Clerk vs Passwordless.dev

Clerk provides full-stack authentication and user management for applications, including Organizations and Billing. Prebuilt components cover sign-up, sign-in, and user profiles, while Frontend, Backend, and Platform HTTP APIs support client-side, backend, and workspace operations. Clerk Billing handles subscription billing and charges 0.7% of billing volume in addition to Stripe fees. Its free B2B offering includes 100 monthly retained organizations per app and up to 20 members per Organization. Listed integrations include Convex, Firebase, Supabase, Shopify, Vercel Marketplace, and Google Analytics. Security practices include account lockout, bot protection, rate limiting, breached-password detection, and MFA enforcement. Clerk lists SOC 2 Type 2 and HIPAA certifications; SOC 2 reports are available on Business and above, while a HIPAA BAA is available on Enterprise. Data is hosted on US infrastructure, with no regional data residency. Clerk is available on Android, iOS, web, APIs, and extensions, and provides an iOS SDK for native Apple apps. Hobby is free; Pro costs $20/mo billed annually, and Business costs $250 per year billed annually.

Passwordless.dev is an API framework for developers building passkey authentication for websites and applications. It uses open-source code and browser standards to create FIDO2 WebAuthn flows, including Face ID, fingerprint, and Windows Hello. Supported environments include web browsers, Android 9+, iOS, and a REST API, with SDKs for JavaScript, C#, Java, PHP, and Python. The service is designed to work with common authentication solutions, allowing teams to add passkeys without recoding or replacing existing systems. A dedicated console manages passkeys, applications, and users. Workforce authentication can provide password-free access to enterprise systems and applications. The Free plan supports up to 10,000 users, one app per organization, and one console administrator, with support and documentation access. Pro costs $0.05 per user per month for the first 10,000 users; additional users cost $0.01 per user. Enterprise costs $3.00 per user per month billed annually and adds workforce authentication, event logs, beta self-hosting, and advanced support. Pro includes prioritized support and a dedicated SLA.