Laravel + React Authentication the Right Way: Sanctum, JWT, or Passport? A Developer’s Comparison

"Good software is built by solving the right problems, not by using the fanciest tools." - Anonymous.

Introduction

Building secure authentication between a Laravel backend and a React frontend is one of the most important architectural decisions in any modern web application. Laravel provides multiple ways to authenticate SPAs and APIs, with three popular choices dominating the ecosystem:

1. Laravel Sanctum
2. Laravel Passport (OAuth2)
3. JWT Authentication

Each approach has its strengths depending on the project type, security requirements, and frontend‑backend workflow. This document serves as a detailed comparison and practical guide to help developers choose the right solution.

Key Takeaways

• Sanctum is simple, secure, and ideal for React SPAs.
• Passport is enterprise-focused, great for OAuth2 and multi-client ecosystems.
• JWT is stateless and scalable, perfect for microservices.
• The right authentication method depends on architecture, clients, and security needs.
• Avoid overengineering: choose the simplest tool that meets your requirements.

Index

1. Understanding Authentication Approaches
2. Detailed Comparison
3. Implementation Overview
4. When to Choose What
5. Developer Recommendation
6. Code Examples
7. FAQ
8. Interesting Facts
9. Conclusion

1. Understanding the Authentication Approaches

1.1 Laravel Sanctum
Laravel Sanctum is a lightweight authentication system designed specifically for SPAs, mobile apps, and token‑based APIs. It provides cookie‑based authentication for SPAs and API tokens for external integrations.
Key Features:

• Cookie‑based session authentication for SPAs
• CSRF protection built‑in
• Supports simple token generation for APIs
• Easier to set up compared to Passport

Best For:

• Single‑page applications using React
• First‑party apps where backend and frontend share a domain or subdomain

1.2 Laravel Passport (OAuth2)
Laravel Passport provides a full OAuth2 server implementation. It is powerful and designed for large‑scale or multi‑client authentication needs.
Key Features:

• Complete OAuth2 authorization server
• Access tokens, refresh tokens, and scopes
• Works well for multi‑client access (e.g., mobile + SPA + 3rd‑party apps)

Best For:

• Enterprise applications
• Multi‑tenant systems
• Third‑party integrations needing OAuth2 compliance

1.3 JWT Authentication
JWT (JSON Web Token) authentication is a stateless token‑based solution. Laravel doesn’t include JWT out of the box but can use third‑party packages like tymon/jwt-auth.
Key Features:

• Stateless authentication
• Self‑contained tokens
• Works across domains easily

Best For:

• Microservices
• Stateless APIs
• Cross‑domain apps where cookies are not ideal

2. Detailed Comparison

2.1 Security

2.2 Performance

2.3 Complexity

3. Implementation Overview

3.1 Using Sanctum with React
Flow:

• Frontend requests CSRF cookie
• Frontend sends login request
• Laravel authenticates and issues session cookie
• SPA uses cookie for all requests (no token storage)

Pros:

• Most secure for SPAs
• No token stored in localStorage
• Minimal setup

3.2 Using Passport with React
Flow:

• React sends credentials to get OAuth token
• Laravel returns access + refresh tokens
• React stores tokens
• Token refresh cycle implemented manually

Pros:

• Industry‑standard OAuth2
• Good for large apps

3.3 Using JWT with React
Flow:

• User logs in
• Laravel returns JWT
• React stores token
• Use token in Authorization headers

Pros:

• Stateless and scalable
• Ideal for microservices

4. When to Choose What

Use Sanctum If:

• You are building a React SPA under the same domain
• You want maximum security without storing tokens
• You prefer simple setup with CSRF protection

Use Passport If:

• You need OAuth2
• You are building an enterprise app
• You need multi‑client authentication (web, mobile, 3rd‑party)

Use JWT If:

• Your system is distributed or microservices‑based
• You need cross‑domain authentication
• You want purely stateless auth

5. Developer Recommendation

For most Laravel + React SPA projects, the best and recommended method is:
Use Laravel Sanctum
It is secure, simple, and built exactly for first‑party single‑page applications.
JWT is second best for stateless or cross‑domain setups, while Passport is only needed for OAuth2‑specific use cases.

6. Code Examples

6.1 Sanctum + React Example

Laravel Backend (routes/api.php):

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;

Route::middleware('auth:sanctum')->get('/user', function (Request $$request) {
    return $$request->user();
});

Route::post('/login', [AuthController::class, 'login']);

React Login Request:

import axios from "axios";

axios.defaults.withCredentials = true; // important for cookies

export const login = async (email, password) => {
  await axios.get("http://localhost:8000/sanctum/csrf-cookie");

  return axios.post("http://localhost:8000/api/login", {
    email,
    password,
  });
};

6.2 Passport + React OAuth Example

Laravel Token Request (routes/api.php):

Route::post('/oauth/token', [AccessTokenController::class, 'issueToken']);

React Token Request:

import axios from "axios";

export const getToken = async (email, password) => {
  return axios.post("http://localhost:8000/oauth/token", {
    grant_type: "password",
    client_id: YOUR_CLIENT_ID,
    client_secret: YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET,
    username: email,
    password: password,
    scope: "",
  });
};

6.3 JWT Auth Example
Laravel Login (Controller):

public function login(Request $$request)
{
    if (! $$token = auth()->attempt($$request->only('email','password'))) {
        return response()->json(['error' => 'Invalid credentials'], 401);
    }

    return response()->json([
        'access_token' => $$token,
        'token_type' => 'bearer',
        'expires_in' => auth()->factory()->getTTL() * 60
    ]);
}

React Login Example:

export const loginWithJwt = async (email, password) => {
  const response = await axios.post("http://localhost:8000/api/login", {
    email,
    password,
  });

  localStorage.setItem("token", response.data.access_token);
};

"First, solve the problem. Then, write the code." - John Johnson.

7. FAQ

1. Which authentication is best for a React SPA?
- Laravel Sanctum is the recommended choice for most SPAs.

2. Does Sanctum work across different domains?
- Yes, but JWT may be more appropriate for fully stateless cross-domain APIs.

3. Is Passport too heavy for small apps?
- Yes, Passport implements full OAuth2 and is only needed for enterprise-level needs.

4. Are JWT tokens secure?
- Yes, if stored properly (preferably in httpOnly cookies). Never store in localStorage if security is critical.

5. Which method scales best?

• JWT is ideal for microservices and stateless distributed systems.

8. Interesting Facts

• OAuth2 was originally created by Twitter and Google teams to improve delegated authorization.Source: https://oauth.net/2/
• JWT tokens are simply Base64-encoded JSON objects and are not encrypted by default.Source: https://jwt.io/introduction
• Laravel Sanctum was introduced in Laravel 7 as a lightweight alternative to Passport.Source: https://laravel.com/docs/10.x/sanctum
• Passport uses the open-standard League OAuth2 server under the hood.Source: https://oauth2.thephpleague.com/

"Programs must be written for people to read, and only incidentally for machines to execute." - Harold Abelson.

9. Conclusion

Choosing the correct authentication method between Laravel and React depends on your architecture, security level, and scaling needs. Sanctum suits most modern SPAs, JWT works best for distributed systems, and Passport is ideal for enterprise OAuth2 implementations.
By understanding these differences, developers can architect secure, scalable, and efficient applications without over‑complicating their authentication layer.

About the Author: Mayank is a web developer at AddWebSolution, building scalable apps with PHP, Node.js & React. Sharing ideas, code, and creativity.