JWT vs session authentication

• Session: state is stored on the server (memory/DB); the client only holds a session-ID cookie, looked up on every request.
• JWT: state lives in the token itself, so the server stays stateless and authenticates by verification alone — great for scaling and microservices.
• Sessions are easy to revoke instantly; a JWT is hard to kill before it expires, so use short lifetimes, rotation or a blocklist.
• Rule of thumb: single server / instant logout → sessions; stateless, distributed, API or mobile → JWT.

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