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It's a split decision.
Choose Privy if your codebase needs embedded or agent wallets, key controls, funding, or digital-asset transactions. Choose WorkOS if you need enterprise SSO, directory sync, user management, or authorization for a web app. They address different infrastructure layers rather than competing for the same job. Privy pricing starts at $299 per month for Core; WorkOS offers AuthKit free for up to 1 million monthly active users, with separate charges for some enterprise features.
01Side by side
| Privy | WorkOS | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Monthly wallet plans; enterprise custom pricing | Usage-based pricing; per-connection SSO and directory sync |
| Free tier | 500 MAU, 50K signatures, $1M monthly volume | AuthKit free for up to 1 million monthly active users |
| API and SDKs | Wallet infrastructure; SDKs available through GitHub | APIs for authentication and enterprise identity features |
| CLI and docs | Documentation, SDKs, examples, and an Agent CLI | Developer documentation; no CLI listed |
| Integrations | Auth0, Firebase, JWT auth, and infrastructure partners | 20+ enterprise services, including identity providers and directories |
| Deployment model | Programmable wallet infrastructure | Hosted identity API and Admin Portal |
| Platforms | Web, mobile, and gaming | Web |
| Limits and scaling | MAU, signature, and transaction-volume thresholds | User allowances and connection-based rates |
Privy Choose Privy if
- Choose Privy if your app needs embedded wallets for users.
- Choose Privy if agents must hold funds and transact.
- Choose Privy if you need controls for digital-asset flows.
WorkOS Choose WorkOS if
- Choose WorkOS if enterprise customers require SAML or OIDC SSO.
- Choose WorkOS if you need SCIM directory synchronization.
- Choose WorkOS if IT admins need a hosted setup portal.
02Pricing at real usage
Privy’s Free plan includes up to 500 MAU, 50,000 monthly signatures, and $1 million in monthly transaction volume. Core is $299 per month and Scale is $499 per month; both list 50,000 free signatures and $1 million in monthly volume. Enterprise pricing is custom. The pricing page also lists pay-as-you-go charges above 10,000 MAU, 50,000 signatures, or $1 million in volume: a $2,000 base fee, then $0.05 per additional MAU and $0.01 per additional signature. WorkOS AuthKit includes up to 1 million monthly active users free, then lists $2,500 per month for each additional million. SSO and Directory Sync cost $125 per connection for the first 15, with lower per-connection rates at higher tiers. Annual Credits has custom pricing.
03API, SDKs and integration
Privy is wallet infrastructure for products that need embedded wallets, key management, programmable controls, funding, or financial flows. Its developer resources include documentation, a GitHub link for SDKs and examples, and an Agent CLI for creating, funding, and managing agent wallets. The provided vendor pages do not name SDK languages, so confirm language support before choosing it for a specific client stack. Privy’s pricing page lists Auth0, Firebase, and homegrown JWT authentication; its homepage also describes partners across custody, payments, funding, and onchain infrastructure. WorkOS provides APIs and building blocks for authentication and enterprise features. Its SSO integration supports SAML and OIDC identity providers, while Directory Sync covers SCIM and HRIS integrations. The vendor lists 20+ enterprise services, including Okta, Entra ID, ADFS, Bamboo, and Rippling. WorkOS provides developer documentation; Privy is the one that lists an Agent CLI.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Neither vendor publishes an open-source license or a self-hosting option in the product pages described here. Treat both as vendor-provided infrastructure, and ask each sales or engineering team about deployment choices before committing to a requirement for running the service in your own environment. The pages also do not specify a general data-export path or migration tooling. WorkOS lists audit-log exporting and streaming, but that does not establish export support for users, organizations, or configuration. Privy’s listed controls focus on wallets, keys, policies, and financial flows. For either product, ask how to export your records, recover or rotate credentials and keys, and migrate integrations if you leave. Model the migration around the product’s role: wallet and transaction flows for Privy; identity providers, directories, users, and policies for WorkOS.
Questions people ask
Are Privy and WorkOS direct competitors?
Not for their core jobs. Privy provides programmable wallet and financial infrastructure for digital assets. WorkOS provides authentication, user management, and enterprise identity features such as SSO and directory sync. A product may need one or both, depending on whether it handles digital assets and enterprise access.
Which is cheaper for a new app?
That depends on usage and the feature set. Privy’s Free plan covers up to 500 MAU, while WorkOS AuthKit includes up to 1 million monthly active users free. WorkOS lists separate charges for SSO and Directory Sync connections; Privy’s paid Core plan is $299 per month.
Can WorkOS handle wallets or digital-asset transfers?
WorkOS’s listed products cover authentication, user management, SSO, directory sync, authorization, and related identity features. Its product pages do not list wallet infrastructure or digital-asset transfer controls. For wallet functionality, Privy is the product in this comparison built for that role.
Can we self-host Privy or WorkOS?
Neither vendor publishes a self-hosting option on the product pages described here. If running identity or wallet infrastructure in your own environment is a requirement, ask both vendors about deployment options, data export, and migration before adopting either service.