What does ZITADEL replace?

ZITADEL is a free alternative to Clerk ($240/yr).

Is ZITADEL open source?

Yes. ZITADEL is licensed under AGPL-3.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Yes (self-hosted server; web UI).

Yes. ZITADEL is a server app you run on your own server.

A free, open-source alternative to Clerk. Switching saves $240/yr at list price.

Checked Oct 17, 2026 · How we check

Self-hosted server

Replaces it Active Open source · AGPL-3.0 Linux Self-hostable

zitadel/zitadel15.3k★last push Oct 16, 2026checked Oct 17, 2026

Imports your data: user import API accepts existing password hashes; no one-click Clerk importer

Self-host

Runs on your own Linux server. Setup docs are on zitadel.com.

What does ZITADEL replace?: ZITADEL is a free alternative to Clerk ($240/yr).
Is ZITADEL open source?: Yes. ZITADEL is licensed under AGPL-3.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.
Does ZITADEL run on Linux?: Yes (self-hosted server; web UI).
Can you self-host ZITADEL?: Yes. ZITADEL is a server app you run on your own server.