OAuth vs OpenID Connect

The security dance everyone hates but can't live without meets oauth 2. Here's our take.

OAuth

Nice Pick

The security dance everyone hates but can't live without. Delegating access without sharing passwords, because trust is a token.

Pros

• Eliminates password sharing for third-party apps
• Standardized across major platforms like Google and Facebook
• Granular scopes for fine-grained access control

Cons

• Implementation complexity leads to frequent security flaws
• Token management can be a debugging nightmare

OpenID Connect

OAuth 2.0's identity upgrade. Because who doesn't want a standardized way to know who's logging in?

Pros

• Built on OAuth 2.0, so it's widely supported and integrates seamlessly with existing authorization flows
• Uses JWTs for secure, self-contained identity tokens that are easy to validate and parse
• Provides standardized user profile claims, reducing custom implementation headaches
• Enables single sign-on (SSO) across multiple applications without reinventing the wheel

Cons

• Adds complexity on top of OAuth 2.0, which can be overkill for simple authentication needs
• Requires careful JWT validation and key management to avoid security pitfalls

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. OAuth is a authentication while OpenID Connect is a ai coding tools. We picked OAuth based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

OAuth wins

Based on overall popularity. OAuth is more widely used, but OpenID Connect excels in its own space.