Okta SSO at $2/user covers SSO + integrations + dashboard + basic MFA. Adaptive MFA + SSO at $5/user covers UD + lifecycle. Enterprise Bundle at $15+/user covers Workforce Identity Cloud + IGA + API Access Mgmt + dedicated CSM. Where alternatives win: Microsoft Entra ID is free with M365 then $6-$12/user, OneLogin undercuts at $4-$15/user, Ping Identity wins on workforce + identity orchestration at $1-$12/user, ForgeRock leads CIAM + governance at $60k-$300k+, and Auth0 (Okta-owned) leads developer-first CIAM at $0-$30k+.
By Subrupt EditorialPublished Reviewed
The IAM market serves enterprise IT + security + DevOps teams managing workforce + customer identity, SSO, MFA, lifecycle (provisioning + deprovisioning), and increasingly identity governance + CIAM (Customer IAM). Okta launched 2009 plus has dominated US enterprise IAM through cloud-first SSO + 7,000+ pre-built app integrations + Workforce Identity Cloud + acquisition of Auth0 (2021) for CIAM. The category sits at the intersection of SSO + access management (SAML, OIDC, OAuth flows), MFA + adaptive authentication (push, hardware tokens, biometrics, risk-based), lifecycle (HR-driven provisioning, deprovisioning, governance), CIAM (customer identity, social login, B2C scale), plus IGA (governance, certifications, segregation of duties).
Cost math at typical scale: a 1,000-user enterprise on Okta Adaptive MFA + SSO pays $60k yearly. Same load on Microsoft Entra ID P2 pays $108k. OneLogin Professional pays $96k. Ping Identity PingOne Workforce pays $60k. ForgeRock Identity Cloud pays $60k+ (custom). Auth0 Enterprise pays $30k+. The price spread on 1k-user IAM is 1-1.8x; the bigger differentiators are Microsoft 365 bundling (Entra ID), 7000+ integration ecosystem (Okta), CIAM depth (Auth0, ForgeRock), and identity orchestration (Ping DaVinci).
Pick by stack plus identity scope. SMB plus Microsoft 365 customer: Microsoft Entra ID Free or P1 at $6/user (already bundled with M365). Mid-market 100-500 users plus modern stack: Okta SSO at $2/user. Enterprise 500-5k users plus 7000+ apps: Okta Adaptive MFA + SSO at $5/user. CIAM B2C scale: Auth0 Free + Essentials. Identity orchestration + complex flows: Ping Identity PingOne. EU + governance-heavy: ForgeRock Identity Cloud. Mid-market OneLogin (under-priced relative to Okta).
Affiliate disclosure: Subrupt earns a commission when you switch to a service through our recommendation links. This never changes the price you pay. We only recommend services where there's a real cost or feature advantage for you, and our picks are based on the data on this page, not on which programs pay the most.
Quick pick by use case
If you only have thirty seconds, find your situation below and skip to that pick.
Identity orchestrationNo-code flow builder for multi-step identity journeys
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✗
✓
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CIAM supportCustomer identity for B2C apps
✗
✗
✓
✓
Self-host option
✗
✗
✗
✓
M365 native bundlingFree at the bundled tier with Microsoft 365 enterprise contracts
✓
✗
✗
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Pre-built integrationsApp catalog size vs Okta's 7,000-plus
~2,500
~3,000
~1,500
Standards-only
Per-user entry priceAnnual list price at the entry workforce tier
$6/user
$4/user
$1/user
$0/user
Cost at your volume
Approximate cost per pick at typical users.
Pick
SMB100 users
Mid-market500 users
Enterprise2,000 users
Microsoft Entra ID
$600/mo
$3,000/mo
$12,000/mo
OneLogin (One Identity)
$400/mo
$2,000/mo
$8,000/mo
Ping Identity
$500/mo
$2,500/mo
$10,000/mo
Keycloak
$100/mo
$300/mo
$1,000/mo
Modeled at Okta Adaptive MFA + SSO list ($5/user/mo, $60/user/yr) as the comparison baseline. Microsoft Entra ID modeled at P1 ($6/user/mo) for non-M365 buyers; effectively $0 for the ~70% of Fortune 500 already paying for M365. Keycloak modeled at self-host infrastructure cost (managed Postgres plus container compute) and excludes ops headcount.
