Item: IBM Cloud App ID
Rating: 9
Author: Julian Patdu

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use App ID as a simple login solution for clients of our SEQu-SUITE line of products so that our clients' admin users will only get to see and edit their company's data.
Instead of creating our own auth server, or using a third-party solution, we used IBM App ID since it is relatively simple considering our use case did not need the additional features of other providers. It also plays nicely with our app, as our backend is run on IBM Cloud Functions, so being able to keep the auth server and app backend on one vendor saves a lot of administrative effort.

Pros and Cons

Uses OIDC/OAuth, so the protocols for accessing user info and token management is familiar
Clear pricing model
API binds nicely with IBM Cloud Functions
Billed as part of our IBM Cloud, along with our other services
Front-end SDK for Vue, works well

API reference lacks examples
Social login limited only to Facebook and Google
Only logo is customisable in ready-made sign-in interface

Return on Investment

Easy to provision user accounts
Easy to integrate with IBM Cloud Functions to protect API endpoints
Easy to integrate login with FB/Google
Easy MFA

Alternatives Considered

Auth0 and The Okta Identity Cloud

I was building my application’s back end on IBM Cloud Functions, so naturally I had to use App ID. Because of the seamless integration between App ID and Cloud Functions, I can create protected API endpoints for my Single Page Application (SPA) and not have to write middleware or check the validity of the token in my Cloud Functions.

Other Software Used

Auth0, Microsoft Visual Studio Code, Twilio

Likelihood to Recommend

For applications with infrequent auth events, especially those built on IBM stack, this is a good option. Comparable to Auth0. If you are creating an internal tool and just need basic auth functionality, this is also good.

However, for applications with high usage, public-facing with lots of auth events, the per-login pricing may not make App ID suitable.

App ID is great if you use IBM Cloud Functions

Overall Satisfaction with IBM Cloud App ID