Pros of Halite

• Built on top of libsodium, providing a higher-level abstraction for easier use
• Offers a wider range of cryptographic operations, including key derivation and digital signatures
• Actively maintained with regular updates and security improvements

Cons of Halite

• Requires the libsodium extension, which may not be available on all hosting environments
• Slightly steeper learning curve due to more advanced features and options
• Potentially slower performance for simple encryption tasks compared to php-encryption

Code Comparison

Halite encryption:

use ParagonIE\Halite\KeyFactory;
use ParagonIE\Halite\Symmetric\Crypto as Symmetric;

$key = KeyFactory::generateEncryptionKey();
$message = 'This is a secret message.';
$ciphertext = Symmetric::encrypt($message, $key);

php-encryption encryption:

use Defuse\Crypto\Key;
use Defuse\Crypto\Crypto;

$key = Key::createNewRandomKey();
$message = 'This is a secret message.';
$ciphertext = Crypto::encrypt($message, $key);

Both libraries provide secure encryption, but Halite offers more advanced features at the cost of additional complexity and dependencies.

Pros of phpseclib

• Broader range of cryptographic functions and protocols (SSH, SFTP, X.509, etc.)
• Pure PHP implementation, ensuring cross-platform compatibility
• Actively maintained with regular updates and improvements

Cons of phpseclib

• Larger library size, which may impact performance in some scenarios
• Steeper learning curve due to its extensive feature set
• May require more configuration for specific use cases

Code Comparison

php-encryption:

use Defuse\Crypto\Key;
use Defuse\Crypto\Crypto;

$key = Key::createNewRandomKey();
$ciphertext = Crypto::encrypt($message, $key);

phpseclib:

use phpseclib3\Crypt\AES;

$aes = new AES('cbc');
$aes->setKey($key);
$ciphertext = $aes->encrypt($message);

Summary

phpseclib offers a more comprehensive cryptographic toolkit with support for various protocols, making it suitable for complex security implementations. However, php-encryption provides a more focused and user-friendly approach to encryption, with a simpler API and easier setup for basic encryption tasks. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of your project, with phpseclib being more versatile but potentially overkill for simpler use cases, while php-encryption offers a streamlined solution for basic encryption needs.

Pros of password_compat

• Focused specifically on password hashing and verification
• Provides a forward-compatible implementation of PHP's password_* functions
• Lightweight and easy to integrate into existing projects

Cons of password_compat

• Limited to password-related functionality
• Not actively maintained (last commit in 2018)
• Lacks additional cryptographic features found in php-encryption

Code Comparison

password_compat:

$hash = password_hash("password123", PASSWORD_DEFAULT);
if (password_verify("password123", $hash)) {
    echo "Password is valid!";
}

php-encryption:

use Defuse\Crypto\Crypto;
$ciphertext = Crypto::encrypt("secret message", $key);
$plaintext = Crypto::decrypt($ciphertext, $key);

Summary

password_compat is a lightweight library focused on password hashing and verification, providing forward compatibility for PHP's built-in password functions. It's easy to use but limited in scope and no longer actively maintained.

php-encryption, on the other hand, offers a broader range of cryptographic functions, including encryption and decryption of data. It's actively maintained and provides a more comprehensive solution for various cryptographic needs beyond just password handling.

Choose password_compat for simple password hashing in older PHP versions, or php-encryption for a more robust and actively maintained cryptographic toolkit.