This article summarizes the key points of “4 Ways to Implement User Authentication for Sharing Next.js AI Apps Privately Within Your Organization”. If you’d like full code samples and a deeper trade-off analysis, be sure to check out the complete version:

https://www.squadbase.dev/en/blog/4-user-authentication-approaches-for-delivering-nextjs-ai-apps-inside-your-organization

Four Authentication Methods for Sharing Next.js AI Apps Privately

With the arrival of the Vercel AI SDK, Next.js has become a leading framework for building AI applications. However, if you want to share your Next.js–based AI app only within your organization, you need a proper user authentication layer. Below is a concise comparison of four implementation patterns that minimize development effort.

Three Essentials for Organization-Scoped Authentication

Sign-up Restriction

Prevent unauthorized sign-ups even if the URL leaks by allowing only invited users to register — or by disabling self-service sign-up entirely.

Role Management

When running multiple apps concurrently, you need a system that grants each user different permissions per app.

Log Collection & Monitoring

For data governance, it’s important to link auth data with access and error logs so you can trace who did what.

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1. Squadbase

Features : Built-in invite-only auth, role management, and analytics.

Pros : Zero code changes — just deploy. CI/CD integration automatically handles secure deployments.

Cons : You depend on Squadbase hosting.

2. Clerk

Features : Rich Next.js UI components, invite-only sign-up, and SSO configurable from the dashboard.

Pros : Add a modern login experience in just a few lines of code.

Cons : Organization-level role management costs $25+/month; switching roles across multiple apps requires extra work.

3. Auth0

Features : Enterprise-grade auth with OAuth, SAML, Okta integration, and more.

Pros : Fine-grained roles and audit logging out of the box.

Cons : Higher learning curve; invitation flows and per-app scoping add complexity.

4. IP Whitelisting (Middleware)

Features : Restrict access by IP range instead of individual users.

Pros : Extremely simple to implement.

Cons : No user tracking or role management — only suitable for minimal access controls (e.g., office LAN).