Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Auth.js VS Ably

Compare Auth.js VS Ably and see what are their differences

This page does not exist

Auth.js logo Auth.js

Authentication for the Web.

Ably logo Ably

The definitive realtime experience platform. Built for scale.
  • Auth.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-05-30
  • Ably Ably homepage
    Ably homepage //
    2024-08-05

Ably is the definitive realtime experience infrastructure of the internet; serving more WebSocket connections than any other pub/sub platform on earth. Businesses like HubSpot, NASCAR and Split trust us to power their critical applications - reliably, securely and at a serious scale.

Our range of application building blocks and integrations enable developers to create the realtime experiences that users and businesses demand. From live chat to data broadcast, collaborative UXs and notifications our SDKs unlock innovation - with no infrastructure to build.

Auth.js features and specs

  • Ease of Integration
    Auth.js is designed to be easily integrable into modern web applications, allowing developers to quickly add authentication features without significant overhead.
  • Extensive Provider Support
    The library supports a wide range of authentication providers and strategies, making it flexible for various use cases.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, Auth.js allows developers to inspect, contribute to, and customize the code to suit their needs.
  • Community and Documentation
    Auth.js has a supportive community and well-maintained documentation, which can help developers troubleshoot issues and learn to use the library effectively.
  • Security Best Practices
    The library follows modern security best practices, ensuring that authentication processes are protected against common vulnerabilities.

Possible disadvantages of Auth.js

  • Dependency Management
    Relying on third-party libraries like Auth.js can introduce dependency management challenges, especially with updates and security patches.
  • Abstraction Complexity
    While the abstraction provided by Auth.js simplifies implementation, it may reduce the flexibility for developers who need low-level access to customize authentication processes deeply.
  • Learning Curve
    For developers unfamiliar with authentication concepts or modern JavaScript frameworks, there may be a learning curve to effectively utilize Auth.js.
  • Performance Overhead
    Integrating an additional library like Auth.js may introduce some performance overhead, which could be a concern for applications with stringent performance requirements.
  • Limited Offline Support
    Auth.js is primarily designed for online authentication flows, which may not be ideal for applications requiring robust offline support.

Ably features and specs

  • Scalability
    Ably is designed to handle a massive number of concurrent connections and messages, making it scalable for both small and large applications.
  • Real-time Messaging
    Ably provides robust real-time messaging capabilities with low latency, supporting use-cases like live chat, gaming, and real-time data streaming.
  • Global Presence
    Ably has a globally distributed network, ensuring low latency and high availability for users around the world.
  • Advanced Features
    It offers advanced features such as message history, presence, and push notifications, which can enhance the functionality of real-time applications.
  • Security
    Ably includes built-in security features such as TLS encryption, token-based authentication, and private channels to ensure secure communication.
  • Extensive Documentation
    The service provides extensive and well-organized documentation, making it easier for developers to integrate and utilize its features.
  • SDKs and Libraries
    Ably offers a wide range of SDKs and libraries for different programming languages and platforms, easing the development process.
  • Reliable Delivery
    It ensures reliable message delivery with features like message queuing and message de-duplication.

Possible disadvantages of Ably

  • Complexity
    Due to its wide range of advanced features, the initial learning curve can be steep for new users.
  • Cost
    For large-scale applications or extensive use of advanced features, the costs can add up, making it potentially expensive.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    Relying heavily on Ablyโ€™s platform-specific features may result in vendor lock-in, making it challenging to switch to other services in the future.
  • Dependence on Internet Connection
    As a cloud-based service, Ablyโ€™s performance is highly dependent on the quality and reliability of the internet connection.
  • Third-party Integration
    While Ably offers various integration options, integrating certain third-party services may require additional custom development or may not be as seamless.

Analysis of Ably

Overall verdict

  • Ably is a reliable and efficient real-time messaging platform, well-suited for applications requiring high performance and scalability. It is generally well-regarded within the developer community for its ease of use and robust feature set.

Why this product is good

  • Features
    Ably provides a comprehensive suite of features such as pub/sub messaging, presence, and history.
  • Security
    It implements robust security practices including TLS encryption, token-based authentication, and private channels.
  • Integration
    Supports numerous protocols and provides SDKs for various programming languages, making it easy to integrate with different systems.
  • Reliability
    Ably offers high availability and low latency, ensuring messages are delivered in real-time.
  • Scalability
    The platform can handle millions of active connections and is designed for horizontal scaling.

