Clerk for Students: Free
Hobby (Free)
What you get
- Free. Up to 3 dashboard seats
- unlimited applications
- 50,000 MRU (Monthly Retained Users) cap per app
- up to 5 user impersonations
- sign-in/sign-up/profile APIs + prebuilt UI and most auth features
- custom domains
- fixed 7-day session lifetime
- 1-day app log retention. Machine Auth: 1,000 API Keys created and 100,000 verified per month
- M2M 2,500 created and 100,000 verified per month. B2B: 100 MRO per app, 20 members per organization. No credit card required.
From the official page: “"Hobby — Free — No credit card required — Everything you need to start building."; "Included in Hobby: Up to 3 dashboard seats, Unlimited applications, 50,000 MRU limit per app"; "Free for your first 50,000 monthly retained users and 100 monthly retained orgs. No credit card required."”
How to claim
- Go to dashboard.clerk.com/sign-up
- Create an account
- The Hobby free tier applies automatically
Eligibility
No credit card required; no student requirement.
Expiry & renewal rules
Free indefinitely; subject to usage caps (50k MRU per app, 3 seats, etc.); no time-based expiry.
Availability
Not specified on the official page. Most student programs require enrollment verification; some restrict by region.
FAQ
Is Clerk still free for students in 2026?
Yes, as of Oct 21, 2026. Free Always double-check the official page before relying on an offer — terms do change.
Do I need a credit card? How long does the Clerk student offer last?
Yes — a card is required at some point in the flow (called out in Eligibility above). Duration: Free indefinitely; subject to usage caps (50k MRU per app, 3 seats, etc.); no time-based expiry.
What's the catch with Clerk's student program?
The honest caveats: Free indefinitely; subject to usage caps (50k MRU per app, 3 seats, etc.); no time-based expiry.. Student programs are usually limited to non-commercial use, may require yearly re-verification, and can be discontinued with little notice — that is exactly why this page exists. Verify on the official page before building anything on top of a free tier.