Softwr

Software · head to head

Clerk vs Greenhouse

Clerk logo

Clerk

Software

Drop-in user authentication and management for developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Greenhouse logo

Greenhouse

Software

Hiring software for growing companies

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Clerk has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Clerk pricing scales with monthly retained users, which can grow expensive quickly for consumer apps with large user bases.; Greenhouse core plan lacks talent discovery and contact lookups
  • They diverge on capability: Clerk covers Prebuilt UI components, Greenhouse covers Applicant tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clerk and Greenhouse actually diverge.

Attributes where Clerk and Greenhouse differ
AttributeClerkGreenhouse
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
FoundedUnknown2012

Identical on both: platforms (web, ios, android, api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Clerk

  • Prebuilt UI components
  • Organization management
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Social sign-on
  • Billing
  • Enterprise connections

Only in Greenhouse

  • Applicant tracking
  • Interview scheduling
  • Scorecard system
  • Job board posting
  • Candidate CRM
  • Reporting & analytics
  • Offer management
  • EEO compliance

What people use each for

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

Clerk

  • Adding sign-in and user profiles to a web or mobile app quicklynot Greenhouse
  • B2B SaaS apps needing organizations and role-based accessnot Greenhouse
  • Startups wanting prebuilt UI instead of building auth in-housenot Greenhouse
  • Apps needing MFA and fraud detection out of the boxnot Greenhouse

Greenhouse

  • Applicant tracking system for structured hiringnot Clerk
  • AI-powered interview notetaking and sourcingnot Clerk

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Greenhouse

  • Core plan lacks talent discovery and contact lookups
  • Core plan lacks email automation and applicant texting
  • Plus plan lacks resume anonymisation and application limits
  • Plus plan lacks audit logging and developer tools
  • Pricing customised by hiring volume and company size, not published
  • Only Pro tier offers audit logs and developer sandbox

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Greenhouse

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Greenhouse review.

Which should you pick?

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.
Clerk review

Choose Greenhouse if

  • You need applicant tracking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want interview scheduling.
Greenhouse review

Questions people ask

Is Clerk or Greenhouse better?
Neither clearly leads. Clerk starts at Free and Greenhouse at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clerk or Greenhouse?
Clerk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Clerk and On request for Greenhouse.
Does Clerk or Greenhouse run on more platforms?
Clerk runs on web, ios, android, api. Greenhouse 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. Greenhouse starts at On request.
What is Clerk best used for?
Clerk is most often used for adding sign-in and user profiles to a web or mobile app quickly, b2b saas apps needing organizations and role-based access, startups wanting prebuilt ui instead of building auth in-house, apps needing mfa and fraud detection out of the box. Of those, adding sign-in and user profiles to a web or mobile app quickly and b2b saas apps needing organizations and role-based access are not what Greenhouse is typically brought in for.
What can Clerk do that Greenhouse cannot?
Clerk covers Prebuilt UI components, Organization management, Multi-factor authentication, Social sign-on. Greenhouse covers Applicant tracking, Interview scheduling, Scorecard system, Job board posting.

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.

Source
Clerk: 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.

Source
Clerk: 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.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Clerk

More on Greenhouse

Keep looking

Other head to heads