Okta is overkill for my app. What should I use instead?

If Okta feels like overkill, the best alternative depends on what kind of app you’re building and how much auth you want to own.

Good alternatives by use case

1) Auth.js (NextAuth)

Best if you’re building a Next.js app and want something lightweight.

• Open-source
• Easy social login / OAuth
• Works well with your own database
• You control the UI and flow more than with Okta

Use this if: you want “just enough auth” for a web app and don’t need enterprise SSO, SCIM, or advanced policy tooling.

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2) Clerk

Best if you want a modern, developer-friendly hosted auth solution.

• Very quick to integrate
• Built-in sign-in/sign-up UI
• Social login, MFA, orgs, sessions
• Better out-of-the-box UX than most DIY setups

Use this if: you want to move fast and don’t mind a hosted service, but want less complexity than Okta.

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3) Supabase Auth

Best if you’re already using Supabase/Postgres.

• Email/password, magic links, OAuth
• Simple for small-to-mid apps
• Good if your backend is already around Supabase

Use this if: you want a straightforward auth system tied to your database stack.

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4) Firebase Authentication

Best for mobile apps or apps already in the Google ecosystem.

• Easy social sign-in
• Phone auth support
• Very fast to start with
• Works well with Firebase/Google Cloud

Use this if: you want speed and don’t need deep enterprise features.

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5) AWS Cognito

Best if you’re already on AWS and want a cheaper enterprise-ish option.

• Can do OAuth, SAML, user pools
• Powerful but not the nicest developer experience
• More setup complexity than Clerk/Supabase

Use this if: you need hosted auth on AWS and want to avoid Okta pricing.

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6) Keycloak

Best if you want self-hosted enterprise auth.

• Open-source
• Supports OIDC, OAuth2, SAML
• Good for SSO and enterprise scenarios
• More ops burden than hosted tools

Use this if: you need control and enterprise features, but want open source.

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Quick rule of thumb

• Small web app / SaaS: Clerk or Supabase Auth
• Next.js app: Auth.js (NextAuth) or Clerk
• Mobile-first: Firebase Auth
• AWS-heavy stack: Cognito
• Need self-hosted SSO: Keycloak
• Need enterprise identity management: Okta may still be worth it

My practical recommendation

If you’re asking “what should I use instead of Okta?” for a typical app, I’d usually pick:

• Clerk if you want the easiest polished experience
• Auth.js if you want more control and lower cost
• Supabase Auth if you’re already using Supabase

If you want, I can recommend the best option based on:

1. your stack,
2. whether you need SSO/MFA,
3. and whether you want hosted vs self-hosted.