🔐 Laravel Sanctum vs Passport – Not sure which one to use for your API? Use Sanctum for simple, SPA-friendly auth and Passport for full OAuth2 power. Choose the right tool to keep your Laravel API secure and scalable! 🚀
When building APIs with Laravel, developers often need to implement authentication for securing routes and managing users. Laravel offers two main packages for API authentication: Sanctum and Passport.
Both serve the same goal—API authentication—but they differ significantly in terms of features, use cases, and complexity. In this blog post, we’ll explore the key differences between Laravel Sanctum and Laravel Passport to help you choose the right one for your project.
🔐 What is Laravel Passport?
Laravel Passport is a full OAuth2 server implementation for your Laravel application. It’s built on top of the League OAuth2 server and provides a robust, standards-compliant way of handling API authentication.
Key Features:
- Implements the full OAuth2 specification.
- Supports Authorization Code, Client Credentials, Password Grant, and more.
- Token expiration and refresh tokens.
- Scopes and personal access tokens.
🔓 What is Laravel Sanctum?
Laravel Sanctum is a simpler package for API token management. It is ideal for SPAs (Single Page Applications) or simple token-based APIs without the full complexity of OAuth2.
Key Features:
- Simple API token issuance.
- Supports SPA authentication using cookies (CSRF protection included).
- No OAuth2 overhead.
- Easy to use and integrate.
🔍 Key Differences Between Sanctum and Passport
| Feature | Laravel Sanctum | Laravel Passport |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol | Token-based (simple bearer tokens or cookie-based) | Full OAuth2 implementation |
| Use Case | SPAs, mobile apps, simple APIs | Large-scale APIs, third-party integrations |
| Complexity | Lightweight and simple | Complex and heavy |
| Token Types | Personal access tokens & cookie-based tokens | Personal access tokens, password grant tokens, client credentials, etc. |
| SPA Support | Built-in cookie-based SPA authentication | Not directly supported |
| OAuth2 Support | ❌ Not supported | ✅ Fully supported |
| Scopes & Permissions | Basic via middleware or policies | Full scope management available |
| Installation | Easy to install and configure | Requires database migrations and client setup |
🛠️ When to Use Sanctum?
Use Sanctum when:
- You're building a SPA with Vue, React, etc., backed by Laravel.
- You need simple token-based APIs.
- Your app doesn't require full OAuth2 complexity.
- You want to keep things simple and lightweight.
🧰 When to Use Passport?
Use Passport when:
- You’re building a third-party API that other applications will consume.
- You need full OAuth2 support, including scopes and client credentials.
- You need token revocation, refresh tokens, or authorization codes.
- You’re managing complex authentication flows.
🧪 Example Use Cases
- Sanctum:
- A Vue.js dashboard for admins authenticated via Laravel.
- A mobile app using simple bearer token authentication.
- Passport:
- A SaaS platform offering APIs to third-party developers.
- A mobile app that needs secure OAuth2 authentication flow.
🎯 Final Thoughts
Both Sanctum and Passport are powerful tools tailored for different needs.
- Choose Sanctum for simplicity, especially for internal applications or SPAs.
- Choose Passport for advanced authentication flows and OAuth2 needs.
Understanding your application’s requirements will guide you to make the right decision.
Happy Coding! 😊