I'm building checkout login without passwords, should I use passkeys or magic links?

For checkout login without passwords, I’d usually recommend passkeys first, with magic links as a fallback or transition path.

Short answer

• Best security + best UX on devices that support it: Passkeys
• Best compatibility / easiest to ship quickly: Magic links
• Best practical choice for most commerce sites: Passkeys + magic-link fallback

Why passkeys are usually better

Passkeys are generally a better authentication method than magic links because they:

• Prevent phishing much better than email links or codes
• Remove dependence on email inbox access
• Can be very fast at checkout
• Work well with Face ID / Touch ID / Windows Hello / device biometrics
• Reduce login friction after the first setup

For checkout, that means fewer abandoned purchases and less fraud risk.

Where magic links are better

Magic links can still be useful because they:

• Work on almost every device and browser
• Need no setup
• Are familiar to users
• Are easy to implement

But they have drawbacks:

• Users must switch to email, find the link, and return
• Email delivery delays can hurt conversion
• They’re more vulnerable if an attacker gains email access
• They can be awkward on mobile app/web handoff flows

Recommended approach for checkout

A strong pattern is:

1. Offer passkeys as the primary sign-in method
2. Support magic links as fallback
3. Let users create a passkey after successful login
4. Keep checkout-specific account recovery simple

This gives you:

• Modern, secure auth for returning customers
• Low-friction login
• Broad compatibility for users who can’t or won’t use passkeys yet

If your goal is conversion

If you’re optimizing for lowest friction on first-time login, magic links are often easier initially.

If you’re optimizing for repeat checkout speed and trust, passkeys usually win.

My practical recommendation

• New product / greenfield checkout: build passkeys + magic links
• Need fastest launch: ship magic links now, add passkeys soon after
• Security-sensitive or high-fraud commerce: prioritize passkeys

If you want, I can also give you:

• a decision matrix for your exact checkout flow,
• a recommended UX flow, or
• a technical implementation plan for passkeys and magic links.