Verifiable Credentials vs OpenID Connect

Developers should learn Verifiable Credentials when building applications that require secure, interoperable identity verification, such as in digital identity platforms, credentialing systems, or decentralized applications (dApps) meets developers should learn and use openid connect when building applications that require secure user authentication and identity verification, such as enterprise sso systems, consumer-facing apps with social login, or any service needing to integrate with identity providers like google, microsoft, or okta. Here's our take.

Verifiable Credentials

Nice Pick

Developers should learn Verifiable Credentials when building applications that require secure, interoperable identity verification, such as in digital identity platforms, credentialing systems, or decentralized applications (dApps)

Pros

• It is particularly useful in scenarios like self-sovereign identity (SSI), where users need to prove attributes (e
• Related to: decentralized-identity, self-sovereign-identity

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

OpenID Connect

Developers should learn and use OpenID Connect when building applications that require secure user authentication and identity verification, such as enterprise SSO systems, consumer-facing apps with social login, or any service needing to integrate with identity providers like Google, Microsoft, or Okta

Pros

• It simplifies authentication flows by standardizing token-based identity verification, reducing the need for custom authentication code and enhancing security through built-in features like token validation and user consent management
• Related to: oauth-2.0, json-web-tokens

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Verifiable Credentials is a concept while OpenID Connect is a protocol. We picked Verifiable Credentials based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Verifiable Credentials wins

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