from scratch. SSO, SCIM, and audit logs work out of the box. The Next.js SDK provides App Router-native integration with minimal configuration. And features like fine-grained authorization, multi-tenancy, and compliance tooling are built into the platform, so your team can focus on your product instead of your auth stack.

If you're outgrowing Better Auth and need enterprise features, managed reliability, and excellent Next.js integration without the operational overhead, WorkOS provides the clearest path forward.

‍Get started with WorkOS today.