jsonwebtoken vs jose

auth

jsonwebtoken

jose

Both jsonwebtoken and jose are popular npm packages for handling JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) in Node.js applications. The jsonwebtoken package has been the de facto standard since 2013, offering a straightforward API for signing and verifying JWTs with extensive community adoption. The jose package is a modern alternative that implements the full JOSE (JSON Object Signing and Encryption) specification, including JWS, JWE, JWK, and JWT with a focus on standards compliance and security.

This comparison is relevant because developers implementing authentication need to choose between battle-tested simplicity and modern standards compliance. The jsonwebtoken library targets developers who need quick JWT implementation with minimal configuration, while jose appeals to teams requiring comprehensive cryptographic operations, edge runtime compatibility, or strict adherence to RFC specifications. Understanding their differences is crucial for making informed architectural decisions about authentication infrastructure.

Head-to-Head

Bundle Size & Dependencies→ jose wins

jsonwebtoken

jsonwebtoken has a larger footprint with multiple dependencies including jws, jwa, and node-specific crypto modules. The package weighs approximately 70KB minified with dependencies that assume a Node.js environment, making it unsuitable for edge runtimes or browser-based use cases.

jose

jose is significantly lighter at around 25KB minified with zero dependencies. It's built on Web Cryptography API standards, making it runtime-agnostic and compatible with Node.js, Deno, Cloudflare Workers, and browsers. This modern approach results in better tree-shaking and smaller production bundles.

API Design & Developer Experiencetie

jsonwebtoken

jsonwebtoken provides a simple, callback-based API with promisified versions available. The sign() and verify() functions are intuitive with straightforward options objects. However, it lacks TypeScript types in the main package and requires @types/jsonwebtoken. Error handling uses string-based error messages that can be inconsistent.

jose

jose offers a modern Promise-based API with excellent TypeScript support built-in. It uses class-based interfaces (SignJWT, jwtVerify) that feel more object-oriented. The API surface is larger due to supporting the full JOSE spec, which can feel overwhelming initially but provides more granular control over cryptographic operations.

Algorithm Support & Security→ jose wins

jsonwebtoken

jsonwebtoken supports common algorithms (HS256, HS384, HS512, RS256, RS384, RS512, ES256, ES384, ES512, PS256, PS384, PS512) but has historically had security advisories related to algorithm confusion attacks. It requires careful configuration to avoid the 'none' algorithm vulnerability and doesn't support modern algorithms like EdDSA out of the box.

jose

jose implements the complete JOSE specification with support for modern algorithms including EdDSA (Ed25519, Ed448), provides built-in protection against algorithm confusion attacks, and follows current cryptographic best practices. It also supports JWE (encryption) natively, while jsonwebtoken only handles JWS (signing).

Edge Runtime & Platform Compatibility→ jose wins

jsonwebtoken

jsonwebtoken is tightly coupled to Node.js native crypto modules and doesn't work in edge runtimes like Cloudflare Workers, Vercel Edge Functions, or Deno without polyfills. This limits deployment options for modern serverless architectures that favor edge computing for lower latency.

jose

jose is designed for universal JavaScript environments using Web Crypto API standards. It runs natively in Node.js 16+, Deno, Bun, Cloudflare Workers, Vercel Edge, and browsers without modifications. This makes it the only practical choice for edge-first architectures.

Community Adoption & Ecosystem→ jsonwebtoken wins

jsonwebtoken

jsonwebtoken has over 10 million weekly downloads and is integrated into countless tutorials, stack overflow answers, and existing codebases. It's the default choice in many authentication libraries and frameworks. The extensive community means more third-party resources, but also more legacy code patterns.

jose

jose has around 3 million weekly downloads, showing strong growth but still significantly behind jsonwebtoken. It's the newer package with less historical baggage and fewer Stack Overflow answers. Major projects like next-auth have migrated to jose, signaling industry confidence in its maturity.

Standards Compliance & Future-Proofing→ jose wins

jsonwebtoken

jsonwebtoken implements JWT (RFC 7519) adequately for basic use cases but doesn't fully implement other JOSE specifications. It's in maintenance mode with infrequent updates focused on security patches rather than new features. The architecture reflects older JavaScript patterns (callbacks, loose types).

jose

jose implements the complete JOSE specification suite (RFC 7515-7520) with rigorous test coverage against specification test vectors. It's actively maintained with regular updates for new standards and security improvements. The codebase uses modern JavaScript features and is positioned to support future cryptographic standards.

Verdict

For new projects, jose is the clear recommendation unless you have specific constraints. Its superior security posture, zero dependencies, edge runtime compatibility, and built-in TypeScript support make it the modern choice for JWT authentication. The smaller bundle size and standards compliance ensure your authentication layer is future-proof and performant across any deployment target. The learning curve is slightly steeper due to the more comprehensive API, but the long-term benefits outweigh the initial investment.

Choose jsonwebtoken only when working with legacy Node.js codebases (pre-16), when team familiarity is critical and migration risks outweigh benefits, or when you need drop-in compatibility with existing authentication libraries that depend on it. If you're maintaining an existing application using jsonwebtoken that works well, there's no urgent need to migrate unless you're adding edge runtime support or need JWE encryption. However, for greenfield projects, prototypes, or modern serverless architectures, jose is objectively the better technical choice in 2024.

When to Use Each

If you are building a Next.js application with API routes and middleware running on Vercel Edge → use jose because it's the only option that runs natively in edge runtimes without polyfills, reducing cold start times and bundle sizes.

If you are maintaining a legacy Express.js monolith on Node.js 14 with passport-jwt authentication → use jsonwebtoken because it's already integrated into your authentication middleware, upgrading Node.js should take priority over switching JWT libraries.

If you are implementing a microservices architecture requiring both JWT signing and JWE encryption for sensitive claims → use jose because it supports the full JOSE specification including JWE natively, while jsonwebtoken would require additional libraries.

If you are building a Cloudflare Workers API with TypeScript that needs to verify JWTs from multiple identity providers → use jose because it provides built-in TypeScript types, runs on the Workers runtime, and handles JWKS (JSON Web Key Sets) elegantly with proper key rotation support.

Learn More

jsonwebtoken →jose →

Head-to-Head

Bundle Size & Dependencies→ jose wins

jsonwebtoken

jose

API Design & Developer Experiencetie

jsonwebtoken

jose

Algorithm Support & Security→ jose wins

jsonwebtoken

jose

Edge Runtime & Platform Compatibility→ jose wins

jsonwebtoken

jose

Community Adoption & Ecosystem→ jsonwebtoken wins

jsonwebtoken

jose

Standards Compliance & Future-Proofing→ jose wins

jsonwebtoken

jose

Verdict

When to Use Each