Authentication Options - Better-T-Stack

Better-T-Stack provides integrated authentication setup with automatic configuration for your chosen stack.

Authentication Providers

Better-Auth
Clerk
None

Comprehensive auth framework for TypeScript.

Overview

Better-Auth is a self-hosted, framework-agnostic authentication library that provides a complete authentication solution with maximum flexibility and control.What’s Included:

Email/password authentication
Social OAuth providers
Session management
CSRF protection
Type-safe API
Database schema generation
Email verification
Password reset flows

Features

Self-Hosted

Full control over your authentication data and infrastructure.

Type-Safe

End-to-end TypeScript support with automatic type inference.

Framework Agnostic

Works with any frontend or backend framework.

Extensible

Plugin system for custom authentication flows.

Frontend Compatibility

Better-Auth is available for:

TanStack Router
TanStack Start
Next.js
React Native (Bare, Uniwind, Unistyles)
Any frontend when using a compatible backend

When using Convex backend, Better-Auth is only available for specific frontends (see above).

Backend Requirements

Better-Auth requires a backend that is not set to none. It works with:

All server frameworks (Hono, Express, Fastify, Elysia)
Self (fullstack) mode
Convex (limited frontend compatibility)

Database Integration

Better-Auth automatically integrates with your database choice:

Creates authentication tables/collections
Configures ORM models
Sets up migrations
Handles schema updates

Supported Databases:

SQLite (with Drizzle or Prisma)
PostgreSQL (with Drizzle or Prisma)
MySQL (with Drizzle or Prisma)
MongoDB (with Mongoose or Prisma)

Configuration Example

// packages/auth/src/index.ts
import { betterAuth } from 'better-auth'
import { db } from '@repo/db'

export const auth = betterAuth({
  database: db,
  emailAndPassword: {
    enabled: true,
  },
  socialProviders: {
    github: {
      clientId: process.env.GITHUB_CLIENT_ID,
      clientSecret: process.env.GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET,
    },
  },
})

Best For

Full Control

Complete control over authentication logic
Custom authentication flows
Self-hosted requirements
Compliance needs (GDPR, HIPAA)

Cost Optimization

No per-user pricing
Predictable costs
High-volume applications
Budget-conscious projects

Customization

Custom user models
Unique authentication flows
Integration with existing systems
Specialized requirements

More than auth, Complete User Management.

Overview

Clerk is a managed authentication and user management platform that provides a complete, production-ready authentication solution with minimal configuration.What’s Included:

Pre-built UI components
Multi-factor authentication
User management dashboard
Social sign-in (20+ providers)
Magic links
Phone authentication
Organizations/teams
Role-based access control
Webhooks

Features

Managed Service

Fully managed authentication infrastructure.

Pre-built UI

Beautiful, customizable authentication components.

Advanced Features

MFA, organizations, RBAC out of the box.

Dashboard

User management and analytics dashboard.

Frontend Compatibility

Clerk is available when using Convex backend for:

React Router
TanStack Router
TanStack Start
Next.js
React Native (Bare, Uniwind, Unistyles)

Clerk is only offered as an option when using Convex backend to provide authentication for Convex’s reactive data layer.

Backend Compatibility

Clerk works with:

Convex: Primary use case (auto-configured)
Can work with other backends but not auto-configured by the CLI

The CLI only prompts for Clerk when using Convex backend and compatible frontends.

Integration Example

// apps/web/src/app/layout.tsx (Next.js)
import { ClerkProvider } from '@clerk/nextjs'

export default function RootLayout({ children }) {
  return (
    <ClerkProvider>
      <html>
        <body>{children}</body>
      </html>
    </ClerkProvider>
  )
}

// apps/web/src/components/user-button.tsx
import { UserButton } from '@clerk/nextjs'

export function Header() {
  return (
    <header>
      <UserButton afterSignOutUrl="/" />
    </header>
  )
}

Best For

Rapid Development

Quick time to market
Pre-built authentication flows
Minimal configuration needed
Focus on core features

Advanced Features

Organizations/teams support
Multi-factor authentication
Social login variety
Role-based access control

Managed Infrastructure

No authentication server to maintain
Automatic security updates
Scaling handled for you
Built-in compliance features

Pricing Considerations

Clerk is a paid service with a free tier:

Free: Up to 10,000 monthly active users
Pro: $25/month + per-user pricing
Enterprise: Custom pricing

No authentication configured.

When Auto-Selected

Authentication is automatically set to “none” when:

Backend is set to “none”
No compatible frontend/backend combination
User explicitly chooses no authentication

Use Cases

Public Apps

Applications that don’t require user accounts.

Custom Auth

Implementing your own authentication system.

External Auth

Using an external authentication service not listed.

Development

Early prototyping without user management.

Adding Authentication Later

You can add authentication after project creation:

# Future feature
bts add auth

Manual integration is currently required. Use the auth provider’s documentation.

Comparison

Feature	Better-Auth	Clerk
Hosting	Self-hosted	Managed
Cost	Free (infrastructure only)	Free tier + paid plans
Database	Required	Not required
Customization	Full control	Limited to Clerk’s features
UI Components	Build your own	Pre-built
Setup Complexity	Moderate	Low
Organizations	Custom implementation	Built-in
MFA	Custom implementation	Built-in
User Dashboard	Custom implementation	Built-in
Social Providers	Configure yourself	20+ pre-configured

Choosing Your Auth Provider

Check Your Backend

Convex: Better-Auth or Clerk
Other backends: Better-Auth
None: No auth available

Evaluate Your Needs

Self-hosted: Better-Auth
Managed service: Clerk
Organizations: Clerk (built-in)
Custom flows: Better-Auth

Consider Your Budget

Cost-sensitive: Better-Auth
Time-sensitive: Clerk
High volume: Better-Auth
Prototype: Either (Clerk faster setup)

Check Frontend Compatibility

Some frontends have limited auth options with certain backends (especially Convex).

Integration with Other Features

Payments Integration

When you add Polar payments, authentication is automatically integrated:

User accounts linked to customer profiles
Subscription management
Payment history

Database Schema

Better-Auth creates necessary database tables:

Users table
Sessions table
Accounts table (for OAuth)
Verification tokens

Clerk doesn’t require database tables (managed externally).

Protected Routes

Both providers integrate with your frontend:

Route protection
Authentication state
User profile access
Session management

Next Steps

Addons

Enhance your stack with additional features

Deployment

Deploy your authenticated application

Getting Started

CLI Reference

Configuration

Guides

Stack Options

Documentation Index

​Authentication Providers

​Overview

​Features

Self-Hosted

Type-Safe

Framework Agnostic

Extensible

​Frontend Compatibility

​Backend Requirements

​Database Integration

​Configuration Example

​Best For

​Overview

​Features

Managed Service

Pre-built UI

Advanced Features

Dashboard

​Frontend Compatibility

​Backend Compatibility

​Integration Example

​Best For

​Pricing Considerations

​When Auto-Selected

​Use Cases

Public Apps

Custom Auth

External Auth

Development

​Adding Authentication Later

​Comparison

​Choosing Your Auth Provider

​Integration with Other Features

​Next Steps

Addons

Deployment

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Authentication Providers

Overview

Features

Frontend Compatibility

Backend Requirements

Database Integration

Configuration Example

Best For

Overview

Features

Frontend Compatibility

Backend Compatibility

Integration Example

Best For

Pricing Considerations

When Auto-Selected

Use Cases

Adding Authentication Later

Comparison

Choosing Your Auth Provider

Integration with Other Features

Next Steps