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Cybersecurity · head to head

Clerk vs IVPN

Clerk logo

Clerk

Cybersecurity

Drop-in user authentication and management for developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
I

IVPN

Cybersecurity

Privacy-focused VPN with anonymous account numbers instead of email signup

From
$6/month
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.; IVPN has no free tier, unlike several consumer VPN competitors with limited free plans.
  • They diverge on capability: Clerk covers Prebuilt UI components, IVPN covers Anonymous account numbers.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clerk and IVPN actually diverge.

Attributes where Clerk and IVPN differ
AttributeClerkIVPN
Starting priceFree$6/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, ios, android, apiwindows, mac, linux, ios, android

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

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 IVPN

  • Anonymous account numbers
  • Multi-hop connections
  • Independent audits
  • WireGuard and OpenVPN support
  • AntiTracker

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 IVPN
  • B2B SaaS apps needing organizations and role-based accessnot IVPN
  • Startups wanting prebuilt UI instead of building auth in-housenot IVPN
  • Apps needing MFA and fraud detection out of the boxnot IVPN

IVPN

  • Signing up for a VPN without providing an email addressnot Clerk
  • Verifying a VPN's no-logs claims via independent auditsnot Clerk
  • Layering multi-hop routing for higher-anonymity browsingnot Clerk
  • Blocking trackers and ads via built-in AntiTrackernot 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.

IVPN

  • Has no free tier, unlike several consumer VPN competitors with limited free plans.
  • Standard plan's two-connection limit is lower than many rivals offering five or more devices.
  • Smaller server network than large mainstream VPN providers, which can limit streaming unblocking.
  • Pricing is higher than budget VPN competitors for comparable simultaneous-connection counts.

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

IVPN

$6/month
  • Standard$6/month
    • 2 simultaneous connections
    • $60/year billed annually
    • WireGuard and OpenVPN support
  • Pro$10/month
    • 7 simultaneous connections
    • Multi-hop connections
    • $100/year billed annually

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 IVPN if

  • You need anonymous account numbers.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux, ios, android.
  • You also want multi-hop connections.
IVPN review

Questions people ask

Is Clerk or IVPN better?
Neither clearly leads. Clerk starts at Free and IVPN at $6/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clerk or IVPN?
Clerk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Clerk and $6/month for IVPN.
Does Clerk or IVPN run on more platforms?
Clerk runs on web, ios, android, api. IVPN runs on windows, mac, linux, ios, android.
Can I use Clerk for free?
Yes. Clerk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. IVPN starts at $6/month.
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 IVPN is typically brought in for.
What can Clerk do that IVPN cannot?
Clerk covers Prebuilt UI components, Organization management, Multi-factor authentication, Social sign-on. IVPN covers Anonymous account numbers, Multi-hop connections, Independent audits, WireGuard and OpenVPN support.

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
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