What is SSO?
SSO stands for Single Sign-On. It allows users to access an application with a third-party account. "Sign in with Google" is the most common example of Social SSO.
What is OAuth?
OAuth is a common protocol used to enable Social SSO. In the example of "Sign in with Google", Google runs an OAuth Server, while an application implements an OAuth Client.
Benefits of SSO
We highly recommend that developers offer SSO in their application. Based on our data, it's a win-win:
Authentication is faster with SSO
SSO averages 1.3 times faster than passwords, and 5.2 times faster than other passwordless authentication solutions like magic links
Most users prefer SSO
When available, 53% of users choose to sign in with SSO instead of alternatives.
Pick your providers
Clerk supports a wide range of Social SSO providers and we're always adding more. If you need a provider that isn't listed, please contact support and we will add them within 1 week.
Optimized for conversion
Don't spoil SSO's impressive performance with common mistakes. Clerk handles the edge cases of SSO gracefully, so users can always access your application quickly.
Every path is a happy path
Automatic account linking
If a user signs in with SSO after creating their account a different way, they are automatically linked to the original.
No lockouts
If a user signs up with SSO, they can still sign in using another method, like magic links.
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Pricing details
Learn more about our transparent per-user costs to estimate how much your company could save by implementing Clerk.
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