Cisco Duo vs UserLock comparison

Cisco and IS Decisions are both solutions in the Authentication Systems category. Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.5, while IS Decisions is ranked #21. Cisco holds a 9.3% mindshare in AS, compared to IS Decisions’s 1.1% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of IS Decisions users who would recommend it.

Cisco Duo

Read 74 Cisco Duo reviews

7,133 Views
5,778 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

UserLock

Read 2 UserLock reviews

989 Views
682 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Duo

UserLock

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 15, 2025

UserLock and Cisco Duo are both prominent solutions for secure user authentication. Cisco Duo seems to have the upper hand due to its comprehensive features, making it worth the investment.

What features are offered by UserLock in comparison to Cisco Duo?

UserLock offers straightforward integration and robust access control. It is also known for its strong pricing and responsive customer support. Cisco Duo provides advanced multi-factor authentication, extensive third-party integration, and detailed security measures, appealing to those needing more comprehensive security solutions.

What areas of improvement can be found in UserLock in comparison to Cisco Duo?

UserLock needs enhancements in scalability and mobile support. Users also suggest better integration with other security tools. Cisco Duo could improve in terms of ease of use, streamlining configuration settings, and reducing the learning curve associated with its deployment.

How is the ease of deployment and customer service of UserLock in comparison to Cisco Duo?

UserLock is known for its quick deployment and responsive customer service. In contrast, Cisco Duo, while having a detailed onboarding process, faces criticism for a more complex setup. UserLock's simpler implementation gives it an edge, despite Cisco Duo’s structured approach.

What setup costs and ROI can be seen with UserLock in comparison to Cisco Duo?

UserLock is noted for its reasonable setup costs and significant return on investment. Cisco Duo, slightly higher in initial expenditure, demonstrates a high ROI through its extensive security features. Users find the higher cost of Cisco Duo justified by its advanced capabilities, though UserLock’s affordability provides strong value.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Duo vs. UserLock Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo vs. UserLock

July 2025

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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 Authentication Systems

2nd

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Single Sign-On (SSO) (4th), ZTNA as a Service (7th), Cisco Security Portfolio (4th), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) (2nd)

UserLock

Ranking in Authentication Systems

21st

Average Rating

10.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Access Management (25th)

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Authentication Systems category, the mindshare of Cisco Duo is 9.3%, down from 11.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of UserLock is 1.1%, down from 1.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Authentication Systems

Featured Reviews

Thomas Botts

Senior Network Engineer at a educational organization with 1-10 employees

Managing security policies effectively with seamless authentication

The feature of Cisco Duo that I prefer the most is the policies, being able to control what we need to within the policies. You can get pretty granular. There isn't a lot of training that goes on in school districts. Email is an easy way where many people give out their credentials, so the level of protection is something that we definitely need in a school district. Cisco Duo's strong security authentication system has been easy when logging in, although the teachers don't appreciate it as much. We have it configured so users essentially just hit accept. If it sees any sort of built-in risk, then it steps up authentication. It's pretty easy. I appreciate it. I've encountered advantages with Cisco Duo in that it has stopped significant pushback from teachers. It has prevented credential sharing and unauthorized access. We've seen a huge decrease since we've rolled it out across the entire district.

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Bill H.

Information Technology at City Of Keizer

Affordable, easy to use, and integrates well with Active Directory

The product and service are already great as it is but if I could add one feature, I guess it would be nice to have another factor of authentication (two additional factors) like your phone and a token for example, for when people forget their phone at home. It’s not that I mind not having two factors, but I do get that question from time to time from some of our users who think it would be really useful. From what I’ve heard, they’re working on it and it should be coming in the next version so that’s great news.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The UI of Cisco Duo is easy to use, especially the web backend, and it's really intuitive and easy to set up."

"Cisco Duo is quick to deploy and easy to start."

"It was a simple way of providing two-factor authentication for remote access when we hit the COVID pandemic. It was very easy and quick to get it going."

"We get fewer threats to remediate due to the two-factor authentication, which does not allow as many threats through."

"It's a lot easier for our end users to connect to our network. You don't have to type in a code. You get push notifications, that's probably the best thing about it. The fewer clicks they have to do to be online, the better it is. They can easily get into the network and do remote work."

"It's simple. It's reliable. I haven't had any issues with it."

"Duo Security provides a high level of certainty regarding the identity of the individual performing an action. Whether it's logging into a system, using VPN, or utilizing Autopay, establishing that trust is crucial. I can't imagine any security company, organization, or IT team that wouldn't prioritize having multifactor authentication enabled when accessing critical systems."

