Verdict (TL;DR)
Verified 2026-05-08Identity is the new perimeter. Okta remains the workforce IAM market leader with the deepest integration ecosystem (7,000+ pre-built integrations) but pricing has escalated meaningfully and the 2022/2023 breach disclosures damaged trust. Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) is the de facto default for any organization on Microsoft 365, bundled at no extra cost in M365 E3/E5 plans, which is the single biggest competitive lever in the category. JumpCloud is the SMB IAM + directory leader at $11-$24/user/mo. Auth0 (Okta) leads customer IAM (CIAM). Ping Identity is the enterprise IAM alternative for non-Microsoft shops. Duo (Cisco) is MFA-anchored. The category structural shift in 2026: passwordless authentication (passkeys, FIDO2) is now table-stakes, vendors still gating these features behind premium tiers are losing share to Beyond Identity and Microsoft Entra.
Best for your specific use case
- Best-of-breed workforce IAM: Okta Workforce Identity Deepest integration ecosystem (7,000+). Market leader. Made for 500+ employee orgs that aren't Microsoft-anchored.
- Microsoft 365 organizations: Microsoft Entra ID Bundled with M365 E3/E5 at no extra cost. Default choice if you're already on Microsoft.
- SMB IAM + directory + endpoint: JumpCloud IAM + directory + RMM at $11-$24/user/mo. Best fit for 25-500 employee SMBs without dedicated IT.
- Customer IAM (B2C/B2B): Auth0 (Okta) CIAM market leader. Best for embedding identity in customer-facing apps. Generous free tier.
- Enterprise IAM for non-Microsoft: Ping Identity Enterprise IAM alternative to Okta. Best for non-Microsoft enterprises with complex identity governance.
- Identity governance (IGA): CyberArk Identity PAM-anchored identity platform. Right call for enterprises with privileged access governance needs.
- MFA-first deployment: Duo Security (Cisco) MFA market leader. Strong fit if MFA is the primary need; SSO comes later.
- Mid-market alternative to Okta: OneLogin (One Identity) Lower-cost Okta alternative. Acquired by One Identity in 2021.
- Passwordless-first architecture: Beyond Identity Passkey/FIDO2-native architecture. Best for security-forward orgs eliminating passwords entirely.
- Rippling-anchored SMBs: Rippling SSO Bundled with Rippling HRIS. Default for Rippling-committed SMBs wanting unified employee + identity lifecycle.
Identity and access management is the security foundation of every modern organization, it controls who can access what, with what credentials, under what conditions. The category has consolidated around three buyer journeys: workforce IAM (employees accessing company apps), customer IAM (your apps authenticating end users), and identity governance (compliance-grade access reviews). We synthesized 48,000+ reviews across G2, Capterra, Reddit, and Trustpilot to rank the platforms covering each.
Cross-category note: many IAM decisions are coupled with HRIS (employee lifecycle drives provisioning) and SIEM (identity events feed security operations). For HRIS see our Top 10 HRIS / Core HR Software; for SIEM see our Top 10 SIEM Software. We use distinct product IDs (e.g. `rippling-sso` vs `rippling-hris`) where products span multiple categories.
Quick comparison
| Product | Best for | Starts at | 10-emp/mo* | Pricing | G2 | Geo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Okta Workforce Identity | Non-Microsoft enterprises | $2 | $2 | 4.5 | Global; strongest in US, EU, UK | |
| 2 Microsoft Entra ID | Any Microsoft-anchored organization | $0 + $0/emp | $0 | 4.5 | Global; strongest in US, EU, AU; worldwide | |
| 3 JumpCloud | SMBs without dedicated IT | $0 + $0/emp | $0 | 4.5 | Global; strongest in US, UK, AU | |
| 4 Auth0 (Okta) | Engineering teams building customer apps | $0 + $0/emp | $0 | 4.4 | Global; strongest in US, EU, UK | |
| 5 Ping Identity | Non-Microsoft enterprises | Quote | - | 4.4 | Global; strongest in US, EU, UK | |
| 6 CyberArk Identity | CyberArk-anchored enterprises | Quote | - | 4.4 | Global; strongest in US, EU, Israel | |
| 7 Duo Security (Cisco) | MFA-first deployments and Cisco-anchored | $0 + $0/emp | $0 | 4.5 | Global; strongest in US, EU, UK | |
| 8 OneLogin (One Identity) | Mid-market non-Microsoft | $4 | $4 | 4.4 | Global; strongest in US, EU, UK | |
| 9 Beyond Identity | Security-forward organizations | Quote | - | 4.5 | Global; strongest in US, UK | |
| 10 Rippling SSO | Rippling-anchored SMBs | Quote | - | 4.6 | Primarily US; growing international |
*10-employee monthly cost = base fee + (per-employee × 10) using the lowest published tier. For opaque-pricing vendors, no value is shown.
