Clerk vs Amazon Cognito
Answer: As of 2026-10-30: Clerk wins 1k users · no SSO at $0/mo ($0/yr less than Amazon Cognito); Amazon Cognito wins 10k users · 1 SSO at $2.25/mo ($273/yr less than Clerk); Amazon Cognito wins 50k users · 5 SSO at $234.25/mo ($1,089/yr less than Clerk); Amazon Cognito wins 100k users · 10 SSO at $524.25/mo ($14,109/yr less than Clerk).
Cost by MAU (no SSO)
| Monthly users | Clerk | Amazon Cognito |
|---|---|---|
| 10k users | $0 Hobby | $0 Lite |
| 50k users | $0 Hobby | $220 Lite |
| 100k users | $1025 Pro | $495.00 Lite |
With enterprise SSO
| Scenario | Clerk | Amazon Cognito |
|---|---|---|
| 1k users · no SSO | $0 Hobby | $0 Lite |
| 10k users · 1 SSO | $25 Pro | $2.25 Lite |
| 50k users · 5 SSO | $325 Pro | $234.25 Lite |
| 100k users · 10 SSO | $1700 Pro | $524.25 Lite |
Cheapest verified plan per vendor, monthly USD list price. How we calculate this.
Clerk
Hobby free to 50k MRU/app. Pro $25/mo ($20 annual) with 50k MRU + 1 SSO + 1 Directory Sync. Extra SSO $75 (2–15) then $60 (16–100). Directory Sync billed from 2027-01-01.
Source: clerk.com/pricing · 2026-10-30
Amazon Cognito
Essentials (default) free 10k MAU then $0.015/MAU (direct/social). Lite free 10k then $0.0055 / $0.0046 bands. Plus $0.020/MAU no free tier. Federated SAML/OIDC: 50 free then $0.015/MAU.
Source: aws.amazon.com/cognito/pricing/ · 2026-10-30
Also see: Clerk alternatives · Amazon Cognito alternatives · all vendors by MAU
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