Microsoft Entra ID Free is included with Microsoft 365 with SSO + basic MFA + 50k objects + self-service password reset cloud. P1 at $6 per user monthly covers Conditional Access + dynamic groups + self-service group + app proxy. P2 at $9 covers Identity Protection + PIM + risk-based Conditional Access + reviews. Suite at $12 adds Verified ID + ID Governance + Internet Access + Private Access bundle. Where Okta is identity-only standalone, Microsoft Entra ID bundles into M365 + Azure + Defender + Purview at one Microsoft 365 enterprise contract. For Microsoft-native enterprises (which covers ~70% of Fortune 500), Microsoft Entra ID P2 at $108k yearly for 1k users beats Okta Enterprise on Microsoft stack bundling. The trade vs Okta: smaller third-party app integration ecosystem (Microsoft pushes M365 + Azure first), weaker brand-agnostic CIAM, less polished developer experience for non-Microsoft stack.
Strengths
+Free with M365 (huge bundling)
+P2 + Suite covers full IAM + governance
+Native Azure + M365 integration
+Strong fit for Microsoft-native enterprises
Trade-offs
−Smaller third-party integration ecosystem
−Weaker brand-agnostic CIAM
−Less polished non-Microsoft developer UX
Free
Free with M365
P1
$6/user/mo annual
P2
$9/user/mo with Identity Protection + PIM
Suite
$12/user/mo with Verified ID + Governance
Pricing verified
2026-04-30
Migration steps
Verify M365 subscription includes Entra ID Free.
Upgrade to P1 or P2 in Azure portal.
Migrate Okta SAML + OIDC apps to Entra ID app registrations.
Cancel Okta once Entra ID covers full SSO + MFA cycle.
Not for: Pass on Microsoft Entra ID if your stack is non-Microsoft-native or you depend on Okta's 7,000+ third-party app ecosystem; Okta Adaptive MFA + SSO fits that shape better.
Auth0 Free is free up to 25k MAU + 5 actions + 2 social connections + Universal Login + custom domains. Essentials at $35 monthly for 1k MAU adds custom domains + unlimited social connections + bring-your-own DB + custom branding. Professional at $240 monthly for 1k MAU adds MFA + actions + connections + role + custom domains + extensibility. Enterprise at custom $30k+ yearly adds private cloud + SLA + dedicated CSM + advanced governance + 99.99% SLA. Where Okta Workforce focuses on enterprise SSO, Auth0 (acquired by Okta 2021) built developer-first CIAM: drop-in JS/SDKs for React + Next + iOS + Android, Universal Login customization, plus 25k MAU free tier for B2C apps. For SaaS + B2C developers needing CIAM with social login + custom branding + enterprise SLA, Auth0 Professional + Enterprise beats Okta Workforce on developer UX. The trade vs Okta Workforce: narrower scope (CIAM-focused, not workforce + governance), per-MAU pricing balloons at scale, less mature lifecycle + provisioning vs Okta UD.
Strengths
+Free up to 25k MAU + 5 actions
+Developer-first SDKs + Universal Login
+Now Okta-owned (acquired 2021)
+Strong fit for SaaS + B2C developers
Trade-offs
−Narrower scope (CIAM-focused, not workforce)
−Per-MAU pricing balloons at scale
−Less mature lifecycle vs Okta UD
Free
Free up to 25k MAU + 5 actions
Essentials
$35/mo for 1k MAU
Professional
$240/mo for 1k MAU
Enterprise
Custom $30k+/yr
Pricing verified
2026-04-30
Migration steps
Sign up at auth0.com (free up to 25k MAU).
Configure Universal Login + social connections + custom domains.
Migrate Okta CIAM users to Auth0 (bulk import via API).
Update SDKs in React/Next/iOS/Android apps.
Cancel Okta CIAM tier once Auth0 covers full B2C identity.
Not for: Auth0 is suboptimal for workforce SSO + governance + lifecycle scenarios; Okta Workforce + Enterprise fit those shapes better.
OneLogin is the pick when your team wants an Okta-equivalent SSO plus MFA bundle at materially lower cost. Where Okta separates SSO and Adaptive MFA into two priced tiers, OneLogin Advanced bundles them under one per-user rate.
The trade: Smaller pre-built app integration ecosystem (roughly 3,000 vs Okta's 7,000-plus), weaker brand recognition in enterprise procurement cycles, and a smaller customer base means a thinner pool of operator-side reference architectures.
The upside: Advanced at $4/user/mo annual covers SSO, MFA, reporting, custom branding, and provisioning for 25-plus users, which is roughly 20% under Okta Adaptive MFA + SSO at the same scope. Professional roughly doubles Advanced to add SmartFactor, HR-driven workflows, AD/LDAP, and advanced MFA, still under Okta Enterprise Bundle list territory. Enterprise custom-quotes above Professional and adds the Trusted Experience Platform with Vigilance AI and a dedicated CSM.
