passport vs firebase-admin vs @supabase/supabase-js vs @workos-inc/node vs @okta/okta-sdk-nodejs
Authentication and User Management Libraries Comparison
1 Year
passportfirebase-admin@supabase/supabase-js@workos-inc/node@okta/okta-sdk-nodejsSimilar Packages:
What's Authentication and User Management Libraries?

These libraries provide various functionalities for authentication, user management, and backend services in web applications. They facilitate secure user authentication, manage user sessions, and provide APIs for integrating user management features into applications. Each library has its unique strengths and use cases, catering to different types of applications and development needs.

Package Weekly Downloads Trend
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passport3,088,26123,202157 kB387a year agoMIT
firebase-admin1,939,0711,6521.34 MB190a month agoApache-2.0
@supabase/supabase-js1,192,0843,470238 kB1588 days agoMIT
@workos-inc/node804,242134781 kB3413 days agoMIT
@okta/okta-sdk-nodejs102,4801036.76 MB489 months agoApache-2.0
Feature Comparison: passport vs firebase-admin vs @supabase/supabase-js vs @workos-inc/node vs @okta/okta-sdk-nodejs

Authentication Methods

  • passport:

    Passport is highly extensible and supports over 500 authentication strategies, including OAuth, OpenID, and local authentication, allowing developers to customize authentication flows as needed.

  • firebase-admin:

    Firebase Admin SDK supports email/password authentication and social login providers, enabling developers to manage user accounts and sessions effectively within the Firebase ecosystem.

  • @supabase/supabase-js:

    Supabase offers built-in authentication with support for email/password, magic links, and OAuth providers, allowing developers to implement user sign-up and login features easily.

  • @workos-inc/node:

    WorkOS specializes in enterprise authentication, providing features like Single Sign-On (SSO) and support for various identity providers, making it suitable for applications targeting businesses.

  • @okta/okta-sdk-nodejs:

    Okta supports a wide range of authentication methods, including username/password, social logins (Google, Facebook, etc.), and multi-factor authentication (MFA), providing a secure and flexible solution for user authentication.

User Management

  • passport:

    Passport does not provide built-in user management features but can be integrated with other libraries to handle user profiles and roles, offering flexibility in implementation.

  • firebase-admin:

    Firebase Admin SDK allows developers to manage users, including creating, updating, and deleting user accounts, as well as managing user roles and permissions within Firebase.

  • @supabase/supabase-js:

    Supabase includes user management capabilities such as user roles, permissions, and real-time updates for user data, simplifying the process of managing users in applications.

  • @workos-inc/node:

    WorkOS offers user management features tailored for enterprise applications, including user provisioning and directory sync, ensuring seamless integration with existing user directories.

  • @okta/okta-sdk-nodejs:

    Okta provides comprehensive user management features, including user provisioning, role-based access control, and user profile management, making it suitable for applications with complex user requirements.

Integration and Ecosystem

  • passport:

    Passport can be easily integrated with various Node.js frameworks and libraries, providing flexibility in how authentication is implemented in applications.

  • firebase-admin:

    Firebase Admin SDK integrates tightly with other Firebase services, allowing developers to leverage features like Firestore, Cloud Functions, and Cloud Messaging in their applications.

  • @supabase/supabase-js:

    Supabase is designed to work seamlessly with other Supabase services, including real-time databases and storage, providing a cohesive development experience for building full-stack applications.

  • @workos-inc/node:

    WorkOS is built for integration with enterprise applications, offering APIs that connect with existing user directories and authentication systems, making it suitable for business environments.

  • @okta/okta-sdk-nodejs:

    Okta integrates well with various third-party applications and services, providing a robust ecosystem for identity management and security compliance.

Real-time Capabilities

  • passport:

    Passport does not provide real-time capabilities, as it is primarily focused on authentication middleware, but can be combined with other libraries to achieve this functionality.

  • firebase-admin:

    Firebase Admin SDK supports real-time updates through Firestore and Realtime Database, enabling developers to build applications that reflect changes in user data instantly.

  • @supabase/supabase-js:

    Supabase offers real-time capabilities out of the box, allowing developers to listen for changes in the database and update the UI accordingly, making it ideal for interactive applications.

  • @workos-inc/node:

    WorkOS focuses on authentication and does not provide real-time capabilities, but can be integrated with other services that offer such features.

  • @okta/okta-sdk-nodejs:

    Okta does not provide real-time capabilities directly but can be integrated with other services to achieve real-time user management features.

Learning Curve

  • passport:

    Passport has a moderate learning curve, as it requires understanding various authentication strategies and middleware concepts, but its modular design allows for gradual learning.

  • firebase-admin:

    Firebase Admin SDK is relatively easy to learn, especially for developers already familiar with Firebase, thanks to its straightforward API and extensive documentation.

