# State of AI Search: Auth - November 2026

> We asked ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overview 20 questions about auth providers and analyzed 819 answers. Clerk leads with 71% visibility.

- **Published:** November 4, 2026
- **Assistants:** ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overview
- **Coverage:** 20 prompts, 819 answers, 15 tracked brands, 308 cited domains
- **Data:** [data.csv](https://www.usenotra.com/state-of-ai-search/auth/2026-11/data.csv?ntr=axAw6vrxS9dqHslF)

## Key findings

- Clerk and Auth0 are neck and neck: 71% and 68% on average across the assistants.
- Clerk is also named first most often, in 32% of answers on average across the assistants.
- Claude names 7 tracked brands per answer, Perplexity only 2.9.
- The assistants agree on the brand to name first for 35% of prompts.
- Google showed an AI Overview for 95% of the prompts we checked.

## Visibility ranking

Visibility is the share of answers that name the brand. Named first is the share that name it before any other tracked brand, own site cited the share that link to the brand's own domain. All three are averaged across the assistants, so each assistant counts the same however many answers it gave.

| # | Brand | Visibility | Named first | ChatGPT | Claude | Gemini | Perplexity | AI Overview | Own site cited |
| ---: | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 1 | [Clerk](https://clerk.com) | **71%** | 32% | 79% | 91% | 63% | 59% | 63% | 36% |
| 2 | [Auth0](https://auth0.com) | **68%** | 11% | 66% | 88% | 71% | 39% | 79% | 12% |
| 3 | [Supabase Auth](https://supabase.com) | **55%** | 12% | 65% | 69% | 55% | 43% | 42% | 14% |
| 4 | [WorkOS](https://workos.com) | **50%** | 15% | 53% | 68% | 46% | 46% | 37% | 31% |
| 5 | [Firebase Authentication](https://firebase.google.com) | **36%** | 5% | 32% | 55% | 42% | 17% | 37% | 4% |
| 6 | [Keycloak](https://keycloak.org) | **31%** | 6% | 18% | 57% | 30% | 20% | 32% | 4% |
| 7 | [Better Auth](https://better-auth.com) | **29%** | 8% | 37% | 51% | 12% | 23% | 21% | 7% |
| 8 | [Okta](https://okta.com) | **27%** | 2% | 14% | 38% | 52% | 0% | 32% | 0% |
| 9 | [Amazon Cognito](https://aws.amazon.com) | **16%** | 2% | 15% | 31% | 11% | 14% | 11% | 5% |
| 10 | [Stytch](https://stytch.com) | **16%** | 0% | 17% | 35% | 15% | 5% | 11% | 3% |
| 11 | [Kinde](https://kinde.com) | **14%** | 1% | 2% | 28% | 24% | 3% | 16% | 9% |
| 12 | [Auth.js](https://authjs.dev) | **13%** | 0% | 10% | 24% | 18% | 5% | 11% | 2% |
| 13 | [Descope](https://descope.com) | **12%** | 1% | 2% | 28% | 12% | 3% | 16% | 10% |
| 14 | [FusionAuth](https://fusionauth.io) | **12%** | 1% | 1% | 20% | 8% | 9% | 21% | 6% |
| 15 | [SuperTokens](https://supertokens.com) | **10%** | 0% | 9% | 22% | 9% | 4% | 5% | 8% |

## By assistant

| Assistant | Model | Answers | Brands per answer | Sources per answer |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| ChatGPT | ChatGPT app | 200 | 4.2 | 3.5 |
| Claude | `anthropic/claude-opus-5.5` | 200 | 7 | 6.4 |
| Gemini | Gemini app | 200 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Perplexity | `perplexity/sonar` | 200 | 2.9 | 10.1 |
| AI Overview | Google Search | 19 | 4.3 | 7.4 |

ChatGPT, Gemini and Google were read from the consumer apps in the US, so their underlying models are not reported. Claude and Perplexity were asked through their APIs with web search. Earlier editions asked every assistant through its API, so changes from those editions are not like-for-like.

