OAuth2 vs WSO2 Identity Server: What are the differences?

Introduction

OAuth2 and WSO2 Identity Server are both authentication and authorization frameworks. However, they have key differences in terms of functionality and implementation.

1. Grant types: OAuth2 supports multiple grant types such as authorization code, implicit, password, client credentials, and refresh token grants. WSO2 Identity Server, on the other hand, provides additional grant types including SAML2, JWT, and WS-Federation. This allows WSO2 to interoperate with various protocols and standards beyond OAuth2.

2. Scopes: OAuth2 allows the definition of custom scopes, which are used to restrict the access permissions of clients. WSO2 Identity Server extends the concept of scopes to include federated and attribute-based access control. This means that access permissions can be based not only on user roles but also on specific attributes or identity provider claims.

3. Identity federation: WSO2 Identity Server offers comprehensive support for identity federation, allowing the integration of multiple identity providers. It enables seamless authentication and authorization across different systems and domains. OAuth2, on the other hand, does not provide built-in support for identity federation and relies on external systems for this functionality.

4. User management: WSO2 Identity Server provides advanced user management capabilities, including user self-registration, account confirmation, and password reset workflows. It also supports multi-factor authentication and adaptive authentication. OAuth2, being primarily an authorization framework, does not offer these user management features out of the box.

5. Identity governance: WSO2 Identity Server includes a robust identity governance framework that enables organizations to manage the lifecycle of user identities, roles, and entitlements. It offers capabilities such as role-based access control (RBAC), fine-grained authorization policies, and audit trails. OAuth2 does not provide such extensive identity governance features and focuses more on granting access rights to resources.

6. Integration capabilities: WSO2 Identity Server provides extensive integration capabilities, including support for various protocols, standards, and industry frameworks. It offers seamless integration with enterprise systems, databases, cloud services, and API gateways. While OAuth2 itself can be integrated with other systems, it does not provide as many out-of-the-box integration options as WSO2 Identity Server.

In summary, WSO2 Identity Server expands upon the core functionality of OAuth2 by offering additional grant types, more extensive scope options, identity federation support, advanced user management features, identity governance capabilities, and robust integration options.