Best Laravel Packages for GitHub Authentication

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GitHub authentication is a great way to allow users to sign in quickly without creating a new account. If you're building a Laravel app and want to integrate GitHub login, here are some solid package options to consider.
1. Laravel Socialite
Laravel Socialite is hands down the most popular package for OAuth authentication in Laravel. It supports GitHub out of the box, along with Google, Facebook, and other providers.
Why use it?
  • Simple and clean API for handling OAuth
  • Well-maintained and officially supported by Laravel
  • Easy to integrate with Laravel Breeze, Jetstream, or your custom auth setup
💡 How to use it?
Install Socialite via Composer:
composer require laravel/socialite

Then, configure GitHub authentication in your config/services.php file:
'github' => [
    'client_id' => env('GITHUB_CLIENT_ID'),
    'client_secret' => env('GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET'),
    'redirect' => env('GITHUB_REDIRECT_URL'),
],

After that, you can redirect users to GitHub for authentication like this:
use Laravel\Socialite\Facades\Socialite;

public function redirectToGitHub()
{
    return Socialite::driver('github')->redirect();
}

And handle the callback:
public function handleGitHubCallback()
{
    $user = Socialite::driver('github')->user();
    // Logic to find or create the user in your database
}

2. Socialstream (for Laravel Jetstream users)
If you're using Laravel Jetstream with Livewire or Inertia, Socialstream is a great package. It extends Socialite and adds built-in multi-provider authentication to Jetstream.
Why use it?
  • Fully integrated with Laravel Jetstream
  • Supports multiple OAuth providers
  • Includes account linking for users
3. Laravel Passport (If You Need API Authentication)
If you're building a Laravel API and want to allow authentication via GitHub, Laravel Passport might be a better fit. While it’s primarily for OAuth2 authentication, you can extend it to support GitHub login in API-based applications.
Final Thoughts
If you're looking for a quick and reliable way to add GitHub authentication to Laravel, Socialite is your best bet. If you're working with Jetstream, Socialstream makes things even easier. And for API-based projects, Passport could be a good option.