Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco Duo
Score 9.4 out of 10
N/A
Cisco Duo is a two-factor authentication system (2FA), acquired by Cisco in October 2018. It provides single sign-on (SSO) and endpoint visibility, as well as access controls and policy controlled adaptive authentication.
$3
per month per user
The Okta Identity Cloud
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Okta is an enterprise grade identity management service, built in the cloud. IT can manage access across any application, person or device. Whether the people are employees, partners or customers or whether the applications are in the cloud, on premises or on a mobile device, Okta helps IT become more secure and maintain compliance. The Okta service provides directory services, single sign-on, authentication, provisioning, workflow, and built in reporting. ment systems.
$0
per month per user
Pricing
Cisco DuoThe Okta Identity Cloud
Editions & Modules
Duo Essentials
$3
per month per user
Duo Advantage
$6
per month per user
Duo Premier
$9
per month per user
Single Sign on
$2.00
Per User Per Month
Multi Factor Authentication
$3.00
Per User Per Month
Single Sign on Adaptive
$5.00
Per User Per Month
Multi Factor Authentication Adaptive
$6.00
Per User Per Month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco DuoThe Okta Identity Cloud
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsBrowse products and price points that make the most sense for your organization on our website.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Cisco DuoThe Okta Identity Cloud
Considered Both Products
Cisco Duo
Chose Cisco Duo
Cisco Duo had an integrated method for handling MFA on Endpoints and Servers. This was a huge bonus. Administration and implementation seemed more efficient as well.
Chose Cisco Duo
We use Microsoft O365, and it looks like I can leverage my existing license to save money by moving away from Cisco Secure Access by Duo. I am still in the research phase, so we might or might not stay with Cisco Secure Access by Duo.
Chose Cisco Duo
When we were researching Multi-Factor Authentication platforms we also looked at Okta. Okta is also a decent product overall, but we just were not as impressed. It’s definitely not as slick as Duo. It didn’t let us in the server the first time, but that could have been a timing …
Chose Cisco Duo
Pricing and simplicity put them ahead of the other products that I evaluated other than Microsoft. Did not go with Microsoft because I couldn’t see a way to integrate it with my VPN server.
Chose Cisco Duo
There are Okta has that Duo does not have, however since my environment has CISCO solutions implemented and the service that we receive from the vendor and integrator is top quality, DUO was the right choice.
Chose Cisco Duo
Okta had some different methods and features which stacked up closely with Cisco Duo but we went with Cisco Duo for the assurance that the system would perfectly integrate with our other cisco products and the ability to acquire support from one vendor instead of having to …
Chose Cisco Duo
We choose Duo as we found the end-user interface much easier and more intuitive than other solutions. The push notification feature also worked very smoothly and was a factor in the decision. From the Administrator and security team side - the features and capabilities of Duo …
Chose Cisco Duo
In my previous positions, I have used both Google Authenticator as well as Okta MFA for our dual security measures. I believe Google is very basic in its functionality and it had pretty limited functionalities to navigate complicated user access levels. Okta had multiple access …
Chose Cisco Duo
As we were on Cisco VConnect mobility client, we felt the ROI of using a Cisco auth client would be much better even though when we took this decision, remote working wasn't in vogue. That's the main business reason for going with Duo / Cisco Secure Access, by Duo--a …
Chose Cisco Duo
Duo Security has the ability to push a notification to your device where a simple Google Authenticator requires a rotating series of numbers. Duo also has the ability to use a yubikey to use biometrics as another form of authentication. The ability to use Duo to protect Windows …
Chose Cisco Duo
Azure is free so with our Microsoft 365 licenses so that is going to be tough to get away from that. Duo / Cisco Secure Access, by Duo, is a better platform for both Windows and Linux.
Chose Cisco Duo
Okta does offer similar solutions to Duo / Cisco Secure Access, by Duo, but Okta has a higher price-point from our initial investigations into which provider to use. The support that we received from Duo was top-notch and the ease of use really helped to decide which solution …
Chose Cisco Duo
Duo is a simple tool and has a lightweight deployment for MFA use cases. It was selected for our client company due to its ease of use.
Chose Cisco Duo
We use Duo security in partnership with Okta, so this way all of our apps, products, and software that we use have to be accessed by both Okta and Duo. This allows for great security when using both so we can protect personal and private health information that we might be using.
Chose Cisco Duo
Duo [Security] has a cleaner interface for 2-factor authentication and more usage in the industry so far.
Chose Cisco Duo
I like Duo Security a lot, I've met both of the owners, and I'm hopeful that Cisco's acquisition of them can propel them to the next level. I'm not convinced that will be the case, though, as Cisco has a mixed track record with their acquisitions. How Duo Security stacks up …
Chose Cisco Duo
We looked at Okta, and Okta is a great solution, but much larger in scope than what we needed. When we start our journey to identify/access management we will definitely consider them.

