Clerk vs Supabase Auth
Clerk is a dedicated auth SaaS with beautiful prebuilt UI and org management. Supabase Auth is built into every Supabase project and integrates cleanly with Postgres row-level security. Pick Clerk if you want auth done in 15 minutes with prebuilt UI; pick Supabase Auth if you already use Supabase and want auth as a native part of your DB.
Two products, side by side.
Dedicated auth service with drop-in React components and org management
- Best React DX
- Prebuilt user profile UI
- Orgs, roles, invitations first-class
- User impersonation from dashboard
- Bring-your-own-DB
- Adds another vendor to your stack
- Costs money after 10k MAU
- Data lives in Clerk, not your DB
Auth built into your Supabase Postgres project with row-level security
- Free with any Supabase project
- Wired to Postgres RLS out of the box
- Users table lives in your DB
- Magic link, social, phone, anon
- Open source
- No prebuilt UI (build it yourself)
- Weaker orgs / roles story than Clerk
- You get out what you put in for user management
Clerk vs Supabase Auth on the specs.
| Feature | Clerk | Supabase Auth |
|---|---|---|
| Prebuilt UI | ✓Yes (SignIn, SignUp, UserProfile) | No (Supabase UI Library is opt-in) |
| Cost at scale | $25+/mo above 10k MAU | ✓Free with any Supabase plan |
| Orgs + invitations | ✓First-class | DIY |
| Row-level security | Via JWT integration | ✓Native (users in Postgres) |
| User data location | Clerk servers (accessed via API) | ✓Your Postgres |
| Social providers | ~15 | ~15 |
| Magic link | Yes | Yes |
| MFA | ✓Yes | TOTP |
| User impersonation | ✓Yes (dashboard) | DIY |
| Open source | No | ✓Yes |
What you will actually pay.
| Tier | Clerk | Supabase Auth |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 10k MAU | Free (with Supabase) |
| Pro | $25 / mo (10k MAU + orgs) | Included with Supabase Pro $25 / mo (100k MAU) |
| Enterprise | Custom | Included with Supabase Team $599 / mo |
Which one should you pick?
You want the fastest possible auth setup, need built-in orgs + roles + invitations + impersonation, and don't mind paying $25/mo once you scale.
You already use Supabase for your DB, want auth to be free forever, and are OK building your own sign-in / profile UI (or using the Supabase UI library).
You can pair Clerk with Supabase DB using Clerk's JWT integration. Best of both, Clerk UI + Supabase RLS.
Related matchups.
Common questions.
Can I use Clerk with Supabase DB?
Yes. Clerk issues JWTs that Supabase can verify, letting you use Clerk for auth and Supabase for DB with RLS.
Which has better orgs / teams support?
Clerk. Organizations, invitations, roles, and permissions are first-class UI features. Supabase you'll build yourself.
Which is more flexible?
Supabase Auth, because users live in your Postgres you can join, query, and extend them however you want.
Which has better UX out of the box?
Clerk. Prebuilt sign-in, sign-up, and user profile components look polished and match modern app expectations.
Which is safer for enterprise?
Both offer SAML SSO and SOC 2. Clerk's user impersonation makes support easier; Supabase's open-source + self-host option can be a fit for privacy-regulated industries.
Open the tool.
Once you have picked, grade your stack across 10 production categories in 3 minutes. Free, honest, prioritised fix plan.
Grade the Clerk or Supabase Auth setup you pick