Pricing overview
Auth0 employs a usage-based pricing structure primarily centered around Monthly Active Users (MAUs) for its Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) platform. This model differentiates between Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B) requirements, offering distinct plans tailored to each segment's typical feature needs, such as Social Login for B2C and Enterprise SSO for B2B. Additional costs can arise from optional add-ons or exceeding specific feature limits, even within a plan tier. Developers and organizations evaluate Auth0's pricing by assessing their projected MAU volume and the specific authentication features required, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) or anomaly detection, which may be included in higher-tier plans or available as separate add-ons. The platform's extensibility through Auth0 Actions for custom logic can also influence overall solution complexity and, indirectly, cost if extensive custom development is required.
The pricing model is designed to scale with an application's user base, moving from a generous free tier to various paid tiers as MAU counts increase. Understanding the specific MAU thresholds and the feature sets included in each plan is crucial for accurate cost estimation. Auth0's acquisition by Okta in 2021 integrated its offerings into a broader identity management portfolio, though its pricing structure largely remains distinct for its core services. Organizations often compare Auth0's pricing against alternatives like Google Firebase Authentication pricing or other dedicated IDaaS providers when making procurement decisions.
Plans and tiers
Auth0 categorizes its paid plans into B2C and B2B offerings, each with multiple tiers. The B2C plans focus on consumer-facing applications, emphasizing features like social login and self-service registration. The B2B plans are designed for enterprise applications, prioritizing capabilities such as SAML/OIDC-based Single Sign-On (SSO) and B2B organization management. All paid plans include core features like Universal Login, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and anomaly detection, with higher tiers offering advanced capabilities and increased MAU allowances.
B2C Plans
- Essentials: This entry-level paid tier starts at $35 per month for 1,000 MAUs. It includes basic authentication features suitable for small applications. Key limits often include fewer social connections and limited customizability compared to higher tiers.
- Professional: Building on Essentials, the Professional tier provides more MAUs, advanced features like custom domains, and increased support options. For example, 10,000 MAUs on this plan typically cost $240 per month.
- Enterprise: For large-scale consumer applications, the Enterprise plan offers custom pricing, dedicated support, advanced security features, and higher MAU volumes, often including features like custom database connections and premium integrations.
B2B Plans
- Essentials: Similar to its B2C counterpart, the B2B Essentials plan provides foundational identity services for business applications. It typically includes support for a limited number of organizations and basic SSO capabilities.
- Professional: This tier expands on B2B Essentials, offering enhanced B2B organization management, more extensive SSO options (e.g., SAML, OIDC), and increased MAU capacity.
- Enterprise: The B2B Enterprise plan is designed for complex organizational structures and compliance requirements, offering advanced B2B features, dedicated support, and custom pricing based on specific needs.
The following table provides a general overview of Auth0's primary paid plans, their starting prices, key features, and typical use cases. Specific pricing details and feature inclusions can vary; refer to the official Auth0 pricing page for the most current information.
| Plan Name | Starting Price | Key Limits/Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2C Essentials | $35/month (1,000 MAUs) | Universal Login, Social Login, MFA, Anomaly Detection | Small consumer apps, startups |
| B2C Professional | $240/month (10,000 MAUs) | Custom Domains, Advanced Analytics, Email/SMS Templates | Growing consumer apps, SaaS with mid-range user bases |
| B2C Enterprise | Custom pricing | Dedicated Support, Advanced Security, Custom Database Connections | Large-scale consumer applications, high-compliance needs |
| B2B Essentials | Contact Sales | Basic B2B Organization Management, Limited Enterprise SSO | Small business applications, basic partner portals |
| B2B Professional | Contact Sales | Advanced B2B Features, Extensive Enterprise SSO, Delegated Administration | Mid-sized B2B SaaS, partner ecosystems |
| B2B Enterprise | Custom pricing | Dedicated Support, Advanced Compliance, Multi-tenancy | Large enterprises, complex B2B ecosystems |
Free tier and limits
Auth0 provides a free tier designed for developers and small projects to get started without immediate cost. This free offering includes:
- Monthly Active Users (MAUs): Up to 25,000 MAUs. An MAU is defined as a unique user who logs in or refreshes a token within a calendar month.
- Organizations: Support for up to 5 organizations, a feature particularly relevant for B2B applications that need to manage multiple customer tenants.