Recommended for

  • developers building real-time applications like chat apps, dashboards, or multiplayer games
  • businesses in need of a scalable solution for live updates and notifications
  • teams looking for a platform with strong security and compliance credentials
  • organizations requiring integration with existing development workflows and tools

Auth.js videos

Clerk vs Next-Auth.js | It's not that simple...

Ably videos

How to build a collaborative environment around your product

More videos:

  • Demo - How to build an avatar stack with Ably Spaces
  • Demo - Ably 101: Serverless WebSockets at scale

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Auth.js and Ably)
Developer Tools
32 32%
68% 68
Authentication
100 100%
0% 0
Mobile Push Messaging
0 0%
100% 100
Identity Provider
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Auth.js and Ably. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Auth.js might be a bit more popular than Ably. We know about 27 links to it since March 2021 and only 25 links to Ably. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Auth.js mentions (27)

  • Top 5 Open Source Identity and Access Management (IAM) providers 2025
    Home page | GitHub Repo | Documentation | Discord community. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Next.js and Next-Auth V5: Guide to Social Logins(OAuth)
    Auth.js is an open-source authentication library that integrates with modern JavaScript frameworks like Next.js, Svelte, and Express. Previously the project was available only for Next.js and thus it used to be called Next-Auth. Today, a portion of Auth.js is still supports Next-Auth, but along with it, there are SvelteKitAuth, and ExpressAuth available too. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Real-Time Authorization in a Chat Application with Permit.io and WebSockets
    Weโ€™ll be using Auth.js, an authentication library originally built for Next.js. Run the following command to install the package:. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Simple Next.js Magic Link JWT Authentication with Prisma, PostgreSQL, and Resend
    When building web applications, authentication is almost always a core requirement. I needed something simple and secure that would let me get started quickly on new projects without over-complicating the setup. My goal was to have a solution that's easy to implement, handles email verification out of the box, and just works. In this post, I'm sharing how to build a straightforward magic link authentication system... - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • Building a Personal Finance App with Arcjet
    This article will serve as a guide on how to create a simple finance management app using Arcjet, Next.js, Auth.js, Prisma, SQLite, and Tailwind CSS. Building a personal finance management app with modern web development skills, practical functionality, and robust security helps drive home the point of how effective it can be to incorporate these features. Our application will be proof of concept, so there will be... - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
View more

Ably mentions (25)

  • Real-Time Sync Alternatives: Vaultrice vs. localStorage, DIY, Firebase, Pusher
    Services like Pusher and Ably are experts in real-time messaging. They provide robust APIs for pub/sub channels, allowing you to broadcast events to clients reliably. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • CometChat Alternatives โ€“ Comparing the Top 10 Competitors
    Ably is a real-time infrastructure platform that focuses on delivering low-latency, reliable messaging across global distributed systems. It's designed for developers building event-driven applications, including chat, but also supports broader use cases like live dashboards, GPS tracking, and collaborative tools. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Real-Time Authorization in a Chat Application with Permit.io and WebSockets
    For our web socket-based application, weโ€™ll be using Next.js and Ably, a service that allows us to easily integrate and manage real-time capabilities in our apps powered by web socket. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Curiosity: Using Ably.io Realtime Messaging as a Lightweight Database
    Ably offers various solutions for developers, with their most popular being realtime messaging based on the pub/sub model. When you publish a message to a channel, all devices connected to that channel receive it instantly. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • Chat API pricing: Comparing MAU and per-minute consumption models
    A per-minute consumption model goes beyond traditional consumption-based pricing by billing customers based on their actual usage of service resourcesโ€”connection time, channels, and messages. This approach directly addresses the inefficiencies inherent in MAU pricing models. This isnโ€™t a common model in the industry, but weโ€™ve adopted it here at Ably to meet the usage needs of our customers at scale. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Auth.js and Ably, you can also consider the following products

Next.js - A small framework for server-rendered universal JavaScript apps

Pusher - Pusher is a hosted API for quickly, easily and securely adding scalable realtime functionality via WebSockets to web and mobile apps.

Auth0 - Auth0 is a program for people to get authentication and authorization services for their own business use.

Trophy.so - Gamification infrastructure that retains users.

Supabase - An open source Firebase alternative

Mambo.io - Use the Mambo gamification platform to engage your teams, measure activities, set goals and increase the overall performance of your business.