Pros of Sanctum

• Lightweight and easy to integrate, especially for API authentication
• Built-in support for SPA authentication and mobile app tokens
• Seamless integration with Laravel ecosystem

Cons of Sanctum

• Limited features compared to more comprehensive packages
• Lacks advanced user management and role-based access control out of the box

Code Comparison

Sanctum (API token creation):

$token = $user->createToken('token-name');

Sentinel (User authentication):

$credentials = [
    'email'    => 'john.doe@example.com',
    'password' => 'password',
];
$user = Sentinel::authenticate($credentials);

Sanctum focuses on simplicity and API authentication, while Sentinel offers a more comprehensive user management system. Sanctum is ideal for projects requiring straightforward API authentication, whereas Sentinel is better suited for applications needing advanced user roles and permissions.

Sanctum's integration with Laravel makes it a natural choice for Laravel developers, but it may require additional packages or custom development for more complex authentication scenarios. Sentinel, on the other hand, provides a robust set of features out of the box but may have a steeper learning curve and require more setup time.

Pros of jwt-auth

• Lightweight and focused specifically on JWT authentication
• Easy integration with Laravel and other PHP frameworks
• Active development and community support

Cons of jwt-auth

• Limited to JWT authentication, lacking broader user management features
• Requires additional setup for advanced authentication scenarios
• Less comprehensive documentation compared to Sentinel

Code Comparison

jwt-auth:

$token = JWTAuth::attempt($credentials);
$user = JWTAuth::toUser($token);

Sentinel:

$user = Sentinel::authenticate($credentials);
$activation = Activation::create($user);
Activation::complete($user, $activation->code);

Key Differences

• jwt-auth focuses solely on JWT authentication, while Sentinel offers a more comprehensive user management solution
• Sentinel provides built-in features like user activation and role management, which are not included in jwt-auth
• jwt-auth is more suitable for API-centric applications, while Sentinel caters to a broader range of authentication needs

Use Cases

• Choose jwt-auth for lightweight JWT authentication in API-driven applications
• Opt for Sentinel when you need a full-featured user management system with roles, permissions, and activation features

Community and Support

• jwt-auth has a larger GitHub community with more stars and contributors
• Sentinel, being a paid product, offers professional support and documentation

Both libraries have their strengths, and the choice depends on the specific requirements of your project and the level of authentication complexity you need.

Pros of Laravel Permission

• Lightweight and focused solely on roles and permissions
• Seamless integration with Laravel's built-in authorization features
• Active development and community support

Cons of Laravel Permission

• Lacks built-in user authentication and management features
• May require additional packages for complete user management solution

Code Comparison

Laravel Permission:

$user->givePermissionTo('edit articles');
$user->assignRole('writer');
$user->hasPermissionTo('edit articles');

Sentinel:

$user = Sentinel::registerAndActivate($credentials);
$role = Sentinel::getRoleRepository()->createModel()->create($attributes);
$user->addRole($role);

Key Differences

• Laravel Permission focuses on role-based access control, while Sentinel provides a complete user management solution.
• Sentinel offers more extensive features like user registration, activation, and session management.
• Laravel Permission integrates directly with Laravel's authorization system, whereas Sentinel has its own implementation.

Use Cases

• Choose Laravel Permission for projects that need flexible role and permission management within an existing Laravel application.
• Opt for Sentinel when building applications requiring comprehensive user management, including authentication and authorization.

Pros of Passport

• Built-in OAuth2 server implementation
• Seamless integration with Laravel's authentication system
• Active development and maintenance by the Laravel team

Cons of Passport

• Heavier and more complex for simple authentication needs
• Requires more setup and configuration compared to Sentinel

Code Comparison

Passport (API token generation):

$user = User::find(1);
$token = $user->createToken('Token Name')->accessToken;

Sentinel (User authentication):

$credentials = [
    'email'    => 'john.doe@example.com',
    'password' => 'password',
];
Sentinel::authenticate($credentials);

Key Differences

• Passport focuses on API authentication and OAuth2, while Sentinel provides a more general-purpose authentication solution
• Sentinel offers role-based permissions out of the box, whereas Passport requires additional setup for advanced authorization
• Passport is tightly integrated with Laravel, while Sentinel can be used in other PHP frameworks

Use Cases

• Choose Passport for API-centric applications or when OAuth2 is required
• Opt for Sentinel for simpler authentication needs or when working across different PHP frameworks

Both packages offer robust security features and are well-maintained, so the choice largely depends on specific project requirements and the desired level of integration with Laravel.

Pros of Dingo API

• Provides a comprehensive API development toolkit for Laravel
• Offers built-in versioning and rate limiting features
• Includes powerful response transformers for data formatting

Cons of Dingo API

• Steeper learning curve due to its extensive feature set
• Less focus on authentication and user management
• May be overkill for simple API projects

Code Comparison

Dingo API route definition:

$api = app('Dingo\Api\Routing\Router');

$api->version('v1', function ($api) {
    $api->get('users', 'App\Http\Controllers\UserController@index');
});

Sentinel authentication:

$credentials = [
    'email'    => 'john.doe@example.com',
    'password' => 'password',
];

Sentinel::authenticate($credentials);

Summary

Dingo API is a powerful toolkit for building APIs in Laravel, offering features like versioning and rate limiting. It excels in API-specific functionality but has a steeper learning curve. Sentinel, on the other hand, focuses on authentication and user management, making it more suitable for projects that prioritize these aspects. The choice between the two depends on the specific needs of your project, with Dingo API being better for complex API development and Sentinel for robust user authentication systems.

Pros of oauth2-server

• Focused specifically on OAuth 2.0 implementation, providing a more comprehensive OAuth solution
• More active development and community support
• Follows PSR standards for better interoperability

Cons of oauth2-server

• Limited to OAuth 2.0 functionality, lacking broader authentication features
• Steeper learning curve for developers new to OAuth concepts
• Requires additional components for complete user management

Code Comparison

Sentinel (User Authentication):

$credentials = [
    'email'    => 'john.doe@example.com',
    'password' => 'password',
];

Sentinel::authenticate($credentials);

oauth2-server (Token Generation):

$server = new \League\OAuth2\Server\AuthorizationServer();
$response = $server->respondToAccessTokenRequest($request, $response);

Sentinel focuses on user authentication and management, while oauth2-server specializes in OAuth 2.0 token handling and authorization. Sentinel provides a more straightforward API for common authentication tasks, whereas oauth2-server offers a robust implementation of the OAuth 2.0 specification.

Choose Sentinel for general authentication needs and user management. Opt for oauth2-server when implementing a full OAuth 2.0 server or when working with third-party OAuth integrations.