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Comparison

next-auth vs @clerk/nextjs

Authentication and authorisationPackage data 25 Sept 2026
next-authv4.24.15, 20 Jul 2026

Authentication for Next.js

$ npm install next-auth
@clerk/nextjsv7.9.7, 25 Sept 2026

Clerk SDK for NextJS

$ npm install @clerk/nextjs
Metricnext-auth@clerk/nextjsDifference
Weekly downloads4,441,1221,754,161next-auth 2.5x higher
12-month download growth+148%+326%@clerk/nextjs +179 pts
Gzip size---
Minified size---
Dependencies95next-auth 4 more
Unpacked size807 kB986 kBnext-auth 22% smaller
Latest release4.24.15, 20 Jul 20267.9.7, 25 Sept 2026@clerk/nextjs 2 months more recent
Releases, last 12 months4136@clerk/nextjs 132 more
First published22 Jan 201818 Aug 2021next-auth 3.6 years earlier
GitHub stars28,3721,759next-auth 16.1x higher
Open issues39325next-auth 368 more
Open pull requests21197next-auth 114 more
Contributors---
Commits, last 52 weeks502,039@clerk/nextjs 40.8x higher
TypeScript typesBundledBundledSame
Module formatESM + CommonJSESM + CommonJSSame
Runtimes---
LicenseISCMITDiffers

Green marks the smaller size or the more recent release. Bold marks the higher count, with no judgement implied. Sizes are for the whole package per Bundlephobia. Growth compares the average of the last 4 weeks with the first 4 weeks of the 52-week series.

next-auth4.4m latest week@clerk/nextjs1.8m latest week
Week of 23 Sept 2025Week of 15 Sept 2026
Weekly npm downloads, 52 weeks. Y axis starts at zero. Values are not smoothed.

next-auth

Major versions
  1. 1.0.022 Jan 2018
  2. 2.0.021 Jun 2020
  3. 3.0.027 Jul 2020
  4. 4.0.015 Feb 2021
Last 5 releases
  1. 4.24.1520 Jul 2026
  2. 4.24.1414 Apr 2026
  3. 4.24.1329 Oct 2025
  4. 4.24.1227 Oct 2025
  5. 4.24.116 Dec 2024
220 releases in total, 4 in the last 12 months

@clerk/nextjs

Major versions
  1. 1.0.018 Aug 2021
  2. 2.0.021 Oct 2021
  3. 3.2.225 Mar 2022
  4. 4.0.05 Aug 2022
  5. 5.0.019 Apr 2024
  6. 6.0.023 Oct 2024
  7. 7.0.03 Mar 2026
Last 5 releases
  1. 7.9.725 Sept 2026
  2. 7.9.624 Sept 2026
  3. 7.9.523 Sept 2026
  4. 6.39.718 Sept 2026
  5. 7.9.415 Sept 2026
584 releases in total, 136 in the last 12 months
next-auth

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@clerk/nextjs

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next-auth

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@clerk/nextjs

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  • Module formatBoth ESM + CommonJS
  • Need TypeScript types in the package itselfBoth
  • Node.js version requirementnext-auth: none declared; @clerk/nextjs: >=20.9.0 (engines field in package.json)
  • Need the more recent release@clerk/nextjs (7.9.7 on 25 Sept 2026 vs 4.24.15 on 20 Jul 2026)
  • Higher weekly npm downloadsnext-auth (4.4m vs 1.8m)
  • Licensenext-auth: ISC; @clerk/nextjs: MIT

Each line is generated from the data above.

Indexability: Indexed.