Should You Build or Buy Authentication?

Dedicated architecture. Self-hosted or on FusionAuth cloud.
50M+
Downloads
ISO 27001
Compliant
99.99%
Uptime SLA level
Residency
Control Your Data
SOC2
Certified

Total Cost of Ownership Calculator

Calculate the real cost of authentication. Based on real-world analysis showing "free" solutions can cost $200K+ more than commercial alternatives over 3 years.

Calculator uses industry averages: $150K developer salary, 40% overhead, maintenance estimates from production deployments.

Project Parameters

Number of Engineers
3
1
20+
Average Engineer Salary ($)
3
$60K
$200K+
User Volume
3
1K
500K+
Timeline (Years)
3
1
5
Existing, functional authentication in place
Check if you already have working auth and need to maintain/enhance it.

Cost Comparison

Build In-House
$621,173
Initial Development:
$337,500
One-time Transition:
$621,173
Ongoing Maintenance (3yr):
$621,173
Engineering Cost:
$621,173
Security & Compliance:
$621,173
Opportunity Cost:
$621,173
Traditional SaaS
$621,173
Migration Cost:
$621,173
User Licensing (3yr):
$337,500
Integration Work:
$621,173
Ongoing Support:
$621,173
FusionAuth
$621,173
Licensing (3yr):
$337,500
Integration (2 weeks):
$621,173
Maintenance (3yr @ 30min/week):
$621,173
Total Savings with FusionAuth
vs Building In-House over 3 years
$621,173

Quick Assessment

Answer five questions to get your personalized recommendation.

1. Do you need authentication live in production within three months?

2. Is your team stretched thin with core product development?

3. Do you need to support multiple authentication methods (SSO, social, MFA)?

4. Is regulatory compliance (SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA) a requirement?

5. Do you have less than two dedicated security engineers?

Your Recommendation:
Traditional SaaS - A managed solution could work, but evaluate customization limitations and long-term costs carefully.

Build vs Buy Decision Framework

Compare your options across key decision criteria.

Decision Criteria

Build In-House

Traditional SaaS

Data Control
Customization
Security Maintenance
Compliance Ready
Development Speed
Long-Term Cost
Vendor Lock-In
Reality Check
Fewer than 5% of engineering teams should build authentication from scratch. The complexity, security requirements, and ongoing maintenance typically outweigh the benefits unless you have very specific requirements and dedicated security expertise.

When Building Makes Sense

Unique authentication requirements not available elsewhere
Dedicated security team with 3+ engineers
Authentication IS your core product differentiator
Timeline flexibility (12+ months acceptable)

When Buying Makes Sense

Need production-ready authentication in 3 months or less
Team focused on core product development
Compliance requirements (SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA)
Want to avoid ongoing security maintenance

Security & Compliance Analysis

Compare security responsibilities and compliance capabilities.

SOC 2 Type II Compliance

18-24

Months to achieve
(Build In-House)

6-12

Months to achieve
(Traditional SaaS)

0

Already Certified
(FusionAuth)

GDPR Compliance

Data Portability
Data Processing Agreements
Right to be Forgotten
EU Data Residency

HIPAA Compliance

Technical Safeguards
Access Control
Audit Controls
Integrity Controls
Transmission Security
Administrative Safeguards
Security Officer
Incident Response
Workforce Training
Business Assoc. Agreements

ISO 27001 Compliance

24-36

Months to achieve
(Build In-House)

12-18

Months to achieve
(Traditional SaaS)

0

Already Certified
(FusionAuth)
Information Security Controls
Risk Assessment & Mgmt.
Asset Management
Access Control Management
Cryptography Controls
Administrative Safeguards
Incident Management
Supplier Relationships
Business Continuity
Compliance Monitoring

Data Privacy Framework

Simplified Cross-Border Data Handling
Increased Development Velocity
Reduced Legal Overhead
Future-Proof Architecture

Real-World Case Studies

Learn from companies who've made the build vs buy decision.

Bilt
FinTech

Bilt

Scale: Millions of users
Approach:
FusionAuth on Google Cloud
Challenge
Serve millions of users with cyclical traffic bursts, deploy to GCE, integrate with CI/CD, keep all data in Google Cloud environment.
Key Results:
Handles millions of users
Absorbs predictable traffic surges
Seamless CI/CD pipeline integration
Transparent pricing without Identity Provider tax

"Our need was ultimately simple; authentication infrastructure that could handle complex user experiences. FusionAuth has been an excellent partner, delivers the necessary functionality and performance, and maintains active development cycles."

— Kosta Krauth, CTO
read full case study
Betty Blocks
Low-Code Platform

Betty Blocks

10,000+ applications
Approach:
FusionAuth at Scale
Challenge
Dual authentication needs: platform users and applications built on the platform, requiring enterprise security with flexibility.
Key Results:
10,000+ applications using FusionAuth
Each app serves 100-10,000 users
Excellent performance at massive scale
Easy addition of new features like passkeys

"What I really enjoy about the product itself is that it makes authentication look easy... If I would make an authentication product myself, it would look exactly the same."

— Chris Obdam, CEO and Founder
read full case study
WeRoad
Travel & Tourism

WeRoad

200+ emps. 50+ engineers
Approach:
Migration from Auth0 to FusionAuth
Challenge
Rising Auth0 costs, strict GDPR data sovereignty requirements, and the need to support multiple apps with social login.
Key Results:
Significant cost savings vs Auth0
Complete data control for GDPR compliance
Zero technical support needed in 4 years
Fully branded login with animated themes

"It's pretty straightforward to set up and use. We appreciate that there are official SDKs and Terraform providers for our scripts and changes."

— Roberto Dedoro, DevOps Manager
read full case study

Frequently Asked Questions

How much control do I lose with a managed auth solution?

With FusionAuth, you maintain full control over user data, authentication flows, and business logic. Unlike traditional SaaS solutions, you can deploy on-premises or in your own cloud, customize the entire user experience, and integrate with any system. You only lose control over infrastructure maintenance and security updates - which is typically a benefit.

Can I customize the login UI to match my brand?

Yes, FusionAuth provides complete UI customization capabilities. You can use custom themes, CSS, JavaScript, and even completely custom login pages. Unlike many SaaS solutions, FusionAuth gives you full control over the user experience while handling the complex authentication logic behind the scenes.

What happens if FusionAuth goes out of business?

FusionAuth Community Edition is free forever and can be self-hosted, eliminating vendor lock-in concerns. The core authentication engine is available under a commercial-friendly license. Even if the company disappeared tomorrow, you would continue running your authentication system without interruption. You own your data, deployment, and can migrate using standard protocols (OAuth, SAML, JWT). This is fundamentally different from closed-source SaaS solutions.

How quickly can I get authentication working?

Most teams have basic authentication running within a few hours using our Docker setup or cloud deployment. Our quickstart guides cover the most common scenarios, and our APIs are designed for developer productivity. Unlike building from scratch (which takes months), you can have production-ready auth in days, not months.