Software Development · head to head
Braintrust vs Clerk
Braintrust
Software Development
The active observability platform for agents
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Clerk
Identity & Access Management
Drop-in user authentication and management for developers
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Clerk has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Braintrust the free Starter tier includes only $10 of monthly model credits, 1 GB of processed data, and 10,000 scores before overage charges of $4 per GB and $2.50 per 1,000 scores apply, as of August 2026.; Clerk pricing scales with monthly retained users, which can grow expensive quickly for consumer apps with large user bases.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Braintrust and Clerk actually diverge.
| Attribute | Braintrust | Clerk |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | usage-based | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | web, ios, android, api |
| Category | Software Development | Identity & Access Management |
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 Braintrust
Nothing recorded that Clerk does not also cover.
Only in Clerk
- Prebuilt UI components
- Organization management
- Multi-factor authentication
- Social sign-on
- Billing
- Enterprise connections
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Braintrust
No use cases recorded yet. See the Braintrust review.
Clerk
- Adding sign-in and user profiles to a web or mobile app quicklynot Braintrust
- B2B SaaS apps needing organizations and role-based accessnot Braintrust
- Startups wanting prebuilt UI instead of building auth in-housenot Braintrust
- Apps needing MFA and fraud detection out of the boxnot Braintrust
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Braintrust
- The free Starter tier includes only $10 of monthly model credits, 1 GB of processed data, and 10,000 scores before overage charges of $4 per GB and $2.50 per 1,000 scores apply, as of August 2026.
Clerk
- Pricing scales with monthly retained users, which can grow expensive quickly for consumer apps with large user bases.
- Enterprise SSO connections beyond the first are billed as add-ons, adding cost for larger organizations.
- The Business tier's extra dashboard seats cost $20/month each, which adds up for larger teams.
- Enterprise-tier features like the 99.99% uptime SLA require annual contracts rather than flexible monthly billing.
Pricing, plan by plan
Braintrust
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Braintrust review.
Clerk
Free- HobbyFree
- 50,000 MRU limit per app
- Up to 3 dashboard seats
- Unlimited applications
- Pro$25/month
- 50,000 MRUs included, $0.02/MRU overage
- Up to 3 dashboard seats
- 1 Enterprise Connection included
- Business$300/month
- 50,000 MRUs included with volume pricing
- 10 dashboard seats included
- SOC2 report and priority support
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Custom pricing, annual billing
- 99.99% uptime SLA
- HIPAA available, dedicated Slack channel
Which should you pick?
Choose Braintrust if
Nothing in the data separates Braintrust from Clerk on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Choose Clerk if
- You need prebuilt ui components.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on web, ios, android, api.
- You also want organization management.
Questions people ask
- Is Braintrust or Clerk better?
- Neither clearly leads. Braintrust starts at On request and Clerk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Braintrust or Clerk?
- Clerk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Braintrust and Free for Clerk.
- Does Braintrust or Clerk run on more platforms?
- Braintrust runs on Web. Clerk runs on web, ios, android, api.
- Can I use Clerk for free?
- Yes. Clerk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Braintrust starts at On request.
- What can Braintrust do that Clerk cannot?
- Clerk covers Prebuilt UI components, Organization management, Multi-factor authentication, Social sign-on.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Clerk: What does Clerk cost?
Clerk's Hobby plan is free with a 50,000 MRU limit; Pro is $25/month ($20/month billed annually), Business is $300/month ($250 annually), and Enterprise uses custom annual pricing.
SourceClerk: Is there a free plan and what are its limits?
Yes, the Hobby plan is free with a 50,000 monthly retained user (MRU) limit per app, up to 3 dashboard seats, and unlimited applications, with no credit card required.
SourceClerk: How is usage metered?
Clerk meters by monthly retained users (MRUs) — users who return to the app at least a day after signing up — with overage billed at $0.02 per MRU beyond the included 50,000 on paid plans.
SourceRelated pages
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