Why do you have to sync Clerk users to your database?
Clerk stores who your users are, but not what they create. The moment your app needs to show other users' content, run reports, or join users with their orders, you need a copy of each user in your own database.
Keeping that copy correct means receiving user.created, user.updated and user.deleted webhooks, verifying their signatures, handling retries and out-of-order delivery, and upserting rows. It is backend work that has nothing to do with your product.
How does Neuctra Authix avoid the sync?
There is only one system. When a user signs up, their account exists in Neuctra Authix, and every record you save for them is linked to that account by the API. Delete the user and their records go with them. There is nothing to copy, so there is nothing to fall out of date.
- Per-user JSON records tied to the account that owns them.
- App-wide records for shared data such as products or announcements.
- Search across users and their data from your server with the API key.
- Pre-built React components for login, sign-up, profile and verification.
Neuctra Authix vs Clerk at a glance
| Feature | Clerk | Neuctra Authix |
|---|---|---|
| User data storage | Small metadata; the rest in your database | Built in, per user and app-wide |
| Keeping users in sync | Webhooks and upserts | Not needed |
| Pre-built React UI | Yes | Yes |
| Email and password login | Yes | Yes |
| Social login, MFA, organizations | Yes | Not yet |
| Pricing | Per active user above the free tier | Flat monthly plans, no per-user fee |
How do you get started with Neuctra Authix?
- 1
Create an app
Sign up for a free Neuctra Authix account and create an app in the dashboard to get an app ID and an API key.
- 2
Install the SDK
Install the JavaScript, Python, or Dart SDK on your backend and create a server-side client with your app ID and account API key.
- 3
Sign users up and in
Call signupUser and loginUser. Sessions are handled with an HttpOnly cookie, and email verification and password reset are built in.
- 4
Store data for each user
Verify the visitor in your backend, derive their user ID from that session, and use it for Authix user data operations.
import "server-only";
import { NeuctraAuthix } from "@neuctra/authix";
const authix = new NeuctraAuthix({
appId: process.env.AUTHIX_APP_ID,
apiKey: process.env.AUTHIX_API_KEY,
});
// In a backend route, first authenticate the visitor with your app's session.
const userId = await requireAuthenticatedUserId(request);
// Then pass only that verified id to Authix.
await authix.addUserData({
userId,
dataCategory: "notes",
data: { title: "First note", pinned: true },
});When is Clerk the better choice?
Choose Clerk if you need social login, passkeys, multi-factor authentication or B2B organizations with roles and invitations. Neuctra Authix focuses on email and password accounts plus the data those users own.
Frequently asked questions
How do I sync Clerk users to my database without webhooks?
With Clerk you can't fully avoid it: user data you create lives in your own database, so you need webhooks or API calls to keep a copy of each user there. With Neuctra Authix the account and its data are stored together, so there is no sync step at all.
Does Neuctra Authix have React components like Clerk?
Yes. The @neuctra/authix package includes React components for login, sign-up, user profile, email verification and a user button, plus SignedIn and SignedOut wrappers, all inside one AuthixProvider.
Can I use it with Next.js?
Yes. Use the API key in client components and the API key only in server code such as route handlers. The Next.js guide in the docs walks through both.
Is Neuctra Authix cheaper than Clerk?
Pricing is flat rather than per active user: Free, Starter at $5, Pro at $15, and Scale at $39 a month, with published limits. Going over a limit rejects the request rather than adding overage charges.