AWS-LC
Hacker ApprovedShares rank 2 of 7 cryptography libraries by recommenders
Recommended as an OpenSSL-API alternative for low-level cryptography, often alongside BoringSSL. Critics note it is awkward to use outside C, C++ and Rust.
Recommended as an OpenSSL-API alternative for low-level cryptography, often alongside BoringSSL. Critics note it is awkward to use outside C, C++ and Rust.
11 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 10
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 91%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 10 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 10 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Replacement for OpenSSL API
“People who need cryptography but on the openssl API should be using aws-lc”
Comment from 15 Jan 2026 in “The State of OpenSSL for pyca/cryptography” “looks very promising replacement for OpenSSL these days”
Comment from 23 Oct 2026 in “OpenSSL 4.1.0” Among best BoringSSL-family libraries
“BoringSSL and AWS-LC are the best we have.”
Comment from 14 Apr 2026 in “OpenSSL 4.0.0” “but AWS-LC is clearly the path forward for them.”
Comment from 15 Jan 2026 in “The State of OpenSSL for pyca/cryptography”
Other cryptography libraries people recommend
The four most recommended other cryptography libraries, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLAKE3 | 16 | 0 | 100% | 7 | — | Approved |
| AWS-LCThis page | 10 | 1 | 91% | 5 | — | Approved |
| libsodium | 10 | 0 | 100% | 6 | — | Approved |
| xxhash | 9 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | — |
| pyca/cryptography | 8 | 5 | 62% | 4 | — | — |
What people said
All 11 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“they stripped the SSL_get1_curves() API which I depend on for bot detection”
“looks very promising replacement for OpenSSL these days”
“is a little difficult to use if you aren't using c/c++ or rust”
“BoringSSL and AWS-LC are the best we have.”
“there's RustTLS, GnuTLS, BoringSSL, LibreSSL, WolfSSL, NSS, and AWS-LC that come to mind immediately”
“a simple CMake option that actually made it slower than WolfSSL”
“The arguments against those libs don't apply if using them just for the low level crypto algorithms.”
“Googled and Amazoned to death; they don't care about anyone but their own use cases”
“People who need cryptography but on the openssl API should be using aws-lc”
“but AWS-LC is clearly the path forward for them.”
“isn't true in LibreSSL, BoringSSL, or AWS-LC”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.