Microsoft was useful too, and minimal cost. It didn't seem to have as much support from …
The Okta Identity Cloud
Chose The Okta Identity Cloud
I never used Duo. So i can not really say how it stacks up in the real world
Chose The Okta Identity Cloud
I think Okta Identity Cloud is just more of a complete solution. Whereas some of their competitors might specialize in one or two functionalities and [do] those things very well, Okta Identity Cloud provides a full suite of functionality and tools that is more of comprehensive …
Chose The Okta Identity Cloud
I personally like Okta much more than LastPass because of how simple it is. LastPass I believe tried to get a bit too helpful with their chrome integration that pops up every time you try to enter a password on any website, and it became a bit annoying. Okta sticks to what it …
Chose The Okta Identity Cloud
Okta came highly recommended and we have been pleased thus far -- it truly feels like the best solution in the market. A bit pricey -- but peace of mind often comes at a price.
Chose The Okta Identity Cloud
Okta is the best single-sign on provider I know of! If your company can afford it, I highly recommend it! Highly scalable and reliable.
Chose The Okta Identity Cloud
Our evaluation boiled down to OneLogin and Okta. Okta had better API access, better application integration catalog, strong MFA options, and good directory integration. Okta's industry presence and growth in the market place shows consumer acceptance. The feature release cycle …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Cisco DuoThe Okta Identity Cloud
Identity Management
Comparison of Identity Management features of Product A and Product B
Cisco Duo
-
Ratings
The Okta Identity Cloud
8.9
156 Ratings
10% above category average
ID-Management Access Control00 Ratings9.1144 Ratings
ID Management Single-Sign On (SSO)00 Ratings9.5152 Ratings
Multi-Factor Authentication00 Ratings9.2142 Ratings
Password Management00 Ratings8.7138 Ratings
Account Provisioning and De-provisioning00 Ratings8.9129 Ratings
ID Management Workflow Automation00 Ratings8.279 Ratings
ID Risk Management00 Ratings8.3106 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Cisco DuoThe Okta Identity Cloud
Small Businesses
WatchGuard AuthPoint
WatchGuard AuthPoint
Score 9.0 out of 10
Dashlane
Dashlane
Score 9.3 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
WatchGuard AuthPoint
WatchGuard AuthPoint
Score 9.0 out of 10
RSA Access Manager (Discontinued)
RSA Access Manager (Discontinued)
Score 10.0 out of 10
Enterprises
IBM Cloud App ID
IBM Cloud App ID
Score 9.1 out of 10
RSA Access Manager (Discontinued)
RSA Access Manager (Discontinued)
Score 10.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Cisco DuoThe Okta Identity Cloud
Likelihood to Recommend
9.6
(132 ratings)
9.0
(198 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.2
(10 ratings)
8.0
(18 ratings)
Usability
9.5
(76 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Availability
9.8
(9 ratings)
10.0
(3 ratings)
Performance
9.4
(4 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
9.6
(91 ratings)
8.1
(12 ratings)
Online Training
10.0
(1 ratings)
1.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.7
(10 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
10.0
(2 ratings)
8.9
(50 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.6
(9 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.6
(4 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
9.7
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.7
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco DuoThe Okta Identity Cloud
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco
Cisco Duo is extremely well-suited for someone wanting to add MFA to an on-premise Active Directory environment. Some of the other vendors in this space do provide this feature, but they do not natively support it. One of the top competitors in this space requires signing up with another third-party service to make this integration possible. Less moving parts for something as crucial as this is a huge benefit and having only one vendor to point fingers at makes troubleshooting much simpler.
Read full review
Okta
I would definitely suggest this tool to my colleagues. When it comes to single sign to integrate all our applications under one umbrella, this will be the tool to go for sure. In our company, when we were moving our applications to the cloud one by one, we wanted one tool that could serve as a platform for all the applications with one password and with enhanced multi factor authentication and we choose The Okta Identity Cloud. When it comes to SAP, integration with The Okta Identity Cloud was a little tedious.
Read full review
Pros
Cisco
  • Speed - it's fast with almost no delay between triggering the MFA request and receiving the notification on an iPhone
  • Security - in addition to the added MFA layer, a simple, 4-digit passcode can be added to the authentication request
  • Ease of use - it doesn't scare users. It's simple to install, configure, and use.
Read full review
Okta
  • RBAC is simple, straight forward and easy to manage
  • Integrations of Social Login are simple to configure and the Auth0 documentation shows step by step how to configure it
  • Rules/Hooks provide customization to the Auth0 flow, making it a great solution to define how we allow our users to login into our applications
Read full review
Cons
Cisco
  • If you need to integrate some legacy applications to Cisco Secure Access by Duo, it's not easy.
