Passport.js vs SuperTokens
Passport.js
Simple authentication middleware for Node.js
SuperTokens
Open-source authentication for web and mobile apps
| Feature | Passport.js | SuperTokens |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Embeddable | Security & Auth |
| Sub-category | Auth Library | Auth Library |
| Maturity | mature | stable |
| Complexity | beginner | intermediate |
| Performance tier | medium | medium |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| License type | permissive | permissive |
| Pricing | fully free | fully free |
| GitHub stars | 23.0K | 14.0K |
| Contributors | 100 | 0 |
| Commit frequency | weekly | weekly |
| Plugin ecosystem | massive | none |
| Docs quality | good | good |
| Backing org | Jared Hanson | SuperTokens |
| Funding model | community | open_core |
| Min RAM | 16 MB | 512 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 | JavaScript | Java, Node.js |
| API type | SDK | REST |
| Protocols | HTTP | HTTP |
| Deployment | npm | docker |
| SDK languages | — | — |
| Team size fit | solo, small, medium | small, medium |
| First release | 2011 | 2020 |
| Latest version | — | — |
When to use Passport.js
- ✓ Add authentication to Express/Node.js apps
- ✓ Social login (Google/GitHub/Facebook)
- ✓ OAuth integration for APIs
When to use SuperTokens
- ✓ Drop-in authentication for web/mobile apps
- ✓ Social login with email/phone verification
- ✓ Multi-tenant SaaS authentication
Passport.js anti-patterns
- ✕ Callback-based API feels dated
- ✕ No session management built-in
- ✕ Strategy quality varies
SuperTokens anti-patterns
- ✕ Core in Java — some prefer lightweight solutions
- ✕ Self-hosted needs separate PostgreSQL/MySQL
- ✕ Less feature-rich IAM than Keycloak