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Authentication Providers

  • Managed Solutions
  • Open-Source

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Clerk

Complete user management platformBeautiful pre-built UIs, social logins, MFA, webhooks, user management dashboard.Pricing: Free up to 10K MAU, then per-seat pricingBest for: Startups, B2B SaaS, rapid developmentFeatures:
  • Beautiful customizable UI components
  • Social logins & passwordless
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • User management dashboard
  • Organizations & teams
  • Webhooks & integrations
Documentation • Get Started

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Auth0

Enterprise identity platform (Okta)Battle-tested, multi-language support, M2M auth, enterprise-grade security.Pricing: $0.07/MAU (not public beyond 20K)Best for: Enterprise, multi-language apps, M2M authenticationFeatures:
  • Multi-language support
  • Machine-to-machine auth
  • Advanced security features
  • Okta integration
  • Enterprise SSO
Documentation • Get Started

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Supabase Auth

PostgreSQL-backed authenticationJWT-based, Row-Level Security, integrates with Supabase ecosystem.Pricing: $0.00325/MAU (most affordable)Best for: Supabase users, SQL-based auth, budget-conscious projectsFeatures:
  • JWT authentication
  • Row-Level Security
  • Social logins
  • Email/SMS verification
  • Direct PostgreSQL integration
Documentation • Get Started

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Firebase Auth

Google’s authentication serviceEasy social logins, phone auth, email verification.Best for: Mobile apps, Firebase users, simple auth needsFeatures:
  • Social authentication
  • Phone number auth
  • Email verification
  • Anonymous auth
  • Firebase integration
Documentation • Get Started

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Real-time & WebSockets

Supabase Realtime

PostgreSQL change data captureListen to database changes in real-time. Built on Phoenix Channels.Best for: Supabase users, database-driven real-time
  • PostgreSQL CDC
  • Included with Supabase
  • Phoenix Channels
  • Presence & broadcast
Documentation

Socket.io

Real-time bidirectional communicationWebSockets with fallbacks, rooms, namespaces. Battle-tested.Best for: Chat apps, multiplayer games, real-time dashboards
  • WebSocket-based
  • Rooms & namespaces
  • Automatic fallbacks
  • Battle-tested
Documentation

Pusher

Hosted WebSocket serviceManaged WebSocket infrastructure, presence channels, client SDKs.Best for: Managed solution, rapid development, global scale
  • Fully managed
  • Presence channels
  • Global CDN
  • Client SDKs
Documentation

Ably

Realtime experience platformPub/sub messaging, presence, history, guaranteed message delivery.Best for: Mission-critical real-time, financial apps, IoT
  • Guaranteed delivery
  • Message history
  • Global edge network
  • Pub/sub messaging
Documentation

Liveblocks

Collaborative experiences platformReal-time collaboration primitives (presence, rooms, storage, comments).Best for: Collaborative apps (Figma-like), multiplayer features
  • Presence awareness
  • Real-time comments
  • Conflict-free storage
  • Collaboration SDK
Documentation

PartyKit

Real-time multiplayer platformDurable objects for real-time, WebSocket server on the edge.Best for: Multiplayer apps, edge-based real-time
  • Edge deployment
  • Durable objects
  • WebSocket support
  • Multiplayer-first
Documentation

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Authentication Comparison

ProviderPricingFree TierBest For
ClerkPer-seat10K MAUB2B SaaS, startups
Auth0$0.07/MAU7K MAUEnterprise, M2M
Supabase Auth$0.00325/MAU100K MAUBudget-conscious, Supabase
NextAuth.jsFree (OSS)UnlimitedSelf-hosting, full control
Firebase AuthPay-per-useGenerousMobile apps, Firebase
LuciaFree (OSS)UnlimitedCustom flows, minimal
SuperTokensFree (OSS)UnlimitedSelf-hosting, compliance

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Real-time Comparison

SolutionTypeBest ForPricing
Supabase RealtimeDatabase CDCDatabase-driven appsIncluded with Supabase
Socket.ioWebSocket libraryCustom real-time logicFree (self-hosted)
PusherManaged serviceRapid development0−0 - 499/month
AblyManaged serviceMission-critical appsPay-as-you-go
LiveblocksCollaboration SDKCollaborative apps0−0 - 99/month
PartyKitEdge platformMultiplayer games0−0 - 20/month

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Decision Trees

B2B SaaS with beautiful UI needs? → ClerkEnterprise with M2M auth? → Auth0Budget-conscious or using Supabase? → Supabase AuthNeed full control & self-hosting? → NextAuth.jsMobile app with Firebase? → Firebase AuthWant minimal abstraction? → LuciaCompliance & self-hosting? → SuperTokens
Using Supabase already? → Supabase RealtimeNeed custom WebSocket logic? → Socket.ioWant fully managed solution? → Pusher or AblyBuilding collaborative apps? → LiveblocksMultiplayer game on the edge? → PartyKitMission-critical financial app? → Ably

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Social Login Support

All major auth providers support these social logins:
  • Google
  • GitHub
  • Facebook
  • Twitter/X
  • Apple
  • Microsoft/Azure AD
  • Discord
  • Spotify
  • Twitch
  • LinkedIn
Implementation varies:
  • Clerk → Pre-built UI components
  • Auth0 → Social connections config
  • Supabase → OAuth provider setup
  • NextAuth.js → Provider configuration
  • Firebase → Google provider optimized

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WebSocket vs Supabase Realtime

  • WebSockets (Socket.io)
  • Supabase Realtime
Custom real-time logicPros:
  • Full control over messages
  • Custom event handling
  • Rooms & namespaces
  • Works with any backend
Cons:
  • More code to write
  • Need to manage connections
  • Scaling can be complex
Use when: You need custom real-time logic separate from database
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Full Supabase Stack

Supabase Auth + Supabase Realtime + Row-Level SecurityPerfect for: SQL-first apps with integrated auth and real-time
2

Next.js Full-Stack

Clerk + Pusher or LiveblocksPerfect for: B2B SaaS with collaborative features
3

Budget-Conscious

NextAuth.js + Socket.io (both self-hosted)Perfect for: Startups minimizing costs
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Enterprise

Auth0 + AblyPerfect for: Mission-critical apps with compliance needs