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4.  WorkOS vs Clerk 

# WorkOS vs Clerk

Side-by-side comparison of identity tools. Sponsored placement is disclosed where applicable.

Last updated 3 months ago

Quick answer

## WorkOS vs Clerk: which should you choose?

Short answer

WorkOS vs Clerk have overlapping use cases in identity and access management. The right pick depends on your company size, deployment model, integrations, and pricing tolerance — compare those attributes side-by-side below.

Best for

WorkOS: B2B SaaS companies that are losing or at risk of losing enterprise deals because they lack SAML SSO, SCIM directory sync, or audit logs, and want to ship these features quickly without deep identity protocol expertise. · Clerk: Development teams building B2B or B2C SaaS products on React, Next.js, or modern JavaScript frameworks who want polished authentication UI without building it from scratch, and who need organization management alongside standard authentication features.

When to choose

Pick the option whose company-size fit, deployment model, and integrations most closely match your stack.

When not to choose

Skip a head-to-head if you haven't shortlisted a category yet — start with the IAM Stack Finder instead.

Related tools & categories

[WorkOS](/directory/workos)[Clerk](/directory/clerk)[IAM Stack Finder](/stack-finder)[Buyer resources](/resources)

Attribute

[WorkOS](/directory/workos)[](https://workos.com)

[Clerk](/directory/clerk)[](https://clerk.com)

Best for

B2B SaaS companies that are losing or at risk of losing enterprise deals because they lack SAML SSO, SCIM directory sync, or audit logs, and want to ship these features quickly without deep identity protocol expertise. 

Development teams building B2B or B2C SaaS products on React, Next.js, or modern JavaScript frameworks who want polished authentication UI without building it from scratch, and who need organization management alongside standard authentication features. 

Short description

WorkOS provides a developer API for adding enterprise identity features — SSO, SCIM directory sync, audit logs, and admin portals — to B2B SaaS applications, enabling faster enterprise sales readiness. 

Clerk provides drop-in authentication UI components and a complete user management platform for React, Next.js, and modern web applications, including B2B organization management and enterprise SSO. 

Company size

Startup, Mid-market 

Startup, Mid-market 

Deployment

SaaS / Cloud-hosted 

SaaS / Cloud-hosted 

Source

Proprietary 

Proprietary 

Pricing model

Per SSO/Directory Sync connection per month 

MAU-based (monthly active users); free tier available 

Integrations

Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace, PingFederate, OneLogin, Duo, JumpCloud 

Next.js, React, Remix, Expo, Google, GitHub, Apple, Okta 

Categories

SSO, Workforce IAM, Customer Identity / CIAM, SCIM, Developer Authentication 

SSO, Customer Identity / CIAM, Developer Authentication, MFA / Passwordless 

Claimed profile

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