Introduction
WorkOS has become a popular choice for SaaS teams who need to offer enterprise Single Sign-On (SSO) or Bring Your Own Identity (BYOI). It promises developer-friendly SDKs and an Admin Portal for self-service onboarding.
But WorkOS isn’t always the right fit:
- Per-connection pricing creates runaway costs as you onboard more enterprise customers.
- SDK/API integrations require engineering effort and ongoing maintenance.
- Limited flexibility for companies that manage legacy apps or customer portals.
If you’re evaluating alternatives, here are five strong competitors – including one that delivers SSO in a completely different way.
1. Datawiza (No-Code Proxy, Unlimited Connections)
Approach: Datawiza takes a reverse proxy approach instead of SDKs. The proxy sits in front of your apps and handles SAML or OIDC directly with enterprise IdPs. Your apps don’t need any code changes – they just trust the identity headers the proxy passes along.
Key Features:
- Unlimited SSO/IdP connections included per app
- No code rewrites required
- Works with SaaS apps, enterprise portals, and legacy/on-prem systems.
- Centralized policy enforcement, session control, and audit logging
Pricing Comparison: Datawiza vs WorkOS
Here’s how Datawiza’s flat, user-tiered pricing stacks up against WorkOS’s per-connection model — focused specifically on B2B SSO scenarios.
Datawiza Pricing (2025)
- Unlimited SSO connections included
- ≤1,000 users: ~$8,000/year
- ≤5,000 users: ~$18,000/year
- ≤10,000 users: ~$28,000/year
- > 10,000 users or multiple apps: volume discount
WorkOS Pricing (2025)
- 1–15 connections: $125/connection
- 16–30: $100/connection
- 31–50: $80/connection
- 51–100: $65/connection
Directory Sync (SCIM) is billed separately at the same rates.
Example Cost Scenarios
| Scenario | Datawiza | WorkOS |
|---|---|---|
| 25 enterprise connections | $18K/year (≤5,000 users tier) | 25 × $100 = $30K/year (SSO only) With SCIM: $60K/year |
| 100 enterprise connections | $28K/year (≤10,000 users tier) | 100 × $65 = $78K/year (SSO only) With SCIM: $156K/year |
| Multiple apps or >10K users | Enterprise discount pricing | Custom sales quote, scales with connections |
Why This Matters for B2B SSO Pricing
- With WorkOS, costs rise with every enterprise connection.
- With Datawiza, pricing is flat per app, based on user tiers, and already includes unlimited IdP connections.
- Datawiza is more predictable, scalable, and enterprise-friendly for B2B use cases.
📍 Takeaway: WorkOS monetizes every new customer you win. Datawiza lets you scale without the “SSO tax.”
2. Auth0 (Okta Customer Identity Cloud)
Approach: A widely used CIAM platform with SDKs and APIs for embedding SSO, MFA, and user management.
Key Features:
- Supports SAML, OIDC, and social logins
- Advanced features: MFA, anomaly detection, RBAC
- Rich ecosystem and extensive documentation
Best Fit:
- SaaS apps needing deep customization
Drawbacks:
- Expensive at scale (MAU-based pricing)
- Requires app code changes
3. Clerk
Approach: A developer-first platform offering prebuilt UI components and SDKs for authentication and user management.
Key Features:
- Drop-in React/Next.js components
- Social login, passwordless login, MFA
- Simple dashboard for user management
Best Fit:
- Early-stage SaaS startups that want quick time-to-market
Drawbacks:
- SDK-heavy; requires integration in each app
- Less suited for enterprise or legacy portals
4. Amazon Cognito
Approach: AWS-managed identity service with user pools and federation via SAML/OIDC.
Key Features:
- Federated login (Okta, Entra, Ping, etc.)
- MFA and device tracking
- Deep AWS integration
Best Fit:
- Teams building AWS-native apps
Drawbacks:
- Steep configuration complexity
- Weak admin UX compared to CIAM vendors
5. Frontegg
Approach: A modular CIAM platform with SDKs and APIs for SSO, RBAC, tenant management, and audit logs.
Key Features:
- Enterprise SSO support
- RBAC and multi-tenancy
- Audit logging
- User management widgets
Best Fit:
- SaaS startups needing auth + user management in one bundle
Drawbacks:
- SDK-based, requiring app integration
- Less proven at enterprise scale
Comparison Table
| Vendor | Approach | Best Fit | Caveats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Datawiza | No-code proxy | SaaS + portals + legacy apps | Not a full CIAM suite |
| WorkOS | SDK/API | SaaS startups | Per-connection pricing grows |
| Auth0 | SDK/API | Flexible SaaS apps | Expensive, complex |
| Clerk | SDK/API | Startup SaaS, dev-first | SDK-heavy, not enterprise |
| Cognito | SDK/API | AWS-native apps | Complex to configure |
| Frontegg | SDK/API | Startup SaaS | Less enterprise focus |
Conclusion
WorkOS is a solid option for startups, but its per-connection pricing punishes growth.
- Auth0, Clerk, Cognito, and Frontegg serve different developer and startup needs.
- Unlimited SSO connections included
- No code rewrites
- Predictable, flat user-tier pricing
- Support for SaaS, portals, and legacy apps
👉 See how Datawiza compares. Book a demo
