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Better-auth vs Next-auth

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

better-auth

Very Popular

Version 1.5.5

92
Excellent

The most comprehensive authentication framework for TypeScript.

Weekly Downloads
1.4M
↑67%
Bundle (gzip)
1.2 MB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
80
Security
100
Stability
70

next-auth

Very Popular

Version 4.24.13

73
Good

Authentication for Next.js

Weekly Downloads
2.7M
↑51%
Bundle (gzip)
80.3 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
60
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Better-auth and Next-auth? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.

Downloads & Popularity

Next-auth leads with 2.7M weekly downloads — roughly 1.9x more. Better-auth has 1.4M weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Next-auth has the smallest gzipped bundle at 80.3 KB. Better-auth comes in at 1.2 MB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Better-auth has an overall health score of 92/100 (excellent), with strong maintenance, quality, security, popularity scores. Next-auth has an overall health score of 73/100 (good), with strong security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.

When to Choose Each

Choose Better-auth if you value large community support, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Next-auth if you value large community support, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Better-auth and Next-auth are solid choices for JavaScript development. Better-auth has the edge in overall health score (92/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is better-auth better than next-auth?
It depends on your needs. Better-auth has a health score of 92/100 while Next-auth scores 73/100. Next-auth has more weekly downloads (2.7M), suggesting broader adoption. Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, better-auth or next-auth?
Next-auth has the smaller gzipped bundle at 80.3 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use better-auth vs next-auth?
Based on npm download statistics, Better-auth has approximately 1.4M weekly downloads and Next-auth has approximately 2.7M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, better-auth or next-auth?
Better-auth currently has the higher overall health score at 92/100. Better-auth has a maintenance score of 100/100 and Next-auth scores 60/100 on maintenance.

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