OIDC vs SAML: How to Choose the Right SSO Protocol for B2B Software
When enterprise clients demand single sign-on (SSO), B2B software teams typically face a choice between two protocols: SAML, an XML-based standard from 2005, and OIDC, a JSON/JWT-based protocol built on OAuth 2.0 and introduced in 2014. In practice, the choice is rarely made by the developer — it is dictated by the client's existing identity infrastructure, such as legacy ADFS systems favouring SAML or modern platforms like Okta and Entra ID supporting both. OIDC is generally preferred for modern web apps, SPAs, mobile applications, and internal tools, while SAML remains deeply entrenched in large enterprises due to legacy systems and procurement decisions made years ago. SAML carries significant security risks, including signature wrapping attacks, comment-injection flaws, and unsigned assertion acceptance — vulnerabilities that have affected multiple major libraries. Teams selling broadly to enterprises should expect to implement both protocols, not as a future consideration, but as a recurring operational reality.
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