→ Download Now: Checklist for Enterprise Passwordless Adoption
Okta stands as a dominant force in the identity management market, offering an extensive suite of services — from Single Sign-On (SSO) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to lifecycle management and governance. But dominance doesn’t always equal fit — especially in today’s environment, where hybrid work, zero trust mandates, and industry-specific compliance frameworks demand more adaptable and phishing-resistant access strategies.
Whether driven by M&A integration challenges, escalating licensing costs, or the need for finer control over on-prem infrastructure, many security leaders are re-evaluating their reliance on monolithic IAM providers. Emerging alternatives are offering differentiated value — from native support for passwordless tools to modular architectures that reduce identity sprawl and improve UX without compromising compliance.
At Hideez, we specialize in delivering passwordless authentication based on the FIDO standards — fully compatible with both cloud and on-prem identity providers like Okta and Active Directory. We help small and large organizations bridge the gap between logical and physical security and explore password-free access tools in real-world conditions — without upfront costs.
In this article, we’ll examine the most notable alternatives to Okta — highlighting their architectural differences, MFA capabilities, and suitability for hybrid environments — so you can evaluate which identity solution best matches your security and operational priorities.
Common Frustrations with Okta: What Security Leaders Are Saying
As part of our research into the identity and access management solutions, we analyzed over 100 user reviews and technical discussions across platforms like Reddit, G2, and Capterra. The goal: identify the most common pain points IT leaders face when relying on Okta for identity management.
Here’s what stood out — ranked by frequency of mention:
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Complex MFA Recovery (~29%): Nearly one-third of users pointed to difficulty recovering access when a phone is lost, replaced, or reset. The lack of intuitive fallback options often leads to increased support tickets and user downtime.
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Lack of Transparency During Security Incidents (~21%): Okta has suffered multiple security incidents in the last two years. In the most recent and severe case (October 2023), attackers stole session tokens from HAR files uploaded to Okta’s support case system — enabling unauthorized access to customer environments. Though initially downplayed, Okta later admitted that every customer using the support portal was affected.
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Unpredictable and High Pricing (~18%): Reviewers often described pricing as opaque, with unexpected cost increases tied to scaling or advanced features like Okta Workflows that go underused. SMBs in particular report difficulty justifying the cost at scale.
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Inconsistent Directory & HRIS Sync (~16%): Problems with identity data sync — such as attribute mismatch or failure to audit changes — were frequently cited by IT admins managing hybrid or regulated environments.
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Clunky Admin UI (~16%): Several reviewers noted that Okta’s admin portal lacks clarity and efficiency, especially for day-to-day operations like user provisioning or password resets.
These issues aren’t isolated complaints — they reflect structural gaps in Okta’s approach to usability, transparency, and flexibility. For security leaders managing hybrid infrastructure or compliance-heavy environments, it may be time to evaluate alternative identity platforms better aligned with current operational demands.
Factors to Consider When Evaluating Okta Competitors
Choosing the right Okta competitor involves assessing several critical factors:
Architecture & Integration Efficiency: How well does the solution plug into your existing identity ecosystem — including cloud-native apps, legacy systems, on-prem resources, and edge devices? The best alternatives support standards like SAML, OIDC, SCIM, and LDAP out-of-the-box, with minimal overhead for your engineering team.
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Licensing is only the starting point. Assess the full lifecycle cost: deployment complexity, staffing requirements, hidden API limits, and support SLAs. Some vendors underprice the license but overcharge for scale or premium features like workflow automation.
Elastic Scalability & Federation Support: Can the platform support organizational growth, multi-tenancy, and complex federation scenarios across departments or business units? Scalable solutions must handle identity orchestration across hybrid and multi-cloud environments without performance degradation.
Security Depth & Credential Innovation: Does the platform go beyond traditional MFA? Look for phishing-resistant options like FIDO2 authentication, hardware-backed credentials, and continuous authentication. Built-in anomaly detection, access behavior analytics, and conditional access policies should be table stakes.
