# Better Auth — Framework-Agnostic Authentication for TypeScript

> Better Auth is a comprehensive TypeScript authentication library that provides email/password, OAuth, multi-factor, and session management out of the box. It works with any framework and any database, offering a plugin system for extending authentication flows without vendor lock-in.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# Better Auth — Framework-Agnostic Authentication for TypeScript

## Quick Use
```bash
npm install better-auth
# Initialize in your server:
# import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
# export const auth = betterAuth({ database: { ... } });
```

## Introduction
Better Auth is a TypeScript-first authentication library designed to work with any web framework and database. It ships with built-in support for email/password login, OAuth providers, two-factor authentication, and session management. A plugin architecture lets you add features like organization management, passkeys, or magic links without writing boilerplate.

## What Better Auth Does
- Handles email/password registration, login, and password reset flows
- Integrates with 20+ OAuth providers including Google, GitHub, Discord, and Apple
- Manages sessions with secure cookies, token rotation, and configurable expiry
- Supports two-factor authentication via TOTP, SMS, and backup codes
- Provides a plugin system for organizations, roles, rate limiting, and custom flows

## Architecture Overview
Better Auth exposes a server-side `betterAuth()` function that creates an auth handler mounting API routes for login, registration, OAuth callbacks, and session management. It uses a database adapter layer supporting Prisma, Drizzle, Kysely, MongoDB, and raw SQL. On the client side, a framework-specific SDK (React, Vue, Svelte, Solid) provides hooks and utilities for auth state. The plugin system uses middleware-style composition, where each plugin can add routes, database tables, and hooks into the auth lifecycle.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install `better-auth` and a client package for your framework (e.g., `@better-auth/react`)
- Configure the `betterAuth()` instance with your database connection and desired providers
- Mount the auth handler in your framework's API routes (Next.js App Router, SvelteKit, Hono, Express)
- Set environment variables for OAuth client IDs, secrets, and callback URLs
- Enable plugins by passing them in the `plugins` array of the configuration

## Key Features
- Single library covering email/password, OAuth, MFA, sessions, and role-based access
- Database-agnostic with adapters for Prisma, Drizzle, Kysely, MongoDB, and raw SQL
- Type-safe client SDKs for React, Vue, Svelte, Solid, and vanilla JS
- Plugin architecture for organizations, passkeys, magic links, and custom auth flows
- Automatic database migrations for auth-related tables

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Lucia** — session-focused library without built-in OAuth or email/password; lighter but requires more manual setup
- **NextAuth / Auth.js** — popular Next.js auth solution; tightly integrated with Next.js but less framework-agnostic
- **Clerk** — managed authentication SaaS with pre-built UI; easiest to start but no self-hosting
- **Supabase Auth** — auth module within Supabase; simple but tied to the Supabase ecosystem
- **Keycloak** — enterprise-grade Java identity server; vastly more features but heavyweight for small projects

## FAQ
**Q: Which frameworks does Better Auth support?**
A: Better Auth works with any framework that can handle HTTP requests. Official client SDKs exist for React, Vue, Svelte, Solid, Nuxt, Next.js, Astro, and vanilla JavaScript.

**Q: Does Better Auth manage its own database tables?**
A: Yes. Better Auth can automatically create and migrate the tables it needs for users, sessions, accounts, and verification tokens. You can also manage the schema manually.

**Q: Can I add custom authentication methods?**
A: Yes. The plugin system allows you to define custom routes, hooks, and database tables. You can build a plugin for any authentication flow and share it as an npm package.

**Q: How does Better Auth compare to managed solutions like Auth0?**
A: Better Auth is self-hosted, meaning you own the data and have no per-user pricing. Managed solutions like Auth0 offer a hosted dashboard and support but come with usage-based costs and vendor lock-in.

## Sources
- https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth
- https://www.better-auth.com/

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-d2c28e0a
Author: Script Depot