  • If you want to have more detailed information and reports, you need to pay more for the licensing. The basic option is not enough.
  • A constraint could be that each employee has to install it on their personal smartphone, which some don't like. But, there is an alternative using SMS, although sometimes it takes too long to receive the message.
Read full review
Okta
  • The user interface of Okta is basic and needs improvement. There's some learning curve for new users.
  • One time integration effort is high for the initial setup. Took us around 3 weeks.
  • Okta times out pretty quick making us login multiple times in the day.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Cisco
There are a lot of competing solutions on the market; however, Duo "just works", and there is little to no learning curve for the new members to be acclimated to it. As long as that continues I see it as the preferred option moving forward
Read full review
Okta
Okta has a passion to provide secure and scalable identity solution. Their passion has come across as advocacy in a way that has deepened my knowledge of the field of authentication. I took identity for granted before but after seeing features such as external authentication I know that Okta can enable my business to reach new heights
Read full review
Usability
Cisco
La interfaz es intuitiva y fácil de navegar, lo que permite a los usuarios administrar sus dispositivos y acceder a las políticas sin problemas. La integración con las aplicaciones SSO y SaaS facilita aún más el proceso de acceso, mejorando la experiencia del usuario.
Read full review
Okta
Some of its features are great and some are slightly complex and not easy without vendor support.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Cisco
In the last 5+ years we've been using Duo, there may have been 1 outage that impacted us. We do receive periodic notifications of issues but, for the most part, they impact carriers or functionality that we either don't use, or do not care about.
Read full review
Okta
The Okta Identity Cloud advertises 4 9's of reliability and I would go as far to say that it may even do better than that. As a true Global organization that operates in just about every region of the world, we have yet to have an issue with The Okta Identity Cloud that has impacted our business operations.
Read full review
Performance
Cisco
We do not see any degradation of performance of the protected applications. There are occasional lags in receiving the push but no show stooppers.
Read full review
Okta
The Okta Identity Cloud performance is very good and there is never any reports from the user community or from the IT administrative team of slow response or sluggishness. In addition, integrations with other systems does not slow them down and everything works seamlessly. The only other feedback is that once in a while there is a slight delay in receiving a second factor on a mobile device but this is likely due to a phone endpoint issue and not the The Okta Identity Cloud service.
Read full review
Support Rating
Cisco
Since it’s a reputable company, I have received technical support when needed and I trust that if anything else happens I can contact them with any issues. I haven’t experienced bad customer service and I totally feel supported while using this authentication method. No complains so far and the high rating!
Read full review
Okta
There isn't a clear method to get a hold of support when trouble arises if you're on their standard plan. You can file a support ticket and they generally are responsive. I've often been able to find similar questions to the questions I've had when it comes to support in their ticket history, however, some have been closed without a satisfactory conclusion for the original poster.
Read full review
In-Person Training
Cisco
There was no in person training but checking the box was the only way I could complete all of the questions.
Read full review
Okta
No answers on this topic
Online Training
Cisco
This was not organized training but the videos that Duo provides to teach you how to install a particular integration are top notch.
Read full review
Okta
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Cisco
Implementation was straight forward and you can isolate different scenarios in order to test new application setup or add to an existing setup. Gui interface is pretty easy to understand and follow. I had no experience with Duo and still manage to easily set up new policies and rules.
Read full review
Okta
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Cisco
Our school is based in Microsoft 365. Azure has a product built into their licensing (provided you have purchased the appropriate level or the add-on product.) The MFA in Azure is a work in process and doesn't offer broad integration options as Duo does. We didn't look into any other commercial products.
Read full review
Okta
Okta was the most expensive choise between than, but still our best bet. This was caused because they were able to integrate with 90% of our software without any headache and 10% with some studies - this work would be higher and requires more working hours from our engineers if we opted to their competitors.
Read full review
Scalability
Cisco
So far, the only limits we've encountered were tied to our imagination. Duo's strong list of supported integrations is amazing.
Read full review
Okta
Being a cloud native application, The Okta Identity Cloud is extremely scalable and easy to setup. By integrating into existing directories and applications via standard techniques and protocols, it is very easy to both initially setup and add additional users as required. Once all the necessary integrations are setup, it's a simple rinse and repeat process to onboard additional users (which can be automated with imports as well)
Read full review
Return on Investment
Cisco
  • Very positive ROI given it is inexpensive for a small group and helps us secure our most valuable IT assets.
  • Lack of extreme policy granularity results in higher administrative overhead, as there is no middle ground (i.e. MFA every time or not at all).
Read full review
Okta
  • Customer experience has been a big win for us. Extremely minimal issues reported.
  • We did not have a PAM in place at all until The Okta Identity Cloud
  • Relatively easy to deploy. No major downtimes to deploy was a nice bonus.
Read full review
ScreenShots