Bcrypt vs Scrypt

Developers should use Bcrypt when building applications that require secure user authentication, such as web apps, APIs, or any system storing sensitive passwords meets developers should learn and use scrypt when they need to securely hash passwords or derive keys in environments where resistance to hardware-accelerated attacks is critical, such as in cryptocurrency mining, password authentication systems, or any application handling sensitive user credentials. Here's our take.

Bcrypt

Nice Pick

Developers should use Bcrypt when building applications that require secure user authentication, such as web apps, APIs, or any system storing sensitive passwords

Pros

• It is particularly valuable in scenarios where password security is critical, like financial or healthcare applications, as it mitigates risks from data breaches by making password cracking infeasible
• Related to: password-security, cryptography

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Scrypt

Developers should learn and use Scrypt when they need to securely hash passwords or derive keys in environments where resistance to hardware-accelerated attacks is critical, such as in cryptocurrency mining, password authentication systems, or any application handling sensitive user credentials

Pros

• It is particularly valuable in scenarios where attackers might use custom hardware, as its memory-intensive design increases the cost and difficulty of parallel attacks compared to simpler hash functions
• Related to: password-hashing, cryptography

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Bcrypt is a library while Scrypt is a concept. We picked Bcrypt based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Bcrypt wins

Based on overall popularity. Bcrypt is more widely used, but Scrypt excels in its own space.