HS256 vs RS256: Symmetric vs Asymmetric JWTs
Choose the right signing algorithm for your authentication system.
Algorithm Families
JWT signing uses either symmetric (HMAC) or asymmetric (RSA, ECDSA) algorithms. HS256 = HMAC-SHA256. RS256 = RSA-PKCS1v1.5-SHA256. ES256 = ECDSA-P256-SHA256. The choice impacts key distribution and trust model.
HS256: Symmetric HMAC
HS256 uses a single shared secret key for both signing and verification. Both the issuer and every verifier must possess the same secret. Simple to implement but requires secure key distribution to all verifiers.
All lessons in this course
- JWT Anatomy: Header, Payload, Signature
- HS256 vs RS256: Symmetric vs Asymmetric JWTs
- JWT Vulnerabilities: alg=none & Key Confusion
- Secure JWT Implementation Best Practices