WorkOS
Enterprise-ready authentication and SSO for SaaS apps
WorkOS is profiled here as a Backend tool for engineering teams. Read about features, pricing, and how it compares to related options in the tools directory.
Description
WorkOS is an authentication and enterprise-readiness platform founded in 2019 by Michael Grinich. It gives B2B SaaS products the features enterprise buyers demand, including SAML single sign-on, SCIM directory sync, and audit logs, through clean APIs that replace months of integration work. Its AuthKit layer adds hosted user management with a free tier, so smaller teams adopt it before they reach enterprise deals. The model lets a startup add enterprise features in days, which removes a common blocker to closing larger B2B deals. The Admin Portal hands SSO and directory configuration to a customer's own IT staff, reducing support overhead.
Key Capabilities:
SAML and OIDC single sign-on across enterprise identity providers
SCIM directory sync for automated user provisioning
AuthKit hosted authentication with prebuilt UI
Audit logs formatted for enterprise compliance review
Admin Portal that offloads SSO setup to customer IT teams
Free tier covering user management up to a monthly active user limit
Alternative tools
- pgvector
Vector similarity search as a Postgres extension
- Convex
Reactive backend with a database and serverless functions
- Appwrite
Open-source backend platform for web and mobile apps
- ClickHouse
Open-source columnar database for real-time analytics
- Auth0
Managed identity platform for applications and APIs
- Neon
Serverless Postgres with branching and scale-to-zero