- Social Connections: Limited to 1 social connection, allowing integration with a single social identity provider (e.g., Google, Facebook). Paid plans typically offer access to over 40 social identity providers.
- Core Features: Includes Universal Login, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and basic anomaly detection.
The free tier is suitable for proof-of-concept projects, development environments, and applications with a modest user base. However, once an application exceeds these limits, or requires advanced features such as custom domains, enterprise SSO, or more social connections, a paid plan becomes necessary. The transition from the free tier to a paid plan typically involves moving to one of the B2C or B2B Essentials tiers, depending on the application's nature.
Real-world cost examples
To illustrate Auth0's pricing, consider the following real-world scenarios based on common MAU volumes and feature requirements:
- Scenario 1: Small Consumer Application (1,000 MAUs)
A mobile application with 1,000 monthly active users needs basic authentication, including social login (e.g., Google). This scenario fits within the B2C Essentials plan, costing approximately $35 per month. This includes Universal Login and MFA, but might be limited to a single social connection depending on the exact plan details. - Scenario 2: Growing SaaS Platform (10,000 MAUs)
A B2C SaaS platform experiencing growth, with 10,000 monthly active users, requires custom domains, advanced analytics, and multiple social connections. This would fall under the B2C Professional plan, costing around $240 per month. This tier provides a more comprehensive feature set suitable for a mid-sized user base. - Scenario 3: Enterprise B2B Application (Custom MAUs)
A large enterprise building a B2B application for its partners, requiring extensive Enterprise SSO (SAML/OIDC), delegated administration, and multi-tenancy for 50+ organizations. This scenario necessitates a B2B Enterprise plan, which involves custom pricing. The cost would be determined through direct consultation with Auth0 sales, factoring in MAU volume, number of organizations, and specific compliance or support needs. Such plans can range from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars monthly, depending on scale. - Scenario 4: Development Project (Under 25,000 MAUs)
A developer building a new application or proof-of-concept with an anticipated user base of under 25,000 MAUs and only one social login. This project can comfortably use the Free Tier, incurring no direct cost, and leveraging core Auth0 features for identity management.
These examples highlight how MAU volume and specific feature requirements directly influence the chosen plan and overall monthly cost. Organizations should carefully project their user growth and feature needs to select the most appropriate and cost-effective Auth0 plan.
How the pricing compares
Auth0's pricing model, based on Monthly Active Users (MAUs), is a common approach among Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) providers. When comparing Auth0's costs, several factors come into play, including the generosity of the free tier, the MAU thresholds for paid plans, and the feature sets included at various price points.
- Free Tier Comparison: Auth0's free tier, offering 25,000 MAUs, 5 organizations, and 1 social connection, is considered quite generous compared to some alternatives. For instance, Firebase Authentication also offers a free tier, but its limits can differ, often tied into the broader Firebase platform usage. Other providers might have lower MAU limits or more restricted feature sets in their free offerings.
- MAU-Based Scaling: Auth0's MAU-based scaling is standard. However, the exact cost per MAU can vary. For example, moving from Auth0's free tier to B2C Essentials at 1,000 MAUs for $35/month, then to B2C Professional at 10,000 MAUs for $240/month, shows a scaling cost. Competitors like Clerk or WorkOS might offer different price points per MAU or package features differently, potentially leading to varied total costs for similar user volumes.
- Feature Set vs. Cost: Auth0's plans bundle specific features. The B2C Professional plan, for example, includes custom domains and advanced analytics that might be premium add-ons or only available in higher tiers with other providers. Conversely, certain advanced B2B features, like extensive Enterprise SSO for many organizations, often require custom pricing discussions across most IDaaS platforms, including Auth0. The cost-effectiveness often depends on how well Auth0's bundled features align with an organization's specific requirements, avoiding the need to pay for unused features or purchase expensive add-ons.
- Developer Experience and Extensibility: While not directly a pricing factor, the maturity of Auth0's SDK ecosystem and the power of its Actions feature (for custom authentication flows) can reduce development time and complexity. This indirect cost saving can make Auth0 a more cost-effective choice even if its per-MAU price is similar to or slightly higher than an alternative that requires more custom development or integration work. The ability to customize UI through HTML/CSS templating is also a factor in development effort.
In summary, Auth0's pricing is competitive within the IDaaS market, particularly for organizations valuing a mature platform with strong extensibility and compliance features. The optimal choice often depends on a detailed analysis of MAU projections, required features, and the specific B2C or B2B use case.