Alternative

SharkAuth vs Clerk.

Clerk built the best developer experience for user authentication. SharkAuth built the best infrastructure for agent authentication. If you need self-hosted delegation chains with RFC-native protocols and zero MAU pricing, this comparison is for you.

What is SharkAuth?

SharkAuth is an open-source identity platform built for the agentic era. It ships as a single ~29 MB Go binary with embedded SQLite, requires zero dependencies, and implements OAuth 2.1, OIDC, RFC 8693 Token Exchange, and RFC 9449 DPoP — all zero-config. Self-host free forever under MIT license.

Head-to-head comparison

Feature
SharkAuth Logo SharkAuth
Clerk
Pricing modelFree self-host (MIT) / $49 cloudFree to 5K MAU / $25/mo + overages
Self-hostedYes — single binaryNo (proprietary SaaS)
Agent identity primitivesFirst-class (core model)Not available
RFC 8693 Token ExchangeFull implementationNot available
Act / actor chain depth≥ 4 hops nativeNot available
RFC 9449 DPoP bindingNativeNot available
Cascade revocation< 12 ms p99Not available
Binary size~29 MBN/A (cloud-only SDK)
Air-gapped deployYesNo
Open sourceMIT licenseProprietary
Pre-built UI componentsNoYes (React, Vue, etc.)
Choose SharkAuth if...
  • → You build AI agent systems with delegation chains
  • → You need self-hosted auth on a $5 VPS
  • → You want zero-config RFC-grade protocols
  • → You refuse MAU-based pricing that punishes growth
  • → You deploy air-gapped or edge environments
Choose Clerk if...
  • → You want beautiful pre-built auth UI components
  • → You need rapid user auth in React/Vue/Next.js
  • → You prefer a fully managed SaaS with no ops overhead
  • → You want built-in user profiles and organization support
  • → You need native mobile SDKs (iOS/Android)

By the numbers

~29 MB
Binary size
vs. Clerk: cloud-only SDK
< 12 ms
Cascade revocation p99
Clerk: no cascade revocation
$0
Self-host cost
Clerk: $25/mo minimum + overages
Unlimited
MAI on self-host
Clerk: 5K MAU free tier limit

Frequently asked questions

Is SharkAuth a drop-in replacement for Clerk?

Not for every use case. SharkAuth provides OAuth 2.1, OIDC, passkeys, MFA, SSO, and webhooks — the infrastructure layer of auth. Clerk provides pre-built UI components, user management dashboards, and organization features that SharkAuth does not yet include. If you need drop-in UI components today, Clerk remains the faster choice.

Does SharkAuth charge per user like Clerk?

No. The self-hosted version is MIT-licensed and completely free with unlimited Monthly Active Identities (MAI). The managed Cloud tier starts at $49/mo for 50K MAI — no per-user penalties as you scale.

Can I migrate from Clerk to SharkAuth?

Yes. SharkAuth supports standard OAuth 2.1 and OIDC, so client applications need minimal changes. User passwords can be imported via bcrypt hashes. The main migration work is rebuilding any Clerk-specific UI components using your own design system.

What does Clerk have that SharkAuth lacks?

Clerk offers beautiful pre-built auth components for React, Vue, and Next.js, native iOS/Android SDKs, built-in user profiles and organization management, and a polished management dashboard. SharkAuth intentionally skipped UI components to ship agent-native primitives and RFC-grade protocols first.

Ready to try SharkAuth?

Self-host free forever, or join the Cloud waitlist for managed infrastructure.

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