Hanko is a passkey-first authentication and user-management platform for teams that want modern login without handing their user table to a closed vendor. It treats passkeys as the default and passwords as optional, ships drop-in login components and auth APIs covering passwords, social login, SSO, and multi-factor authentication, and runs either as a managed Cloud service or self-hosted against your own database, with a free authentication tier up to 70,000 monthly active users.[1][2]
Quick verdict
Product teams that have already decided on passkeys will get the most from Hanko. Its password-optional defaults, drop-in login components, JWT APIs, and portable self-host-or-Cloud model remove the usual build-versus-rent dilemma for modern auth. Teams that still depend on passwords everywhere, need SSO inside a free tier, or have nobody to operate a backend should look elsewhere. If your users carry passkey-ready devices and you want your user table in your own Postgres, start with the free tier or a self-hosted pilot; if you need a managed incumbent with bundled enterprise SSO, price Auth0 alongside it.[1][2]
Key features
Passkey-first WebAuthn login Passwordless sign-up and sign-in with WebAuthn/FIDO2 passkeys is the default path, giving phishing-resistant authentication backed by the user's device biometrics or security key.[1][2]
Passwords stay optional Teams that cannot go fully passwordless keep passwords as an explicit fallback next to passkeys, so migration and account recovery do not strand users whose devices lack passkey support.[1][2]
Social and enterprise login OAuth social login covers the consumer side while SAML and OIDC connections cover workforce SSO; SSO Connections are a 59 USD per connection monthly add-on and Enterprise Connections with LDAP, AD, and SIEM run 249 USD.[1][2]
Multi-factor authentication MFA and two-factor flows layer on top of the primary methods, so a passkey or password sign-in can require a second factor where the risk profile demands it.[1][2]
Hanko Elements components Prebuilt, customizable web components handle login, registration, and profile screens, with framework quickstarts for Next.js, React, Nuxt, and Svelte.[1]
JWT-based API and sessions A flexible auth API issues JWTs and manages users and sessions, so any stack that can validate tokens and call the backend can adopt it without the components.[1][2]
Passkey API for native apps A dedicated Passkey API plus iOS and Android SDKs covers teams that only need passkey ceremonies inside their own mobile apps rather than the full auth suite.[1]
Self-host or Cloud portability Run the backend with Docker against your own Postgres instance and move between self-hosted and Cloud without reimplementing the integration; audit-trail and access features travel with the platform.[1][2]
Who will love it
Teams going passwordless on purpose: if your roadmap already says passkeys first, Hanko's defaults match your decision instead of fighting it with password-centric assumptions.[1][2]
Privacy-sensitive shops that want their own database: self-hosting against your own Postgres keeps user records inside infrastructure you control, with a Cloud exit that needs no rewrite.[1][2]
Frontend teams that want login done this sprint: drop-in Elements plus framework quickstarts compress the standard login, registration, and profile work into integration rather than invention.[1]
Who should avoid it
Teams unready for WebAuthn UX: passkey ceremonies depend on user devices and platform support, so shops whose users still live in passwords face an education and fallback bill before the benefits arrive.[1][2]
Buyers expecting SSO in the free tier: SAML and OIDC connections start at 59 USD per connection per month, and LDAP, AD, SIEM, SLA, and audit-log needs push to the 249 USD Enterprise Connections add-on.[1]
Teams with no backend capacity: self-hosting means operating Postgres and the Hanko backend yourself, so unless someone owns that surface, the managed Cloud plan is the honest choice.[1][2]
What the reports suggest
Bounded community search plus docs inspection, October 9, 2026: no quotable original Reddit or G2 user reports surfaced (G2 results polluted by Japanese seal references); only third-party how-to tutorials exist, so there is no user sample to analyze.
1 cited community source. No independent user sample exists; the absence of reports supports no conclusion about quality or prevalence, and vendor-site praise was excluded as non-independent.
No suitable independent reports were available: bounded Reddit and G2 searching surfaced no quotable original user reviews, only third-party implementation tutorials, so confirm fit with the free tier or a self-hosted pilot before committing.[1]
Public how-to coverage concentrates on standard integrations: the docs carry quickstarts for Next.js, React, Nuxt, and Svelte plus a passkeys-only API path, which bounds the well-trodden setup surface.[1]
Alternatives and upgrade path
Auth0 is the incumbent this replaces: Hanko positions itself as the open-source, passkey-first alternative, so teams already paying per-seat identity prices have a concrete migration comparison to run.[1]
Start on the free authentication tier or a self-hosted pilot, validate passkey UX with your actual users, and add SSO or Enterprise Connections only when a customer or compliance requirement forces the purchase.[1][2]
Questions worth asking
What is the best Hanko alternative for non-technical users?
Hanko is developer auth infrastructure, not a no-audience website login: integrating Elements, the API, and session handling assumes a developer on the team. A non-technical site owner is better served by their platform's built-in members or login feature than by wiring an auth API themselves.[1]
Is Hanko really no-code?
Partly. The Elements components drop into React, Next.js, Nuxt, and Svelte with little UI code, and the docs carry framework quickstarts, but connecting them to your backend, sessions, and user flows is still integration work for a developer.[1]
How much does Hanko cost per month?
Authentication itself is free up to 70,000 monthly active users with unlimited MAUs on every plan. SSO Connections cost 59 USD per connection per month and Enterprise Connections 249 USD per connection per month. Confirm current overage and add-on billing on the official pricing page before committing.[1]
Sources and editorial review
Source research. Reviewed on October 9, 2026. Reviewed by Sanjib Sah. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.
We have not run or tested this product.
Bounded community search plus docs inspection, October 9, 2026: no quotable original Reddit or G2 user reports surfaced (G2 results polluted by Japanese seal references); only third-party how-to tutorials exist, so there is no user sample to analyze. No independent user sample exists; the absence of reports supports no conclusion about quality or prevalence, and vendor-site praise was excluded as non-independent.
- Hanko - Passkeys, SSO, and MFA without vendor lock-in
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Official homepage: passkey-first authentication infrastructure, open-source Auth0 alternative. Passkeys, passwords, OAuth, SSO, MFA, JWT. Unlimited MAUs on every plan; passwords optional; vendor lock-in free.
- Hanko Pricing
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Official pricing checked October 9, 2026: Authentication free to 70,000 MAU; SSO Connections 59 USD per connection per month (SAML, OIDC); Enterprise Connections 249 USD per connection per month (LDAP, AD, SIEM, SLA, audit logs, custom DPA, onboarding). Self-hosted backend against own Postgres; Elements components; audit trail; no sales call required.
- Hanko backend and frontend documentation
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Official docs overview: open-source authentication and user management with passwords, passkeys, 2FA, social login, SSO; Elements UI components and APIs; privacy-first; move between self-hosted and Cloud without reimplementation; quickstarts for Next.js, React, Nuxt, Svelte; Passkey API.
- Implementing Secure Hanko Authentication tutorial
community · Observed October 9, 2026
Third-party developer tutorial on Hanko password and passkey login, registration, and logout. How-to coverage only; supports the no-quotable-reports finding, not any experience claim.