jwa is a JSON Web Algorithms library that provides a set of cryptographic algorithms for creating and verifying JSON Web Tokens (JWTs). It is designed to be lightweight and efficient, making it a suitable choice for developers who need to implement JWT-based authentication and authorization in their applications. While jwa offers a solid foundation for working with JWTs, there are several alternatives in the ecosystem that provide additional features or different approaches to JWT handling. Here are a few notable alternatives:

• express-jwt is a middleware for Express.js that helps protect routes by validating JWTs. It automatically checks the incoming requests for a valid JWT in the authorization header and can reject requests that do not contain a valid token. This library is particularly useful for developers building RESTful APIs with Express who want to implement authentication and authorization quickly and efficiently.
• jose is a comprehensive library for handling JSON Web Tokens and related standards such as JWS, JWE, and JWK. It provides a wide range of features for creating, verifying, and manipulating JWTs, making it a powerful choice for developers who require more advanced capabilities. If your application needs to handle various JWT-related tasks beyond basic signing and verification, jose is an excellent option.
• jsonwebtoken is one of the most widely used libraries for creating and verifying JWTs in Node.js applications. It provides a simple API for signing and verifying tokens, along with options for handling expiration and audience claims. If you're looking for a straightforward and reliable solution for JWT handling, jsonwebtoken is a great choice that has been battle-tested in many applications.
• passport-jwt is a Passport.js strategy for authenticating with JWTs. It integrates seamlessly with the Passport authentication middleware, allowing developers to add JWT authentication to their applications easily. If you're already using Passport for authentication in your application and want to incorporate JWTs, passport-jwt provides a convenient way to do so.

For a comprehensive comparison of these packages, check out the link: Comparing express-jwt vs jose vs jsonwebtoken vs jwa vs passport-jwt.