Auth0 vs WorkOS.
Last verified 2026-08-19
When Auth0 wins
- Full B2C plus B2B surface: consumer login, adaptive MFA, bot defense, progressive profiling
- Largest SDK and community surface in CIAM
- Packaged agent identity: Auth0 for AI Agents (GA Nov 2025) and Auth for MCP (GA May 2026)
- FedRAMP High via Okta, which WorkOS does not match
- Broader factor catalog, including SMS OTP and push MFA
When WorkOS wins
- AuthKit free to 1M MAU; the B2B cost curve Auth0 does not have
- SSO, SCIM, Directory Sync, and Admin Portal as first-class products, not bolt-ons
- Native FGA / ReBAC without treating authorization as an Auth0 add-on SKU
- The default when the buyer is enterprise IT, not the end user
Both win
- Both support WebAuthn passkeys natively
- Both support social login
- Both have SOC 2 Type II
- Neither is the passkey-orchestration leader; MojoAuth and Stytch still convert better
Pricing comparison
| MAU band | Auth0 | WorkOS |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000 MAU | $240/mo | $0/mo |
| 100,000 MAU | $1,200/mo | $0/mo |
| 500,000 MAU | $4,500/mo | $1,500/mo |
| 1,000,000 MAU | $9,500/mo | $3,500/mo |
Developer experience & lock-in
Editorial 1–5 scores and migration effort, on the same axes for both. Lower migration effort is better (easier to adopt, less lock-in).
| Signal | Auth0 | WorkOS |
|---|---|---|
| DX overallDeveloper experience | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Docs qualityDocumentation | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Passkey orchestrationPasskey / WebAuthn depth | 3/5 | 4/5✓ |
| Adoption effortMigrating in | Moderate | Easy✓ |
| Lock-in (exit effort)Migrating out | Involved | Moderate✓ |
Enterprise readiness
Computed across the enterprise pillars from the capability matrix. See the enterprise-ready pillars.
| Pillar | Auth0 | WorkOS |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | Enterprise-ready · 100 | Enterprise-ready · 98 |
| Enterprise SSO | 100 | 100 |
| Directory sync (SCIM) | 100 | 100 |
| Organizations & tenancy | 100 | 100 |
| RBAC & custom roles | 100 | 100 |
| Audit logs & streaming | 100 | 100 |
| Compliance certifications | 100 | 100 |
| Security posture | 100✓ | 75 |
Side-by-side capability matrix
| Capability | Auth0 | WorkOS |
|---|---|---|
| Password authentication | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Social login | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Magic links | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| SMS OTP | ✓ Yes | ✕ No |
| Email OTP | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| TOTP (authenticator app) | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Push MFA | ✓ Yes | ✕ No |
| WebAuthn / passkeys | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Biometric | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Hardware security keys | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| SAML SSO | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| OIDC SSO | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| OAuth 2.0 SSO | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Enterprise federation | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Passwordless-only flows | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Adaptive MFA | ✓ Yes | ✕ No |
| Step-up auth | ✓ Yes | ~ Partial |
| Capability | Auth0 | WorkOS |
|---|---|---|
| RBAC | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| ABAC | ~ Partial | ~ Partial |
| ReBAC | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
| FGA engine | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| API authorization | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Fine-grained permissions | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Capability | Auth0 | WorkOS |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service registration | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Progressive profiling | ✓ Yes | ✕ No |
| Self-service account | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Bulk user import | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Admin user search | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Custom user metadata | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Organizations / tenants | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Multi-tenancy | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| SCIM provisioning | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Capability | Auth0 | WorkOS |
|---|---|---|
| REST API | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| GraphQL API | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| SDKs | 16 listed | 11 listed |
| CLI | ✓ Yes | ✕ No |
