head to head · open source
Better Auth vs mod_auth_openidc
Better Auth has 30,157 GitHub stars, 2,939 forks, 723 open issues and last shipped today. mod_auth_openidc has 1,096 stars, 332 forks, 0 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Better Auth leads on adoption by 2,652% (30,157 vs 1,096 stars). Better Auth is written in TypeScript under MIT; mod_auth_openidc is written in C under Apache-2.0. Better Auth has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, mod_auth_openidc 30%. Better Auth was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 3 topic tags (authentication, oidc, sso), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Better Auth | mod_auth_openidc | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 30K | ★ 1.1K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | C |
| Last push | 2026-10-03 | 2026-10-01 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.9K | ⑂ 332 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Better Auth if
- You weight community size — 30K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick mod_auth_openidc if
- You want the mod_auth_openidc feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C
- You evaluated both and mod_auth_openidc fits your workflow better
About Better Auth
Better Auth is a framework agnostic authentication and authorization framework written in TypeScript. It targets the broader JavaScript/TypeScript ecosystem and is designed to integrate with any backend or frontend framework, including Next.js, Express, SvelteKit, and others. It provides a unified API surface for core identity workflows such as sign up, sign in, session management, and passwordless flows.
read the full Better Auth overview →
About mod_auth_openidc
mod auth openidc is an OpenID Certified™ authentication and authorization module for the Apache 2.x HTTP server, aimed at administrators and developers who want to protect web applications with OpenID Connect and FAPI 2 Relying Party support.
read the full mod_auth_openidc overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Better Auth or mod_auth_openidc more popular?
Better Auth has 30,157 GitHub stars and mod_auth_openidc has 1,096. Better Auth has the larger community by that measure.
Are Better Auth and mod_auth_openidc free?
Both are open source. Better Auth is licensed under MIT and mod_auth_openidc under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Better Auth and mod_auth_openidc?
Better Auth is written in TypeScript and mod_auth_openidc in C. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Better Auth or mod_auth_openidc?
Choose Better Auth if you want the larger community (30,157 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose mod_auth_openidc if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.