Strengths
+Roughly 20% under Okta Adaptive MFA + SSO
+Advanced bundles SSO and MFA at one tier
+SmartFactor and HR-driven workflows on Pro
+Strong fit for mid-market 100-1k user enterprises
Trade-offs
−Smaller integration ecosystem (3k vs 7k)
−Weaker brand recognition
−Smaller customer base
Free Trial
30 days
Advanced
$4/user/mo annual (25-plus users)
Professional
$8/user/mo annual with SmartFactor
Enterprise
Custom $15+/user/mo
Pricing verified
2026-05-12
Migration steps
Sign up at onelogin.com for the 30-day free trial.
Configure SSO, MFA, and pre-built app integrations.
Migrate Okta apps and users via the OneLogin import flow.
Run parallel for 30 days and train the IT team on the OneLogin admin console.
Cancel Okta once OneLogin covers the full IAM cycle.
Not for: OneLogin falls short for enterprises needing the 7,000-plus Okta App Catalog or deep workforce plus IGA plus CIAM bundling; Okta Enterprise Bundle fits those shapes better.
ForgeRock (Ping-acquired 2023) is the pick when a Fortune 500 enterprise wants unified CIAM plus workforce IAM plus governance on one platform with Autonomous IDM for AI-driven access decisions. Where Okta separates Workforce Identity Cloud and Auth0 (CIAM), ForgeRock collapses them.
The trade: Smaller pre-built app integration ecosystem than Okta's 7,000-plus, longer enterprise procurement cycles (90-180 days typical), dated UX feel relative to Okta's modern PLG cloud, and no path under a six-figure annual contract.
The upside: Identity Cloud custom-quotes from $60k yearly for a 1,000-user workforce plus CIAM deployment with Autonomous IDM, which is honest if you would otherwise pay Okta Enterprise Bundle plus Auth0 Enterprise separately. Enterprise jumps roughly 2.5x for 5,000-user deployments with full governance, API, and dedicated CSM. Mission Critical doubles Enterprise for multi-region, 99.99% SLA, and 24/7 support and is the canonical CIAM platform at 100-million-plus user scale.
Strengths
+Unified CIAM, workforce, and governance
+Autonomous IDM with AI-driven access decisions
+Scales to 100-million-plus user CIAM
+Strong fit for Fortune 500 unified IAM
Trade-offs
−Smaller integration ecosystem vs Okta
−Longer enterprise procurement cycles
−Dated UX vs Okta
Identity Cloud
Custom ~$60k/yr (1k users)
Enterprise
Custom $150k+/yr (5k users)
Mission Critical
Custom $300k+/yr with multi-region SLA
Strength
Fortune 500 unified CIAM and governance
Pricing verified
2026-05-12
Migration steps
Schedule a demo via Ping Identity (post-acquisition).
Plan a 120-240 day implementation with the ForgeRock services team.
Migrate Okta and Auth0 tenants to the ForgeRock unified Identity Cloud.
Configure CIAM, workforce, governance, and Autonomous IDM modules.
Cut over once Fortune 500 IT validates the first quarterly compliance cycle.
Not for: ForgeRock is overkill for SMB and mid-market or motions wanting the 7,000-plus Okta App Catalog; Okta plus Auth0 fit those shapes better.
Keycloak is the pick when your security-conscious org has infrastructure-operations capacity and wants to remove per-user IAM licensing entirely. Keycloak is Apache 2.0 OSS (originated as Red Hat SSO in 2014, donated to CNCF in 2023), with a Red Hat commercial subscription path for orgs that need vendor support without per-MAU pricing.
The trade: Requires running Keycloak infrastructure (Docker or Kubernetes administration, database operations, backup, patching), smaller pre-built integration ecosystem (Keycloak supports SAML, OIDC, and OAuth standards for any compliant app, but no Okta-equivalent App Catalog of 7,000-plus pre-configured integrations), weaker out-of-the-box MFA UX, and no native lifecycle automation (must integrate with HRIS via SCIM or build custom flows).
The upside: Self-host carries zero per-user licensing cost. Infrastructure cost scales with deployment size, typically a low three-figure monthly bill for a 1,000-user deployment versus the $60k/yr Okta Adaptive MFA + SSO baseline at the same user count, which is roughly an order of magnitude less than the per-seat workforce-IAM model. The Red Hat build of Keycloak adds commercial support, patches, LTS, and hardened audited builds at a per-user subscription that is still substantially under Okta on a like-for-like comparison.
