What is OIDC? OpenID Connect Explained (and How It Compares to SAML)

OpenID Connect (OIDC) is an identity layer built on OAuth 2.0 that enables applications to authenticate users through an identity provider such as Google, Okta, or Microsoft, returning a standardized signed JWT ID token that identifies the user. Unlike OAuth, which authorizes an application to access APIs on a user’s behalf through access tokens, OIDC answers who the user is and standardizes identity claims, discovery endpoints, and login flows. The recommended implementation is the Authorization Code flow, using PKCE for single-page and mobile applications, in which applications redirect users to an identity provider, receive a temporary code, exchange it securely for tokens, and validate the ID token’s signature, issuer, audience, expiration, nonce, and subject claim. OIDC generally offers a simpler, more modern alternative to SAML, particularly for social login, mobile, and SPA use cases, although many enterprise products support both because SAML remains common in established corporate identity systems. The discussion emphasizes security practices such as using the stable subject identifier rather than email, checking verified email claims, using discovery documents and rotating signing keys, validating state to prevent CSRF, and avoiding the deprecated Implicit flow. It also distinguishes authentication from account provisioning, which is handled through SCIM, and describes enterprise SSO platforms such as PropelAuth as tools for managing per-customer identity-provider configuration, organization membership, roles, sessions, and SAML/OIDC interoperability.

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