What should I use for SSO in a B2B product?

For a B2B product, the default choice for SSO is usually SAML 2.0, with OpenID Connect (OIDC) as a strong secondary/modern option.

Quick recommendation

• If you want maximum enterprise compatibility: support SAML 2.0
• If you’re designing a modern product and want something simpler: support OIDC
• Best practical approach for many B2B SaaS products: support both, starting with one

How to choose

Use SAML 2.0 if:

• You sell to larger enterprises
• Your buyers expect IT-managed identity setup
• You need compatibility with common IdPs like Okta, Azure AD / Entra ID, Ping, ADFS
• You need to fit existing enterprise procurement/security requirements

Use OIDC if:

• You want easier implementation and developer experience
• Your customer base is more modern/cloud-first
• You want a simpler protocol with less XML-heavy complexity
• You may later want to extend into API/mobile auth flows

Practical advice for B2B SaaS

Most B2B products eventually need:

• SAML for enterprise SSO
• SCIM for user provisioning/deprovisioning
• Just-in-time (JIT) provisioning
• Role/group mapping from the identity provider

Typical stack

• Authentication protocol: SAML 2.0 and/or OIDC
• User provisioning: SCIM 2.0
• Session management: your app session/JWTs after IdP login

Rule of thumb

If you’re asking “what should I use for SSO in a B2B product?” and you need one answer:
Start with SAML 2.0 if enterprise sales is a priority.
If you can support both, that’s often ideal.

If you want, I can also give you:

1. a decision matrix between SAML vs OIDC, or
2. a recommended auth architecture for B2B SaaS.