Better Auth - Complete Authentication
TypeScript-first authentication library with 40+ OAuth providers and 20+ plugins.
Agent Workflow (MANDATORY)
Before ANY implementation, use TeamCreate to spawn 3 agents:
- fuse-ai-pilot:explore-codebase - Analyze existing auth setup and patterns
- fuse-ai-pilot:research-expert - Verify latest Better Auth docs via Context7/Exa
- mcp__context7__query-docs - Check providers/plugins availability
After implementation, run fuse-ai-pilot:sniper for validation.
Overview
When to Use
- Implementing authentication in TypeScript/JavaScript applications
- Need OAuth providers (Google, GitHub, Discord, Apple, Microsoft, etc.)
- Adding 2FA, magic links, passkeys, or phone authentication
- Enterprise SSO with SAML, SCIM provisioning, or organizations
- Integrating payments with Stripe or Polar subscriptions
- Web3 authentication with Sign-In with Ethereum (SIWE)
- Migrating from Auth.js, Clerk, Auth0, Supabase, or WorkOS
Why Better Auth
| Feature | Benefit | |---------|---------| | Framework agnostic | Next.js, SvelteKit, Nuxt, Remix, Astro, Expo, NestJS | | Plugin architecture | Add only the features you need (20+ plugins) | | Full TypeScript | End-to-end type safety, inference included | | Self-hosted | Your data stays on your infrastructure | | Database flexible | Prisma, Drizzle, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite | | Enterprise ready | SSO, SCIM, organizations, audit logs |
Coverage
OAuth Providers (40+)
Google, GitHub, Discord, Apple, Microsoft, Slack, Spotify, Twitter/X, Facebook, LinkedIn, GitLab, Bitbucket, Dropbox, Twitch, Reddit, TikTok, and 25+ more documented in providers/.
Plugins (20+)
| Plugin | Purpose | |--------|---------| | 2FA | TOTP authenticator, backup codes | | Magic Link | Passwordless email login | | Passkey | WebAuthn biometric authentication | | Organization | Multi-tenant, roles, invitations | | SSO | Enterprise SAML/OIDC single sign-on | | SCIM | Directory sync, user provisioning | | Stripe | Subscription billing integration | | API Key | Machine-to-machine authentication | | JWT/Bearer | Token-based API authentication |
Database Adapters
Prisma, Drizzle, MongoDB, raw SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite), and community adapters.
SOLID Architecture (Next.js 16)
Components organized in modules/auth/ following separation of concerns:
- Services:
betterAuthconfiguration and initialization - Hooks:
createAuthClientfor client-side auth state - API Route:
app/api/auth/[...all]/route.tshandler - Proxy:
proxy.tsfor route protection (replaces middleware)
Reference Guide
| Need | Reference | |------|-----------| | Initial setup | installation.md, server-config.md | | Client usage | client.md, session.md | | OAuth providers | providers/overview.md, individual provider docs | | Add plugins | plugins/overview.md, individual plugin docs | | Database setup | adapters/prisma.md, adapters/drizzle.md | | Enterprise SSO | plugins/sso.md, guides/saml-okta.md | | Payments | plugins/stripe.md, plugins/polar.md | | Migration | guides/clerk-migration.md, other migration guides | | Complete examples | examples/ for full implementations |
Best Practices
- Plugins on demand - Only add plugins you actually need
- Type-safe client - Use generated types from server config
- Session caching - Enable session caching for performance
- Rate limiting - Configure rate limits for auth endpoints
- Secure cookies - Use secure, httpOnly, sameSite cookies
- Database indexes - Add indexes on user lookup fields
Concepts
Core concepts explained in concepts/:
- Sessions - Token management, refresh, revocation
- Database - Schema design, migrations, adapters
- Plugins - Extension system, composition
- OAuth - Provider configuration, callbacks
- Security - CSRF, rate limiting, password hashing
- Cookies - Session storage, cross-domain