jwt vs oauth: What are the differences?

## Introduction

Key differences between JWT and OAuth are outlined below:

1. **Token Format**: JWT (JSON Web Token) is a compact, self-contained token format that contains all necessary information about the user in the token itself, while OAuth (Open Authorization) is an authorization framework that enables third-party applications to obtain limited access to an HTTP service.
2. **Authentication vs Authorization**: JWT is mainly used for user authentication, where the server verifies the token to ensure the identity of the user, whereas OAuth is primarily used for authorization, allowing a third-party application to access resources on behalf of the user after the user grants permission.
3. **Stateless vs Stateful**: JWT is stateless, meaning the server does not need to store the token once created, leading to scalability and performance advantages, while OAuth is stateful, as it involves the server maintaining the session state for each request.
4. **Token Scope**: JWT typically has a broader scope, encompassing various user information and claims in a single token, while OAuth tokens are more focused on specific scopes or permissions granted for a particular resource or action.
5. **Single vs Multi-Purpose**: JWT is typically used for single sign-on (SSO) scenarios where a user logs in once and can access multiple services seamlessly, while OAuth is designed for granting limited access permissions to third-party applications without sharing user credentials.
6. **Usage Scenarios**: JWT is commonly used in modern web applications where user authentication is crucial, while OAuth is widely adopted in APIs and microservices architecture to enable secure, delegated access control.

In Summary, JWT and OAuth differ in token format, authentication vs authorization, statelessness vs statefulness, token scope, purpose, and usage scenarios.