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OAuth2 VS JSON Web Token

Compare OAuth2 VS JSON Web Token and see what are their differences

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OAuth2 logo OAuth2

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

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.
  • OAuth2 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-18
  • JSON Web Token Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-19

OAuth2 features and specs

  • Delegated Access
    OAuth2 allows users to grant third-party applications limited access to their resources without sharing their credentials.
  • Enhanced Security
    By using access tokens with defined scopes and expiration times, OAuth2 reduces the risk of exposing user credentials and allows precise control over resource access.
  • Scalability
    OAuth2 is suitable for a wide range of applications, from mobile and web apps to connected devices, allowing seamless integration across platforms.
  • User Experience
    OAuth2 enhances user experience by enabling single sign-on (SSO) capabilities, allowing users to authenticate across multiple services with a single set of credentials.

Possible disadvantages of OAuth2

  • Complex Implementation
    Implementing OAuth2 can be complex, especially for developers new to the protocol, as it involves understanding various flows, token management, and security considerations.
  • Security Challenges
    If not implemented correctly, OAuth2 can introduce security vulnerabilities, such as authorization code interception, token leakage, or improper redirect URI handling.
  • Fragmentation
    The OAuth2 specification allows for a lot of flexibility, which can lead to fragmentation and inconsistent implementations across different providers.
  • Token Management
    OAuth2 requires careful management of tokens, including their expiration, revocation, and storage, which can add complexity to application development.

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.

Analysis of JSON Web Token

Overall verdict

  • JWT is a widely-accepted standard used for securely transmitting information between parties as a JSON object. It is a good choice for scenarios where security and scalability are primary concerns. However, it also requires careful implementation to ensure security, especially when dealing with sensitive information.

Why this product is good

  • JSON Web Token (JWT) is a compact, URL-safe means of representing claims to be transferred between two parties. The claims in a JWT are encoded as a JSON object that is used as the payload of a JSON Web Signature (JWS) structure or as the plaintext of a JSON Web Encryption (JWE) structure, enabling the claims to be digitally signed or integrity protected with a Message Authentication Code (MAC) and/or encrypted.

Recommended for

  • Stateless authentication
  • Distributed systems
  • Microservices architecture
  • Applications needing scalable, self-contained access tokens
  • Browser-based applications

OAuth2 videos

+ Add

Understanding How OAuth2 Works

JSON Web Token videos

+ Add

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 OAuth2 and JSON Web Token)

OAuth2

JSON Web Token

Identity And Access Management
30 30%
Identity And Access Management
70% 70
Identity Provider
19 19%
Identity Provider
81% 81
Development
44 44%
Development
56% 56
User Management And Authentication
100 100%
User Management And Authentication
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using OAuth2 and JSON Web Token. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, JSON Web Token seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 305 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.

OAuth2 mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of OAuth2 yet. Tracking of OAuth2 recommendations started around Mar 2021.

JSON Web Token mentions (305)

  • My first lines of code
    As a Technical PM, I often found myself needing quick, private online tools for tasks like JWT decoding, and JSON formatting. While existing solutions like Jam Dev Utilities and JWT.io are great, I wanted something that processed data entirely client-side, ensuring absolute privacy (nothing is sent to external servers). - Source: dev.to / 6 days ago
  • Connecting from EKS pods to MSK: Setting up IAM, service accounts, trust relationships, and security groups
    You can paste the output in jwt.io to decode it. It should look something like this, which shows the pod is associated with the default service account in the default namespace (see default:default):. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Access and Refresh Token Explained
    The key aspect of the separation between access and refresh tokens lies in the possibility of making access tokens easy to validate. An access token that carries a signature (such as a signed JWT) may be validated by the resource server on its own, without needing to contact the authorization server. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • OAuth 2.0 Overview: How It Works and Why It Matters
    Access Token: A string representing the authorization granted to the client. It’s used by the client to access protected resources on the resource server. Access tokens are typically short-lived for security reasons (e.g., valid for an hour). They can be in various formats, with JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) being a popular choice. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • 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 / 5 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing OAuth2 and JSON Web Token, you can also consider the following products

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

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

Devise - Flexible authentication solution for Rails with Warden.

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

LDAP - LDAP is a very flexible standards-based method that can be used to store and query information about users, groups, devices and provide authentication and authorization services in a networked environment.

Amazon Cognito - Amazon Cognito lets you add user sign-up, sign-in, and access control to your web and mobile apps quickly and easily. It scales to millions of users and supports sign-in with social identity providers and enterprise identity providers via SAML 2.0.

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