bcrypt vs scrypt

Overview

bcrypt

Stacks133

Followers0

Votes0

scrypt

Stacks1

Followers0

Votes0

GitHub Stars258

Forks64

bcrypt vs scrypt: What are the differences?

Key Differences between bcrypt and scrypt for Password Hashing

bcrypt and scrypt are both password hashing functions that are widely used for data security purposes. While they serve a similar purpose, there are several key differences between bcrypt and scrypt that set them apart from each other.

Hashing Algorithm Strength: One major difference between bcrypt and scrypt lies in the hashing algorithm strength. bcrypt uses the Blowfish encryption algorithm, while scrypt uses the Salsa20/8 stream cipher and the PBKDF2 algorithm. The cryptographic strength of scrypt is considered to be higher than bcrypt, making it more resistant to brute-force attacks.
Memory Consumption: Another key difference is the amount of memory consumed during the hashing process. scrypt is designed to consume a large amount of memory, which makes it more resistant to parallelism attacks that utilize the GPU or ASIC hardware. In contrast, bcrypt does not have this memory consumption feature and is generally less resistant to such attacks.
CPU Utilization: bcrypt, being an older algorithm, is optimized for CPU utilization. It makes use of the bcrypt library that is specifically designed to utilize the processing power of CPUs efficiently. On the other hand, scrypt was developed to be memory-hard, and as a result, it takes longer to compute and requires more system resources, including CPU usage.
Parallelization Mechanism: The way bcrypt and scrypt handle parallelization is also different. bcrypt is more suitable for parallelization as it is not designed to utilize a large amount of memory. It can be easily parallelized on multiple systems, making it faster in such scenarios. On the contrary, scrypt uses a sequential memory hardness mechanism, limiting its parallelization capabilities and making it slower in parallelized environments.
Block Size: The block size used by bcrypt and scrypt is also different. bcrypt has a fixed block size of 64 bytes, while scrypt allows users to customize the block size depending on their specific requirements. This flexibility allows scrypt to adapt to different system environments and security needs.

In summary, bcrypt and scrypt have key differences in terms of their hashing algorithm strength, memory consumption, CPU utilization, parallelization mechanism, and block size. These differences make them suitable for different use cases and provide varying levels of security for password hashing purposes.

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CLI (Node.js)

Manual

Detailed Comparison

bcrypt	scrypt
Bcrypt() is a sophisticated and secure hash algorithm designed by The OpenBSD project for hashing passwords. The bcrypt Ruby gem provides a simple wrapper for safely handling passwords.	The scrypt key derivation function is designed to be far more secure against hardware brute-force attacks than alternative functions such as PBKDF2 or bcrypt.
Statistics
GitHub Stars -	GitHub Stars 258
GitHub Forks -	GitHub Forks 64
Stacks 133	Stacks 1
Followers 0	Followers 0
Votes 0	Votes 0

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Related Comparisons

bcrypt vs scrypt: What are the differences?

Key Differences between bcrypt and scrypt for Password Hashing

Hashing Algorithm Strength: One major difference between bcrypt and scrypt lies in the hashing algorithm strength. bcrypt uses the Blowfish encryption algorithm, while scrypt uses the Salsa20/8 stream cipher and the PBKDF2 algorithm. The cryptographic strength of scrypt is considered to be higher than bcrypt, making it more resistant to brute-force attacks.
Memory Consumption: Another key difference is the amount of memory consumed during the hashing process. scrypt is designed to consume a large amount of memory, which makes it more resistant to parallelism attacks that utilize the GPU or ASIC hardware. In contrast, bcrypt does not have this memory consumption feature and is generally less resistant to such attacks.
CPU Utilization: bcrypt, being an older algorithm, is optimized for CPU utilization. It makes use of the bcrypt library that is specifically designed to utilize the processing power of CPUs efficiently. On the other hand, scrypt was developed to be memory-hard, and as a result, it takes longer to compute and requires more system resources, including CPU usage.
Parallelization Mechanism: The way bcrypt and scrypt handle parallelization is also different. bcrypt is more suitable for parallelization as it is not designed to utilize a large amount of memory. It can be easily parallelized on multiple systems, making it faster in such scenarios. On the contrary, scrypt uses a sequential memory hardness mechanism, limiting its parallelization capabilities and making it slower in parallelized environments.
Block Size: The block size used by bcrypt and scrypt is also different. bcrypt has a fixed block size of 64 bytes, while scrypt allows users to customize the block size depending on their specific requirements. This flexibility allows scrypt to adapt to different system environments and security needs.

bcrypt vs scrypt

Overview