Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

ASP.NET Identity VS OAuth

Compare ASP.NET Identity VS OAuth and see what are their differences

ASP.NET Identity logo ASP.NET Identity

ASP.NET Identity is a membership-based software system designed for the authentication and authorization of the users via building an ASP.NET application.

OAuth logo OAuth

OAuth is an open standard for authorization. It allows users to share their private resources (e.g.
  • ASP.NET Identity Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-07
  • OAuth Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-19

ASP.NET Identity features and specs

  • Integrated with ASP.NET Framework
    ASP.NET Identity is seamlessly integrated into the ASP.NET framework, making it easier to implement authentication and authorization in ASP.NET applications.
  • Supports Multiple Authentication Methods
    It supports various authentication methods, including two-factor authentication, social logins (such as Facebook, Google), and traditional username/password combinations.
  • Customizable
    Developers have the flexibility to customize the identity system according to their needs, for example, by extending user information and roles.
  • Role and Claim-based Authorization
    ASP.NET Identity supports role-based and claims-based authorization, allowing for fine-grained access control.
  • Entity Framework Integration
    Built with Entity Framework, making it easy to persist identity data in a database and leverage Entity Framework's capabilities for ORM.
  • Ease of Use
    Designed to be straightforward to set up and use, with many features working out of the box with minimal configuration.

Possible disadvantages of ASP.NET Identity

  • Complexity for Small Applications
    For small applications with simple authentication needs, ASP.NET Identity might be overly complex and result in unnecessary overhead.
  • Database Dependency
    The default setup requires a database to store user and role information, which may not be suitable for applications where a database-less solution is preferred.
  • Learning Curve
    There can be a learning curve for newcomers to fully understand its architecture and how to implement advanced features.
  • Performance Overhead
    The flexible and feature-rich design of ASP.NET Identity might introduce performance overhead, especially if not properly optimized.
  • Migration Challenges
    Migrating existing applications from older identity systems to ASP.NET Identity can be challenging and time-consuming.

OAuth features and specs

  • Delegated Authorization
    OAuth allows users to grant applications limited access to their resources without sharing their credentials, enhancing security and user convenience.
  • Third-Party Integration
    Facilitates seamless integration with third-party services by allowing applications to access user data across different platforms securely.
  • Granular Access Control
    Supports fine-grained permissions, enabling users to specify exactly what resources an application can access and for how long.
  • Enhanced Security
    By allowing applications to access data without exposing user credentials, OAuth reduces the risk of password theft and other security breaches.
  • User Experience
    Improves user experience by allowing single sign-on and reducing the need for creating and remembering multiple usernames and passwords.

Possible disadvantages of OAuth

  • Complexity
    Implementing OAuth can be complex and resource-intensive, requiring careful handling of authorization codes, tokens, and various flows.
  • Security Risks
    If not implemented correctly, OAuth can introduce vulnerabilities such as token interception, token leakage, or insufficient token expiration time handling.
  • Evolving Standards
    OAuth standards and best practices evolve over time, which can require ongoing maintenance and updates to ensure that implementations remain secure and compliant.
  • User Consent Fatigue
    Frequent consent requests for different applications and permissions can lead to user fatigue, potentially causing users to ignore important security warnings.
  • Dependency on Third-Party Services
    Relying on OAuth providers for authentication can be challenging as service outages or changes to provider APIs might disrupt the dependent applications.

ASP.NET Identity videos

Understand ASP.NET Identity Core

OAuth videos

OAuth 2.0: An Overview

More videos:

  • Review - OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect (in plain English)
  • Review - Google OAuth Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ASP.NET Identity and OAuth)
Network & Admin
41 41%
59% 59
Identity And Access Management
Security & Privacy
52 52%
48% 48
Identity Provider
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using ASP.NET Identity and OAuth. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OAuth seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 21 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.

ASP.NET Identity mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of ASP.NET Identity yet. Tracking of ASP.NET Identity recommendations started around Jul 2021.

OAuth mentions (21)

  • Implementing a token based authentication for rest API
    You want OAuth. You almost certainly want to use Keycloak as your provider. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Skanderbeg Steam Login
    It's the same as when you get "log in with Google" or "Log in with Facebook" buttons on other sites. You can read about OpenAuth here: https://oauth.net/. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Password isn't dying
    Failure to adhere strictly to battle-tested standards like OAuth or OpenID Connect (OIDC). - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Securing BudPay Transactions: Encryption and Authentication Techniques
    In addition to user authentication, BudPay secures its API endpoints using authentication mechanisms such as API keys and OAuth (Open Authorization). These mechanisms ensure that only authorized applications and services can access BudPay's APIs, protecting user data from unauthorized access. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • How do you create a DB that stores info about which people have which access?
    You'll typically need a way for users to authenticate to the service – probably using OAuth if you want them to login with their accounts from an identity provider, such as Google or Facebook. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing ASP.NET Identity and OAuth, you can also consider the following products

DotNetOpenAuth - DotNetOpenAuth is a free-to-use compiled library that comes with the real support to your site visitor to login with the help of openIDs via getting control of the ASP.NET control onto the page.

OpenID - OpenID is a safe, faster and easier way to log in to web sites.

ASP.NET SAML - ASP.NET SAML is an open-source authentication utility that has been used for exchanging authentication and authorization data between the channels.

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

BugMeNot - BugMeNot is a free Internet service that provides usernames and passwords to allow users to bypass the registration process for websites.

IdentityServer - An open-source, standards-compliant, and flexible OpenID Connect and OAuth 2.x framework for ASP.NET Core