diff --git a/content/auth0-pricing-the-complete-guide/index.md b/content/auth0-pricing-the-complete-guide/index.md index b3c79419..bc4c4379 100644 --- a/content/auth0-pricing-the-complete-guide/index.md +++ b/content/auth0-pricing-the-complete-guide/index.md @@ -1,101 +1,244 @@ --- -title: "Auth0 Pricing: The Complete Guide [2022]" +title: "Auth0 Pricing: The Complete Cost Breakdown [2024]" description: "An in depth guide covering Auth0's pricing model" -date: "2022-11-15" +date: "2024-06-26" cover: "auth0-pricing-the-complete-guide.png" category: "featured" -author: "Joel Coutinho" +author: "Mostafa Ibrahim" --- ## Table of Contents + - [What is Auth0?](#what-is-auth0) - [Auth0 Pricing](#auth0-pricing) - [Auth0 Alternative: SuperTokens](#auth0-alternative-supertokens) +## Introduction + +Hey there, tech enthusiasts and fellow developers! Let's dive into the world of identity and access management (IAM) – a crucial piece of the puzzle in our increasingly digital world. If you're building apps or managing digital products, you know that keeping user data safe and ensuring smooth access is no walk in the park. That's where Auth0 comes into play. + +Auth0 has been making waves in the IAM space, offering a sleek solution to the authentication headache many of us face. But here's the million-dollar question (or maybe less, depending on your plan): Is Auth0 worth your hard-earned cash in 2024? + +In this deep dive, we're going to break down Auth0's pricing structure, compare it with some alternatives, and help you figure out if it's the right fit for your project or business. So grab your favorite caffeinated beverage, and let's crunch some numbers! ## What is Auth0? -Auth0 is an authentication and authorization provider. It started in 2013 as an identity and access management (IAM) service to allow developers to connect their apps to enterprise and social providers easily. +Picture this: You're building the next big thing in tech, but the thought of implementing a secure, scalable authentication system makes you want to hide under your desk. Enter Auth0 – your friendly neighborhood IAM superhero. + +Auth0 is like that super-efficient friend who's got your back when it comes to managing user identities and access. It's a flexible, drop-in solution that handles all the nitty-gritty of authentication and authorization, so you can focus on what you do best – building awesome features for your users. +Here's what makes Auth0 stand out in the crowd: + +- **Single Sign-On (SSO)**: One key to rule them all! Users can access multiple applications with a single set of credentials. +- **Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)**: Because sometimes, one factor just isn't enough to keep the bad guys out. +- **Social login**: Let users sign in with their favorite social media accounts. Less friction, more action! +- **User management**: Offers tools for maintaining and organizing user data. +- **Customizable login interfaces**: Enables tailoring of the authentication process to match application aesthetics. +- **Extensive API and SDK support**: Facilitates integration with various technology stacks. -Over the years, they have scaled their services, achieved compliance certifications, and added more features. +By leveraging Auth0, you're not just saving time; you're also beefing up your app's security, ensuring scalability, and staying on the right side of those pesky compliance regulations. It's like having a team of IAM experts in your pocket – pretty cool, right? ## Auth0 Pricing -Auth0’s offerings can be broadly broken down into their free and paid plans. +[Auth0's pricing model](https://auth0.com/pricing) is designed to accommodate a range of users, from individual developers to large enterprises. The platform offers a tiered system, including a free tier and three paid tiers, each catering to different scales of operation and feature requirements. +Here's the lowdown on Auth0's pricing tiers: + +Here's the lowdown on Auth0's pricing tiers: + +| Plan | Starting Price | Key Features | +|-------------|----------------|--------------------------------------------------------| +| Free | $0/month | Up to 7,500 monthly active users, 2 social identity providers | +| Essentials | $35/month | Starts at 500 monthly active users, basic features | +| Professional| $240/month | Starts at 1,000 monthly active users, advanced features | +| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Unlimited active users, premium support, advanced security | + +Now, let's break it down and see what you really get for your money. ### Free Plan -- Auth0’s free plan allows having up to 7000 MAUs and up to 2 social connections and 3 Actions. Actions are functional services that fire during specific events across multiple identity flows -- This tier is ideal for testing out Auth0 or for personal