Laravel Sanctum is suitable for simple, lightweight API certifications such as SPA or mobile applications, while Passport is suitable for scenarios where full OAuth2 functionality is required. 1. Sanctum provides token-based authentication, suitable for first-party clients; 2. Passport supports complex processes such as authorization codes and client credentials, suitable for third-party developers to access; 3. Sanctum installation and configuration are simpler and the maintenance cost is low; 4. Passport has comprehensive functions but complex configuration, suitable for platforms that require fine permission control. When selecting, you should determine whether the OAuth2 feature is required based on the project requirements.

If you're building an API with Laravel and trying to choose between Sanctum and Passport for authentication, the main thing to understand is this: Sanctum is simpler and works well for SPAs, mobile apps, and token-based APIs , while Passport gives you full OAuth2 server functionality if your app needs things like third-party access or more complex authorization flows.

Here's how to decide which one fits your project better.

When to use Laravel Sanctum

Sanctum is perfect when you want a lightweight, easy-to-setup solution for authenticating first-party clients—like your own SPA (eg, Vue or React frontend) or mobile app.

• It uses API tokens with optional expiration
• Works great with stateless authentication via Authorization: Bearer [token]
• Easy to set up: just install, run a migration, and assign tokens to users

It doesn't support full OAuth2 features like authorization codes or client credentials flow. So if you don't need those, Sanctum is faster to implement and easier to maintain.

For example, in a small SaaS app where only your own users log in from your frontend or mobile app, Sanctum covers all your needs without extra overhead.

Use Sanctum if:

• You're building a simple API
• You don't need OAuth2
• You control both the frontend and backend

When Laravel Passport is the right choice

Passport is the go-to option if your application needs to act as a full OAuth2 server—for example, if third parties will access your API on behalf of users, or if you're offering developer-facing APIs that require client ID/secret pairs.

• Full support for OAuth2 flows: authorization code, client credentials, password grant, etc.
• Built-in UI for developers to create their own API clients
• More complex setup and configuration than Sanctum

This is useful in cases like a public API platform where external developers can register applications and request scopes/permissions. Think of services like Stripe or GitHub—they allow third-party integrations using OAuth tokens, and Passport supports that out of the box.

Use Passport if:

• You need OAuth2 features
• You're building an API for third-party developers
• You need fine-grained access control with scopes and tokens per client

Setup and maintenance differences

Both packages are maintained by Laravel, but they differ in complexity and ongoing maintenance:

Sanctum setup steps:

• Install via Composer
• Run migrations
• Add HasApiTokens trait to User model
• Issue tokens via login endpoint

Passport setup steps:

• Install via Composer
• Run more migrations (for OAuth tables)
• Encrypt keys ( php artisan passport:install --encrypt )
• Configure providers and guards
• Set up password grant client if needed

Sanctum is easier to manage long-term because it has fewer moving parts. Passport requires more attention, especially around key management and token revocation.

Also, if you ever need to move from Sanctum to Passport later, it's doable—but you'll have to reflector your auth layer.

So depending on what kind of API you're building, one might clearly fit better than the other. For most internal or single-purpose APIs, Sanctum is enough. If you're planning to open your system to third-party clients or need advanced OAuth features, Passport is the way to go.

That's basically it — not rocket science, but worth thinking through before locking in your decision.

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