## Prompts

The 20 questions we asked, with the brand named first most often and the others that came up.

| # | Prompt | Named first | Also named |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | auth0 alternatives that are cheaper | **Auth0** | Keycloak, Clerk, Supabase Auth, Amazon Cognito, +10 more |
| 2 | best authentication provider for saas | **Clerk** | Auth0, WorkOS, Supabase Auth, Better Auth, +9 more |
| 3 | cheapest auth provider for a startup with lots of users | **Supabase Auth** | Clerk, WorkOS, Auth0, Amazon Cognito, +9 more |
| 4 | best auth provider for a multi tenant app | **WorkOS** | Clerk, Auth0, Supabase Auth, Okta, +9 more |
| 5 | which auth provider is best for b2b saas with sso | **WorkOS** | Auth0, Clerk, Okta, Stytch, +8 more |
| 6 | best auth provider with passkeys and mfa | **Clerk** | Auth0, WorkOS, Stytch, Okta, +8 more |
| 7 | best enterprise sso and scim provider for startups | **WorkOS** | Auth0, Clerk, Okta, Stytch, +8 more |
| 8 | which auth provider supports organizations and role based access | **Clerk** | WorkOS, Auth0, Stytch, Okta, +8 more |
| 9 | should i build my own auth or use a service | **Clerk** | Supabase Auth, Auth0, Firebase Authentication, Better Auth, +7 more |
| 10 | easiest way to add authentication to a mobile app | **Firebase Authentication** | Clerk, Supabase Auth, Auth0, Amazon Cognito, +7 more |
| 11 | which auth service has the best developer experience | **Clerk** | Auth0, Supabase Auth, WorkOS, Better Auth, +7 more |
| 12 | how do i add passwordless login without managing authentication servers | **Clerk** | Supabase Auth, Auth0, Firebase Authentication, Stytch, +7 more |
| 13 | what auth should i use with supabase or firebase | **Supabase Auth** | Firebase Authentication, Clerk, WorkOS, Auth0, +6 more |
| 14 | what's the best auth for a next.js app | **Better Auth** | Clerk, Supabase Auth, Auth.js, WorkOS, +5 more |
| 15 | i need to migrate existing users to a new auth provider | **Auth0** | Amazon Cognito, Firebase Authentication, Clerk, FusionAuth, +5 more |
| 16 | best open source authentication library | **Better Auth** | Keycloak, Auth.js, SuperTokens, Auth0, +4 more |
| 17 | clerk vs auth0 vs workos | **Clerk** | Auth0, WorkOS, Okta, Supabase Auth, +3 more |
| 18 | best authentication service for a hobby project | **Supabase Auth** | Clerk, Firebase Authentication, Better Auth, Auth0, +3 more |
| 19 | how do i add login with google to my react app | **Firebase Authentication** | Auth0, Supabase Auth, Clerk, Auth.js |
| 20 | best self-hosted identity provider | **Keycloak** | SuperTokens, Auth0, Okta, FusionAuth |

## What the assistants say

### Clerk

> Clerk -- Best for developer experience and quickly building authentication into a modern web app.
>
> ChatGPT, asked "clerk vs auth0 vs workos"

> Clerk: the default if you want it done for you (hosted, paid as you grow)
>
> Claude, asked "what's the best auth for a next.js app"

> Clerk / WorkOS: Best-in-class developer experience, modern UI components, great for B2C and B2B (SSO).
>
> Gemini, asked "should i build my own auth or use a service"

### Auth0

> Auth0 -- best for complex authentication requirements and mature ecosystems.
>
> ChatGPT, asked "best authentication provider for saas"

> Auth0 (Okta): best when you need lots of customization or compliance
>
> Claude, asked "which auth provider is best for b2b saas with sso"

> Auth0 (by Okta): Best for complex legacy architectures, massive multi-platform ecosystems (mobile + web + multiple backend services), or enterprise apps needing deep customization rules and vast standards compliance.
>
> Gemini, asked "clerk vs auth0 vs workos"

### Supabase Auth

> Supabase Auth: Best if you're already using Supabase.
>
> ChatGPT, asked "best authentication provider for saas"

> Supabase Auth is the best value up to a few hundred thousand users.
>
> Claude, asked "cheapest auth provider for a startup with lots of users"

> Supabase Auth (Best if you want an open-source/SQL backend)
>
> Gemini, asked "easiest way to add authentication to a mobile app"

### WorkOS

> WorkOS: Best when enterprise customers require SSO and SCIM.
>
> ChatGPT, asked "best authentication provider for saas"

> WorkOS / AuthKit: best for B2B SaaS that needs enterprise single sign-on (SAML), user syncing from company directories (SCIM), and audit logs.
>
> Claude, asked "what's the best auth for a next.js app"