projects. However, features such as social connections, user roles, and custom domains are unavailable. Teams are forced to move to paid plans for more serious projects. +The free plan serves as an entry point for developers and small-scale projects. Here's what you get: + +- Up to 7,500 monthly active users (not too shabby!) +- Password Authentication with Email, Username, or Phone Number +- Passkey Authentication +- Social Authentication (Google, Facebook, etc.) +- Branded forms (Login, Signup, etc.) +- Javascript for custom logic during login, signup, etc. (Actions) +- Basic Attack Protection +- Community Support + +But remember, there's no such thing as a free lunch. The free plan comes with some limitations: + +- No custom domains (you're stuck with auth0.com) +- Limited MFA options (basic security only) +- Basic user management + +This plan is perfect for: + +- Personal projects (your next big idea) +- Small startups (still in that garage phase) +- Testing and development environments (because who wants to pay to break things?) + +### Paid Features + +- **Essential Plan ($35/month):** + +For when your side project starts to look more like a real business, the **Essential** plan offers: + +- Everything in Free, with 500 monthly active users, plus... + - Higher End-User Authentication & API Limits + - Magic Link & SMS Authentication + - Role-based Access Control + - Stream Auth0 Audit Logs to Datadog, Splunk, AWS, Azure, etc. + - Increased Feature Limits + - Separate Production & Development Environments + - Standard Support + - 1 custom domain (hello, professionalism!) + +**This plan is great for small teams or projects that have outgrown the free tier but aren't ready for the big leagues yet.** + +- **Professional Plan ($240/month):** + +As your user base grows and you need more advanced features, the Professional plan has got you covered: + +- Everything in Essentials, with 1000 monthly active users, plus... + - Use your existing User Database for Logins + - Multi-Factor Authentication (with OTP) + - Enhanced Attack Protection Enterprise + - MFA Lite ADD-ON + - Service Authorization ADD-ON -![Auth0 free plan](./auth0_free.png) +**This is the sweet spot for growing businesses that need need their authentication requirements to scale with their business** -### Paid Plans -Auth0 splits its paid plans into two sections based on whether your app is “B2C” or “B2B”. Each use case has it's own Essential, Professional, and Enterprise tiers. In both cases, the Enterprise tier has fully custom pricing. +- Enterprise Plan (Custom pricing) + - Everything in Professional plus... + - Custom User & SSO Tiers + - 99.99% SLA + - Enterprise Rate Limits + - Enterprise Administration & Support + - Advanced Security Features ADD-ON + - Private Deployment ADD-ON -**Use Case 1: Business to Consumer** -> Note: Both the Essential and Professional tiers allow for up to 10,000 monthly active users. If you cross these thresholds, you will be asked to move to the Enterprise tier. +**The Enterprise plan is all about customization and high-level support. If you're a large organization with complex needs, this is your jam.** -- **Essential**: - - The essential plan allows for unlimited social connections, custom domains, and user role management. You also get 2 more Actions. - - Pricing starts at $23/month for 1,000 monthly active users and scales to $228/month for 10,000 users. +But wait, Auth0 offers a nuanced pricing structure for its paid plans, differentiating between Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) scenarios. The pricing is further segmented based on the number of active users -- **Professional:** - - The professional plan adds features such as multifactor authentication, admin roles, the ability to connect an external database, and up to 10 Actions. - - Pricing starts at $240/month for 1,000 monthly active users and scales to $1,500/month +The pricing for B2B and B2C scenarios is structured as follows: -- **Enterprise:** - - The Enterprise plan has a 99.99% SLA with enterprise support and advanced cloud deployment options. This tier also allows private deployments. - - Enterprise pricing is completely custom and requires you to speak to an Auth0 sales representative. From our research, enterprise plans start at $30,000 / year ($2,500 / month) but scale to 6 and 7 figures as well. +#### B2C Use Case -![Auth0 B2C pricing plan](./auth0_b2c.png) +| No. of Users | Essential Plan | Professional Plan | +|--------------|----------------|-------------------| +| 500 | $35/month | $240/month | +| 1000 | $70/month | $240/month | +| 2500 | $175/month | $545/month | +| 5000 | $350/month | $1000/month | +| 7500 | $525/month | $1200/month | +| 10000 | $700/month | $1600/month | +| 20000 | $1400/month | Contact | +| 30000+ | Contact | Contact | +#### B2B Use Case -**Use Case 2: