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Apache ZooKeeper VS JSON Web Token

Compare Apache ZooKeeper VS JSON Web Token and see what are their differences

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Apache ZooKeeper logo Apache ZooKeeper

Apache ZooKeeper is an effort to develop and maintain an open-source server which enables highly reliable distributed coordination.

JSON Web Token logo JSON Web Token

JSON Web Tokens are an open, industry standard RFC 7519 method for representing claims securely between two parties.
  • Apache ZooKeeper Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-21
  • JSON Web Token Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-19

Apache ZooKeeper features and specs

  • High Availability
    ZooKeeper is designed to be highly available, with built-in redundancy and failover mechanisms that ensure minimal downtime.
  • Consistency
    It follows a strict consistency model, ensuring that reads reflect the most recent writes, which is crucial for coordination and configuration management.
  • Scalability
    ZooKeeper can handle a high number of read operations and can be scaled horizontally by adding more nodes to the ensemble.
  • Leader Election
    ZooKeeper simplifies the implementation of leader election processes, making it easier to design fault-tolerant distributed systems.
  • Cluster Management
    It aids in cluster management by providing mechanisms to track the status and configuration of nodes across a distributed system.
  • Watch Mechanism
    ZooKeeper provides a watch mechanism that allows clients to be notified of data changes, helping to keep state synchronized across systems.

Possible disadvantages of Apache ZooKeeper

  • Complexity
    Setting up and managing a ZooKeeper ensemble can be complex, requiring careful configuration and maintenance.
  • Resource Intensive
    ZooKeeper can be resource-intensive, requiring significant memory and CPU, especially in large deployments.
  • Write Performance
    While read operations are very fast, write operations can be slower due to the need to achieve consensus among ZooKeeper nodes.
  • Operational Overhead
    Managing ZooKeeper involves operational overhead, including monitoring, backups, and handling node failures.
  • Limited Programming Language Support
    Although ZooKeeper supports many major languages, the client libraries for some languages may not be as mature or well-supported as those for others.
  • Transaction Size
    ZooKeeper is not designed for very large data or complex transactions, limiting its use cases to lightweight coordination tasks.

JSON Web Token features and specs

  • Stateless
    Since JWTs are self-contained, they do not require server-side sessions, enabling stateless authentication and reducing server memory usage.
  • Scalability
    JWTs can easily be used in distributed systems and microservices architectures due to their stateless nature, facilitating horizontal scaling.
  • Decentralized Issuance
    Multiple issuers can create and sign their own tokens, allowing for more decentralized and flexible authentication mechanisms.
  • Performance
    JWTs eliminate the need for database lookups during authenticating requests, as the token contains all the necessary information, which can lead to performance improvements.
  • Cross-domain and Mobile Compatible
    JWTs are widely supported by different platforms and can easily be used in cross-domain situations and with mobile applications.
  • Security
    JWTs can be signed and optionally encrypted, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the data they carry.

Possible disadvantages of JSON Web Token

  • Size
    JWTs tend to be larger than session IDs, which can increase the amount of data transmitted during requests.
  • Expiration Handling
    Managing token expiration can be complex. Once a token is issued, it remains valid until it expires or is explicitly revoked.
  • No Built-in Revocation
    Unlike sessions, JWTs cannot be easily revoked server-side, making it difficult to immediately invalidate tokens without additional mechanisms.
  • Security Risks
    If a JWT is intercepted or compromised, it can be used until it expires. Thus, it should be properly secured and transmitted over HTTPS.
  • Token Overhead
    Embedding too much information in the token payload can lead to performance overhead and potential data exposure risks.
  • Complexity
    Implementing JWT correctly requires a thorough understanding of security practices and token lifecycle management, which can add complexity to the system.

Apache ZooKeeper videos

Why do we use Apache Zookeeper?

More videos:

  • Review - 4.5. Apache Zookeeper | Hands-On - Getting Started

JSON Web Token videos

JSON Web Tokens Suck - Randall Degges (DevNet Create 2018)

More videos:

  • Review - JSON Web Tokens with Public Key Signatures
  • Review - RFC 7519 JSON Web Token (JWT), Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache ZooKeeper and JSON Web Token)
Web And Application Servers
Identity Provider
0 0%
100% 100
Web Servers
100 100%
0% 0
Identity And Access Management

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, JSON Web Token should be more popular than Apache ZooKeeper. It has been mentiond 301 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apache ZooKeeper mentions (32)

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JSON Web Token mentions (301)

  • OAuth or JWT? Everything Developers Need to Know in 2025
    ​Security Considerations • JWT o Always use HTTPS to prevent token interception o Set short expiration times o Avoid storing sensitive data in the token • OAuth o Always validate redirect URIs o Implement proper token revocation o Consider using PKCE for public clients References • The Ultimate Guide to Implementing Authentication in JavaScript Applications • OAuth 2.0 – RFC 6749 • JWT.io –... - Source: dev.to / about 10 hours ago
  • Guide to JWT API Authentication
    Jwt.io is a great playground to get used to working with JWTs. - Source: dev.to / 20 days ago
  • Verifying Cognito access tokens - Comparing three JWT packages for Lambda authorizers
    The Lambda authorizer code decodes and verifies the token, and its business logic determines whether the request should proceed to the backend or be denied. Cognito access tokens are JSON Web Tokens (JWTs), and to simplify our coding, we might opt for an external package to handle token verification. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Authentication and Authorization Best Practices in ASP.NET Core
    You can decode the created JWT token using JWT IO web site to see what's inside. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • How To Use JWT Token In React JS
    JWT.io – A great resource to decode, verify, and generate JWT tokens. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache ZooKeeper and JSON Web Token, you can also consider the following products

Apache Tomcat - An open source software implementation of the Java Servlet and JavaServer Pages technologies

Auth0 - Auth0 is a program for people to get authentication and authorization services for their own business use.

Microsoft IIS - Internet Information Services is a web server for Microsoft Windows

Firebase Authentication - Application and Data, Application Utilities, and User Management and Authentication

LiteSpeed Web Server - LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) is a high-performance Apache drop-in replacement.

Spring Security - The Spring portfolio has many projects, including Spring Framework, Spring IO Platform, Spring Cloud, Spring Boot, Spring Data, Spring Security...