Hanko: Open Source Passkey Authentication Alternative to Clerk

Hanko is an open-source, passkey-first authentication platform for modern web applications. It helps developers add secure login, passkeys, MFA, SSO, user management, and session handling without being locked into a proprietary identity provider.

Hanko is often used as an alternative to Clerk, Auth0, Firebase Auth, and Better Auth by teams that want passkey-first authentication, self-hosting, privacy-first architecture, web components, SDKs, and more control over user identity data.

What is Hanko?

Hanko is an authentication and user management platform built around passkeys, WebAuthn, and privacy-first principles. It provides a complete authentication backend, pre-built UI components, frontend SDKs, and deployment options for both self-hosted infrastructure and Hanko Cloud.

It is especially useful for:

• SaaS applications
• developer tools
• B2B and B2C web apps
• privacy-focused products
• teams moving toward passwordless authentication
• applications that need passkeys, MFA, SSO, and user profile management
• teams that want to avoid authentication vendor lock-in

Key features

Passkey-first authentication

• Passkeys and WebAuthn support
• Passwordless authentication
• Phishing-resistant login flows
• Email passcodes
• Password-based login when needed
• Magic links
• Device and session management

MFA and SSO

• Multi-factor authentication
• TOTP support
• Security keys
• OAuth SSO with providers like Google, GitHub, Apple, and custom OIDC providers
• SAML Enterprise SSO
• Remote session revocation
• JWT issuing

Developer experience

• Hanko Elements drop-in web components
• <hanko-auth> authentication component
• Frontend SDK for custom UIs
• Framework examples for React, Next.js, and other modern stacks
• Webhooks
• Server-side session management
• API-first authentication flows
• i18n and custom translations

Deployment and data control

• Self-hosted deployment
• Hanko Cloud managed service
• Single Go binary
• Docker Compose support
• PostgreSQL database
• Redis support
• Full control over user data when self-hosted
• Migration path between self-hosted Hanko and Hanko Cloud

Hanko vs Clerk

Feature	Hanko	Clerk
Main use case	Open-source passkey-first authentication	Managed developer-first authentication SaaS
License	AGPL-3.0 backend; MIT SDK and Elements	Proprietary
Deployment	Self-hosted or Hanko Cloud	Managed cloud SaaS
Passkeys	Passkey-first authentication	Passkey support depending on product setup
SSO	OAuth, OIDC, and SAML Enterprise SSO	OAuth, SSO, and enterprise features depending on plan
UI components	Hanko Elements web components and SDK	Pre-built components and SDKs
Data control	High control when self-hosted	Vendor-hosted infrastructure
Best for	Teams wanting open-source auth, passkeys, and self-hosting	Teams wanting managed auth with minimal infrastructure work
Cost model	Open-source software; infrastructure or optional Hanko Cloud costs apply	Subscription-based SaaS pricing

Choose Hanko if you want open-source authentication, passkey-first login, self-hosting, and more control over user identity data.

Choose Clerk if you want a fully managed proprietary authentication platform with polished developer experience and minimal operational setup.

Hanko vs Auth0

Hanko and Auth0 both help teams add authentication and user management, but they target different priorities.

Auth0 is a mature proprietary identity platform with broad enterprise IAM and CIAM capabilities. Hanko is a better fit if you want an open-source, passkey-first, privacy-focused authentication system that can be self-hosted.

Feature	Hanko	Auth0
Main use case	Passkey-first authentication and user management	Enterprise identity and access management
License	Open source backend and SDK components	Proprietary
Deployment	Self-hosted or Hanko Cloud	Managed cloud SaaS
Passkeys	Core product focus	Supported depending on configuration
Enterprise IAM	SAML SSO and MFA support	Broad enterprise IAM and CIAM features
Data control	High when self-hosted	Managed by Auth0
Best for	Teams prioritizing passkeys, privacy, and ownership	Enterprises needing a mature managed identity platform

Hanko vs Firebase Auth

Firebase Auth is a good option for developers already using the Firebase ecosystem. It provides managed authentication with minimal setup.

Hanko is more relevant if you want passkey-first authentication, self-hosting, source code access, privacy-first architecture, and more control over your user identity infrastructure.