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| From ↓ / To → | Okta Workforce Identity | Microsoft Entra ID | JumpCloud | Auth0 (Okta) | Ping Identity | CyberArk Identity | Duo Security (Cisco) | OneLogin (One Identity) | Beyond Identity | Rippling SSO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okta Workforce Identity | - | Medium 6 | Medium 6 | Hard 7 | Medium 6 | Medium 6 | Hard 7 | Medium 5 | Medium 6 | Medium 6 |
| Microsoft Entra ID | Medium 6 | - | OK 4 | Medium 5 | OK 4 | OK 4 | Medium 5 | Hard 7 | OK 4 | OK 4 |
| JumpCloud | Medium 6 | OK 4 | - | Medium 5 | OK 4 | OK 4 | Medium 5 | Hard 7 | OK 4 | OK 4 |
| Auth0 (Okta) | Hard 7 | Medium 5 | Medium 5 | - | Medium 5 | Medium 5 | Medium 6 | OK 4 | Medium 5 | Medium 5 |
| Ping Identity | Medium 6 | OK 4 | OK 4 | Medium 5 | - | OK 4 | Medium 5 | Hard 7 | OK 4 | OK 4 |
| CyberArk Identity | Medium 6 | OK 4 | OK 4 | Medium 5 | OK 4 | - | Medium 5 | Hard 7 | OK 4 | OK 4 |
| Duo Security (Cisco) | Hard 7 | Medium 5 | Medium 5 | Medium 6 | Medium 5 | Medium 5 | - | OK 4 | Medium 5 | Medium 5 |
| OneLogin (One Identity) | Medium 5 | Hard 7 | Hard 7 | OK 4 | Hard 7 | Hard 7 | OK 4 | - | Hard 7 | Hard 7 |
| Beyond Identity | Medium 6 | OK 4 | OK 4 | Medium 5 | OK 4 | OK 4 | Medium 5 | Hard 7 | - | OK 4 |
| Rippling SSO | Medium 6 | OK 4 | OK 4 | Medium 5 | OK 4 | OK 4 | Medium 5 | Hard 7 | OK 4 | - |
All 10, ranked and reviewed
Each product gets the same scrutiny: who it’s actually best for, where it falls short, what it really costs, and how it scores across six dimensions.
Okta Workforce Identity
Workforce IAM market leader with the deepest integration ecosystem.
Okta is the workforce IAM market leader with the deepest integration ecosystem in the category (7,000+ pre-built app integrations). Founded 2009, public 2017. Best fit for 500+ employee organizations that aren't Microsoft-anchored. Trade-offs: pricing has escalated meaningfully ($2-$15/user/mo per module, adds up fast with multiple modules), the 2022 Lapsus$ breach and 2023 support system breach damaged trust, and Microsoft Entra is taking share from Microsoft-anchored orgs through the M365 bundle.
Non-Microsoft enterprises (500-50,000 employees) requiring deep workforce IAM with 7,000+ app integrations and mature SCIM provisioning.
Microsoft 365-anchored organizations (Entra ID bundled at no extra cost), SMBs under 100 employees (JumpCloud cheaper), or customer-facing apps (Auth0 better fit; same vendor).
