Clerk vs Stytch

At a glance

Both are modern, developer-led CIAM vendors. Clerk gives you UI components plus APIs. Stytch gives you APIs and expects you to build the UI.

When Clerk wins

• React, Next.js, or Remix stack
• You want signup, sign-in, profile, and account management screens out of the box
• B2B SaaS needing organizations and team management quickly
• You value polished default UX over total customization

When Stytch wins

• Your designers want full control over every auth screen
• Passwordless-first (magic links, OTP, passkeys) is the strategy
• Multi-platform (web + mobile) with consistent custom UX
• API-first product engineering culture

Pricing

Both publish transparent pricing. Clerk's per-MAU pricing scales gently; Stytch charges per active user with separate line items for some features. At 100K MAU both are competitive; at 1M MAU negotiate.

Verdict

If you want auth shipped this week and you're on React, choose Clerk. If you want auth that disappears into your custom UI, choose Stytch.