Business to Business** -Similar to the first use case, the B2B plan also has essential, professional, and enterprise tiers. +| No. of Users | Essential Plan | Professional Plan | +|--------------|----------------|-------------------| +| 500 | $150/month | $800/month | +| 1000 | $300/month | $800/month | +| 2500 | $700/month | $1000/month | +| 5000 | $1300/month | $1200/month | +| 7500 | $1750/month | $1500/month | +| 10000 | Contact | $1800/month | +| 20000 | Contact | Contact | +| 30000+ | Contact | Contact | -> Note: Both the Essential and Professional tiers allow for up to 7,000 monthly active users. If you cross these thresholds you will be asked to move to the Enterprise tier. -- **Essential:** - - The essential plan offers enterprise connections, multi-factor authentication, user role management, and organization management. - - Pricing starts at $130/month for 500 monthly active users and scales to $1,420/month for 7,000 users. -- **Professional:** - - The professional plan allows you to connect your database and increases the number of organizations as well as Actions count. - - Pricing starts at $800/month for 500 monthly active users and scales to $1,800/month for 7,000 users. -- **Enterprise:** - - The Enterprise plan has 99.99% SLA with enterprise support and advanced cloud deployment options. This tier also allows private deployments. - - It removes restrictions on the number of Monthly Active Users. - - Enterprise pricing is completely custom and requires you to speak to an Auth0 sales representative. From our research, it seems enterprise plans start at $30,000 / year ($2,500 / month) but scales to 6 and 7 figures as well +## Should you use Auth0? -![Auth0 B2B pricing plan](./auth0_b2b.png) +So, Is Auth0 the right choice for you? Let's find out +Choosing is an authentication solution is a long-term commitment that can have a big impact on your buisness. Here are some things to consider: + +- **Scale**: How big is your user base now, and how fast is it growing? +- **Feature needs**: Do you need the fancy stuff like SSO and advanced MFA, or will basic auth do? +- **Budget**: How much are you willing to spend on auth? (Remember, security is an investment!) +- **Compliance requirements**: Any specific regulations you need to adhere to? +- **Dev team expertise**: How comfortable is your team with implementing and managing auth systems? + +Auth0 pros: + +- Comprehensive feature set +- Excellent documentation and support (because reading docs is fun, said no one ever) +- Flexible integration options +- Strong security measures + +Auth0 cons: + +- Pricing can scale up very quickly +- Potential vendor lock-in (breaking up is hard to do) +- Learning curve for complex setups (prepare for some head-scratching) + +Auth0 is ideal if: + +- You're an enterprise with complex IAM needs +- You're a startup looking for a scalable solution that can grow with you +- You're a developer who'd rather focus on building cool features than managing auth + +### Additional Costs: The Fine Print + +Before you whip out that credit card, let's talk about some potential hidden costs. Like that "all-inclusive" resort that charges extra for Wi-Fi, Auth0 has a few additional expenses you should know about: + +- **Overage charges**: Go over your plan's active user limit, and you'll be paying extra. It's like a data plan for your auth system. +- **Custom domain fees**: Want more custom domains? Be prepared to shell out some extra dough. +- **Add-ons**: Some advanced features, like bot detection, come with their own price tag. +- **Professional services**: Need help with implementation or migration? That'll cost you extra. + +**Here's a real-world example to put things in perspective**: + +Imagine you're on the Professional plan ($240/month for 1000 users), but your latest marketing campaign was a little too successful. Suddenly, you've got 1,500 users. That extra 500 users could cost you an additional $50-100 per month. Not budget-breaking, but definitely something to keep an eye on. + +## Comparing Auth0 Pricing with Competitors + +Auth0 isn't the only fish in the IAM sea. Let's see how it stacks up against some other popular options: + +- **Okta**: The enterprise darling, known for its robust solutions. +- **Firebase** Authentication: Google's offering, popular with mobile devs. +- **OneLogin**: Cloud-based IAM with a focus on SSO. + +| Feature | Okta | Firebase Authentication: | OneLogin: | +|---------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------| +| **Description** | The most popular IAM solution, handles large-scale enterprise needs | Popular amongst mobile developers, easy to implement | Focuses on Single Sign-On for streamlined login processes | +| **Pros** | Rock-solid enterprise features | Super easy to set up for mobile apps | Excellent SSO capabilities | +| | Excellent integration capabilities | Generous free tier | User-friendly interface | +| | Strong compliance and security measures | Seamless integration with other Firebase services | Good value for small to medium businesses | +| **Cons** | Can be pricey for smaller organizations | Limited customization options | Primarily focused on mobile and web apps | +| | Might be overkill for simple projects | Less extensive feature set compared to Auth0 or Okta | May lack some advanced security features | -**Should you use Auth0?