# SuperTokens

**Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/supertokens  
**Vertical:** Security  
**Subcategory:** General  
**Tier:** Emerging  
**Website:** supertokens.com  
**Last Updated:** 2026-04-14

## Summary

Open-source authentication platform with self-hosted and managed options; YC W20-backed competing with Auth0 and Clerk on developer data ownership and zero per-user pricing for email, social, and MFA login.

## Company Overview

SuperTokens is a San Francisco-based open-source authentication platform that enables developers to implement secure user authentication (email/password, social login, passwordless, multi-factor authentication) in their applications with either a fully self-hosted deployment or a managed cloud service — positioned as the developer-controlled alternative to Auth0, Firebase Authentication, and AWS Cognito that keeps user data under the developer's ownership. Founded in 2019 by Rishabh Poddar and Advait Ruia and backed by Y Combinator (W20) with initial funding, SuperTokens is used by thousands of developers globally for authentication infrastructure.

SuperTokens' developer-ownership differentiation addresses Auth0's pricing model controversy: Auth0 (now Okta's developer identity product) charges per monthly active user, which becomes expensive at scale — a 100,000 MAU app pays $1,000+/month. SuperTokens' self-hosted version is completely free (no per-user charges), and the managed service tier provides a generous free tier. The open-source model also enables customization of authentication flows that SaaS solutions lock behind proprietary APIs. Pre-built UI components, SDKs for React, Node.js, Python, Go, and mobile platforms, and session management infrastructure reduce the authentication implementation from weeks to days.

In 2025, SuperTokens competes in the authentication and identity platform market with Auth0/Okta (NASDAQ: OKTA), Firebase Authentication (Google), AWS Cognito, Clerk (modern authentication with embedded UI components), and Lucia Auth (open-source session library) for developer authentication infrastructure. The developer authentication market has bifurcated between cloud-managed solutions (Auth0, Clerk) optimized for convenience and self-hosted/open-source solutions (SuperTokens, Keycloak) optimized for cost and data control. SuperTokens' traction has grown significantly as developers became price-sensitive to Auth0's MAU pricing model and as data sovereignty requirements increased. The 2025 strategy focuses on growing the enterprise self-hosted deployment market, building the enterprise SSO (SAML, SCIM) features for B2B SaaS, and expanding the managed cloud service for teams that want ownership without operational burden.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is SuperTokens?
SuperTokens is an open-source authentication platform that serves as an alternative to Auth0, Firebase Auth, and AWS Cognito. Founded in 2019, it enables developers to own and manage user data with both self-hosted free options and a managed tier.

### What products and services does SuperTokens offer?
SuperTokens offers open-source authentication, user session management, SSO (Single Sign-On), multi-factor authentication, and social login integration. These services help developers implement secure authentication in their applications.

### Who should use SuperTokens?
SuperTokens is designed for developers who need to implement secure authentication in their applications. It is currently used by hundreds of developers globally.

### When was SuperTokens founded and by whom?
SuperTokens was founded in 2019 by Rishabh Poddar and Advait Ruia. The company participated in Y Combinator's Winter 2020 batch.

### Where is SuperTokens located?
SuperTokens is based in San Francisco, California.

### Has SuperTokens received any funding?
Yes, SuperTokens raised $125K in seed funding on August 25, 2020 from Y Combinator. The company was part of Y Combinator's W20 batch.

### How many developers use SuperTokens?
SuperTokens is currently used by hundreds of developers globally for implementing secure authentication in their applications.

### What makes SuperTokens different from other authentication platforms?
SuperTokens is an open-source platform that allows developers to own and manage their user data. It offers both self-hosted free options and a generous managed tier, positioning itself as a future-proof authentication solution.

### Is SuperTokens free to use?
Yes, SuperTokens offers a self-hosted free tier. They also provide a generous managed tier for developers who prefer a hosted solution.

### What is SuperTokens working on recently?
SuperTokens is publishing content on SSO providers in 2025 and continues to position itself as a future-proof authentication platform. The company maintains its focus as an open-source alternative to major authentication services.

## Tags

b2b, cybersecurity, global, saas, security, startup

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*Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*