Auth0 Essentials alternatives
Killing $35/mo (starts billing at 500 MAU) (~$420/yr) — here are 2 verified escapes, honest trade-offs included.
the answer hard migration
Keycloak · Free self-host ⭐ 36.4K stars Enterprise-grade SSO, OIDC/SAML, social logins — run unlimited users for free.
you stop paying $35/mo (starts billing at 500 MAU) → keep ~$420/yr
head-to-head
| Auth0 Essentials | Keycloak | |
|---|---|---|
| price | $35/mo (starts billing at 500 MAU) | Free self-host |
| self-hostable | no | yes |
| license | proprietary | Apache-2.0 |
| verified | — | 2026-08 |
| migration | — | hard effort |
free & open source (2)
Free self-host
Enterprise-grade SSO, OIDC/SAML, social logins — run unlimited users for free.
trade-offs: You operate and secure it · Heavier resource footprint
github →migration guide
Auth0 → Authentik cutover
⏱ ~2 days- Deploy Authentik with their docker-compose; complete initial setup.
- Mirror every Auth0 application: same client IDs, redirect/post-logout URIs.
- Export users via the Management API. Database-backed passwords usually re-import; social-only logins will re-link on next sign-in.
- Point apps at the new issuer URL behind a config flag; test login per app.
- Flip DNS/config for real, watch failed-login dashboards for a week.
- Close the Auth0 tenant.
faq
What is the best free alternative to Auth0 Essentials?
Keycloak is the top free option — Enterprise-grade SSO, OIDC/SAML, social logins — run unlimited users for free.
How much can I save by switching from Auth0 Essentials?
Auth0 Essentials costs $35/mo (starts billing at 500 MAU), so switching to a free alternative saves roughly $420/year per seat.
Can Auth0 Essentials be self-hosted?
Yes — Keycloak and Authelia can be self-hosted for free.