Best JWT Libraries for Every Programming Language in 2026

Choosing the right JWT library can make or break your authentication implementation. A poorly maintained library might leave you vulnerable to known attacks like algorithm confusion or token forgery, while a well-designed one handles signature verification, claim validation, and key management out of the box.

This guide evaluates the best JWT libraries across eight programming languages, comparing them on algorithm support, API design, maintenance activity, and real-world adoption. Whether you are building a microservice in Go, a REST API in Python, or a full-stack application in TypeScript, you will find the right tool here.

graph TB
    JWT["JWT Token<br/>(Header.Payload.Signature)"]

    JWT --> Sign["Sign / Create"]
    JWT --> Verify["Verify / Decode"]

    Sign --> JS["JavaScript<br/>jsonwebtoken / jose"]
    Sign --> PY["Python<br/>PyJWT / python-jose"]
    Sign --> JAVA["Java<br/>nimbus-jose-jwt / jjwt"]
    Sign --> GO["Go<br/>golang-jwt"]
    Sign --> RUST["Rust<br/>jsonwebtoken"]
    Sign --> CS["C# / .NET<br/>System.IdentityModel"]
    Sign --> RUBY["Ruby<br/>ruby-jwt"]
    Sign --> PHP["PHP<br/>firebase/php-jwt"]

    Verify --> JWKS["JWKS Endpoint<br/>(Public Key Discovery)"]
    JWKS --> RS["RS256 / RS384 / RS512"]
    JWKS --> ES["ES256 / ES384 / ES512"]
    JWKS --> ED["EdDSA (Ed25519)"]

    style JWT fill:#667eea,color:#fff
    style Sign fill:#764ba2,color:#fff
    style Verify fill:#764ba2,color:#fff
    style JWKS fill:#f093fb,color:#fff

What to Look for in a JWT Library

Before diving into language-specific recommendations, here are the criteria that matter most:

• Algorithm support: At minimum RS256, ES256, and HS256. Bonus for EdDSA.
• Signature verification by default: Libraries that make it easy to skip verification are dangerous.
• JWKS support: Fetching public keys from a JWKS endpoint is essential for OAuth 2.0 and OIDC.
• Claim validation: Built-in exp, nbf, iss, and aud checks reduce boilerplate.
• Active maintenance: Regular releases and prompt security patches.
• TypeScript / type safety: Strong typing reduces integration bugs.

JavaScript / TypeScript

jsonwebtoken (Node.js)

Repository: auth0/node-jsonwebtoken

The de facto standard for JWT operations in Node.js with over 17 million weekly npm downloads. It supports signing, verification, and claim validation.

Key features: HS256/384/512, RS256/384/512, ES256/384/512, PS256/384/512. Built-in exp, nbf, iss, aud, and sub validation.

const jwt = require('jsonwebtoken');

// Sign a token
const token = jwt.sign({ sub: 'user123', role: 'admin' }, privateKey, {
  algorithm: 'RS256',
  expiresIn: '1h',
});

// Verify and decode
const decoded = jwt.verify(token, publicKey, { algorithms: ['RS256'] });
console.log(decoded.sub); // 'user123'

jose (Edge / Browser compatible)

Repository: panva/jose

The modern alternative designed for Web Crypto API compatibility. Works in Node.js, Deno, Bun, Cloudflare Workers, and browsers. Supports JWE, JWK, JWS, and JWKS.

import * as jose from 'jose';

const { payload } = await jose.jwtVerify(token, publicKey, {
  issuer: 'https://auth.example.com',
  audience: 'my-api',
});

Python

PyJWT

Repository: jpadilla/pyjwt

The most widely used Python JWT library with a clean, straightforward API. Over 90 million monthly PyPI downloads.

Key features: HS256, RS256, ES256, PS256, EdDSA. Optional cryptography backend for RSA/EC.

import jwt

# Sign
token = jwt.encode({"sub": "user123", "exp": 1700000000}, private_key, algorithm="RS256")

# Verify
decoded = jwt.decode(token, public_key, algorithms=["RS256"],
                     options={"require": ["exp", "sub"]})

python-jose

Repository: mpdavis/python-jose

Provides JWE and JWK support on top of standard JWT operations. Good choice when you need encrypted tokens or JWKS key fetching.

from jose import jwt

decoded = jwt.decode(token, public_key, algorithms=["RS256"],
                     audience="my-api", issuer="https://auth.example.com")

Java

nimbus-jose-jwt

Repository: connect2id/nimbus-jose-jwt

The most comprehensive Java JWT/JOSE library, used internally by Spring Security OAuth. Supports JWS, JWE, JWK, and JWKS with full algorithm coverage.

Key features: All standard JWS/JWE algorithms, JWKS endpoint fetching with caching, nested JWT support, X.509 certificate chain validation.

SignedJWT signedJWT = SignedJWT.parse(tokenString);
JWSVerifier verifier = new RSASSAVerifier(rsaPublicKey);

if (signedJWT.verify(verifier)) {
    JWTClaimsSet claims = signedJWT.getJWTClaimsSet();
    String subject = claims.getSubject();
}

jjwt (Java JWT)

Repository: jwtk/jjwt

A fluent builder-style API that is easier to use for simple signing and verification. Popular in Spring Boot applications.