  • @supabase/supabase-js:

    Supabase is designed to be easy to use, especially for developers familiar with Firebase, making it accessible for quick prototyping and development.

  • @workos-inc/node:

    WorkOS has a steeper learning curve due to its focus on enterprise features and integration, but it provides good documentation to assist developers.

  • @okta/okta-sdk-nodejs:

    Okta has a moderate learning curve due to its comprehensive features and configuration options, but its documentation is extensive and helpful for developers.

How to Choose: passport vs firebase-admin vs @supabase/supabase-js vs @workos-inc/node vs @okta/okta-sdk-nodejs
  • passport:

    Choose Passport if you need a flexible and modular authentication middleware for Node.js that supports a wide range of authentication strategies, making it suitable for custom authentication implementations.

  • firebase-admin:

    Use Firebase Admin if you are building applications that require seamless integration with Firebase services, including real-time databases, cloud functions, and push notifications, along with robust user authentication features.

  • @supabase/supabase-js:

    Select Supabase if you are looking for an open-source Firebase alternative that provides real-time database capabilities, authentication, and storage, making it ideal for building modern web applications quickly.

  • @workos-inc/node:

    Opt for WorkOS if you require enterprise-grade authentication solutions with features like Single Sign-On (SSO) and directory sync, particularly for applications targeting business users and organizations.

  • @okta/okta-sdk-nodejs:

    Choose Okta if you need a comprehensive identity management solution that supports various authentication methods, including social logins, and offers extensive features for user management and security compliance.

README for passport

passport banner

Passport

Passport is Express-compatible authentication middleware for Node.js.

Passport's sole purpose is to authenticate requests, which it does through an extensible set of plugins known as strategies. Passport does not mount routes or assume any particular database schema, which maximizes flexibility and allows application-level decisions to be made by the developer. The API is simple: you provide Passport a request to authenticate, and Passport provides hooks for controlling what occurs when authentication succeeds or fails.


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Status: Build Coverage Dependencies

Install

$ npm install passport

Usage

Strategies

Passport uses the concept of strategies to authenticate requests. Strategies can range from verifying username and password credentials, delegated authentication using OAuth (for example, via Facebook or Twitter), or federated authentication using OpenID.

Before authenticating requests, the strategy (or strategies) used by an application must be configured.

passport.use(new LocalStrategy(
  function(username, password, done) {
    User.findOne({ username: username }, function (err, user) {
      if (err) { return done(err); }
      if (!user) { return done(null, false); }
      if (!user.verifyPassword(password)) { return done(null, false); }
      return done(null, user);
    });
  }
));

There are 480+ strategies. Find the ones you want at: passportjs.org

Sessions

Passport will maintain persistent login sessions. In order for persistent sessions to work, the authenticated user must be serialized to the session, and deserialized when subsequent requests are made.

Passport does not impose any restrictions on how your user records are stored. Instead, you provide functions to Passport which implements the necessary serialization and deserialization logic. In a typical application, this will be as simple as serializing the user ID, and finding the user by ID when deserializing.

passport.serializeUser(function(user, done) {
  done(null, user.id);
});

passport.deserializeUser(function(id, done) {
  User.findById(id, function (err, user) {
    done(err, user);
  });
});

Middleware

To use Passport in an Express or Connect-based application, configure it with the required passport.initialize() middleware. If your application uses persistent login sessions (recommended, but not required), passport.session() middleware must also be used.

var app = express();
app.use(require('serve-static')(__dirname + '/../../public'));
app.use(require('cookie-parser')());
app.use(require('body-parser').urlencoded({ extended: true }));
app.use(require('express-session')({ secret: 'keyboard cat', resave: true, saveUninitialized: true }));
app.use(passport.initialize());
app.use(passport.session());

Authenticate Requests

Passport provides an authenticate() function, which is used as route middleware to authenticate requests.

app.post('/login', 
  passport.authenticate('local', { failureRedirect: '/login' }),
  function(req, res) {
    res.redirect('/');
  });

Strategies

Passport has a comprehensive set of over 480 authentication strategies covering social networking, enterprise integration, API services, and more.

Search all strategies

There is a Strategy Search at passportjs.org

The following table lists commonly used strategies:

|Strategy | Protocol |Developer | |---------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|------------------------------------------------| |Local | HTML form |Jared Hanson | |OpenID | OpenID |Jared Hanson | |BrowserID | BrowserID |Jared Hanson | |Facebook | OAuth 2.0 |Jared Hanson | |Google | OpenID |Jared Hanson | |Google | OAuth / OAuth 2.0 |Jared Hanson | |Twitter | OAuth |Jared Hanson | |Azure Active Directory | OAuth 2.0 / OpenID / SAML |Azure |

Examples

Related Modules

The modules page on the wiki lists other useful modules that build upon or integrate with Passport.

License

The MIT License

Copyright (c) 2011-2021 Jared Hanson <https://www.jaredhanson.me/>