** -- Integrating with Auth0 is easy. They support numerous frameworks and have dedicated guides explaining their features, but, their pricing does not scale well. -- Since the Okta acquisition, Auth0 has restructured its features and pricing, forcing some users into the enterprise tier. This could result in some customers paying up to 4 times more for features they do not need. -- Enterprise pricing is also non-existent on their website. Users are required to get on a sales call to discuss pricing in this tier. This increases the difficulty of evaluating Auth0 for your company. -- Auth0 does offer a plan for [startups](https://auth0.com/startups). For a year, they will provide the entire platform for free but will revert to the default pricing model once the startup plan expires. ## Auth0 Alternative: SuperTokens -### What is SuperTokens? -SuperTokens is an open-source authentication solution that provides a managed service for hassle-free auth and an on-prem solution so companies can easily manage their data. +SuperTokens is an open-source, self-hosted solution that gives you full control over your authentication infrastructure. It's designed with a modular architecture, allowing you to pick and choose the components you need. This flexibility is great if you have specific requirements or want to customize your auth flow. + +### SuperTokens Pricing + +SuperTokens is an open-source solution, which means there are no direct licensing or subscription costs. However, you'll need to account for the infrastructure costs of hosting and managing the solution, as well as potential staffing costs for setup, maintenance, and customization. + +The infrastructure costs can vary depending on your specific requirements, such as the number of users, traffic volume, and desired performance levels. + +Paid features / Add-on (Pay additionally as per feature use) + +| SuperTokens Plans | Cloud (we host) | Self-Hosted (you host) | +|---------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------| +| | $0.02 per MAU | Free and Open Source | +| | Free under 5K monthly active users | No free MAUs Count limit | -### SuperTokens Pricing: -At the time of writing this article, the core SuperTokens feature set is completely free and they offer paid add-ons. If you decide to use the self-hosted version, you can download the core and set up authentication for free for an unlimited number of users. +### Use SuperTokens if -![SuperTokens pricing plan](./supertokens_pricing.png) +- You require a high degree of customization and control over the authentication flow +- You have the technical expertise and resources to manage a self-hosted solution +- You want to avoid vendor lock-in and recurring costs (beyond hosting and maintenance) +- Your project has specific compliance or regulatory requirements -- **Self-Hosted:** - - Free forever for unlimited users. -- **Managed Service:** - - Free for the first 5000 MAUs. - - 2 cents / MAU post the first 5000 MAUs. +## Conclusion: Making an Informed Decision on Auth0 -**Add-ons** - - Multi-tenancy - - Account Linking - - 2FA +In conclusion, selecting an Identity and Access Management (IAM) solution like Auth0 requires careful consideration of various factors including feature set, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Auth0 offers a comprehensive suite of authentication and authorization services that cater to a wide range of business needs, from startups to large enterprises. Its tiered pricing model provides flexibility, allowing organizations to choose a plan that aligns with their user base and security requirements. While Auth0 may represent a significant investment for some, its robust features and potential for scalability make it a strong contender in the IAM market. Ultimately, the decision to implement Auth0 should be based on a thorough assessment of your organization's specific needs, technical resources, and long-term security strategy. -### Should you use SuperTokens? -SuperToken’s feature set and pricing make it an excellent choice for startups and mid-level businesses, but it may not be the best fit for large organizations that require enterprise features. +To determine if Auth0 is the right fit for your project, we recommend conducting a detailed cost-benefit analysis and taking advantage of Auth0's free trial.