Strengths
- Deepest integration ecosystem (7,000+ pre-built apps)
- Workforce IAM market leader
- Fits non-Microsoft enterprises
- Mature SCIM provisioning
- Workflow Automation (Workflows)
- Public company financial transparency
Weaknesses
- Pricing escalates meaningfully with multiple modules
- 2022 Lapsus$ breach + 2023 support system breach damaged trust
- Microsoft Entra taking share from M365 orgs
- Per-module pricing creates surprise costs
- Customer support quality declined post-2022
Pricing tiers
public- SSOPer user; basic SSO$2 /mo
- Adaptive MFAPer user; risk-based MFA$4 /mo
- Lifecycle MgmtPer user; SCIM provisioning$4 /mo
- Identity GovernancePer user; access reviews$9 /mo
- WorkflowsPer user; automation$3 /mo
- Workforce Identity CloudBundled enterpriseQuote
- · Per-module pricing adds up fast
- · Annual price increases of 10-15%
- · Onboarding fees ($5K-$50K)
- · Workflows and Identity Governance separate
Key features
- +SSO (7,000+ pre-built apps)
- +Adaptive MFA with risk scoring
- +Lifecycle management (SCIM)
- +Identity Governance (access reviews)
- +Workflows automation
- +API Access Management
- +Customer Identity (Auth0)
- +Mobile apps
Microsoft Entra ID
De facto default for any organization on Microsoft 365.
Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) is the de facto default workforce IAM for any organization on Microsoft 365. Bundled at no extra cost in M365 E3/E5 plans, the single biggest competitive lever in the IAM category. Best fit for any Microsoft-anchored organization. Trade-offs: outside the Microsoft ecosystem the product is meaningfully weaker, integration ecosystem narrower than Okta (~3,000 vs 7,000), and Entra Premium P1/P2 add-ons cost extra ($6-$9/user/mo).
Any organization on Microsoft 365 E3/E5 (essentially the standard at zero marginal cost), particularly hybrid Active Directory environments and Microsoft-anchored enterprises.
Non-Microsoft organizations (Okta better fit), customer-facing apps (Auth0/Okta CIC better), or SMBs without M365 (JumpCloud cheaper).
Strengths
- Bundled with Microsoft 365 E3/E5 at no extra cost
- De facto default for Microsoft-anchored orgs
- Native integration with all Microsoft products
- Built for hybrid AD environments
- Conditional Access policies industry-leading
- FedRAMP High authorized
Weaknesses
- Outside Microsoft ecosystem meaningfully weaker
- Integration ecosystem narrower than Okta (~3,000)
- Entra Premium P1/P2 add-ons cost extra ($6-$9/user)
- UX complexity high for non-Microsoft admins
- Customer support quality varies by region
Pricing tiers
public- Free (Entra ID Free)Bundled with any Azure subscription; basic SSO$0+$0 /mo +/emp
- Entra ID P1Bundled with M365 E3; Conditional Access$6 /mo
- Entra ID P2Bundled with M365 E5; Identity Protection$9 /mo
- Entra ID GovernancePer user; access reviews, lifecycle workflows$7 /mo
- · Premium tiers required for Conditional Access
- · Entra Governance separate add-on
- · Annual M365 price increases
Key features
- +SSO (3,000+ pre-built apps)
- +Conditional Access policies
- +Native Microsoft 365 integration
- +Hybrid AD support
- +Identity Protection (P2)
- +Privileged Identity Management
- +B2B and B2C support
- +Mobile apps
JumpCloud
IAM + directory + RMM at $11-$24/user, SMB default.
JumpCloud is the SMB IAM + directory + endpoint management leader. The product's strengths: cloud-native directory (Active Directory replacement), bundled SSO + MFA + RMM at $11-$24/user/mo, and zero-trust architecture. Best fit for 25-500 employee SMBs without dedicated IT, especially Mac-heavy shops where Active Directory was never a fit. Trade-offs: enterprise scaling above 1,000 users gets challenging, integration ecosystem narrower than Okta (~700 vs 7,000), and Support response times vary.
SMBs (25-500 employees) without dedicated IT, especially Mac-heavy shops needing IAM + directory + endpoint management bundled at affordable per-user pricing.
Enterprise (1,000+ users, Okta/Entra better), Microsoft 365-anchored (Entra bundled cheaper), or customer IAM (Auth0 better).
