SaaS prices just hit record inflation while a third of companies now build instead of buy. Software is not dying. The seat is, and so is every vendor that charges for access instead of outcomes.
Everyone argues about auth pricing. Almost nobody accounts for what identity actually costs per closed deal, or notices the invoice founders obsess over is the smallest of four identity costs.
Cognito's free tier shrank and its hosted UI still fights you. Eight alternatives compared on verified September 2026 pricing, plus the SRP migration trap.