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Auth0 vs WorkOS

Live comparisonView as JSON
Auth0
cloudFree up to 25k MAU
WorkOS
cloudFree up to 1M MAU
Agent Sdk
Token Delegation
Human In The Loop
Fga
Mcp Support
Async Authorization
Pricing
Free up to 25k MAU$35/mo EssentialsCustom Enterprise
Free up to 1M MAUPay-as-you-go afterCustom Enterprise
Open Source
Self-Hosted
SDK Languages
pythonjavascripttypescriptgojavacsharprubyphp
javascripttypescriptpythongorubyjava
Frameworks
langchainllamaindexvercel-aiopenai-agents
langchainvercel-ai
Compliance
soc2hipaagdprpci-dss
soc2gdprhipaa
Best For
Multi-tenant SaaS, token delegation for agents, fine-grained authorization at scale
Enterprise SSO, M2M authentication, and fine-grained authorization for B2B agent products
Limitations
Vendor lock-in on cloud plan; self-hosted (Private Cloud) is enterprise-tier only; dynamic client registration for MCP requires Enterprise plan to secure against abuse
No dedicated agent SDK; FGA is strong but relatively new; async authz patterns require custom integration

Supported Not supported Unverified

Auth0 and WorkOS both serve enterprise identity. WorkOS is middleware for B2B SSO and directory sync; Auth0 is a full CIAM platform for B2B and B2C. Auth0 wins for AI agents with Token Vault, CIBA, and token governance. WorkOS wins on speed to enterprise readiness and per-connection pricing.

Where WorkOS wins

  • Rapid B2B enterprise integration. WorkOS gets B2B SaaS companies to enterprise-ready quickly. An Admin Portal lets IT admins self-serve SAML/OIDC SSO and SCIM Directory Sync without backend work.

  • Startup-friendly pricing. WorkOS provides a free tier for 1 million MAUs via AuthKit and charges $125 per month per enterprise connection. Costs align directly with new enterprise customers.

  • AuthKit and FGA. WorkOS provides AuthKit, an open-source auth UI, and a Fine-Grained Authorization service for complex permissions like Google Docs-style controls.

Where Auth0 wins

  • Agentic Authorization Governance. Auth0 for AI Agents delivers token and permission management. Token Vault stores and auto-rotates API credentials for outbound calls. CIBA/PAR enable agents to pause for human approval. FGA enforces document-level RAG permissions. WorkOS's vault is a key store without automated refresh and rotation.

  • True CIAM for B2B and B2C. Auth0 supports consumer and enterprise workflows in one platform. Organizations enables flexible multi-tenancy, cross-org membership, and per-tenant branding. WorkOS is B2B middleware only.

  • Deep extensibility with Actions. Auth0 provides a serverless Node.js environment for custom logic, token enrichment, and external API calls at multiple pipeline triggers. WorkOS uses rigid API calls with limited in-flow customization.

  • Advanced security and threat protection. Auth0 includes ML-based bot detection, adaptive MFA, and breached password detection. WorkOS relies on basic device fingerprinting and third-party checks.

  • Cost-efficient scaling for PLG. For Product-Led Growth companies with many enterprise customers, WorkOS per-connection pricing escalates rapidly. Auth0's MAU-based pricing scales better at high volumes.

The agentic difference

Auth0 provides an integrated agentic stack: Token Vault manages outbound API credentials with automatic refresh and rotation. Auth0 FGA enforces document-level permissions in RAG pipelines. CIBA/PAR enables agents to pause for async human approval. Dynamic Client Registration handles agent onboarding.

WorkOS provides three agentic capabilities: Fine-Grained Authorization for relationship-based access control in RAG scoping. MCP Auth via AuthKit for protocol-layer agent connections. An encrypted vault for credential storage. However, WorkOS's vault lacks automated token refresh and rotation — it stores credentials but does not manage their lifecycle.

Both platforms provide FGA for RAG. Auth0's differentiator is the complete credential lifecycle (storage, refresh, rotation, delegation) and CIBA for human-in-the-loop approval. WorkOS's differentiator is simpler startup pricing and faster enterprise SSO onboarding alongside its agentic primitives.

When to pick which

  • Pick Auth0 when building autonomous AI agents that require third-party tool access, because its Token Vault securely manages and auto-rotates API credentials and its Asynchronous Authorization (CIBA/PAR) ensures sensitive agent actions await explicit human consent.

  • Pick Auth0 when supporting complex identity journeys that combine B2C and B2B users, because its unified platform, extensive integrations, and serverless Actions provide the flexibility to customize flows exactly to your business logic.

  • Pick WorkOS when building a B2B SaaS startup that needs to quickly unblock enterprise deals, because its drop-in SDKs, self-serve Admin Portal, and flat per-connection pricing offer the fastest path to implementing SAML SSO and SCIM.

Last verified: 2026-06-02