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Auth0 vs Basis Theory

Auth0 logo

Auth0

Technology

Secure access for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Basis Theory logo

Basis Theory

APIs

Developer tokenisation platform that holds card and sensitive data inside a PCI Level 1 environment you do not operate

From
$995/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Auth0 has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Auth0 free tier limited to 25,000 monthly active users, requiring upgrade for growth beyond that; Basis Theory the Starter plan is 995 US dollars a month before any volume, which is a real floor for an early stage company and puts the product out of reach of teams tokenising a few thousand records.
  • They diverge on capability: Auth0 covers Universal login, Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Auth0 and Basis Theory actually diverge.

Attributes where Auth0 and Basis Theory differ
AttributeAuth0Basis Theory
Starting priceFree$995/month
Pricing modelUnknownPer month by token volume
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, Linux
CategoryTechnologyAPIs
Founded2013Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Auth0

  • Universal login
  • Social login
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Passwordless
  • User management
  • Anomaly detection
  • Extensibility
  • Machine to machine

Only in Basis Theory

  • Tokenisation API
  • Hosted elements
  • Outbound proxy
  • PCI attestation of compliance
  • Processor portability
  • Reactors
  • Access controls and audit
  • PII and PHI options

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Auth0

  • B2C authenticationnot Basis Theory
  • B2B authenticationnot Basis Theory
  • B2E authenticationnot Basis Theory
  • API securitynot Basis Theory
  • Mobile app securitynot Basis Theory

Basis Theory

  • A payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into PCI scope and paying for the assessment that followsnot Auth0
  • A merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirernot Auth0
  • A fintech collecting bank account and identity data that needs it isolated from its application database before an enterprise security reviewnot Auth0
  • A team that needs to send stored card data to a third party for a one-off integration without that data traversing its own serversnot Auth0

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Auth0

  • Free tier limited to 25,000 monthly active users, requiring upgrade for growth beyond that
  • Advanced features like MFA and RBAC only available on paid Essentials tier and above
  • Ownership by Okta introduces risk that independent product roadmap may change

Basis Theory

  • The Starter plan is 995 US dollars a month before any volume, which is a real floor for an early stage company and puts the product out of reach of teams tokenising a few thousand records.
  • Starter is limited to the US region, so a company with European data residency requirements is pushed into a quoted Scale or Enterprise agreement immediately.
  • Log retention on Starter is 24 hours, which is well below what most security teams expect for a system holding cardholder data and forces an upgrade for reasons unrelated to volume.
  • Migrating away means moving card data out of the vault, which requires processor and assessor involvement and is slow, so the portability argument that attracts buyers cuts against them at exit.
  • An attestation of compliance covers the vendor environment, not your assessment; your assessor still decides what is in scope, and buyers occasionally discover their integration pattern pulled systems back into scope anyway.

Pricing, plan by plan

Auth0

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 25,000 monthly active users
    • Basic authentication
    • Email/password login
  • Essentials (B2C)$35/month
    • Unlimited MAUs beyond free tier
    • Multi-Factor Authentication
    • Role-Based Access Control
  • Professional (B2C)$240/month
    • All Essentials features
    • Advanced security
    • Custom branding

Basis Theory

$995/month
  • Starter$995/month
    • 20,000 tokens included
    • Production PCI Level 1 environment
    • US region only
  • Scale$undefined/month
    • Quoted
    • Higher token volumes
    • Additional regions
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted
    • Additional compliance options for PII and PHI
    • Responses for 95 percent of PCI SAQ D

Which should you pick?

Choose Auth0 if

  • You need universal login.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want social login.
Auth0 review

Choose Basis Theory if

  • You need tokenisation api.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
  • You also want hosted elements.
Basis Theory review

Questions people ask

Is Auth0 or Basis Theory better?
Neither clearly leads. Auth0 starts at Free and Basis Theory at $995/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Auth0 or Basis Theory?
Auth0 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Auth0 and $995/month for Basis Theory.
Does Auth0 or Basis Theory run on more platforms?
Auth0 runs on Web, iOS, Android. Basis Theory runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
Can I use Auth0 for free?
Yes. Auth0 has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Basis Theory starts at $995/month.
What is Auth0 best used for?
Auth0 is most often used for b2c authentication, b2b authentication, b2e authentication, api security. Of those, b2c authentication and b2b authentication are not what Basis Theory is typically brought in for.
What can Auth0 do that Basis Theory cannot?
Auth0 covers Universal login, Social login, Multi-factor authentication, Passwordless. Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Hosted elements, Outbound proxy, PCI attestation of compliance.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Auth0: How much does Auth0 cost?

Auth0 has a Free tier for up to 25,000 monthly active users (MAUs). Paid plans start at $35/month (Essentials B2C) and scale to $240/month (Professional B2C) and higher for Enterprise. Pricing scales with MAU usage.

Source
Basis Theory: Does this make us PCI compliant?

It removes cardholder data from your systems and gives you an AOC plus documented responses for most of a SAQ D. Your assessor still determines your scope, and a careless integration can pull systems back in.

Auth0: Does Auth0 include Multi-Factor Authentication?

No. MFA, RBAC (Role-Based Access Control), and premium support are not included in the free tier and require upgrading to paid Essentials plans or higher.

Source
Basis Theory: What does it cost to start?

995 US dollars a month on Starter, including 20,000 tokens, a production PCI Level 1 environment and US hosting. Higher tiers are quoted.

Auth0: Is Auth0 independent or part of a larger company?

Auth0 was acquired by Okta in May 2021 for $6.5 billion. It now operates as a subsidiary business unit within Okta, but maintains its own brand and operations.

Source
Basis Theory: Can we switch payment processors without re-collecting cards?

Yes, that is the main non-compliance reason to buy it. You hold the tokens and detokenise into whichever processor you route to.

Auth0: Who should use Auth0 vs Okta?

Auth0 is developer-focused and serves customer identity use cases (B2C). Okta serves workforce identity (B2B) and has broader enterprise features. Auth0 now serves both markets post-acquisition but maintains its developer-friendly positioning.

Source
Basis Theory: Is data stored outside the United States?

Not on Starter, which is US only. Other regions require a Scale or Enterprise agreement.

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