> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/vestauth/vestauth/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Vestauth vs Other Authentication Methods

> Compare Vestauth with API keys, OAuth, and cookies for agent authentication

## Authentication Method Comparison

Compare Vestauth against traditional authentication methods for agents and automated systems.

### Agent + Tool Matrix

| Capability                            | Vestauth              | API Keys | OAuth                | Cookies |
| ------------------------------------- | --------------------- | -------- | -------------------- | ------- |
| **Agent: no browser required**        | ✅                     | ✅        | ⚠️ (depends on flow) | ❌       |
| **Agent: easy to automate**           | ✅                     | ✅        | ⚠️                   | ❌       |
| **Agent: no shared secret**           | ✅                     | ❌        | ⚠️ (bearer tokens)   | ❌       |
| **Agent: per‑request identity proof** | ✅                     | ❌        | ⚠️ (token‑based)     | ❌       |
| **Agent: easy key/token rotation**    | ✅                     | ⚠️       | ⚠️                   | ⚠️      |
| **Tool: no secret storage**           | ✅ (public keys only)  | ❌        | ❌                    | ❌       |
| **Tool: strong attribution to agent** | ✅                     | ⚠️       | ⚠️                   | ❌       |
| **Tool: stateless verification**      | ✅                     | ✅        | ✅                    | ❌       |
| **Tool: simple to implement**         | ⚠️ (sig verification) | ✅        | ❌                    | ✅       |
| **Tool: revocation control**          | ✅                     | ⚠️       | ✅                    | ⚠️      |

**Legend:** ✅ strong fit, ⚠️ partial/conditional, ❌ poor fit

## How Vestauth Works

<Steps>
  <Step title="Agent generates keypair">
    An agent generates a public/private keypair using Ed25519 cryptography.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Agent signs requests">
    The agent signs each HTTP request with its private key following RFC 9421.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Tool verifies signature">
    The tool verifies the signature using the agent's public key retrieved from a .well-known endpoint.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Attributable authentication">
    Requests are attributable, auditable, and do not require shared secrets or browser sessions.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Key Advantages

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="No Shared Secrets" icon="key">
    Private keys never leave the agent. Only public keys are shared for verification.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Easy Rotation" icon="rotate">
    Rotate keys without service disruption using .well-known discovery.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Strong Attribution" icon="fingerprint">
    Each request is cryptographically signed and tied to a specific agent identity.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Stateless Verification" icon="check">
    Tools verify signatures without session state or shared databases.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## When to Use Vestauth

<Tip>
  Vestauth is ideal for automated systems, AI agents, CLIs, bots, and any scenario where you need strong identity without shared secrets.
</Tip>

<Warning>
  For human-facing web applications with browser sessions, traditional cookie-based authentication may be simpler.
</Warning>