Auth & Backend · side by side
Better Auth vs Descope
Compare Better Auth, Descope by active-user allowances, social login, MFA, SSO, organizations and audit logs.
Auth & Backend pricing calculator
These providers bill in different units. Each estimate uses its own workload; there is no same-volume price winner.
Better Auth
1
Descope
50K
Better Auth
$20 / mo
Pro · 1 servers
Descope
$2,049 / mo
Growth · 50K monthly active users
Listed USD plan fees and tracked usage only. Unlisted compute, transfer, extras, taxes and contract terms are excluded. Custom or unsupported plan usage is not estimated.
Auth & Backend overview & pricing
| Auth & Backend | Better Auth | Descope |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Open source | Descope |
| Billing unit | servers | monthly active users |
| Plan at selected usage | Pro | Growth |
| Monthly estimate | $20/mo | $2,049/mo |
| Workload | 1 servers | 50K monthly active users |
| Free access | Free, open source | 7.5K MAUs |
| Published plans | Starter, Pro, Enterprise | Free Forever, Pro, Growth, Enterprise |
| Prices checked | 2026-10-08 | 2026-10-08 |
Provider
- Better Auth
- Open source
- Descope
- Descope
Billing unit
- Better Auth
- servers
- Descope
- monthly active users
Plan at selected usage
- Better Auth
- Pro
- Descope
- Growth
Monthly estimate
- Better Auth
- $20/mo
- Descope
- $2,049/mo
Workload
- Better Auth
- 1 servers
- Descope
- 50K monthly active users
Free access
- Better Auth
- Free, open source
- Descope
- 7.5K MAUs
Published plans
- Better Auth
- Starter, Pro, Enterprise
- Descope
- Free Forever, Pro, Growth, Enterprise
Prices checked
- Better Auth
- 2026-10-08
- Descope
- 2026-10-08
Auth & Backend monthly cost
Better Auth: $20Descope: $2,049
Different workloads, separate estimates
Check how each provider defines an active user and separates consumer identity from enterprise organizations. SAML, MFA, custom domains and audit logs can be gated behind higher plans. A backend platform can also charge separately for storage, functions and traffic.
Auth & Backend feature comparison
| Auth & Backend | Better Auth | Descope |
|---|---|---|
| Social login | Not listed | |
| Dashboard seats | Unlimited | Not listed |
| Audit log | 20,000 / month then $0.0001 / event | Not listed |
| Audit log retention | 7 days | Not listed |
| Security detection | 10,000 / month then $0.001 / event | Not listed |
| Transactional Email | $0.001 / email | Not listed |
| Transactional SMS | $0.09 / SMS | Not listed |
| Self-service SSO | 1 connection then $50/month per connection | Not listed |
| Directory Sync | 1 connection then $50/month per connection | Not listed |
| User management | Not listed | |
| Abuse protection | Not listed | |
| Email templates | Not listed | |
| Custom domain for Dashboard | $25 / month add-on | Not listed |
| Log drain | $25 / month add-on | Not listed |
| Community Support | Not listed | |
| Email Support | Not listed | |
| Slack Support | Not listed | |
| Implementation assistance | Not listed | |
| Base monthly price | Not listed | $799 |
| MAUs included / Additional MAU fee | Not listed | 25,000 ($0.05 additional) |
| Tenants included / Additional tenant fee | Not listed | 100 ($1 additional) |
| SSO connections included / Additional SSO conn. fee | Not listed | 10 ($50 additional) |
| Federated apps included | Not listed | Unlimited (SAML / OIDC) |
| M2M exchanges included / Additional M2M exchange fee | Not listed | 100,000 ($2 per 1000 exchanges) |
| Test users included | Not listed | 500 |
| MACs included / Additional MAC fee | Not listed | 10,000 ($0.05 additional) |
| MATKs included / Additional MATK fee | Not listed | 10,000 ($0.05 additional) |
| Biometrics / Passkeys | Not listed | |
| Email Magic Links | Not listed | |
| Email OTP | Not listed | |
| Authenticator Apps | Not listed | |
| SMS / voice call delivery with Descope | Not listed | Up to 100 per month |
| SMS / voice calls with your connector | Not listed | Unlimited |
| Email delivery with Descope | Not listed | Up to 10,000 per day |
| Email delivery with your connector | Not listed | Unlimited |
| Google One Tap | Not listed | |
| SAML / OIDC SSO | Not listed | Up to 10 connections (Add-on available) |
| Custom OIDC Provider | Not listed | |
| Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) | Not listed | |
| Fine-Grained Authorization (FGA) | Not listed | |
| User Provisioning (SCIM) | Not listed | |
| SSO Setup Suite - Widgets | Not listed | |
| SSO Setup Suite - Admin Portal | Not listed | |
| Localization | Not listed | |
| Audit Interface | Not listed | Descope UI + external connectors |
| Audit Retention | Not listed | 1 month (Add-on available) |
| Anonymous Users | Not listed | 1M |
| SSO Migration | Not listed | |
| Secure Session Management | Not listed | |
| Adaptive MFA | Not listed | |
| Step-up Authentication | Not listed | |
| Bot Protection | Not listed | |
| Custom Domain | Not listed | |
| SOC 2 Reports | Not listed | |
| HIPAA BAA | Not listed | |
| Scriptlets | Not listed | |
| Connectors | Not listed | |
| CI / CD Integration | Not listed | Up to 10 Projects |
| Multi-Region Deployments | Not listed |
Social login
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
Dashboard seats
- Better Auth
- Unlimited
- Descope
- Not listed
Audit log
- Better Auth
- 20,000 / month then $0.0001 / event
- Descope
- Not listed
Audit log retention
- Better Auth
- 7 days
- Descope
- Not listed
Security detection
- Better Auth
- 10,000 / month then $0.001 / event
- Descope
- Not listed
Transactional Email
- Better Auth
- $0.001 / email
- Descope
- Not listed
Transactional SMS