Strengths
+Free Apache 2.0 OSS plus Red Hat commercial option
+Zero per-user licensing (infrastructure only)
+Full SAML, OIDC, OAuth, LDAP, and social standards-compliant
+Strong fit for security-conscious orgs wanting zero per-MAU cost
Trade-offs
−Requires infrastructure operations (Docker/K8s plus DB plus patching)
−Smaller pre-built App Catalog vs Okta 7,000-plus
−Weaker MFA UX and no lifecycle automation out-of-the-box
Open Source
Free CNCF Apache 2.0 self-hosted
Red Hat build
Custom ~$25/user/yr Red Hat subscription
Red Hat Enterprise
Custom ~$50/user/yr at 1k-plus users
Strength
Zero per-user licensing
Pricing verified
2026-05-12
Migration steps
Spin up Keycloak via Docker for a five-minute test, then deploy production behind a reverse proxy with database backing.
Migrate Okta apps and users to Keycloak via SAML and OIDC client configuration plus SCIM user import.
Configure MFA, social brokering, and group or role mapping to match the Okta workflow.
Run parallel for 60-90 days and validate authentication flows, session handling, and audit logs.
Cancel Okta seats once Keycloak covers your full IAM workflow (typically retain Okta for a small set of high-value SaaS apps where the App Catalog auto-config saves time vs building Keycloak SAML clients manually).
Not for: Keycloak is suboptimal for organizations without infrastructure-operations capacity or organizations whose value-driver is the 7,000-plus Okta App Catalog plus lifecycle automation; Okta plus Microsoft Entra ID plus OneLogin fit those shapes better.
Paid plans from $2.00/mo
When to stay with Okta
Stay with Okta if your enterprise has 1k+ users on Workforce Identity Cloud + IGA bundle, your Adaptive MFA + UD + lifecycle is wired into 7,000+ pre-built integrations, or your Auth0 (acquired) is core to customer identity. The picks below cover Microsoft 365-native Entra ID, mid-market OneLogin, free-trial Ping, EU + governance-heavy ForgeRock, CIAM-native Auth0, and OSS Keycloak.
We compared identity and access management platforms in the 100 to 50,000 user enterprise segment across pricing, integration ecosystem depth, MFA and Adaptive Authentication maturity, CIAM capability, identity orchestration via no-code flow builders, and Microsoft 365 plus Azure bundling.
We weighted predictable per-user pricing, pre-built app coverage, CIAM developer experience, and cost-flip math at typical workforce scale of 100, 500, and 2,000 users. Pricing was verified against vendor sites on 2026-05-12.
Update history1 update
Initial published version with 5 picks.
Frequently asked questions about Okta alternatives
What is Okta pricing?
Okta SSO is the entry tier at $2/user/mo annual for SSO, integrations, dashboard, and basic MFA. Adaptive MFA + SSO is roughly 2.5x the SSO tier and adds Universal Directory plus lifecycle automation. Enterprise Bundle custom-quotes from roughly 3x the Adaptive tier and bundles Workforce Identity Cloud, IGA, API Access Mgmt, and a dedicated CSM.
Is there a free Okta alternative?
Yes. Microsoft Entra ID Free is included with every Microsoft 365 enterprise contract and covers SSO, basic MFA, and self-service password reset for 50,000 objects. Auth0 Free covers up to 25,000 monthly active users for CIAM apps. Keycloak Open Source is Apache 2.0 self-host with no per-user licensing cost. Okta itself plus Ping Identity plus OneLogin all offer 30-day free trials.
Which IAM is cheapest for Microsoft 365 customers?
Microsoft Entra ID is effectively free at the bundled tier for M365 customers, which beats Okta cleanly for the ~70% of Fortune 500 already paying for M365. P1 at $6/user/mo annual adds Conditional Access plus dynamic groups plus app proxy; P2 layers on Identity Protection plus PIM plus risk-based Conditional Access.
What replaces Okta for CIAM and B2C developer apps?
Auth0 (Okta-owned since 2021) leads developer-first CIAM with Universal Login, social login, custom domains, and SDK ergonomics across React, Next.js, iOS, and Android. Free covers up to 25,000 MAU; paid tiers scale through Essentials at $35/mo for 1k MAU, Professional, and Enterprise.
Which IAM fits identity orchestration and complex flows?
Ping Identity PingOne Advanced Identity Cloud leads identity orchestration through the DaVinci no-code identity flow builder, the only no-code orchestration product in this comparison. ForgeRock Identity Cloud (Ping-owned) leads Fortune 500 unified CIAM plus workforce plus governance with Autonomous IDM for AI-driven access decisions.
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About the author: Subrupt Editorial
The team behind subrupt.com. We track subscriptions, surface cheaper alternatives, and publish comparisons where the score formula is on the page so you can recompute it yourself. We do not claim 30,000 hours of testing. What we claim is live pricing from our database, a transparent composite score, and honest savings math against a category baseline.
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