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Software · head to head

Ory vs Auth0

Ory logo

Ory

Software

Open-source identity, authentication, and permissions infrastructure

From
Free
Rated
-
Auth0 logo

Auth0

Software

Secure access for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Ory production and Growth plans are billed annually ($770/year and $9,350/year), which is a larger upfront commitment than monthly-only competitors.; Auth0 free tier limited to 25,000 monthly active users, requiring upgrade for growth beyond that
  • They diverge on capability: Ory covers Authentication APIs, Auth0 covers Universal login.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ory and Auth0 actually diverge.

Attributes where Ory and Auth0 differ
AttributeOryAuth0
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Platformsweb, apiWeb, iOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Ory

  • Authentication APIs
  • Permissions engine
  • Machine-to-machine tokens
  • B2B organizations
  • SAML SSO
  • Multi-region deployments

Only in Auth0

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

What people use each for

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

Ory

  • Adding self-hosted or cloud identity to a new productnot Auth0
  • Implementing fine-grained permission checksnot Auth0
  • Supporting B2B organizations and multi-tenancynot Auth0
  • Building machine-to-machine authentication for microservicesnot Auth0

Auth0

  • B2C authenticationnot Ory
  • B2B authenticationnot Ory
  • B2E authenticationnot Ory
  • API securitynot Ory
  • Mobile app securitynot Ory

Where each one falls short

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

Ory

  • Production and Growth plans are billed annually ($770/year and $9,350/year), which is a larger upfront commitment than monthly-only competitors.
  • SAML SSO and multi-region deployments are reserved for the custom-priced Enterprise tier.
  • Usage-based pricing across aDAU, M2M tokens, and permission checks makes cost estimation more complex than flat per-MAU billing.

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Ory

Free
  • DeveloperFree
    • Community support
    • No production environments
  • Production$64/month
    • $21 monthly credit included
    • 1 production environment
    • 3 staging environments
  • Growth$779/month
    • $255 monthly credit included
    • 2 production environments
    • B2B organizations (max 3)

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Ory if

  • You need authentication apis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want permissions engine.

Choose Auth0 if

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

Questions people ask

Is Ory or Auth0 better?
Neither clearly leads. Ory starts at Free and Auth0 at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ory or Auth0?
Ory starts at Free and Auth0 at Free.
Does Ory or Auth0 run on more platforms?
Ory runs on web, api. Auth0 runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Ory for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Ory best used for?
Ory is most often used for adding self-hosted or cloud identity to a new product, implementing fine-grained permission checks, supporting b2b organizations and multi-tenancy, building machine-to-machine authentication for microservices. Of those, adding self-hosted or cloud identity to a new product and implementing fine-grained permission checks are not what Auth0 is typically brought in for.
What can Ory do that Auth0 cannot?
Ory covers Authentication APIs, Permissions engine, Machine-to-machine tokens, B2B organizations. Auth0 covers Universal login, Social login, Multi-factor authentication, Passwordless.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ory: What does Ory cost?

Ory has a free Developer tier, a Production plan at $770/year including a $21 monthly credit, a Growth plan at $9,350/year including a $255 monthly credit, and custom Enterprise pricing.

Source
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
Ory: How is usage metered?

Beyond the included credit, Ory charges per average daily active user (aDAU), per machine-to-machine token, and per permission check, with lower per-unit rates on the Growth plan.

Source
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
Ory: What payment methods are supported?

Ory accepts credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Amex) and bank transfer, processed via Stripe.

Source
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
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
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