Strengths
- Cloud-native directory (Active Directory replacement)
- Bundled SSO + MFA + RMM at $11-$24/user/mo
- Made for Mac-heavy shops
- No dedicated IT required
- Zero-trust architecture
- Generous free tier (10 users)
Weaknesses
- Enterprise scaling above 1,000 users challenging
- Integration ecosystem narrower than Okta (~700)
- Support is hit-or-miss
- Identity governance features limited
- Outside SMB sweet spot less appealing
Pricing tiers
public- FreeUp to 10 users, 10 devices$0+$0 /mo +/emp
- Core DirectoryPer user; SSO, MFA, directory$11 /mo
- PlatformPer user; everything + RMM$24 /mo
- Platform PrimeCustom; advanced governanceQuote
- · Annual billing for discount
- · Add-on for advanced governance
Key features
- +Cloud-native directory
- +SSO (700+ pre-built apps)
- +MFA
- +Device management (RMM)
- +Patch management
- +SCIM provisioning
- +Mobile apps
- +Zero-trust architecture
Auth0 (Okta)
Customer IAM (CIAM) market leader.
Auth0 is the customer identity (CIAM) market leader, acquired by Okta in 2021 for $6.5B. Best fit for engineering teams embedding identity in customer-facing applications. The product's strengths: developer-first SDK ecosystem, generous free tier (25,000 MAU), and broad protocol support (OAuth, OIDC, SAML, social, passwordless, passkeys). Trade-offs: pricing scales with monthly active users (MAU), costs become meaningful above 100K MAU, and post-Okta acquisition trust impact from the 2022/2023 Okta breaches.
Engineering teams embedding identity in customer-facing apps (B2B SaaS, B2C apps, marketplaces) needing rapid integration across multiple protocols.
Workforce IAM (Okta WIC or Entra better), small employee counts (overkill), or simple SSO use cases (cheaper alternatives suffice).
Strengths
- CIAM market leader
- Developer-first SDK ecosystem (any language)
- Generous free tier (25,000 MAU)
- Broad protocol support (OAuth, OIDC, SAML, social, passwordless, passkeys)
- Strong B2B and B2C use cases
- Mature documentation
Weaknesses
- Pricing scales with MAU, meaningful above 100K
- Post-Okta breach trust impact
- Outside CIAM use case weaker than Okta WIC
- Customer support quality declined post-Okta
- Some enterprise features require Enterprise tier
Pricing tiers
public- FreeUp to 25,000 MAU, 5 social connections$0+$0 /mo +/emp
- Essentials (B2C)Up to 1,000 MAU; basic CIAM$35 /mo
- Professional (B2C)Up to 1,000 MAU; advanced features$240 /mo
- EnterpriseCustom; SLA, advanced securityQuote
- · Per-MAU scaling can be steep
- · Add-ons for advanced security
- · B2B SSO Enterprise Connections at higher tier
Key features
- +SSO (OAuth, OIDC, SAML)
- +Social login (50+ providers)
- +Passwordless authentication
- +Passkey support (FIDO2)
- +M2M authentication
- +B2B Organizations
- +Hooks and Actions for customization
- +1,000+ SDKs and tutorials
Ping Identity
Enterprise IAM alternative for non-Microsoft enterprises.
Ping Identity is the enterprise IAM alternative to Okta for non-Microsoft enterprises, founded 2002, taken private by Thoma Bravo in 2022 for $2.8B and merged with ForgeRock in 2023. The product's strengths: deep enterprise feature set, strong identity governance, and federation depth for complex enterprises. Best fit for 5,000+ employee enterprises with complex identity governance needs. Trade-offs: pricing escalated post-Thoma Bravo, ForgeRock merger created roadmap uncertainty, and product UX dated vs Okta.
Large non-Microsoft enterprises (5,000+ employees) with complex identity governance, federation, and consumer + workforce IAM needs.
Microsoft 365-anchored (Entra better), SMB (overpriced, JumpCloud cheaper), or modern engineering teams (Auth0 better for CIAM).
Strengths
- Deep enterprise feature set
- Strong identity governance (post-ForgeRock merger)
- Federation depth for complex enterprises
- Right call for 5,000+ employee non-Microsoft
- PingOne unified platform
Weaknesses
- Pricing escalated post-Thoma Bravo (2022)
- ForgeRock merger roadmap uncertainty
- Product UX dated vs Okta
- Uneven support quality post-acquisition
- Innovation pace slower than Okta/Entra
Pricing tiers
opaque- PingOne Workforce~$3-$8/user/mo typicalQuote
- PingOne CustomerPer MAU; CIAMQuote
- PingOne Identity GovernancePer user; access reviewsQuote
- Enterprise BundleCustom; advanced featuresQuote
- · Per-product pricing adds up
- · Implementation fee ($25K-$200K)
- · Annual price increases of 8-12%
Key features
- +SSO (3,000+ pre-built apps)
- +Adaptive MFA
- +Identity Governance (post-ForgeRock)
- +Federation (complex enterprise)
- +PingOne Customer (CIAM)
- +API security
- +Mobile apps
CyberArk Identity
PAM-anchored identity platform for governance-heavy enterprises.
