Cisco Duo vs Opal comparison

Cisco and Opal Security are both solutions in the Access Management category. Cisco is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.9, while Opal Security is ranked #20 with an average rating of 8.5. Cisco holds a 3.2% mindshare in AM, compared to Opal Security’s 0.7% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Opal Security users who would recommend it.

Cisco Duo

Read 158 Cisco Duo reviews

13,267 Views
3,317 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Opal

Read 2 Opal reviews

1,070 Views
396 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Duo

Opal

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco Duo and Opal based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Access Management solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Duo vs. Opal Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo vs. Opal

August 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 909,725 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Duo

Ranking in Access Management

4th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

158

Ranking in other categories

Single Sign-On (SSO) (3rd), Authentication Systems (2nd), ZTNA as a Service (2nd), Cisco Security Portfolio (1st), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) (1st), AI Data Analysis (3rd)

Opal

Ranking in Access Management

20th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

User Provisioning Software (10th), Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (19th)

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Access Management category, the mindshare of Cisco Duo is 3.2%, down from 3.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Opal is 0.7%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Access Management Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cisco Duo	3.2%
Opal	0.7%
Other	96.1%

Access Management

Featured Reviews

Charles Slaustas

Information Technology Contractor at Insight global

Supports seamless authentication for users across multiple organizations and personal portals

The features I use in Cisco Duo include Duo Pushes to confirm my identity to the device, and eventually as MFA security was increased, I actually had to use exchange passcodes. Sometimes, I have to go into the site and get into Cisco Duo to retrieve the passcode, and many of them have been two-factor, where the sites send a passcode that I have to enter into Cisco Duo. It has been more of the latter. I have not seen issues with lagging or crashing on Cisco Duo's end; it was usually on the client end, often because someone set up a bad upgrade or there were connection issues with the Cisco Duo cloud through the administrative site.

Read full review

Pranay Jain

Senior software engineer at Simplifyvms

Focused workdays have replaced doomscrolling and now reduce my daily screen time significantly

Opal can be improved in some ways. In the paid version, there are multiple features, but in the freemium version, there are fewer features. The blockage of the application can be more rigorous. Right now, if we play two to three games, then a math game or anything, we are able to remove that lock. It should be more rigorous in some manner, and for some applications, it should be more rigorous. Application-wise rigorousness should be introduced. The different modes are good, but they should be more customizable according to the person. The end goal should meet whatever the objective is, so if the person has used more than six hours, then it should remind the person frequently that this application has used this time and this is an application you should not use. It should give us a timer or some kind of notification that the person will not use it anymore.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The winning point for Cisco Duo over others is its simplicity; it is just a security solution in a box, and it integrates very easily."

"I lead an IT organization that has a significant amount of technical debt, and we're not in a zero-trust architecture yet. I'm pushing in that direction. Duo helps me considerably with my identity in an environment where I don't have zero trust. It's helping me bridge the gap until I can build a zero trust architecture."

"The most valuable feature of Duo Security is the ability for the user to easily approve access. The application prompts the user, and they can see the location and the IP address. This makes it easy for the user to approve it and go through the process of logging in to the VPN."

"The integration with Azure Active Directory and the AWS cloud is amazing, as most products nowadays require the creation of a customized integration. With Duo Security, it was more like native integration, and it took me five minutes to register."

"It meets our security needs very well. It is easy to use, and documentation is also available. It is also very stable and scalable, and its support is also very good. We are satisfied with this solution."

"It's fast; the whole process takes less time compared to other tools we've used before, which is very helpful."

"We like the different ways that it allows you to push notifications to people. It can do text, a phone call, and email. We liked the versatility for all of our different end-users, regardless of their level of understanding of the technology."

"Cisco Duo has provided substantial value, primarily in saved time, but also in low cost because administrators do not have a significant workload with Cisco Duo."

More Cisco Duo pros

"Opal has positively impacted my organization by reducing stress and increasing effectiveness for all our employees; it works better so all our employees have more time to sleep and they can investigate more."

"Previously, my phone usage was around nine hours and fifteen minutes or more, but it has significantly reduced to around six hours and thirty minutes to seven hours, meaning two and a half to three hours has been reduced after using Opal as my primary screen time blocker."

Cons

"The product price needs improvement."

"Cisco Duo is definitely not doing things that others are not doing, so there is no unique selling proposition."

"My experience with Cisco Duo's strong security authentication system is that sometimes there are difficulties, and sometimes users just won't be able to log in. We have to reset their password so they can use Duo."

"Regarding the Premier licensing, it is a little bit pricey, but it is in the market range with the competitors."

"I would appreciate seeing Cisco Duo improved with a tighter integration with Active Directory to secure not just Remote Desktop to a server, but all the remote levels of connection that you can make to a server."

"However, I need to look into Cisco Duo; I had not realized they had an email aspect."

"Cisco Duo has not helped my company reduce its overall authentication-related costs, as it is a cost above what we already have."

