Django : DRF Token based Authentication VS JSON Web Token

51
votes

I am building a real world application where users will access the app primarily from Android, iOS devices as well as Desktops.

From my elementary research, I have realized that token based authentication mechanism is more better and elegant for client-server models as compared to session based authentication.

In Django, I have found two popular ways to do this -

  1. http://www.django-rest-framework.org/api-guide/authentication/#tokenauthentication
  2. http://getblimp.github.io/django-rest-framework-jwt/

From what I understood, option 2] is an extension of 1] except that the Token is in the form of JSON(serialized). I would like to understand what other differences there are between option 1] and 2] and the advantages/disadvantages of choosing either.

1
jsondjangorestdjango-rest-frameworktastypie
I have somewhat similar setup. What I have done is that for my app client Token authentication works but for my web client session authentication works. Not sure about what advantage JWT will provide ? – Rajesh Kaushik
possible duplicate of Appropriate choice of authentication class for python REST API used by web app – Kevin Brown
FWIW, django-rest-framework-simplejwt seems to be maintained while django-rest-framework-jwt is not. – phoenix

1 Answers

90
votes

They both carrying out similar tasks with few differences.

Token

DRF's builtin Token Authentication

  1. One Token for all sessions
  2. No time stamp on the token

DRF JWT Token Authentication

  1. One Token per session
  2. Expiry timestamp on each token

Database access

DRF's builtin Token Authentication

  1. Database access to fetch the user associated with the token
  2. Verify user's status
  3. Authenticate the user

DRF JWT Token Authentication

  1. Decode token (get payload)
  2. Verify token timestamp (expiry)
  3. Database access to fetch user associated with the id in the payload
  4. Verify user's status
  5. Authenticate the user

Pros

DRF's builtin Token Authentication

  1. Allows forced-logout by replacing the token in the database (ex: password change)

DRF JWT Token Authentication

  1. Token with an expiration time
  2. No database hit unless the token is valid

Cons

DRF's builtin Token Authentication

  1. Database hit on all requests
  2. Single token for all sessions

DRF JWT Token Authentication

  1. Unable to recall the token without tracking it in the database
  2. Once the token is issued, anyone with the token can make requests
  3. Specs are open to interpretations, no consensus on how to do refresh