Airlock Laravel Package

Product Decisions This Supports

• Build vs. Buy: Accelerates development by avoiding custom API authentication from scratch, reducing time-to-market for SPAs (e.g., React/Vue) or lightweight APIs.
• Roadmap Alignment: Enables seamless integration with Laravel’s ecosystem (e.g., Passport for OAuth2 if needs scale later), ensuring future-proofing for authentication-heavy features.
• Use Cases:
  • Internal Tools: Secure admin dashboards or employee portals.
  • Mobile Apps: Backend authentication for iOS/Android apps.
  • MVP Validation: Quickly test authentication flows without over-engineering.
• Cost Efficiency: Open-source (MIT license) eliminates licensing fees for small-to-medium projects.

When to Consider This Package

• Adopt When:

  • Your project uses Laravel and requires token-based authentication (SPAs, mobile apps, or simple APIs).
  • You prioritize simplicity over advanced features like OAuth2 (use Laravel Passport instead).
  • Your team lacks bandwidth to build a custom auth system from scratch.
  • You need quick integration with Laravel’s existing user/role models.

• Look Elsewhere If:

  • You require OAuth2/OpenID Connect (use Passport or Fortify).
  • Your API is high-scale (Sanctum may need optimization for millions of requests).
  • You need social logins (e.g., Google, GitHub) out of the box (consider Socialite).
  • Your stack is non-Laravel (e.g., Django, Node.js).

How to Pitch It (Stakeholders)

For Executives: "Sanctum is a lightweight, battle-tested solution to secure our [SPA/mobile app/API] without reinventing the wheel. It integrates natively with Laravel, cutting dev time by 30%+ while maintaining security. MIT-licensed and backed by Laravel’s ecosystem—ideal for our MVP or internal tools. Upgrade path to Passport if we scale later."

For Engineering: *"Sanctum gives us:

• Token-based auth for SPAs/mobile apps in <1 day (vs. weeks for custom).
• Laravel-native (uses existing users table, middleware, and policies).
• Minimal overhead: No complex OAuth2 setup; just HTTP tokens.
• Community-backed: 2.9K stars, active maintenance, and Laravel’s support. Tradeoff: Not for OAuth2 or high-scale needs—Passport is the alternative."*

For Security: "Sanctum follows Laravel’s security best practices (e.g., token expiration, CSRF protection) and aligns with our existing auth policies. MIT license ensures no vendor lock-in. Recommend pairing with Laravel’s built-in rate-limiting for API abuse prevention."