Scrypt vs Bcrypt

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 meets developers should use bcrypt when building applications that require secure user authentication, such as web apps, apis, or any system storing sensitive passwords. Here's our take.

Scrypt

Nice Pick

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

Bcrypt

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

The Verdict

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

The Bottom Line

Scrypt wins

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