You might think building authentication from scratch gives you more control. After all, how hard can it be to create a login system? Just store usernames and passwords, hash them securely, and verify users, right? But once you dig deeper, the reality is far more complicated.

Authentication isn’t just about logging users in; it’s about security, compliance, scalability, and ongoing maintenance. A small vulnerability could expose user data, leading to security breaches, legal troubles, and lost trust. On top of that, keeping up with evolving security threats and compliance regulations is a never-ending task.

Instead of pouring time and resources into a system that might not hold up, wouldn’t it be smarter to use a battle-tested solution? Let’s break down why rolling your own authentication is more of a liability than an advantage.

A Smarter Alternative: Open Source Authentication Solutions

Instead of building authentication from scratch, developers can use open-source authentication solutions that offer flexibility, security, and compliance while giving them greater control over their authentication systems. Open-source solutions provide transparency, allowing developers to audit the code and customize authentication flows to meet specific needs. Additionally, these solutions benefit from active communities that contribute to security updates and new features, making them a reliable choice for businesses seeking cost-effective and scalable authentication.

However, not all authentication providers offer the same advantages. Okta, while a popular choice, isn’t always the perfect fit for every business. Many developers and businesses seek Okta alternatives that align better with their specific needs, whether due to complexity, cost, or lack of customization. This is where solutions like SuperTokens stand out by providing open-source flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and a developer-friendly integration process, making authentication management more accessible and customizable.

Security Risks Are Too High

Authentication isn’t just about verifying users; it’s about protecting sensitive data. When you build a system from the ground up, you take on the responsibility of ensuring robust security measures.

Common Security Issues

• Weak Password Storage – If passwords aren’t hashed and salted correctly, they become easy targets for hackers.
• Vulnerabilities in Session Management – Poor session handling can lead to account takeovers.
• Lack of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – Without MFA, your system is more vulnerable to brute-force attacks and phishing.
• Insecure Token Handling – Improper token storage can expose authentication credentials to attackers.

Cyber threats evolve quickly, and authentication systems need constant updates to stay secure. Large-scale providers invest heavily in security research and compliance, something that’s difficult to match when building a custom system.

Compliance and Legal Challenges

User authentication isn’t just a technical issue; it’s a legal one as well. Various regulations, including GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, and PCI DSS, mandate strict data protection policies, encryption requirements, and user privacy measures. Meeting these compliance standards is a significant challenge, especially for businesses handling sensitive personal or financial data.

Failure to comply with these regulations can result in heavy fines, legal action, and reputational damage. For example, GDPR violations can lead to fines of up to 4% of a company’s annual global revenue. HIPAA non-compliance in healthcare can result in legal penalties and loss of customer trust.

Scalability Becomes a Nightmare

Your authentication system may work fine for a small user base, but what happens when your application scales? Handling authentication requests for hundreds of users is manageable, but when that number grows to thousands or millions, the challenges multiply.

• Load Balancing and Infrastructure – As user traffic increases, you must distribute authentication requests efficiently to prevent downtime and slow logins.
• Database Optimization – Scaling authentication requires well-optimized databases to handle queries quickly and securely.
• Failover Mechanisms – Ensuring uptime requires redundancy and failover strategies to prevent authentication failures during system outages.
• Advanced Features – As your user base grows, implementing features like Single Sign-On (SSO), federated identity management, and social logins becomes increasingly difficult without a dedicated authentication infrastructure.

Third-party authentication providers offer scalable infrastructure that handles millions of authentication requests without performance issues.

The Development and Maintenance Burden

Building authentication isn’t a “set-it-and-forget-it” task. Once deployed, it requires ongoing maintenance, security updates, and feature enhancements to stay relevant and secure.

Continuous Maintenance Includes

• Fixing Security Vulnerabilities – Authentication systems must be regularly patched to address new security threats and exploits.
• Updating Cryptographic Algorithms – Outdated encryption techniques become obsolete and need to be replaced with stronger alternatives.
• Keeping Up with Compliance Changes – Regulatory requirements evolve, necessitating constant updates to maintain legal compliance.
• Adding New Authentication Features – Users expect passwordless authentication, biometric logins, and adaptive security measures to keep their accounts safe.

Instead of focusing on authentication, developers can use this time to improve core product features and enhance user experience.

Concluding Thoughts

Building authentication from scratch might seem like a way to have full control, but the risks and ongoing maintenance costs outweigh the benefits. Security, compliance, scalability, and user experience require expertise and resources that most teams can’t afford to invest in long-term. By choosing an established authentication provider, developers can focus on what truly matters: building great applications without worrying about security loopholes or scalability challenges.