Descope vs WorkOS Pricing (2026)

How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.

Descope WorkOS
Starts at $249/mo Custom
Number of plans 4 2
Free plan
Free trial
Pricing model usage-based usage-based

Free Forever

$0/mo
  • 7,500 Monthly active users (MAUs)
  • 10 Monthly active tenants
  • 3 SSO connections
  • 1 Federated app (OIDC)
  • 5 Test users
  • 10,000 M2M exchanges
  • 2,000 Monthly active consents (MACs)
  • 2,000 Monthly active tokens (MATKs)
  • All auth methods
  • Role-based access control
  • MFA / step-up authentication
  • Secure session management
  • Self-service admin widgets
  • Third-party connectors
  • No Descope watermark
  • Community support
  • 99% SLA

Pro

$249/mo
  • 10,000 Monthly active users (MAUs)
  • 35 Monthly active tenants
  • 5 SSO connections
  • 2 Federated apps (SAML / OIDC)
  • 100 Test users
  • 50,000 M2M exchanges
  • 5,000 Monthly active consents (MACs)
  • 5,000 Monthly active tokens (MATKs)
  • Custom Domain
  • Google One Tap
  • Custom OIDC Provider
  • SSO for third-party apps
  • Self-service SSO setup
  • CI / CD integration
  • Localization
  • Web and email support
  • SOC 2 reports
  • 99.99% SLA

Growth

$799/mo
  • 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)
  • 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 deployments

Enterprise

Custom
  • Tiered discounts
  • Premium support add-on
  • Dedicated CS engineer
  • Custom deployments
  • Unlimited test users
  • Unlimited anonymous users

Pay as you go

Custom
  • Automatic volume discounts
  • First 1 million active users free
  • Deploy in minutes
  • Dedicated Slack channel
  • Transparent pricing

Annual Credits

Popular
Custom
  • Pre-pay credit discounts
  • 99.99% uptime SLA
  • Guided migration and onboarding
  • Guaranteed support SLA

Descope vs WorkOS FAQ

Which one is cheaper?
One or both use custom pricing, so it depends on your specific needs.
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?
Both use a usage-based model, so the comparison is straightforward — it comes down to features and limits at each price point.
Which one is a better deal?
Depends on what you need. Descope: They're positioned as a mid-market alternative to Auth0 and Okta — cheaper than Okta's enterprise lock-in, more feature-rich than rolling your own. The Hello World startup program is a direct shot at Auth0's free tier dominance in the developer-first space. WorkOS: WorkOS is clearly targeting mid-market SaaS companies that need enterprise auth features (SSO, SCIM, Audit Logs) without building them in-house — they're not the cheapest option, but they're cheaper than the engineering cost of rolling your own. They're competing directly with Auth0 and Okta's developer products, positioning on simplicity and transparent usage pricing rather than seat-based opacity.

Keep tabs on both.

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