- Better Auth
- $0.09 / SMS
- Descope
- Not listed
Self-service SSO
- Better Auth
- 1 connection then $50/month per connection
- Descope
- Not listed
Directory Sync
- Better Auth
- 1 connection then $50/month per connection
- Descope
- Not listed
User management
- Better Auth
- Descope
- Not listed
Abuse protection
- Better Auth
- Descope
- Not listed
Email templates
- Better Auth
- Descope
- Not listed
Custom domain for Dashboard
- Better Auth
- $25 / month add-on
- Descope
- Not listed
Log drain
- Better Auth
- $25 / month add-on
- Descope
- Not listed
Community Support
- Better Auth
- Descope
- Not listed
Email Support
- Better Auth
- Descope
- Not listed
Slack Support
- Better Auth
- Descope
- Not listed
Implementation assistance
- Better Auth
- Descope
- Not listed
Base monthly price
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- $799
MAUs included / Additional MAU fee
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- 25,000 ($0.05 additional)
Tenants included / Additional tenant fee
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- 100 ($1 additional)
SSO connections included / Additional SSO conn. fee
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- 10 ($50 additional)
Federated apps included
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- Unlimited (SAML / OIDC)
M2M exchanges included / Additional M2M exchange fee
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- 100,000 ($2 per 1000 exchanges)
Test users included
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- 500
MACs included / Additional MAC fee
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- 10,000 ($0.05 additional)
MATKs included / Additional MATK fee
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- 10,000 ($0.05 additional)
Biometrics / Passkeys
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
Email Magic Links
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
Email OTP
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
Authenticator Apps
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
SMS / voice call delivery with Descope
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- Up to 100 per month
SMS / voice calls with your connector
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- Unlimited
Email delivery with Descope
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- Up to 10,000 per day
Email delivery with your connector
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- Unlimited
Google One Tap
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
SAML / OIDC SSO
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- Up to 10 connections (Add-on available)
Custom OIDC Provider
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
Fine-Grained Authorization (FGA)
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
User Provisioning (SCIM)
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
SSO Setup Suite - Widgets
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
SSO Setup Suite - Admin Portal
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
Localization
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
Audit Interface
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- Descope UI + external connectors
Audit Retention
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- 1 month (Add-on available)
Anonymous Users
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- 1M
SSO Migration
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
Secure Session Management
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
Adaptive MFA
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
Step-up Authentication
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
Bot Protection
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
Custom Domain
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
SOC 2 Reports
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
HIPAA BAA
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
Scriptlets
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
Connectors
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
CI / CD Integration
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
- Up to 10 Projects
Multi-Region Deployments
- Better Auth
- Not listed
- Descope
Showing 15 of 59
Which authentication & backend providers fit your needs?
Better Auth features & plan notes
- TypeScript-first
- Plugins
- Self-hosted
- Unlimited seats
- 20,000 audit logs / month
- then $0.0001 per event
- 10,000 security detections / month
- then $0.001 per event
- Self-service SSO
- 1 connection, then $50/month per connection
- Directory Sync
- Transactional email & SMS
- $0.001 per email, $0.09 per SMS
- Email templates & abuse protection
- Email support
Descope features & plan notes
- No-code flows
- Passwordless
- B2B SSO
- 25,000 Monthly active users (MAUs)
- 100 Monthly active tenants
- 10 SSO connections
- Unlimited Federated apps (SAML / OIDC)
- 500 Test users
- 100,000 M2M exchanges
- 10,000 Monthly active consents (MACs)
- 10,000 Monthly active tokens (MATKs)
- Everything in Pro, plus:
- Bot protection
- 1M Anonymous users
- Zero-downtime SSO migration
- SCIM provisioning
- Admin Portal
- Fine-grained authorization
- External audit connectors
- Multi-region data residency
- HIPAA BAA
- FedRAMP High add-on
How to compare authentication & backend providers
Check how each provider defines an active user and separates consumer identity from enterprise organizations. SAML, MFA, custom domains and audit logs can be gated behind higher plans. A backend platform can also charge separately for storage, functions and traffic.
Browse Auth & Backend pricing