Due to remote work becoming the norm and new devices connecting to corporate networks each day, more businesses are looking for identity and access management (IAM) solutions to secure their organization’s cloud and web-based software. Auth0 and Okta are powerful IAM tools with distinct strengths that solve this problem.
Auth0 is a cloud-based authentication and authorization platform that offers key features of IAM, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) and single sign-on (SSO). Auth0 was designed for developers who understood the importance of flexible, customizable and scalable IAM solutions. In comparison, Okta uses simple modular components known as Platform Services to create secure connections between people and technology.
Despite Okta’s acquisition of Auth0 in 2021, their capabilities, features and pricing differ. In this review, we conduct a side-by-side comparison of the two solutions to help you determine which one best suits your needs.
Auth0 and Okta offer similar functionality. For example, both tools provide simple user management, multi-factor authentication and robust security features. However, the key difference perhaps lies in how Auth0 and Okta approach identity.
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| Single sign-on | ||
| Passwordless capabilities | ||
| User management | ||
| Customization | ||
| Multi-factor authentication | ||
| Third-party integrations | ||
| Lifecycle management | ||
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| Starting price | ||
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While Auth0 is now owned by Okta, their pricing approach still differs. Auth0’s pricing is based on the number of monthly active users and use case (B2B or B2C). Meanwhile, Okta’s pricing is determined by the individual product you choose.
Auth0 has four plan options: Free, B2C (essentials & professional), B2B (essentials & professional) and Enterprise.
Okta offers a product-tiered pricing plan — Customer Identity Cloud and Workforce Identity Cloud. Users are required to browse products and price points that make the most sense for their organization and then contact sales to get started.
Auth0 and Okta platforms offer many features with different levels of functionalities. Below is a deep dive into how the features compare to each other.
Both Auth0 and Okta offer single sign-on built into each platform. Auth0 enables configuration with any enterprise connection via Active Directory, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS), Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) and more. Developers can build any integration required to implement SSO across their enterprise.
Okta offers a network of 7,000+ pre-built integrations to choose from so businesses can enable SSO or Adaptive SSO quickly. The platform also offers SAML and OpenID Connect integrations, as well as LDAP support.
Auth0’s multifactor authentication includes push notifications, SMS notifications, voice notifications, one-time passwords and more. The MFA can be customized to fit an organization’s needs.
For example, Auth0 provides step-up authentication, allowing businesses to restrict access to more sensitive apps. The platform also offers adaptive MFA, ensuring MFA is only presented within a login that poses a security risk.
Okta offers the same MFA methods as Auth0. The platform also delivers adaptive MFA, enabling users to create access policies based on risk factors. Businesses can enable password-only authentication for low-risk log-ins and passwords, plus push notifications for medium-risk log-ins.
Passwordless authentication is the future, and many companies are working toward it in hopes of boosting security and improving the user experience. Auth0 and Okta have features enabling passwordless authentication. For example, Auth0’s passwordless authentication is captured under the platform’s Universal Login, a feature that enables developers to customize the login page.
In comparison, Okta enables passwordless authentication through Okta Fastpass, a passwordless authentication method that can satisfy a medium or high assurance level (when combined with biometrics). Okta also supports passwordless authentication using email-based magic links, factor sequencing, social logins, one-time passwords (OTP) and passkeys.
Okta streamlines secure provisioning and de-provisioning by fetching user details from your active directory automatically, eliminating the need for manual processing by IT team members during onboarding and offboarding. Its workflows automate IT processes for user lifecycle management without requiring coding.
In contrast, Auth0 offers a user management module focused on managing user profiles and collecting attributes primarily tailored for customer access and identity management rather than for internal users.
Using Auth0 comes with many benefits. However, there are still some drawbacks that may arise.
Here are some of the notable advantages and cons of using Okta for your IAM.
Our review of both IAM platforms was based on the primary data available on each product’s website. To narrow things down, we focused on core features such as customizability, third-party integration, passwordless capabilities and ease of use. We supplemented our findings with user feedback from credible sources like Gartner Insight.
Auth0 and Okta are quality solutions for enabling IAM within any business. However, for app development companies or smaller businesses with more complex IAM infrastructure needs, Auth0’s extensibility and developer-focused platform might be the better option.
Okta’s existing library of integrations and pre-built components make the platform a great choice for larger businesses that need to get their IAM strategy up and running fast.