Compliance Readiness & Auditability: Identity is at the heart of every audit. Ensure the platform supports detailed access logs, entitlement reviews, delegated administration, and automated reporting aligned with standards like HIPAA, GDPR, and NIST 800-63.
User & Admin Experience: A secure solution users avoid is a security gap. Consider login friction, device compatibility, and accessibility. For administrators, modern UI, API access, and centralized policy management are essential to reduce friction and improve response time.
Top-7 Okta Alternatives: Recommendations by Organization Type
We’ve broken down the most relevant alternatives into three distinct groups, based on what really matters to C-level decision-makers: control, complexity, and cost. Whether you're running a globally distributed workforce, a fast-scaling SaaS platform, or a resource-strapped IT team at an SMB — here are the options worth your time.
For Enterprises with Hybrid or Legacy Infrastructure
Not every organization was born in the cloud — and that’s not a bad thing. Whether you’re managing on-prem Active Directory, legacy ERP systems, or mission-critical apps running in private datacenters, your IAM solution has to play nice with what’s already there.
1. Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD): For Companies with a Microsoft-first Strategy
Microsoft Entra ID is the natural fit for companies deeply invested in Windows Server, AD, and Microsoft 365. It supports hybrid identities through Entra Connect (formerly Azure AD Connect), letting you bridge on-premises AD with cloud services seamlessly. Conditional Access, Identity Governance, and device-based trust are all built-in.
Strengths:
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Full integration with on-prem AD and cloud workloads
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Mature Conditional Access and risk-based policies
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Scalable and secure for large global orgs
Limitations:
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Vendor lock-in: deep Microsoft dependency
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Complexity increases if your core stack isn't Microsoft-based
Pricing: Cloud-based plans start at $6/user/month (P1) and $9/user/month (P2). Full Entra Suite is $12/user/month.On-prem support is delivered through hybrid integration with Active Directory (Azure AD Connect), with no additional on-prem license fee but potential setup/maintenance overhead.
2. Ping Identity: Option for highly regulated and mixed environments
Ping Identity shines in hybrid environments where compliance and custom integration matter. PingFederate can handle legacy protocols like WS-Fed and SAML, while newer components (like PingOne) support OAuth2, OIDC, and adaptive access. It's trusted in finance, healthcare, and government sectors for a reason.
Strengths:
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Excellent support for federation and legacy SSO
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Modular deployment (on-prem, cloud, hybrid)
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High configurability with strong enterprise track record
Limitations:
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Requires implementation expertise
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Can be expensive depending on scope and licensing
Pricing: Cloud SSO starts at $3/user/month for PingOne Workforce. Enterprise deployments typically begin around $35,000/year. On-premises PingFederate deployments use custom pricing and licensing, usually in the mid five-figure range, depending on scale and modules.
3. Hideez Workforce Identity: Budget-conscious option for SMBs
Hideez delivers phishing-resistant, passwordless authentication for both physical and digital work environments — with native support for Windows PC login, proximity-based auto-lock, and passwordless access to web apps through SAML/OIDC protocols. While fully capable of functioning as a standalone Identity Provider, Hideez is also designed to integrate smoothly into existing IAM environments, including those powered by Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, Ping Identity, OneLogin, and others.
That means you don’t have to rip and replace — you can extend your current stack with FIDO2-certified authentication and workstation-level control, especially where traditional cloud-native tools fall short (e.g., shared PCs, air-gapped networks, or limited connectivity environments).
Strengths:
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Native PC login and auto-lock for on-prem AD users
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Certified FIDO2 support, mobile & physical authenticators
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Low overhead: fast deployment, no deep rearchitecture required
Considerations:
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Less suited for organizations with thousands of apps or federated tenants
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Not intended as a full-stack identity governance platform
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Best suited for SMBs, branch offices, or focused use cases in larger orgs
Price: Free 30-day trial; $6/month for on-prem and $2/month for cloud version
4. ForgeRock
ForgeRock provides a comprehensive IAM platform with advanced access management and identity governance capabilities, suitable for large-scale deployments.
