FAQ: OATH vs OAuth
The names are similar, but OATH and OAuth refer to different things. This page explains the difference.
Is OATH the same as OAuth?
No.
OATH stands for the Initiative for Open Authentication. It is an industry initiative focused on open standards for strong authentication, such as HOTP, TOTP, and OCRA, and related provisioning mechanisms.
OAuth is an authorization protocol used to delegate access to APIs and resources. OAuth is widely used in “Sign in with <provider>” style flows and for granting limited access to protected resources.
In short:
- OATH – initiative and standards for authentication factors (e.g., OTP algorithms).
- OAuth – protocol for authorization and delegated access.
While OATH and OAuth can both appear in the design of a complete identity solution, they operate at different layers and are governed by different communities.