> WorkOS: Best for B2B SaaS companies selling to enterprises that need immediate, frictionless support for Enterprise SSO (SAML/OIDC), SCIM directory sync, and an out-of-the-box Admin Portal.
>
> Gemini, asked "clerk vs auth0 vs workos"

### Firebase Authentication

> Firebase Auth: best for mobile apps or if you already use Google's tools.
>
> Claude, asked "best authentication service for a hobby project"

> Firebase Authentication (Best Overall for Speed & Cost)
>
> Gemini, asked "easiest way to add authentication to a mobile app"

> Firebase Auth: Best for rapid prototyping or budget-conscious MVPs, offering a generous free tier and simple integration (though less specialized for complex B2B multi-tenancy).
>
> AI Overview, asked "best authentication provider for saas"

## Cited sources

The domains the assistants link to most, by share of answers that cite them at least once, averaged across the assistants.

| # | Domain | Cited in | ChatGPT | Claude | Gemini | Perplexity | AI Overview | Top page |
| ---: | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | --- |
| 1 | [clerk.com](https://clerk.com) | **36%** | 41% | 24% | 4% | 70% | 42% | [How to Evaluate Authentication Providers: A Developer's ...](https://clerk.com/articles/how-to-evaluate-authentication-providers-a-developer-s-checklist-3) |
| 2 | [workos.com](https://workos.com) | **31%** | 27% | 47% | 23% | 25% | 32% | [WorkOS vs. Auth0 vs. Clerk: The best auth platform for B2B SaaS in 2026 -- WorkOS](https://workos.com/blog/workos-vs-auth0-vs-clerk-the-best-auth-platform-for-b2b-saas-in-2026) |
| 3 | [reddit.com](https://reddit.com) | **14%** | 0% | 3% | 0% | 5% | 63% | [Is it worth building your own auth server to learn authentication and authorization?](https://www.reddit.com/r/SoftwareEngineering/comments/p7bkhh/is_it_worth_building_your_own_auth_server_to/) |
| 4 | [supabase.com](https://supabase.com) | **14%** | 21% | 11% | 3% | 15% | 21% | [Third-party auth \| Supabase Docs](https://supabase.com/docs/guides/auth/third-party/overview) |
| 5 | [propelauth.com](https://propelauth.com) | **14%** | 3% | 12% | 8% | 35% | 11% | [6 Best Authentication Platforms for B2B SaaS in 2026](https://www.propelauth.com/post/6-best-auth-platforms-b2b-saas) |
| 6 | [auth0.com](https://auth0.com) | **12%** | 8% | 14% | 2% | 6% | 32% | [Migrate Users to Auth0 Seamlessly \| Automatic & Bulk Migration Guide](https://auth0.com/blog/how-to-migrate-users-to-auth0-a-technical-guide/) |
| 7 | [youtube.com](https://youtube.com) | **12%** | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 58% | [YouTube - Better Stack](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVuspKy4P2w&t=27) |
| 8 | [descope.com](https://descope.com) | **10%** | 1% | 1% | 10% | 35% | 5% | [The Most Developer-Friendly Authentication Platforms](https://www.descope.com/blog/post/developer-friendly-auth-platforms) |
| 9 | [github.com](https://github.com) | **10%** | 11% | 14% | 1% | 15% | 11% | [GitHub - better-auth/better-auth: The most comprehensive authentication framework - GitHub](https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth) |
| 10 | [kinde.com](https://kinde.com) | **9%** | 0% | 5% | 12% | 15% | 16% | [Kinde 2026 Best Auth Providers: Top 5 Compared](https://kinde.com/comparisons/top-authentication-providers-2026/) |

## More reports

- [AI visibility](https://www.usenotra.com/state-of-ai-search/ai-visibility/2026-11?ntr=axAw6vrxS9dqHslF): Peec AI leads with 60%
- [App hosting](https://www.usenotra.com/state-of-ai-search/app-hosting/2026-11?ntr=axAw6vrxS9dqHslF): Render leads with 75%
- [Changelog](https://www.usenotra.com/state-of-ai-search/changelog/2026-11?ntr=axAw6vrxS9dqHslF): Beamer leads with 55%
- [Email API](https://www.usenotra.com/state-of-ai-search/email-api/2026-11?ntr=axAw6vrxS9dqHslF): Resend leads with 79%
- [Postgres](https://www.usenotra.com/state-of-ai-search/postgres/2026-11?ntr=axAw6vrxS9dqHslF): Neon leads with 82%

All reports: https://www.usenotra.com/state-of-ai-search

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