CyberArk Identity is the identity platform from CyberArk, the privileged access management (PAM) leader. The product extends CyberArk's PAM strength into broader workforce identity. Best fit for enterprises that already run CyberArk PAM and want unified identity governance. Trade-offs: outside the CyberArk ecosystem the product is less compelling (Okta/Entra deeper for general workforce IAM), pricing meaningful, and sales process enterprise-only.
Enterprises (5,000+ employees) already running CyberArk PAM, wanting unified identity governance and risk-based authentication.
Non-CyberArk shops (Okta/Entra better), SMBs (JumpCloud cheaper), or developer/engineering CIAM (Auth0 better fit).
Strengths
- Native integration with CyberArk PAM
- Strong identity governance and access reviews
- Risk-based authentication
- Enterprise compliance depth
- Works for CyberArk-anchored enterprises
- Public company financial transparency
Weaknesses
- Outside CyberArk ecosystem less compelling
- Pricing meaningful at scale
- Sales process enterprise-only
- Integration ecosystem narrower (~1,500)
- UX complexity high
Pricing tiers
opaque- Identity CloudPer-user; SSO + MFAQuote
- Identity SecurityPer-user; risk-based auth, governanceQuote
- Bundled with PAMCustom; unified PAM + IAMQuote
- · Implementation fee ($25K-$300K)
- · Per-product pricing
- · Annual price increases
Key features
- +SSO + MFA
- +Identity governance
- +Risk-based authentication
- +Native CyberArk PAM integration
- +Privileged session management
- +Mobile apps
- +1,500+ integrations
Duo Security (Cisco)
MFA market leader, SSO secondary.
Duo Security is the MFA market leader, acquired by Cisco in 2018 for $2.4B. The product's strengths: cleanest MFA UX in category, strong device trust capabilities (Duo Healthcheck), and Cisco-network integration. Best fit for organizations where MFA is the primary need and SSO is secondary, or Cisco-anchored networks. Trade-offs: SSO depth thinner than Okta/Entra, integration ecosystem narrower, and post-Cisco product velocity has slowed.
Organizations where MFA is the primary need and SSO is secondary, or Cisco-network-anchored enterprises wanting native MFA + device trust.
Best-of-breed workforce IAM (Okta/Entra better for SSO depth), customer IAM (Auth0 better), or SMBs needing all-in-one (JumpCloud better).
Strengths
- MFA market leader
- Cleanest MFA UX in category
- Device trust capabilities (Duo Healthcheck)
- Cisco network integration
- Built for MFA-first deployments
Weaknesses
- SSO depth thinner than Okta/Entra
- Integration ecosystem narrower (~500)
- Post-Cisco product velocity slowed
- Identity governance limited
- Support depends on tier
Pricing tiers
public- FreeUp to 10 users; basic MFA$0+$0 /mo +/emp
- EssentialsPer user; basic MFA + SSO$3 /mo
- AdvantagePer user; device trust, advanced policies$6 /mo
- PremierPer user; full identity platform$9 /mo
- · Annual billing for discount
- · Premium support add-on
Key features
- +MFA (push, TOTP, hardware tokens)
- +Device trust (Duo Healthcheck)
- +SSO (~500 apps)
- +Adaptive policies
- +Passwordless authentication
- +Mobile apps
- +Cisco network integration
OneLogin (One Identity)
Lower-cost Okta alternative for mid-market.
OneLogin is the lower-cost Okta alternative for mid-market organizations. Acquired by One Identity (Quest Software) in 2021. The product's strengths: per-user pricing meaningfully cheaper than Okta, mature SSO and provisioning, and strong fit for mid-market not on Microsoft. Trade-offs: post-One Identity acquisition product velocity has slowed, integration ecosystem narrower than Okta (~5,000 vs 7,000), and customer support quality has declined.
