Clerk vs Duo Security Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
| Clerk | Duo Security | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $25/mo | $3/mo |
| Number of plans | 4 | 4 |
| Free plan | ||
| Free trial | — | |
| Pricing model | hybrid | per-seat |
Hobby
- Up to 3 dashboard seats
- Unlimited applications
- 50,000 MRU limit per app
- Up to 5 user impersonations
- APIs and prebuilt UIs for sign-up, sign-in, and user profile
- Custom domain
- Fixed, 7 day session lifetime
- Application Logs
- Machine Authentication
Pro
Popular- 50,000 MRU included per app
- 1 Enterprise connection included
- Remove Clerk branding
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Satellite domains
- Custom session lifetime
- Application Logs
- SMS Authentication available
- Machine Authentication
Business
- 10 dashboard seats included
- SOC2 Report
- Enhanced dashboard roles
- Priority support
- Application and Admin Logs
Enterprise
- Annual committed use discounts
- 99.99% Uptime SLA
- Enterprise SSO for workspace
- Premium support SLA + dedicated slack channel
- Application and Admin Logs
- Log sink destinations
- HIPAA compliance available with BAA
- Onboarding & migration support
- Custom security questionnaires
Duo Free
- Add up to 10 users
- Strong MFA
- Seamless integrations
- Free authenticator app
Duo Essentials
- Duo Directory
- Phishing-resistant MFA
- Complete passwordless authentication
- Single sign-on
- Trusted Endpoints
- Unlimited applications
Duo Advantage
Popular- Cisco Identity Intelligence (Cross-identity visibility, ISPM, and ITDR)
- Duo Passport
- Session theft protection
- Active Directory Defense
- Risk-Based Authentication
Duo Premier
- A comprehensive package for complete Zero Trust access
- VPN-less remote access to private resources
- Complete device trust with endpoint protection check
Clerk vs Duo Security FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- Duo Security is the cheaper option, starting at $3/mo vs $25/mo for Clerk.
- Can I use either one for free?
- Both offer free plans, so you can try each without paying. Start with whichever fits your workflow better and upgrade when you hit the limits.
- How do they charge?
- Different approach here. Clerk uses hybrid pricing, while Duo Security goes with per-seat. That changes the math depending on your team size and usage.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. Clerk: Sitting comfortably in the mid-market between bare-bones DIY auth (Firebase, Supabase Auth) and heavyweight enterprise identity platforms like Okta or Auth0, Clerk's $25 entry point undercuts Auth0's typical dev-tier pricing while still packing in prebuilt UI components. They're chasing developer-first teams who want auth solved fast without babysitting infrastructure, not enterprises with existing IAM investments. Duo Security: Duo sits mid-market in the identity/MFA space — pricier than bare-bones MFA tools but noticeably cheaper than bundling full IAM suites like Okta, which makes it the go-to for teams that want Cisco-backed security without buying into a whole identity platform.
Still deciding? See the best Clerk alternatives or the best Duo Security alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.
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