Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

WorkOS vs Yarn

WorkOS logo

WorkOS

Cybersecurity

Developer platform for enterprise-ready authentication and identity.

From
$125/one-time per connection
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Yarn logo

Yarn

Developer Tools

Fast, reliable, and secure dependency management

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Yarn has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: WorkOS authKit free tier limited to 1 million monthly active users; additional millions cost $2,500/month; Yarn yarn 2+ (Berry) has limited ESM support which can be a constraint for some projects
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which WorkOS and Yarn actually diverge.

Attributes where WorkOS and Yarn differ
AttributeWorkOSYarn
Starting price$125/one-time per connectionFree
Pricing modelusage-basedfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb, Linux, macOS, Windows
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools
FoundedUnknown2016

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

What people use each for

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

WorkOS

  • SaaS applications needing rapid enterprise SSO deploymentnot Yarn
  • Companies selling to mid-market and enterprise customersnot Yarn
  • Applications requiring SCIM directory sync with corporate identity systemsnot Yarn
  • Product teams needing audit logs for compliance (SOC 2, ISO 27001)not Yarn
  • Platforms with multiple identity provider requirementsnot Yarn

Yarn

  • Monorepo teams managing dependencies across 50+ interdependent packagesnot WorkOS
  • Enterprise JavaScript projects ensuring reproducible builds across CI/CDnot WorkOS
  • Open-source projects with plugin ecosystems coordinating versionsnot WorkOS
  • Teams requiring consistent package installs regardless of network conditionsnot WorkOS

Where each one falls short

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

WorkOS

  • AuthKit free tier limited to 1 million monthly active users; additional millions cost $2,500/month
  • Per-connection pricing for SSO and Directory Sync ($125–$50 each) scales poorly for enterprises with many identity providers
  • Audit logs require separate subscription at $125/month per SIEM connection or $99/month per 1 million events
  • Radar fraud protection billed separately at $100/month per 50,000 additional checks beyond 1,000 free checks
  • Custom domain feature requires $99/month subscription
  • Requires annual commitment for SLA and support guarantees; pay-as-you-go tier lacks uptime guarantee

Yarn

  • Yarn 2+ (Berry) has limited ESM support which can be a constraint for some projects
  • Smaller ecosystem and community compared to npm, though still substantial

Pricing, plan by plan

WorkOS

$125/one-time per connection
  • Pay as You Go$undefined/variable
    • Per-connection pricing from $125 to $50 with volume discounts
    • Up to 60% discount at scale
    • Quick deployment
  • Annual Credits$undefined/variable
    • Custom pricing with volume discounts
    • 99.99% uptime SLA
    • Guided migration

Yarn

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Yarn review.

Which should you pick?

Choose WorkOS if

  • You work on Web, API.
WorkOS review

Choose Yarn if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, macOS, Windows.
Yarn review

Questions people ask

Is WorkOS or Yarn better?
Neither clearly leads. WorkOS starts at $125/one-time per connection and Yarn at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, WorkOS or Yarn?
Yarn has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $125/one-time per connection for WorkOS and Free for Yarn.
Does WorkOS or Yarn run on more platforms?
WorkOS runs on Web, API. Yarn runs on Web, Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Yarn for free?
Yes. Yarn has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. WorkOS starts at $125/one-time per connection.
What is WorkOS best used for?
WorkOS is most often used for saas applications needing rapid enterprise sso deployment, companies selling to mid-market and enterprise customers, applications requiring scim directory sync with corporate identity systems, product teams needing audit logs for compliance (soc 2, iso 27001). Of those, saas applications needing rapid enterprise sso deployment and companies selling to mid-market and enterprise customers are not what Yarn is typically brought in for.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

WorkOS: How quickly can I implement WorkOS SSO?

Developers can implement single sign-on in minutes instead of months. Multiple customers report setting up SSO in less than a week, with WorkOS handling the complexity of SAML and OIDC protocols.

Source
Yarn: What is Yarn's main advantage over npm?

Yarn downloads packages in parallel, significantly reducing installation time. It uses a yarn.lock file for deterministic installs, ensuring identical package versions across machines and preventing version conflicts common with npm.

Source
WorkOS: What SDKs does WorkOS provide?

WorkOS offers SDKs for Node.js, Python, Ruby, Go, PHP, Java, and .NET.

Source
Yarn: Can I use Yarn in offline environments?

Yes, Yarn supports secure offline environments. The yarn.lock file enables reproducible installs without requiring new downloads.

Source
WorkOS: Does WorkOS support SCIM provisioning?

Yes. WorkOS supports SCIM provisioning integration with systems like Okta and Entra ID for automated user management.

Source
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