Lucia vs Passport.js
Lucia
Lightweight authentication library for TypeScript
Passport.js
Simple authentication middleware for Node.js
| Feature | Lucia | Passport.js |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Embeddable | Embeddable |
| Sub-category | Auth Library | Auth Library |
| Maturity | stable | mature |
| Complexity | intermediate | beginner |
| Performance tier | medium | medium |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| License type | permissive | permissive |
| Pricing | fully free | fully free |
| GitHub stars | 10.0K | 23.0K |
| Contributors | 100 | 100 |
| Commit frequency | weekly | weekly |
| Plugin ecosystem | none | massive |
| Docs quality | good | good |
| Backing org | pilcrow | Jared Hanson |
| Funding model | community | community |
| Min RAM | 16 MB | 16 MB |
| Min CPU cores | 1 | 1 |
| Scaling pattern | single_node | single_node |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| K8s native | No | No |
| Offline capable | No | No |
| Vendor lock-in | none | none |
| Languages | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| API type | SDK | SDK |
| Protocols | HTTP | HTTP |
| Deployment | npm | npm |
| SDK languages | typescript, javascript | — |
| Team size fit | solo, small, medium | solo, small, medium |
| First release | 2022 | 2011 |
| Latest version | — | — |
When to use Lucia
- ✓ Add authentication to TypeScript apps
- ✓ Session management without heavy frameworks
- ✓ Auth for Next.js/SvelteKit/Astro apps
When to use Passport.js
- ✓ Add authentication to Express/Node.js apps
- ✓ Social login (Google/GitHub/Facebook)
- ✓ OAuth integration for APIs
Lucia anti-patterns
- ✕ No UI components
- ✕ Requires understanding of auth concepts
- ✕ Less batteries-included than SuperTokens
Passport.js anti-patterns
- ✕ Callback-based API feels dated
- ✕ No session management built-in
- ✕ Strategy quality varies