Best Authentication Software for Next.js Boilerplates

Clerk offers a full-stack authentication and user management system designed for modern web applications. It provides secure APIs and drop-in UI components for sign-up, sign-in, user profiles, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and organization management. Clerk supports frameworks like Next.js, React, Vue, and Nuxt, with built-in OAuth, SSO, and RBAC (Role-Based Access Control). Focused on developer experience, Clerk eliminates the need to build authentication from scratch, ensuring security and scalability without sacrificing flexibility or control.

NextAuth.js is a popular open-source authentication framework specifically designed for Next.js applications, providing smooth integration with well-known services such as Google, Facebook, Auth0, and Apple. It accommodates a range of authentication techniques, which include OAuth 1.0 and 2.0, email and passwordless sign-ins, as well as custom username and password solutions. Built with versatility in mind, NextAuth.js functions effectively in serverless settings and is compatible with various databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, MSSQL, and MongoDB, giving developers the option to utilize either database sessions or JSON Web Tokens (JWT). To ensure security, it incorporates features like signed and prefixed server-only cookies, HTTP POST with CSRF token checks, and encrypted JWTs that adhere to JWS, JWE, and JWK standards. The framework is designed for quick implementation, allowing developers to integrate authentication features within minutes while requiring minimal configuration. In addition, extensive documentation and an active community contribute to its user-friendliness, making it an excellent choice for developers in search of a reliable authentication solution. Ultimately, NextAuth.js streamlines the integration process, empowering developers to focus more on building their applications rather than getting bogged down in authentication complexities.