login - Whats more user friendly local authentication or remote authentication (OpenID, OAuth)

From a usability perspective only (not security), what do users find more comfortable?

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  A site with its own login page (need to sign up but then easier to login;

  
  


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  or a site with remote authentication (don't need to sign up, but have to be redirected to login).

  
  

Answer

I think currently users are more comfortable with just signing up on site, however that's mainly because that's what most websites do.

If done right OpenID and OAuth can work very well. The way StackExchange does it is particularly good. Explain what it is, show that if you have any of a certain type of account can you just press the button, and also what to do when that button is pressed. It almost makes signing up for new StackExchange sites fun (almost).

Another option is to use Facebook Connect which add a "login with Facebook" button to your site. When clicked the user doesn't leave you page but instead is presented with a Facebook style modal dialog to login, and then allow you app to get to your user date. You can even ask for special things like access to some of the users date or permission to post on the users' wall if you wish. The obvious downside with this is not everyone has a Facebook account (although over half a billion people do).