{"name":"Clerk","slug":"clerk","category":"auth","type":"cloud","website":"https://clerk.com","pricing":"freemium","pricing_tiers":["Free up to 10k MAU","$25/mo Pro","Custom Enterprise"],"open_source":false,"self_hosted":false,"sdk_languages":["javascript","typescript"],"frameworks":["vercel-ai","langchain","nextjs","remix"],"agent_features":{"agent_sdk":true,"token_delegation":false,"human_in_the_loop":false,"fga":false,"mcp_support":null,"async_authorization":false},"compliance":["soc2","gdpr"],"best_for":"Next.js and React AI apps needing fast auth setup with prebuilt UI components","limitations":"JavaScript/TypeScript only; no token delegation or FGA; not designed for complex agent authorization patterns","verified_by":"editorial","last_verified":"2026-04-17","source_urls":{"changelog":"https://clerk.com/changelog","pricing":"https://clerk.com/pricing","docs":"https://clerk.com/docs"},"feature_labels":{"agent_sdk":"Dedicated SDK for agentic workflows — agent sessions, token lifecycle, and authorization requests","token_delegation":"Issue scoped tokens an agent can use downstream without exposing user credentials","human_in_the_loop":"Pause agent execution and require explicit user approval before proceeding","fga":"Fine-Grained Authorization — relationship-based or attribute-based access control, not just role-based","mcp_support":"Native OAuth/OIDC authorization layer for Model Context Protocol servers","async_authorization":"Non-blocking approval workflows — agent continues and gets notified when approval is granted"},"comparisons":[{"slug":"auth0-vs-clerk","title":"Auth0 vs Clerk","vs":"auth0"},{"slug":"clerk-vs-cognito","title":"Clerk vs Amazon Cognito","vs":"cognito"},{"slug":"clerk-vs-descope","title":"Clerk vs Descope","vs":"descope"},{"slug":"clerk-vs-firebase-auth","title":"Clerk vs Firebase","vs":"firebase-auth"},{"slug":"clerk-vs-keycloak","title":"Clerk vs Keycloak","vs":"keycloak"},{"slug":"clerk-vs-ory","title":"Clerk vs Ory","vs":"ory"},{"slug":"clerk-vs-stytch","title":"Clerk vs Stytch","vs":"stytch"},{"slug":"clerk-vs-supabase-auth","title":"Clerk vs Supabase","vs":"supabase-auth"},{"slug":"clerk-vs-workos","title":"Clerk vs WorkOS","vs":"workos"}],"body":"# Clerk\n\nClerk is the go-to auth solution in the Next.js and React ecosystem, known for its polished prebuilt UI components and tight Vercel integration. It's popular in AI app development because it gets auth working in minutes with minimal boilerplate.\n\nFor simple agentic use cases — an AI app where a user logs in and the agent acts within that session — Clerk works well. For more complex agent scenarios involving token delegation, inter-agent authorization, or fine-grained permission models, Clerk isn't the right fit.\n\nThe AI-specific support centers on making session tokens available within AI SDK route handlers and server actions, rather than purpose-built agent authorization primitives.\n\n**Agent-specific features:**\n- Session token access within AI SDK route handlers\n- Middleware integration for protecting AI endpoints\n- No built-in token delegation or FGA"}