What Clerk does
Authentication platform with OAuth provider support used for MCP server authorization
Why teams reach for it: It adds MCP capabilities to an existing application through one API endpoint without deploying and managing separate authenticated MCP services.
Worth knowing
It with PKCE supported, and CIMD and DCR client registration. It federates with Google, Microsoft, Notion and holds an upstream token vault for third-party credentials.
How Clerk compares
Fields the vendor doesn't document are left blank here rather than guessed — a blank means nothing verified, not a "no."
- Client Registration
- CIMD and DCR
- Protected Resource Metadata (RFC 9728)
- Yes
- Authorization Server Metadata (RFC 8414)
- Yes
- Pkce
- Supported
- Idp Federation
- Google, Microsoft, Notion
- Upstream Token Vault
- Yes
- Audit Log
- Yes
Who can connect, and what may they do?
Authorization & identity tools control who — or which AI agent — is allowed to connect, and what they're allowed to do once connected.