Passport vs WSO2 Identity Server: What are the differences?
Introduction
Both Passport and WSO2 Identity Server are popular identity and access management (IAM) solutions used in web applications. While they serve the same purpose, there are key differences between the two.
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Implementation approach: Passport is a lightweight, modular authentication middleware for Node.js, while WSO2 Identity Server is a comprehensive IAM solution that includes authentication, single sign-on, identity federation, and more. Passport focuses on providing a simple and adaptable authentication framework, while WSO2 Identity Server offers a full suite of IAM capabilities.
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Supported protocols: Passport primarily supports the OAuth and OpenID Connect (OIDC) protocols, making it suitable for implementing social logins and single sign-on. WSO2 Identity Server, on the other hand, supports a wide range of identity protocols including OAuth, OIDC, SAML, WS-Federation, and more, making it a versatile choice for enterprise IAM requirements.
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Scalability and Performance: WSO2 Identity Server is designed to handle enterprise-grade scalability requirements, capable of handling millions of users and transactions. It provides features like horizontal scaling, caching, and clustering to ensure high-performance IAM. Although Passport can be used in production environments, it is more commonly used for smaller applications with lighter traffic loads.
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Extensibility and Customization: Passport offers a vast ecosystem of over 500 authentication strategies or "passport strategies" that can be easily plugged into the middleware for supporting various authentication methods, such as username-password, social logins, and more. WSO2 Identity Server also supports customizations and extensions through its comprehensive set of APIs and extension points, allowing organizations to adapt and extend the IAM capabilities according to their specific requirements.
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User Management and Administration: WSO2 Identity Server provides a full set of user management features, including user directory integration, user provisioning, user lifecycle management, and self-service user management. Passport, on the other hand, lacks built-in user management functionality and primarily focuses on handling authentication and authorization aspects.
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Commercial Support and Licensing: While Passport is an open-source project maintained by the community, it may not have dedicated commercial support options available. On the other hand, WSO2 Identity Server is a commercially supported product with enterprise-grade support, maintenance, and professional services options offered by WSO2, making it a more suitable choice for organizations that require dedicated support.
In summary, Passport is a lightweight and modular authentication middleware primarily focused on Node.js applications, supporting OAuth and OIDC protocols. WSO2 Identity Server, on the other hand, is a comprehensive IAM solution catering to enterprise-scale requirements, supporting a wide range of identity protocols and providing extensive user management and customization capabilities.