Feature	Hanko	Firebase Auth
Main use case	Open-source authentication and passkeys	Managed authentication for Firebase apps
Deployment	Self-hosted or Hanko Cloud	Managed Google/Firebase service
Passkeys	Core product focus	Not the main product focus
Data control	High when self-hosted	Managed by Google infrastructure
Best for	Teams wanting self-hosted, privacy-first auth	Teams already building on Firebase

Hanko vs Better Auth

Better Auth is a developer-first authentication framework. Hanko is a complete authentication platform with backend services, passkeys, web components, SDKs, SSO, MFA, and self-hosting options.

Choose Better Auth if you want a flexible authentication library or framework to integrate directly into your application stack.

Choose Hanko if you want a complete passkey-first authentication platform with ready-to-use UI components, backend services, and deployment options.

At a glance

Attribute	Details
License	AGPL-3.0 backend; MIT SDK and Elements
Category	Security / Authentication
Main users	Developers, SaaS teams, privacy-focused products
Focus	Passkeys, WebAuthn, passwordless authentication, SSO, MFA
Deployment	Self-hosted or Hanko Cloud
Self-hosted	Yes
Stack	Go, TypeScript, React, PostgreSQL, Redis
UI	Hanko Elements web components and frontend SDK
Alternatives	Clerk, Auth0, Firebase Auth, Better Auth

Self-hosting

Hanko can be self-hosted by teams that want more control over authentication infrastructure, user data, and deployment.

A typical self-hosted Hanko setup may include:

• Hanko backend
• Single Go binary or Docker Compose deployment
• PostgreSQL
• Redis
• OAuth / OIDC provider configuration
• SAML configuration for enterprise SSO if needed
• Email provider configuration
• Reverse proxy and HTTPS
• Monitoring, logs, backups, and database migrations

Self-hosting is a good fit for teams that need data ownership, privacy, compliance, or control over authentication infrastructure.

Hanko Cloud is a better fit if you want managed authentication without operating your own infrastructure.

FAQ

Is Hanko a Clerk alternative?

Yes. Hanko is an open-source alternative to Clerk for authentication, passkeys, SSO, MFA, user management, and session handling. It is especially relevant if you want passkey-first authentication and self-hosting.

What is the difference between Hanko and Clerk?

Hanko is open source and can be self-hosted, while Clerk is a proprietary managed SaaS. Hanko focuses strongly on passkeys, privacy, and data control. Clerk focuses on a polished managed developer experience with minimal setup.

Is Hanko an Auth0 alternative?

Yes. Hanko can be used as an Auth0 alternative for teams that need authentication, SSO, MFA, and user management. Auth0 is broader and more enterprise-oriented, while Hanko is more focused on passkey-first authentication, privacy, and self-hosting.

Can Hanko be self-hosted?

Yes. Hanko can be self-hosted using Docker Compose or a bare-metal deployment. Self-hosting gives teams more control over user data, infrastructure, authentication flows, and deployment.

Does Hanko support passkeys?

Yes. Hanko is built around passkeys and WebAuthn. It supports phishing-resistant passwordless authentication flows for modern web applications.

Does Hanko support SSO?

Yes. Hanko supports OAuth SSO with providers like Google, GitHub, Apple, and custom OIDC providers. It also supports SAML Enterprise SSO.

Does Hanko support MFA?

Yes. Hanko supports multi-factor authentication, including TOTP and security keys.

Is Hanko better than Firebase Auth?

Hanko is better if you want passkey-first authentication, self-hosting, privacy-first architecture, and source code access. Firebase Auth is better if you are already using Firebase and want a managed authentication service with minimal setup.

What is the difference between Hanko and Better Auth?

Better Auth is a developer-first authentication framework. Hanko is a complete authentication platform with passkeys, backend services, web components, SDKs, MFA, SSO, and self-hosting options.

Is Hanko suitable for production?

Yes. Hanko can be used in production. For production self-hosting, teams should plan for PostgreSQL, Redis, HTTPS, email provider configuration, SSO configuration, logs, monitoring, backups, and database migration strategy.