"More automation and device insights would be helpful in achieving a seamless single pane of glass. Having the additional capability to streamline processes would also make things better."

More Cisco Duo cons

"Opal can be improved in some ways."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"My experience with the pricing, setup cost, and licensing of Cisco Duo has been great. We've been there for 10 years. While we haven't gone through the setup part for a while, licensing is straightforward and convenient for higher education because student populations are included. So, we don't have to pay extra for it. We just pay for our knowledge workers, which has been great, and the cost is reasonable."

"The product’s pricing is reasonable."

"Overall, the pricing is fair. Customers can wrap it into their Enterprise Agreement, making it easier for them to solve their issues."

"I haven't seen any information on the pricing in four years, so I can't comment on that."

"Price wise, it's not cheap, but it's not expensive at all either. It's in the middle."

"It's a bit confusing because we're on a three-year plan with a certain number of licenses, and we've gone over that number. They told us that when we renew, they will add all these licenses. We've expanded quickly, so everyone's kind of scared because no one knows what the bill is with the long pricing cycle."

"It is affordable for what's coming to the table with it, but in this day and age, the cost is looked at under a microscope, and companies need to very finely define what is needed versus what is critical. In some cases, it might not be cost-effective for a company to have it. In a lot of other cases, it is the cost of doing business."

"I haven't seen it in a while, but it's at par with everything else licensing-wise."

More Cisco Duo pricing and cost advice

Information not available

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Access Management solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

Comms Service Provider

Outsourcing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Construction Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	63
Midsize Enterprise	26
Large Enterprise	79

No data available

Questions from the Community

How does Duo Security compare with Microsoft Authenticator?

We switched to Duo Security for identity verification. We’d been using a competitor but got the chance to evaluate Duo for 30 days, and we could not be happier. Duo Security is easy to configure a...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Duo Security?

It is a little bit expensive, but with security, we cannot compromise on it.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Duo Security?

To improve Cisco Duo, we have some third-party hardware, and for integrations with that, we need more user-friendly integrations since third-party integration can present a lot of compatibility iss...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Opal?

The paid version is a little costly.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Opal?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Opal?

The main use case of Opal for me is to reduce my screen time during my work hours, during my wake-up time, and during my sleeping time to improve my focus and feasibility towards my work and my act...

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Entra ID vs Cisco Duo

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Cisco Duo

Compared 6% of the time

Okta Platform vs Cisco Duo

Compared 3% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs Cisco Duo

Compared 3% of the time

Fortinet FortiToken vs Cisco Duo

Compared 3% of the time

More Cisco Duo Competitors

SailPoint Identity Security Cloud vs Opal

Compared 22% of the time

Okta Platform vs Opal

Compared 20% of the time

ConductorOne vs Opal

Compared 13% of the time

Idira IGA vs Opal

Compared 12% of the time

More Opal Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo

August 2026

Download Cisco Duo product report

Buyer's Guide

Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)

July 2026

Download Opal product report

Also Known As

Duo Security

No data available

Overview

Cisco Duo is a cloud-based identity security platform safeguarding critical resources for any user and device worldwide. Known for its ease of use, Duo offers seamless protection across multi-cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments.

Cisco Duo is designed to secure access with identity-first protection and provides extensive visibility throughout an organization's identity ecosystem. Offering multi-factor authentication, Duo facilitates easy integration and management, allowing teams to protect data effectively on VPNs, applications, and networks. Its single-pane management improves security processes while enhancing trust, making it suitable for diverse IT infrastructures.

What are the key features of Cisco Duo?

Multi-factor Authentication: Strengthens user verification with multiple methods.
Push Notifications: Simplifies authentication with quick approvals.
Single Sign-On: Enhances convenience by allowing one set of credentials.
VPN Access: Secures remote connections with reliable authentication.
User Activity Visibility: Offers comprehensive insights into access patterns.

Which benefits and ROI should users consider?

Quick Deployment: Facilitates rapid integration within existing systems.
Effective Management: Streamlines IT operations with centralized control.
Regulatory Compliance: Aids in meeting industry standards for data protection.
Enhanced Trust: Strengthens security posture across networks.
User-friendly Approach: Simplifies authentication for non-technical users.

In industries like education and finance, Cisco Duo is widely employed to secure multi-factor authentication across platforms such as email, databases, and servers. Its integration capabilities with Microsoft 365, Active Directory, and VPNs like AnyConnect are instrumental in verifying user identities using mobile apps or OTPs, catering effectively to both remote and on-premise environments.

Cisco

Opal is a comprehensive platform for identity access management and compliance automation. It excels in streamlining access control, audit preparation, and compliance tracking. Key features include an intuitive interface, robust security measures, and real-time collaboration, significantly improving organizational efficiency and productivity.

Free Report: Cisco Duo vs. Opal

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Duo vs. Opal and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Cisco Duo vs. Opal report.

See our list of best Access Management vendors.

We monitor all Access Management reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.