pilcrowonpaper - author of Lucia Auth package
In conclusion, pilcrowonpaper acknowledges that the current state of the Lucia library is not effective for their needs, leading to a decision to deprecate it early next year.
The new direction focuses on providing an open-source resource that teaches users how to implement authentication in JavaScript from scratch, making it more educational than just a conventional package. While the library’s complex database adapters have contributed to challenges, the shift aims to simplify the experience and enhance maintainability.
Although Lucia could evolve into a framework similar to Auth.js, pilcrowonpaper prefers it to remain a standalone package. With a commitment to providing valuable learning resources, he plans to maintain version 3 for six more months (until march 2025), ensuring a smooth migration process for users without significant changes to the database schema.
At this point, lucia auth can be used as a guide to building authorization from scratch.
Opinion
I think the real issue is in trying to tackle every possible use case. People who need more complex solutions should just build their own authentication system from scratch.
For those who want something simple—like being able to support a few OAuth providers, having a validateRequest() function, and not stressing too much about session management—Lucia has been a fantastic, lightweight choice. It delivers the key features without all the extra madness.
Big thanks to @pilcrowonpaper for all the hard work put into the library and resources!