Strengths:
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Highly customizable and scalable.
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Supports complex identity requirements.
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Strong integration capabilities with existing systems.
Considerations:
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Steep learning curve and requires significant implementation effort.
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Higher total cost of ownership.
Pricing:
Custom pricing, with implementation costs around $20,000 and ongoing costs approximately $8,000/month for global enterprises.
For Cloud-First and SaaS-Centric Organizations
Companies operating predominantly in the cloud require IAM solutions that offer seamless integration with cloud services and applications.
5. JumpCloud: For modern IT teams managing cross-platform environments
JumpCloud positions itself as a "Directory-as-a-Service," combining SSO, MFA, device management, and directory services into one cloud-native platform. It’s ideal for small to mid-sized teams looking to escape on-prem Active Directory without sacrificing control. It works well across Windows, macOS, and Linux, and supports identity federation, LDAP, and Radius for legacy compatibility.
Strengths:
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Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux).
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Integrated device and identity management.
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Flexible pricing and scalable features.
Considerations:
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Some advanced features may require additional configuration.
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Limited SSO capabilities compared to some competitors.
Pricing: Cloud version starts at $3/user/month with à la carte add-ons. Core directory, SSO, and device management are priced separately. On-prem deployment is not supported — this is a pure SaaS offering.
6. OneLogin: For cloud-first businesses that want fast deployment
OneLogin is often described as the "Okta-lite" — in a good way. It offers all the IAM essentials (SSO, MFA, user provisioning, policy management), but with a simpler UI and faster time to value. It supports thousands of SaaS integrations out of the box, and for orgs still running on AD, its cloud connector makes hybrid identity viable without full replatforming.
Strengths:
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User-friendly interface.
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Quick deployment and easy integration.
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Affordable pricing for small to medium-sized businesses.
Considerations:
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Limited customization options compared to enterprise-grade solutions.
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May lack advanced features required by larger organizations.
Pricing: Starts at $4/user/month for SSO & MFA; advanced features like SmartFactor Authentication and user provisioning available in higher tiers. Cloud-first deployment by default; supports hybrid use via on-prem AD integration (OneLogin AD Connector). No full on-prem version.
7. Rippling: HR-IT convergence platform
Rippling isn’t a traditional IAM product — it’s a modern employee management suite that tightly couples HR data with IT access. It shines in cloud-first environments where speed, automation, and clean offboarding are mission-critical. You define access policies once, and Rippling automates provisioning across hundreds of SaaS apps based on employee role or department.
Strengths:
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Unified platform for HR and IT operations.
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Automated workflows for onboarding and offboarding.
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User-friendly interface.
Considerations:
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Primarily focused on HR functionalities; may lack advanced IAM features.
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Best suited for organizations seeking an all-in-one HR and IAM solution.
Pricing: Cloud-based pricing starts at $8/user/month for basic HR features. IT and identity management modules are add-ons, generally bringing the cost to $15 - 20/user/month.
No on-prem functionality — this is a cloud-native product built for modern SaaS workflows.
Finding Your Organization's Ideal Okta Alternative
The identity management space is continuously evolving, driven by emerging trends such as the move towards passwordless authentication, the widespread adoption of Zero Trust security models, the integration of AI/ML for behavioral analysis and adaptive security, and potential shifts towards decentralized identity. Selecting a platform that is not only capable today but also positioned to adapt to these future trends is increasingly important.
While Okta has long set the benchmark, today’s IAM market offers a strong set of focused alternatives. Whether you’re looking for seamless HR-to-IT provisioning, cloud-native directory and device management, deep policy control and federation, Microsoft-aligned hybrid identity, simplified SSO for cloud apps, or affordable passwordless access for on-prem environments — there are options that may align better with your infrastructure, budget, and risk profile. The best choice comes from evaluating these solutions not just by features, but by how well they fit your operational reality.
