Lucia vs Passport
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A simple, clean authentication library for TypeScript projects.
Open source · MIT
Express-compatible authentication middleware for Node.js that uses pluggable strategies.
The short answer
Choose Lucia if you need…
- TypeScript developers adding login to a web app
- Developers who want an auth library rather than a hosted service
- Teams already comfortable with OAuth-style sign-in
Choose Passport if you need…
- Node.js and Express developers who need to add login to an existing app
- Teams that want to choose their own user database and session logic
- Projects that need social login, OAuth, OpenID, or SAML through an existing strategy
- Developers who want a small, unopinionated authentication layer
Side-by-side
| Lucia | Passport | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 10.5k | 23.5k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Clone and build from source | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 3 months ago | 2 years ago |
What each one is
Lucia
Lucia is an open-source TypeScript library for handling user authentication, meaning sign-in and session management in web apps. The description calls it simple and clean, and its topics mention OAuth, a common sign-in standard. The README was not provided in usable form, so details beyond this are unknown.
Passport
Passport is authentication middleware for Node.js that works with Express. It handles checking who a request is from, using a set of plugins called strategies, such as username and password or OAuth logins. It does not create routes or dictate how user data is stored; your app decides those details and tells Passport what to do when login succeeds or fails.
Best for
Lucia
- TypeScript developers adding login to a web app
- Developers who want an auth library rather than a hosted service
- Teams already comfortable with OAuth-style sign-in
Passport
- Node.js and Express developers who need to add login to an existing app
- Teams that want to choose their own user database and session logic
- Projects that need social login, OAuth, OpenID, or SAML through an existing strategy
- Developers who want a small, unopinionated authentication layer
Strengths
Lucia
- Open source under the MIT license, which permits broad reuse
- Focused on one job, authentication, according to its description
- Has a large community interest, with about 10,000 GitHub stars
Passport
- Simple API: pass a request to authenticate and hook into success or failure
- Large ecosystem, with the README citing over 480 strategies
- Does not force a route structure or database schema on your app
Not ideal for
Lucia
- Non-developers, since it is a code library and not a ready-made app
- Projects needing a fully managed auth service with dashboards, because this is a library the developer runs themselves
- Anyone who needs verified details on setup, since the README content was unavailable to this review
Passport
- Non-developers or people looking for a ready-made login page, since it is a code library that must be wired into an app
- Projects not using Node.js, since the library is written for it
- Teams wanting a fully managed identity service, since Passport only handles request authentication and leaves user management to you
Trade-offs
Lucia
- The README was not available for this review, so feature claims are limited to the description and topics
- No published release is listed, so version stability is unclear
- Auth code carries security risk, so careful review and testing are needed before production use
Passport
- Strategies are separate packages with varying maintenance, so each must be evaluated individually
- You are responsible for user storage, session security, and other surrounding decisions
- The README is brief on security guidance and details live on the external site
Getting started
Lucia
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/lucia-auth/luciaFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Lucia and Passport?
Lucia: A simple, clean authentication library for TypeScript projects. Passport: Express-compatible authentication middleware for Node.js that uses pluggable strategies. Lucia suits typescript developers adding login to a web app, while Passport suits node.js and express developers who need to add login to an existing app.
Are Lucia and Passport free?
Lucia: Free and open source. Passport: Free and open source.
Is Lucia or Passport more popular?
Passport has more GitHub stars (23.5k) than Lucia (10.5k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Lucia and Passport?
Other options people compare them with include Better Auth, django-allauth.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.