AWS Cognito's pay-as-you-go pricing makes it significantly cheaper than Auth0 at scale. But Auth0 wins on developer experience and enterprise features. Here's the full comparison.
Auth0 Essentials starting price
Tier-based MAU pricing. Unpredictable jumps as you grow. 7,500 MAU free tier.
Cognito per MAU (after 50K free)
Predictable pay-as-you-go. 50K MAU free monthly. No tier jumps.
| MAU | Auth0 Essentials | AWS Cognito | Monthly Savings (Cognito) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | $235 | Free | Free |
| 25,000 | $535 | Free | Free |
| 50,000 | $1,035 | Free | Free |
| 100,000 | $2,035 | $275 | $1,760/mo |
| 250,000 | $4,500+ | $1,100 | $3,400+/mo |
| 500,000 | Custom | $2,475 | $5,000+/mo |
| 1,000,000 | Custom | $5,500 | $10,000+/mo |
Cognito: 50K MAU free per month, $0.0055/MAU above. Auth0 Essentials estimated from published tiers.
| Feature | Auth0 | AWS Cognito |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 7,500 MAU | 50,000 MAU |
| Pricing model | MAU tiers (steep) | $0.0055/MAU PAYG |
| Cost at 100K MAU | ~$2,035/mo | ~$275/mo |
| Developer experience | Excellent | Complex |
| Pre-built login UI | Universal Login (polished) | Hosted UI (basic) |
| Social login | 30+ providers | Google, FB, Apple |
| SAML Federation | ✓ B2B plans | ✓ User pools |
| SCIM provisioning | ✓ Enterprise | ✗ Not native |
| RBAC | ✓ Professional+ | ✗ Basic groups only |
| Custom auth flows | Actions (JS) | Lambda triggers |
| AWS integration | ✗ Via SDK only | ✓ Native IAM, API GW |
| HIPAA eligible | ✓ Enterprise | ✓ Yes |
| Multi-factor auth | ✓ All plans | ✓ TOTP, SMS |
| SDK quality | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ |
| Documentation | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ |
Choose Auth0 if:
You need excellent developer experience, rich customisation, B2B enterprise SSO, SCIM, or complex auth flows. Auth0 saves significant engineering time even at higher cost.
Choose Cognito if:
You're AWS-native, have 50K+ MAU, need predictable pay-as-you-go pricing, and your team is comfortable with AWS complexity. Potential savings: $20,000–$100,000/year at enterprise scale.