I'm curious about whether AWS Cognito is still considered a reliable choice for user authentication these days. I've heard mixed opinions on it, and I'm trying to weigh its pros and cons. Any insights?
5 Answers
Unless you're really on a tight budget, I’d steer clear of Cognito. Implementing SMS MFA alone requires SES approval, which feels like jumping through hoops. If you’re just looking for something straightforward, I'd recommend other options.
Honestly, I don't see a reason not to use Cognito. It's cheaper than many third-party solutions like Okta and Auth0, plus it's well integrated with other AWS services like ALBs and API Gateways. If you're using AWS for your application, it's definitely worth considering.
Cognito is serviceable if you need AWS integration, but it has its flaws. If you’re looking for something less hassle, tools like Clerk or Supabase Auth are often more user-friendly and efficient for authentication. Just be cautious of the added costs if you need features beyond basic MFA.
I still think Cognito is solid. We don’t run into issues with it, and it's fairly flexible. Just be prepared for a bit of a learning curve during the setup phase, but it pays off in security and robustness once you're through it.
Cognito can be a bit tricky to work with, especially when it comes to their API. Setting up their Hosted UI can be frustrating since customization options are limited. I had a situation where I had to recreate my User Pool and lost a bunch of user data along the way. Just a heads up, not the friendliest developer experience out there.
How did you handle user ID mapping when you recreated the User Pool? Did you have a way to match them back to your existing database?
Do you have a simple example of how to set up an IdP? I’m still on amplify v2 and thinking about an upgrade.