SAML Enhanced Client and Proxy Profile is a Single Sign on Profile for thick clients like Mobile apps, desktop or server side HTTP clients.
clients with the capability to directly contact a identity provider without requiring discovery and redirection by the service provider.
Prefix: ecp
XML Namespace : urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:profiles:SSO:ecp
Comparing SAML ECP Profile Vs OpenID Connect
| Feature | SAML ECP Profile | OpenID Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Designed for | Non-browser clients (e.g., desktop apps, legacy proxies) | Wide range of clients (e.g., mobile, SPAs, APIs, desktop apps) |
| Protocol | SAML 2.0 (XML-based) | OAuth 2.0 (JSON-based) |
| Data Format | XML Assertions | JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) |
| Complexity | High. Requires complex SOAP/PAOS bindings and extensive metadata. | Low. Simpler to implement with standard REST APIs. |
| Developer Experience | Often requires specialized libraries and a steep learning curve. | Excellent. Robust libraries and extensive documentation are widely available. |
| Use Case | Niche, primarily for legacy enterprise systems that already use SAML. | Standard for new mobile, single-page, and API-driven applications. |
| Maturity | A mature but less-adopted profile of a mature standard. | A newer standard that has rapidly become the industry standard. |
| API Integration | Poor. XML-based messages are not well-suited for RESTful APIs. | Excellent. JSON and RESTful APIs are a perfect match. |
