How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Okta and Microsoft Entra ID lead the market, but for opposite reasons: Okta wins on vendor-neutral app integrations, Entra ID wins if you already live in Microsoft 365.
- Per-user pricing starts around $2 to $4 per month for basic SSO and MFA, while full lifecycle management and governance push real costs to $10 to $17 per user per month.
- Duo, Auth0 and JumpCloud all offer genuinely usable free tiers, which makes them worth testing before you sign an annual contract.
- Ping Identity and CyberArk target bigger or more complex estates; expect volume-based pricing and sales-led deals rather than self-serve checkout.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Okta | vendor-neutral SSO and lifecycle management at scale | $6 per user/month (Starter suite, billed annually) | Free trial |
 Microsoft Entra ID | organizations already running on Microsoft 365 | $7 per user/month (P1, annual commitment) | Yes (Free tier with SSO and basic MFA) |
 Duo by Cisco | rolling out MFA quickly across any workforce | $3 per user/month (Essentials, billed annually) | Yes (up to 10 users) |
 Ping Identity | large or hybrid estates with complex federation needs | $3 per user/month (workforce plans, annual contract) | Free trial |
 Auth0 | customer-facing authentication in your own apps | $35 per month (Essentials, up to 500 MAU) | Yes (up to 25,000 monthly active users) |
 OneLogin | mid-market companies wanting simple, affordable SSO | $4 per user/month (Advanced bundle) | Free trial |
 JumpCloud | small teams replacing on-premises Active Directory | $9 per user/month (device management, billed annually) | Yes (up to 10 users and 10 devices) |
 CyberArk (Palo Alto Networks) | companies combining privileged access with workforce identity | $2 per user/month (Workforce Identity SSO) | Free trial |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
#1
Okta
Best for: vendor-neutral SSO and lifecycle management at scale
Visit okta.com
Starting price$6 per user/month (Starter suite, billed annually)
Free planFree trial
The reference point for workforce identity in 2026. Okta sells Workforce Identity Cloud in named suites: Starter at $6 per user per month covers SSO, standard MFA and directory basics, while Essentials at $17 adds adaptive MFA, lifecycle management, access governance and privileged access. Everything is billed annually, and there is a $1,500 annual contract minimum, so a five-person shop still pays for roughly 21 Starter seats.
What keeps Okta on top is the integration catalog. If your staff uses a long tail of SaaS apps, Okta connects to nearly all of them with pre-built connectors, and its provisioning keeps joiner-mover-leaver changes automatic. The catch is the suite math. Products inside a suite share one subscription quantity, so if one feature needs more seats than the rest, you buy the whole suite again. Budget $14 to $25 per user per month once add-ons land, not the $6 headline.
What we like- Largest app integration catalog
- Strong lifecycle management
- Adaptive MFA and governance in higher tiers
Watch out for- Costs climb fast once add-ons stack up
- $1,500 annual contract minimum prices out very small teams
#2
Microsoft Entra ID
Best for: organizations already running on Microsoft 365
Visit microsoft.com
Starting price$7 per user/month (P1, annual commitment)
Free planYes (Free tier with SSO and basic MFA)
If your company runs on Microsoft 365, Entra ID is almost always the cheapest path to real identity controls. The Free tier covers SSO and basic MFA for every tenant, P1 costs $7 per user per month and is already included in Microsoft 365 E3 and Business Premium, and P2 at $10 adds identity protection and privileged identity management. Microsoft raised these prices in July 2026, so older articles quoting $6 and $9 are out of date.
Conditional Access is the reason to be here. Policy-based access control sits natively across Microsoft apps, which no third-party tool matches. The trade-off is ecosystem gravity. The deeper your non-Microsoft footprint (Google Workspace, AWS, niche SaaS), the more you will feel the gaps, and full governance requires the separate Entra ID Governance add-on or the Entra Suite at $12 per user per month on top of P1.
What we like- P1 included with Microsoft 365 E3 and Business Premium
- Deep Conditional Access integration
- Generous free tier
Watch out for- Best value only inside the Microsoft ecosystem
- Governance features need separate add-on licenses
#3
Duo by Cisco
Best for: rolling out MFA quickly across any workforce
Visit duo.com
Starting price$3 per user/month (Essentials, billed annually)
Free planYes (up to 10 users)
Duo built its name on the push notification. Approving a login with one tap on a phone is the MFA method employees complain about least, and that matters more than feature tables when adoption is the goal. The free tier protects up to 10 users, Essentials at $3 per user per month adds SSO and passwordless options, and the Advantage and Premier tiers at $6 and $9 add device health checks, risk-based authentication and VPN-less remote access.
Duo is not a full identity platform in the Okta sense. Lifecycle management, HR-driven provisioning and deep governance are thin here, which is why many companies pair Duo MFA with a separate directory. If your main problem is phishing and credential theft rather than access governance, Duo gives you the highest-impact control for the lowest price and the least admin overhead.
