Web Authentication vs OpenID Connect

Developers should learn and implement Web Authentication to enhance security and user experience in web applications, particularly for high-stakes scenarios like banking, healthcare, or enterprise systems where password breaches are a concern 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.

Web Authentication

Nice Pick

Developers should learn and implement Web Authentication to enhance security and user experience in web applications, particularly for high-stakes scenarios like banking, healthcare, or enterprise systems where password breaches are a concern

Pros

• It is essential for building modern, secure applications that comply with regulations like GDPR or PSD2, and it reduces reliance on passwords, which are vulnerable to attacks such as phishing and brute force
• Related to: public-key-cryptography, oauth

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. Web Authentication is a concept while OpenID Connect is a protocol. We picked Web Authentication based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Web Authentication wins

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