Mid-market organizations (200-2,000 employees) wanting lower-cost workforce IAM than Okta with sufficient depth for non-Microsoft shops.
Microsoft 365-anchored (Entra better), enterprise needing deepest features (Okta/Ping better), or modern engineering teams needing CIAM (Auth0 better).
Strengths
- Lower-cost Okta alternative
- Mature SSO and provisioning
- Made for mid-market non-Microsoft
- Established 2009; broad customer base
- OneLogin Vigilance AI for risk detection
Weaknesses
- Post-One Identity product velocity slowed
- Integration ecosystem narrower (~5,000 vs 7,000)
- Customer support quality declined
- Innovation pace slower than Okta/Entra
- AI features less mature
Pricing tiers
public- AdvancedPer user; SSO + MFA$4 /mo
- ProfessionalPer user; provisioning, advanced MFA$8 /mo
- BundleCustom; full platformQuote
- · Per-product pricing
- · Annual billing for discount
- · Implementation fee
Key features
- +SSO (~5,000 pre-built apps)
- +Adaptive MFA
- +SCIM provisioning
- +OneLogin Vigilance AI (risk detection)
- +Mobile apps
- +5,000+ integrations
Beyond Identity
Passwordless-first IAM with FIDO2/passkey-native architecture.
Beyond Identity is the passwordless-first IAM platform, founded 2020 by Jim Clark (Netscape) and Tom (Pat) Jermoluk (@Home). The product's strengths: passkey/FIDO2-native architecture (no passwords ever), strong device-bound credentials, and modern UX. Best fit for security-forward organizations eliminating passwords entirely. Trade-offs: Lighter market share than Okta/Entra, integration ecosystem narrower (~150), and pricing meaningful at scale.
Security-forward organizations (200-5,000 employees) eliminating passwords entirely with passkey/FIDO2-native architecture.
Microsoft-anchored shops (Entra includes passkey support free), organizations not ready for passwordless (Okta/Entra better), or SMBs (JumpCloud cheaper).
Strengths
- Passkey/FIDO2-native architecture (no passwords)
- Device-bound credentials (anti-phishing)
- Modern UX
- Right call for security-forward orgs
- Founder-led with strong VC backing
Weaknesses
- Narrower customer base than Okta/Entra
- Integration ecosystem narrower (~150)
- Pricing meaningful at scale
- Newer product (2020); some growing pains
- Less mature governance features
Pricing tiers
opaque- Workforce Secure SSO~$8-$15/user/mo typicalQuote
- Workforce Secure DevOpsAdds developer authenticationQuote
- Workforce Secure CustomersAdds customer IAMQuote
- · Per-product pricing
- · Implementation fee ($5K-$25K)
Key features
- +Passkey/FIDO2-native authentication
- +Device-bound credentials
- +Adaptive policies
- +Risk scoring
- +Mobile apps
- +150+ integrations
Rippling SSO
Bundled with Rippling HRIS, default for Rippling-committed SMBs.
Rippling SSO is bundled with Rippling HRIS (covered separately in our Top 10 HRIS ranking) and Rippling Payroll (in our Top 10 Payroll Software ranking). The product's primary advantage: unified employee + identity lifecycle (employee onboarding in HRIS automatically provisions SSO + apps), making it the default for Rippling-committed SMBs (10-500 employees). Trade-offs: outside the Rippling ecosystem the product is significantly weaker, integration ecosystem narrower than Okta (~600), and standalone use case rare.
SMBs (10-500 employees) already on Rippling HRIS wanting unified employee + identity lifecycle (HRIS-driven SSO provisioning).
Non-Rippling organizations (Okta/Entra better), enterprise (Okta/Entra/Ping better), or customer IAM (Auth0 better fit).