What we like- Famous push-based MFA users actually accept
- Free tier covers tiny teams
- SSO included from Essentials up
Watch out for- Limited lifecycle and governance depth
- Becomes a Cisco sales conversation at the high end
Starting price$3 per user/month (workforce plans, annual contract)
Free planFree trial
Ping Identity is the enterprise alternative for companies that cannot or will not standardize on one cloud. Its PingOne cloud platform handles SSO, MFA, directory and orchestration, while PingFederate and PingAccess cover self-hosted deployments that regulated industries still require. The published workforce pricing starts around $3 per user per month, but the fine print matters: it assumes annual contracts at meaningful user volumes.
This is a sales-led product for serious deployments. Expect a $10,000-plus annual minimum in practice and professional services for anything beyond straightforward SSO. The payoff is flexibility. Multi-cloud companies, organizations with heavy on-premises footprints, and anyone who needs standards-based federation across business units get a platform that bends further than the simpler cloud-native options.
What we like- Strong federation and standards support
- Self-hosted options with PingFederate
- Good fit for non-Microsoft shops
Watch out for- Published pricing assumes volume and annual contracts
- Implementation often needs professional services
#5
Auth0
Best for: customer-facing authentication in your own apps
Visit auth0.com
Starting price$35 per month (Essentials, up to 500 MAU)
Free planYes (up to 25,000 monthly active users)
A quick note on fit: Auth0 is customer identity, not workforce identity. If you need your employees to sign into SaaS apps, look at Okta Workforce or Entra ID instead. If you are building login, signup and social sign-in for your own product's users, Auth0 is the standard choice, and its free tier covers up to 25,000 monthly active users without a credit card.
The pricing quirk buyers trip over is the MAU cliff. Essentials costs $35 per month but covers only 500 monthly active users, so the paid plan actually includes fewer users than the free one. Costs scale per MAU from there, and Professional at $240 per month still starts at 500 MAU. For early products the free tier is genuinely generous; for anything with real traffic, model the per-MAU math for your projected user counts before committing.
What we like- Generous free tier for developers
- Passwordless and social login out of the box
- Now part of Okta
Watch out for- Paid tiers meter by monthly active users and get expensive fast
- Free plan has fewer users than it appears after upgrade
#6
OneLogin
Best for: mid-market companies wanting simple, affordable SSO
Visit onelogin.com
Starting price$4 per user/month (Advanced bundle)
Free planFree trial
OneLogin has always been the value pick in workforce identity, and that still holds. The Advanced bundle at $4 per user per month includes SSO, advanced directory and MFA, which undercuts Okta's Starter tier while covering more ground. Individual features are also available a la carte from $2 per user per month if you only need one piece.
OneLogin was acquired by One Identity in 2021, which creates some uncertainty about long-term product direction, though the product itself keeps shipping. The admin experience is simpler than Okta's, which small IT teams appreciate, and there is no mandatory contract minimum. Where it falls short is the high end: lifecycle management exists but the governance and privileged access story is thinner than the leaders.
What we like- Low entry price with bundled SSO, directory and MFA
- Straightforward admin console
- No mandatory contract minimum
Watch out for- Now part of One Identity, so roadmap questions linger
- Fewer advanced governance features than Okta
Starting price$9 per user/month (device management, billed annually)
Free planYes (up to 10 users and 10 devices)
JumpCloud is the cloud directory for companies that outgrew workgroup logins but never wanted a Windows server in a closet. It combines directory services, SSO, MFA, LDAP and RADIUS with device management for Windows, Mac and Linux, which makes it popular with startups running mixed fleets. The free tier covers up to 10 users and 10 devices with the full platform, which is enough to run a real evaluation or a very small company.
Pricing is the confusing part. JumpCloud sells device management from $9 per user per month, SSO from $11, and combined device-plus-identity from $13, with larger platform bundles quoted by sales. Read the tier carefully before you buy, because the wrong bundle can double your bill. For under-100-person companies that want one console for users and devices, it is hard to beat on breadth per dollar.
What we like- Directory plus device management in one platform
- Free tier covers tiny teams fully
- Good for mixed Mac, Windows and Linux fleets
Watch out for- Pricing is modular and confusing
- Support quality varies by tier
#8
CyberArk (Palo Alto Networks)
Best for: companies combining privileged access with workforce identity
Visit paloaltonetworks.com
Starting price$2 per user/month (Workforce Identity SSO)
Free planFree trial
CyberArk built its reputation on privileged access management, protecting admin and service accounts, and its Workforce Identity line (originally Idaptive) extends that into everyday employee access. Pricing is modular: SSO from $2 per user per month, adaptive MFA from $3, lifecycle management from $4. That granularity helps if you only need specific pieces.
One thing to know: CyberArk was acquired by Palo Alto Networks, and cyberark.com now redirects there, so expect the product to be sold inside a larger security portfolio going forward. The workforce identity products are competent but they are not the company's flagship, and buyers focused purely on SSO and lifecycle management will find more polish and more integrations at Okta or Entra ID. CyberArk makes most sense when privileged access is already the priority and workforce identity rides along.
