# Better Auth

> TypeScript auth that lives in your app, not a rented IdP

**Category:** Next.js  
**Pricing:** freemium  
**URL:** https://www.better-auth.com  
**GitHub:** https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth  
**Added:** 2026-09-03

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## The Hook

Better Auth is the MIT library that replaced Auth.js for people who still want to own the database.

## What's Good

Framework is MIT (LICENSE.md). Credentials, social, orgs, passkeys, MCP/agent auth, npx auth init. Hosted dashboard Starter is 0 USD/month (1 seat, 10,000 audit logs/month, 1-day retention). You keep the user table. Works next to Polar. Homepage names OpenAI, Databricks, and Strapi.

## The Catch

The library is free; dashboards, audit, and SSO add-ons are the paid wedge. Starter audit retention is 1 day. This is not a hosted IdP — you still own the database and the incident.

## Verdict

The MIT auth library to reach for before Clerk. Framework is free; the dashboard is the upsell.