Authentication Data v1.2.0 Updated 2025-12-28

Better Auth

The most comprehensive authentication framework for TypeScript

5.2k 45k/week No known vulns 12kb gzip
84 /100
Strong pick Good confidence (80%)

Quick Verdict

Best For

  • Teams wanting full control over auth
  • Self-hosted applications
  • Cost-sensitive projects
  • TypeScript-first development

Consider Alternatives If

  • Teams needing enterprise compliance guarantees
  • Projects requiring managed auth service
  • Teams without security expertise

Top Alternatives

Clerk 83

Score Breakdown

6 dimensions evaluated with transparent methodology

Performance
90 −10

Lightweight with minimal overhead

  • No external service calls for auth
  • Database-direct session validation
  • Efficient JWT handling
Why not 100%:
  • −5 Social providers add network latency
  • −5 Session storage requires database access
Developer Experience
92 −8

Excellent TypeScript-first DX with comprehensive features

  • Full TypeScript with type inference
  • Simple API surface
  • Built-in plugins for common features
Why not 100%:
  • −4 Newer library, fewer community examples
  • −4 Some advanced features still developing
Ecosystem
55 −45

Growing ecosystem with active development

  • Plugin system for extensibility
  • Database adapter support
  • Framework adapters available
Why not 100%:
  • −15 Much smaller than Auth.js ecosystem
  • −15 Fewer third-party plugins
  • −15 Limited enterprise integrations
Maintainability
88 −12

Active development with clear ownership

  • Dedicated maintainers
  • Regular releases
  • Clear versioning
Why not 100%:
  • −6 Young project (started 2024)
  • −6 Long-term stability uncertain
Cost Efficiency
98 −2

Fully open-source with no per-user pricing

  • MIT licensed
  • Self-hosted, no SaaS fees
  • No per-MAU pricing
Why not 100%:
  • −1 Self-managed infrastructure required
  • −1 No managed service option
Compliance
85 −15

Solid security foundations with modern practices

  • Secure session handling
  • Password hashing with Argon2
  • CSRF protection built-in
Why not 100%:
  • −5 No SOC 2 certification
  • −5 Fewer enterprise security audits
  • −5 Compliance is your responsibility

Compare Alternatives

How Better Auth stacks up against similar technologies

TechnologyOverallPerfDXEcosystem
Current Better Auth84909255
Clerk Managed service, more features, costs money83———Compare →
Full comparison with Clerk

Sources & Methodology

How we calculate these scores — transparent and reproducible

Deterministic Scoring

Same inputs always produce the same outputs. We use versioned lookup tables, not LLM opinions. Every score is explainable and reproducible.

Learn how it works →
primary

GitHub

Repository activity, stars, contributors, issue resolution time

primary

NPM Registry

Weekly downloads, package dependencies, version history

secondary

Bundlephobia

Bundle size, tree-shaking efficiency, dependency weight

secondary

OSV Database

Known vulnerabilities, security advisories, CVE tracking

contextual

Community Signals

Stack Overflow activity, Discord engagement, developer surveys

Data version: 1.2.0 Last updated: 2025-12-28 Confidence: 80%

Frequently Asked

Why doesn't Better Auth score 100%?

No technology is perfect for every use case. Our scoring reflects real-world trade-offs. Better Auth's main gaps are in ecosystem, where much smaller than auth.js ecosystem.

What does confidence percentage mean?

Confidence (80%) indicates how much data we have to support the score. Higher confidence means more data points from multiple sources (GitHub activity, NPM downloads, security audits, community surveys).

How often are scores updated?

Scores are recalculated weekly using automated data pipelines. Major version updates trigger immediate recalculation. Last update: 2025-12-28.