What we like- Strong privileged access heritage
- Modular per-feature pricing
- Good fit for security-first buyers
Watch out for- Workforce identity is secondary to the PAM business
- Cyberark.com now redirects to Palo Alto Networks
How we chose
We compared tools against published list pricing on each vendor's own pricing page, public documentation, and review feedback from G2, Capterra and TrustRadius. Every tool above exists as a shipping product in 2026 and fits either workforce identity, customer identity, or privileged access. Prices reflect list rates at the time of writing; negotiated enterprise deals and volume discounts will differ. We did not accept vendor claims about user counts or awards, and we flagged free tiers only where the vendor documents them.
What to check before you buy IAM software
Start with your app inventory, not the feature list. The right tool is the one that connects to the apps your people actually use. Okta leads on third-party app coverage, Entra ID leads inside Microsoft shops, and every gap means custom SAML or OIDC work your team has to maintain. Count your apps before you count features.
Next, pin down the billing unit. Workforce tools charge per user per month, usually on annual contracts, while customer identity tools like Auth0 charge per monthly active user. Those models behave very differently as you grow. A per-user tool is predictable; a per-MAU tool can surprise you when a marketing campaign triples logins. Ask each vendor what happens when you exceed your tier.
Check the free tier and the trial terms in writing. Duo, Auth0, Entra ID and JumpCloud all offer free tiers with real functionality, which is enough to run a pilot with a small group before you commit to a contract. Finally, ask about the pieces that live outside the headline price: onboarding services, premium support, telephony credits for SMS-based MFA, and the cost of extra features like identity governance. The gap between the starting price and the real first-year bill is where IAM budgets go wrong.
Where the money goes in IAM pricing
IAM pricing follows a pattern worth knowing. Basic SSO and MFA start around $2 to $4 per user per month across vendors. The moment you add lifecycle management (automatic provisioning and deprovisioning), adaptive or risk-based MFA, and access governance, the price jumps to $10 to $17 per user per month. That jump is where most mid-market buyers land, and it is the number to budget, not the entry tier.
Contract minimums are the second pattern. Okta enforces a $1,500 annual minimum, Ping Identity deals realistically start around five figures, and nearly every vendor bills annually with no month-to-month option at list price. Small teams should take the free tiers seriously and negotiate the minimum down or start with a vendor that does not enforce one. The third pattern is bundling. Microsoft bundles P1 into Microsoft 365 plans, OneLogin bundles SSO with directory and MFA at $4, and CyberArk prices per feature. Bundles look cheaper until you pay for features you never use, so map the bundle against your actual requirements before you decide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between IAM and SSO?
SSO is one piece of IAM. Single sign-on lets users log into many apps with one set of credentials. Identity and access management covers the full picture: SSO, multi-factor authentication, user provisioning and deprovisioning, directory services, access governance and privileged access. When vendors say IAM, they mean the whole stack.
How much does IAM software cost for a small business?
For a team under 50 people, expect $2 to $7 per user per month for SSO and MFA from vendors like Duo, OneLogin or JumpCloud, with free tiers covering up to 10 users in several cases. Full lifecycle management and governance typically push costs to $10 to $17 per user per month. Annual contracts and minimums add to the first-year bill, so read the fine print.
Is Microsoft Entra ID free?
The Entra ID Free tier is genuinely free and includes SSO and basic MFA for every tenant. Paid features start with P1 at $7 per user per month, which adds Conditional Access and advanced group management. Many companies already hold P1 through Microsoft 365 E3 or Business Premium without realizing it, so check your existing licenses before buying anything.
Do I need IAM if I already use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365?
The built-in identity in Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 covers SSO and MFA for their own ecosystems. Dedicated IAM becomes worth it when you have dozens of third-party apps, compliance requirements around access reviews, employees joining and leaving frequently, or admin accounts that need privileged access controls. If your app count is small, the built-in tools are usually enough.
What is the difference between workforce identity and customer identity?
Workforce identity manages your employees' access to company apps, priced per user per month. Customer identity (CIAM) manages login and signup for your product's users, usually priced per monthly active user. Okta, Entra ID, Duo and JumpCloud are workforce tools; Auth0 is the best-known customer identity tool on this list. Buying the wrong type is an expensive mistake.
Can I switch IAM vendors later?
Yes, but it takes planning. Migrating means moving user directories, re-establishing SSO connections to every app, re-enrolling MFA devices and retraining users. Most companies do it in phases, app by app, over several weeks. Export your user and configuration data regularly so you are never locked in by missing data.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://www.okta.com/pricing
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-sg/security/business/microsoft-entra-pricing
- https://auth0.com/pricing
- https://www.capterra.com/p/228827/Duo-Security/pricing/
- https://www.saasworthy.com/product/ping-identity/pricing
- https://www.saasworthy.com/product/onelogin/pricing
- https://www.g2.com/products/jumpcloud/pricing
- https://www.g2.com/products/cyberark-workforce-identity/pricing
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.