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Compare API Keys, OAuth 2.0, OIDC, mTLS, and HMAC across delegation capabilities, permission granularity, security score, and scalability factors.
2.8
7.3
7.7
8.8
6.2
OAuth 2.0 and OIDC excel at delegated authorization, while API Keys and HMAC provide direct authentication only.
API Keys, mTLS, and HMAC are excellent for internal corporate APIs with simpler requirements.
OAuth 2.0 and OIDC provide the best scalability with stateless, token-based architectures.
We evaluate each authentication method using two main dimensions. Security is scored 0-10 based on six criteria: how long credentials last (short-lived tokens are better), whether secrets are transmitted over the network, built-in replay attack protection, risk of storing plaintext secrets on the server, how easily credentials leak into logs or code, and how difficult it is to revoke compromised credentials. Complexity is scored 0-10 based on three factors: infrastructure requirements (from simple databases to full PKI systems), implementation difficulty (from adding HTTP headers to complex cryptographic protocols), and operational overhead (from basic monitoring to certificate lifecycle management).
The visualization plots each method as a point where the X-axis represents complexity (left = simple, right = complex) and Y-axis represents security (bottom = weak, top = strong). Methods in the top-left quadrant offer the best value - high security with manageable complexity. The diagonal line represents perfect efficiency where security equals complexity; methods above this line give you more security per unit of complexity invested. This helps you quickly identify whether a method's complexity is justified by its security benefits and choose the option that best matches your risk tolerance and technical capabilities.
We have compiled a list of some of the best practices to prevent API key leakage and keep secrets and credentials safe.
The article highlights the significance of securing CI/CD systems and offers three best practices.
Not only API authentication and authorization are the crucial aspects of API security when crafting secure software.
GitGuardian leads the way in Non-Human Identity security, offering end-to-end solutions from secrets detection in code, productivity tools and environments to strong remediation, observability and proactive prevention of leaks.
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