Strengths
- Unified employee + identity lifecycle with Rippling HRIS
- Default for Rippling-committed SMBs
- Native HRIS-driven provisioning
- Fits 10-500 employee Rippling shops
- Modern UX
Weaknesses
- Outside Rippling ecosystem significantly weaker
- Integration ecosystem narrower (~600)
- Standalone use case rare
- Identity governance features limited
- Less penetration than Okta/Entra
Pricing tiers
opaque- Rippling SSO$8/user/mo typical (bundled with Rippling)Quote
- · Bundled with Rippling HRIS subscription
- · Per-product pricing within Rippling
Key features
- +SSO (~600 pre-built apps)
- +MFA
- +Native HRIS-driven provisioning
- +Conditional Access policies
- +Mobile apps
- +Tight Rippling HRIS integration
7 steps to pick the right identity & access management (iam) / sso
- 1 1. Audit your existing Microsoft footprint
On Microsoft 365 E3 or E5? → Microsoft Entra ID is essentially free (bundled). Don't pay for Okta/Ping if Entra covers the use case. Outside Microsoft? → Okta/JumpCloud/OneLogin.
- 2 2. Distinguish workforce IAM from CIAM
Employees accessing company apps? → Workforce IAM (Okta WIC, Entra, JumpCloud). End users using your product? → CIAM (Auth0, Okta CIC). Both use cases? → Run both products.
- 3 3. Plan HRIS-IAM integration
Modern setups have HRIS as the source of truth. Workday HCM → Okta/Entra/Ping via SCIM. BambooHR → Okta/Entra via SCIM. Rippling HRIS → Rippling SSO native. Verify your specific HRIS-IAM integration before signing.
- 4 4. Match scale to product tier
SMB (10-100 employees): JumpCloud, Rippling SSO, Entra Free. Mid-market (100-1,000): Okta SSO+MFA, OneLogin, Entra P1. Enterprise (1,000+): Okta full platform, Entra P2, Ping bundles, CyberArk Identity.
- 5 5. Demand passkey support
Passkeys (FIDO2) are now table-stakes. Verify the IAM supports passkey enrollment and authentication. If gated behind premium tiers, that's a red flag, consider Beyond Identity, Microsoft Entra, or modern Okta tiers.
- 6 6. Plan MFA rollout as change management
MFA enrollment is the biggest user friction. Plan a phased rollout, IT first, then early adopters, then mandatory. Most orgs see 60-90 days from MFA decision to full rollout. Auto-enrollment via HRIS lifecycle helps.
- 7 7. Negotiate at enterprise scale
Okta, Ping, CyberArk all have flexible enterprise pricing. Annual contract negotiation typical 15-30% discount at 1,000+ users. Multi-year locks common. Write breach notification SLAs into the contract.
Frequently asked questions
The questions buyers actually ask before they sign a identity & access management (iam) / sso contract.
Okta vs Microsoft Entra ID, which one?
How does this differ from your SIEM ranking?
How much should I budget for IAM?
How long does IAM implementation take?
What about passwordless and passkeys in 2026?
Should I pick best-of-breed or bundled IAM?
How do IAM breaches affect vendor selection?
How does this overlap with HRIS for employee provisioning?
Glossary
- IAM
- Identity & Access Management. Manages who (identity) can access what (access) under what conditions.
- SSO
- Single Sign-On. One login provides access to multiple apps via SAML, OIDC, or OAuth protocols.
- MFA
- Multi-Factor Authentication. Requires two or more verification methods (knowledge, possession, biometric).
- CIAM
- Customer IAM. Identity for end users of your products (vs workforce IAM for employees). Auth0 leads this.
- SCIM
- System for Cross-domain Identity Management. Standard for auto-provisioning user accounts to apps. Critical for HRIS-IAM integration.
- Passkey / FIDO2
- Passwordless authentication using device-bound credentials. Replaces passwords entirely. Now table-stakes in 2026.
- Conditional Access
- Policies that grant or block access based on user, device, location, risk score. Microsoft Entra leads.
- Identity Governance (IGA)
- Compliance-grade access reviews, certifications, and lifecycle workflows. Often a separate module/product.
- Federation
- Trust relationship between two identity systems (e.g. your IAM and a partner's IAM) so users can SSO across boundaries.
- PAM
- Privileged Access Management. Specialized IAM for admin/root accounts. CyberArk is the PAM leader; covered as separate category.
Final word
See the full intelligence profile for any product on this page, including verified pricing, vendor trust scores, and review patterns. Browse the Identity & Access Management (IAM) / SSO category page →
Last updated 2026-05-08. Pricing data is reverified quarterly. Found something inaccurate? Tell us.