Can I use Auth0 with StackBE?

The use cases don't overlap much. StackBE includes authentication, so you wouldn't typically need Auth0 for customer auth. However, if you need Auth0 for admin/internal users (with SSO requirements) while using StackBE for customer authentication and billing, that hybrid approach is possible.

What if my customers require SSO?

If enterprise SSO (SAML, OIDC connections) is a hard requirement from your customers, StackBE's magic link auth won't suffice. In this case, Auth0 or a similar enterprise identity provider is necessary. You can still use StackBE for billing and entitlements, connecting Auth0 users to StackBE customers.

How does Auth0 pricing scale compared to StackBE?

Auth0 prices by monthly active users (MAU). At scale (50,000+ MAU), Auth0 can cost hundreds to thousands per month for auth alone—and you still need billing infrastructure. StackBE's flat fee plus Stripe processing often works out cheaper for total auth + billing needs, though exact comparison depends on your specific usage.

Is magic link authentication secure enough?

Magic links are considered secure for most consumer and business applications. They eliminate password vulnerabilities and phishing risks. Many security-conscious companies (Slack, Notion, Medium) use magic links. For applications requiring additional factors, you'd need a more feature-rich auth provider like Auth0.

What's the migration path if I start with StackBE and later need Auth0?

If you outgrow StackBE's auth capabilities, you can add Auth0 for authentication while keeping StackBE for billing. You'd configure Auth0 as the identity provider and connect Auth0 user IDs to StackBE customer records. The billing and entitlements functionality continues working; only the auth layer changes.

StackBE vs Auth0: One Integration vs Auth + Billing Separate

Feature	Auth0	StackBE
Magic Link Auth
Social Login
Enterprise SSO (SAML)
Advanced MFA
Billing Integration		Built-in
Entitlements	Basic RBAC	Subscription-based
User-Customer Sync	You build	Automatic
Free Tier	7,500 MAU	Trial available
Customization	Extensive	Opinionated
Setup Complexity	Moderate	Simple

What is Auth0?

Auth0 is an identity platform that handles authentication and authorization. Acquired by Okta in 2021, it's the enterprise standard for identity management.

Auth0 provides:

Multiple authentication methods (passwords, social, passwordless, MFA)

User management and profiles

Role-based access control

Single sign-on (SSO)

Enterprise connections (SAML, LDAP)

Extensive customization via Actions

It's powerful, flexible, and widely adopted by companies of all sizes.

What is StackBE?

StackBE is a SaaS backend that combines authentication with subscription management and entitlements. It's purpose-built for SaaS applications that need to know both who users are and what they've paid for.

StackBE provides:

Magic link authentication

Subscription management via Stripe Connect

Entitlements tied to plans

Customer portal

Usage tracking

Unified customer identity

The Core Question

If you're building a SaaS, you need:

1. Authentication: Who is this user?

2. Billing: What have they paid for?

3. Entitlements: What can they access?

Auth0 solves #1 excellently. But you still need to solve #2 and #3 separately, then connect all three systems.

StackBE solves all three in one integration.

Key Differences

Scope

Auth0: Authentication and authorization specialist. Does identity extremely well. Billing is not their domain—you need Stripe, Chargebee, or similar.

StackBE: Authentication + billing + entitlements unified. Does all three well enough for most SaaS use cases.

Identity-Subscription Connection

Auth0: Your Auth0 users and your Stripe customers are separate entities. You must sync them—mapping Auth0 user IDs to Stripe customer IDs, keeping email addresses in sync, handling edge cases when one system changes.

StackBE: One customer record. Authentication and subscription status live together. No sync code, no mapping, no edge cases.

Entitlements

Auth0: Offers basic role-based access control (RBAC). But roles aren't tied to billing. If a user downgrades their subscription, you must update their Auth0 roles manually or via integration code.

StackBE: Entitlements are defined per plan and update automatically with subscription changes. Cancel a subscription? Access revokes immediately. No manual role management.

For more on this approach, see entitlements over feature flags.

Pricing

Auth0: Free up to 7,500 monthly active users. Beyond that, pricing starts around $23/month for 1,000 MAU on the Essentials plan. Enterprise features (SSO, MFA) require higher tiers.

Plus, you still need to pay for billing infrastructure (Stripe fees, potentially Stripe Billing).

StackBE: Flat monthly fee includes auth, billing, and entitlements. Plus Stripe processing fees (which you'd pay regardless).

Total cost comparison at 5,000 MAU with $10K MRR:

Auth0 Essentials + Stripe Billing: ~$100 + $50 (Stripe Billing) + $320 (Stripe processing) = ~$470/month

StackBE + Stripe processing: StackBE fee + $320 = potentially lower total

Enterprise Features

Auth0: SSO, SAML, LDAP, advanced MFA, custom domains, extensive enterprise features. If you're selling to enterprises that require these, Auth0 delivers.

StackBE: Magic link authentication focused. SSO and SAML connections are not currently supported. If enterprise SSO is a requirement, Auth0 or similar is necessary.

Customization

Auth0: Highly customizable via Actions, Rules, and Hooks. You can modify nearly every aspect of the auth flow.

StackBE: Opinionated magic link flow. Less customization, but also less to configure.

When to Choose Auth0

Auth0 is the right choice when:

Enterprise SSO (SAML, OIDC) is a requirement

You need advanced MFA options

You have complex authorization requirements beyond subscription-based access

You already have billing solved and just need auth

You need extensive customization of auth flows

When to Choose StackBE

StackBE is better when:

You want auth + billing + entitlements unified

Magic link authentication is acceptable (or preferred)

You're building a SaaS where subscription status drives access

You want to minimize integration complexity

Enterprise SSO isn't an immediate requirement

The Integration Tax

Using Auth0 + Stripe means:

Two SDKs to learn

Two sets of webhooks to handle

Sync code to keep users and customers aligned

Potential state inconsistencies between systems

Two vendor relationships to manage

Using StackBE means:

One SDK

One webhook source (or just poll the API)

Identity and billing inherently connected

One vendor

The integration tax is real. Every connection point is potential bugs, maintenance, and complexity.

The Bottom Line

Auth0 is excellent at what it does. If you need enterprise identity features, it's hard to beat.

But if you're building a SaaS and need both auth and billing, the question is: do you want best-of-breed components that you must integrate, or a unified system that handles both?

For many SaaS applications, especially early-stage ones, the unified approach saves time and reduces complexity. You can always add Auth0 for enterprise features later if customer demand requires it.

StackBE vs Auth0