Jws<Claims> jws = Jwts.parser()
    .verifyWith(publicKey)
    .requireIssuer("https://auth.example.com")
    .build()
    .parseSignedClaims(tokenString);

String subject = jws.getPayload().getSubject();

Go

golang-jwt

Repository: golang-jwt/jwt

The community-maintained successor to dgrijalva/jwt-go. It is the standard JWT library for Go with a clean idiomatic API.

Key features: HMAC, RSA, ECDSA, EdDSA, RSA-PSS. Custom claims via struct embedding. Token parsing with validation in a single step.

token, err := jwt.Parse(tokenString, func(token *jwt.Token) (interface{}, error) {
    if _, ok := token.Method.(*jwt.SigningMethodRSA); !ok {
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected signing method: %v", token.Header["alg"])
    }
    return publicKey, nil
})

if claims, ok := token.Claims.(jwt.MapClaims); ok && token.Valid {
    fmt.Println(claims["sub"])
}

For JWKS endpoint support, pair it with MicahParks/keyfunc which provides automatic key caching and rotation.

Rust

jsonwebtoken

Repository: Keats/jsonwebtoken

The most popular Rust JWT crate with strong type safety and comprehensive algorithm support.

Key features: HS256/384/512, RS256/384/512, ES256/384, PS256/384/512, EdDSA. Compile-time claim validation via serde.

use jsonwebtoken::{decode, DecodingKey, Validation, Algorithm};

let token_data = decode::<Claims>(
    &token,
    &DecodingKey::from_rsa_pem(public_key_pem)?,
    &Validation::new(Algorithm::RS256),
)?;

println!("Subject: {}", token_data.claims.sub);

The Validation struct lets you configure required claims, allowed algorithms, issuer, and audience checks at compile time, preventing common runtime misconfigurations.

C# / .NET

System.IdentityModel.Tokens.Jwt

Repository: AzureAD/azure-activedirectory-identitymodel-extensions-for-dotnet

The official Microsoft library included in the .NET SDK. Deeply integrated with ASP.NET Core authentication middleware.

Key features: Full algorithm support, automatic JWKS/metadata fetching via OpenIdConnectConfiguration, claim transformation, and token lifetime validation.

var handler = new JwtSecurityTokenHandler();
var parameters = new TokenValidationParameters
{
    ValidIssuer = "https://auth.example.com",
    ValidAudience = "my-api",
    IssuerSigningKey = new RsaSecurityKey(rsaPublicKey),
    ValidateLifetime = true,
};

var principal = handler.ValidateToken(tokenString, parameters, out _);
var subject = principal.FindFirst("sub")?.Value;

For .NET 8+ projects, the newer Microsoft.IdentityModel.JsonWebTokens namespace provides a JsonWebTokenHandler with improved performance and a non-ClaimsPrincipal-based API.

Ruby

ruby-jwt

Repository: jwt/ruby-jwt

The standard Ruby gem for JWT operations with over 250 million total downloads. Simple and well-documented.

Key features: HMAC, RSA, ECDSA, RSASSA-PSS, EdDSA. Built-in claim validators for exp, nbf, iss, aud, sub, jti, and custom claims.

require 'jwt'

# Sign
token = JWT.encode({ sub: 'user123', exp: Time.now.to_i + 3600 }, rsa_private, 'RS256')

# Verify
decoded = JWT.decode(token, rsa_public, true, {
  algorithm: 'RS256',
  iss: 'https://auth.example.com',
  verify_iss: true
})

PHP

firebase/php-jwt

Repository: firebase/php-jwt

Maintained by the Firebase team, this is the most widely used PHP JWT library with over 300 million Packagist installs.

Key features: HS256/384/512, RS256/384/512, ES256/384, EdDSA. JWKS key set support via CachedKeySet.

use Firebase\JWT\JWT;
use Firebase\JWT\Key;

// Sign
$token = JWT::encode(['sub' => 'user123', 'exp' => time() + 3600], $privateKey, 'RS256');

// Verify
$decoded = JWT::decode($token, new Key($publicKey, 'RS256'));
echo $decoded->sub; // 'user123'

For JWKS endpoint integration, use the built-in CachedKeySet class which handles key fetching, caching, and rotation automatically.

Library Comparison Table

Conclusion

The JWT ecosystem is mature across all major programming languages. For most projects, the choice is straightforward: use the most popular, actively maintained library for your language. The libraries recommended in this guide all handle the cryptographic heavy lifting correctly and provide sensible defaults for claim validation.

The most important decision is not which library to use, but how you configure it. Always explicitly specify allowed algorithms, validate the issuer and audience claims, and ensure token expiration is enforced. These practices, combined with a solid library, will keep your authentication layer secure.

Related Articles

• JWT Decoding and Validation: Essential Practices for Secure OAuth 2.0 Implementations
• Decoding JWTs in Python: Three Practical Methods with Code Examples
• How to Decode JWT Tokens in JavaScript Using the jwt-decode NPM Package
• OAuth 2.0 Complete Developer Guide: Authorization & Authentication