| Terraform provider | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Local emulator | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Extension model | Actions (Node.js serverless) | Webhooks |
| Capability | Auth0 | WorkOS |
|---|---|---|
| Bot detection | ✓ Yes | ✕ No |
| Breached password detection | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Brute-force protection | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Anomaly detection | ✓ Yes | ~ Partial |
| Log streams | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Audit logs | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| GDPR data export | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| PII minimization | ~ Partial | ~ Partial |
| Post-quantum roadmap | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Capability | Auth0 | WorkOS |
|---|---|---|
| MCP support | ✓ Yes | ~ Partial |
| OAuth 2.1 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Dynamic client registration | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Agent vs human token separation | ✓ Yes | ✕ No |
| Web Bot Auth | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Capability | Auth0 | WorkOS |
|---|---|---|
| SOC 2 Type II | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| ISO 27001 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| ISO 27018 | ✓ Yes | ✕ No |
| HIPAA | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| PCI DSS | Level 1 (with config) | ✕ No |
| GDPR | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| CCPA | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| FedRAMP | High (via Okta) | ✕ No |
| EU data residency | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Capability | Auth0 | WorkOS |
|---|---|---|
| Consent management | ~ Partial | ✕ No |
| Preference center | ~ Partial | ✕ No |
| Purpose-specific consent | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Integrates with CMPs | 2 listed | n/a |
| Capability | Auth0 | WorkOS |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-region deployment | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Data residency control | ✓ Yes | ~ Partial |
| Proven at high scale (1M+ MAU) | ✓ Yes | ~ Partial |
| Capability | Auth0 | WorkOS |
|---|---|---|
| Password-hash import | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Lazy / just-in-time migration | ✓ Yes | ~ Partial |
| Account linking & dedup | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Custom domains per brand | ✓ Yes | ~ Partial |
| Per-brand theming of all flows | ✓ Yes | ~ Partial |
| Per-brand consent partitioning | ~ Partial | ✕ No |
| Deletion webhooks / cascade | ✓ Yes | ~ Partial |
| Event streaming / webhooks | ✓ Yes | ~ Partial |
| Documented rate limits | ✓ Yes | ~ Partial |
FAQ
- Is WorkOS a full Auth0 replacement?
- For B2B SaaS whose identity problem is Organizations, SSO, SCIM, and audit logs, yes. For mixed B2C plus B2B, or for adaptive MFA and consumer fraud, no. WorkOS is deliberately narrower. Teams that try to run a consumer app on WorkOS spend the savings on the missing surfaces.
- Which is cheaper, Auth0 or WorkOS?
- WorkOS, on B2B shapes. AuthKit is free to 1M MAU; SSO and Directory Sync bill per connection or per org. Auth0 is about $1,200/month at 100k MAU and about $9,500/month at 1M MAU on Compass TCO assumptions. If the volume is consumer logins, WorkOS's free tier does not map to your shape.
- Which is better for AI agents?
- Auth0 has the packaged SKU (Auth0 for AI Agents, Auth for MCP). WorkOS documents MCP step-up patterns; Compass still rates that as a tutorial surface, not a product. If agents are the RFP, demo Auth0 first and ask WorkOS to show the same packaged path.
- Should I switch from Auth0 to WorkOS?
- Switch if the bill is enterprise SSO and SCIM, and you do not need consumer CIAM. Do not switch to save money on a B2C app. Budget 60 to 90 days for SDK and Actions rewrites. The Admin Portal is the part Auth0 customers miss most after they move.
Auth0 is how you buy a complete customer identity platform. WorkOS is how you buy the enterprise checkbox that unblocks B2B deals. Treating them as substitutes because both speak SAML is how RFPs stall.
Choose Auth0 when the app is mixed B2C and B2B, you want FGA plus agent SKUs, or FedRAMP is on the sheet. Choose WorkOS when you sell to IT, AuthKit's 1M MAU free tier is the actual bill, and you can live without consumer fraud tooling.
If passkey conversion is why you are here, neither of these is the first call. Look at Stytch or Descope. If cost at consumer scale is why you are here, look at Cognito or FusionAuth.
Profiles: Auth0, WorkOS. Three-way: WorkOS vs Auth0 vs Clerk.