"For me, the biggest return on investment when using Cisco Duo is my time."

More Cisco Duo pros

"We mainly implemented UserLock for multi-factor authentication, but the user login insights are also nice."

"The most valuable features are two-factor authentication and real-time logon monitoring."

Cons

"One area that might be improved is that setting up SMS texting is not as easy as using the app, even though it does support it."

"When you come to the push in Duo Security, there are some integrations where you have to use the code instead of the push functionality."

"While two-factor authentication with mobile devices provides a high level of security, it's still not foolproof, as someone could potentially steal your phone. It would be beneficial to have information about the authentication location."

"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."

"Cisco Duo can be improved with better ways to set users up. Currently, we might not be doing it perfectly as we're having them email in phone numbers to get them set up with Duo Mobile. I wish there was more of a self-service option than there is currently, at least to my understanding of Duo."

"Duo Security could improve by being more compatible with other vendors."

"Cisco Duo can be improved by exploring a way to make it a more seamless integration and by deploying an in-house server."

"Cisco Duo is a modern product that does not support older applications, lacking backward compatibility. It should work on supporting legacy applications and legacy approaches."

More Cisco Duo cons

"I would like to see UserLock add the ability to automatically create a group policy in Active Directory. That might streamline the setup process."

"The product and service are already great as it is but if I could add one feature, I guess it would be nice to have another factor of authentication (two additional factors) like your phone and a token for example, for when people forget their phone at home."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"You pay per user when using this solution and the pricing is fair."

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

"I only need the solution for IT staff, which makes it relatively cheap. If I deployed it for the whole company, it would be costly, so it depends on the number of users. Duo Security is affordable compared to other products in the segment."

"Their pricing model is a little bit weird. Currently, there is no price advantage in signing up for yearly contracts. There are no additional costs to the standard licensing costs."

"It falls in line with everything else."

"The pricing was a lot more than what we were paying for our previous solution."

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

More Cisco Duo pricing and cost advice

"You will be hard-pressed to find better pricing."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

20%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

11%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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 do you like most about Duo Security?

They are users who, as mentioned before, utilize RDPAP and MDPAP. It includes functionalities related to finance, specifically in single sign-on.

See all answers

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

My experience with the pricing, setup cost, and licensing of Cisco Duo is honestly above my pay grade. I don't know any of that.

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Comparisons

Microsoft Entra ID vs Cisco Duo

Compared 14% of the time

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Cisco Duo

Compared 14% of the time

Fortinet FortiToken vs Cisco Duo

Compared 12% of the time

Yubico YubiKey vs Cisco Duo

Compared 8% of the time

Silverfort vs Cisco Duo

Compared 3% of the time

More Cisco Duo Competitors

Silverfort vs UserLock

Compared 18% of the time

Microsoft Entra ID vs UserLock

Compared 16% of the time

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs UserLock

Compared 10% of the time

Ping Identity Platform vs UserLock

Compared 9% of the time

AuthLite vs UserLock

Compared 9% of the time

More UserLock Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo

July 2025

Download Cisco Duo product report

Buyer's Guide

Authentication Systems

June 2025

Download UserLock product report

Also Known As

Duo Security

No data available

Overview

Cisco Duo is a cloud-based identity security tool offering easy and wide-ranging access protection for users and devices worldwide. It assures identity-first security with clear visibility across multi-cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments.

Cisco Duo provides robust multi-factor authentication and seamless integration capabilities with existing infrastructures. Appreciated for its stability and speed, it supports distributed workforces by securing VPN access, corporate networks, and cloud services. Duo’s comprehensive identity ecosystem supports easy deployment and management through a single-pane-of-glass management interface. It seamlessly merges with popular platforms like Active Directory and Office 365 across diverse hardware.

What are Cisco Duo’s Essential Features?

Multi-Factor Authentication: Offers secure access with options like push notifications and hardware tokens.
Seamless Integration: Easily fits with existing systems and third-party applications.
User-Friendly Management: Provides centralized control with a single-pane-of-glass interface.
Wide Compatibility: Supports broad applications and devices, enhancing security management.
Stable and Fast: Reliable speed and intuitive interaction for users across platforms.

What Benefits and ROI Can Cisco Duo Users Expect?

Enhanced Security: Increases protection with versatile MFA options for critical resources.
Ease of Use: Simplifies deployment and management with intuitive interfaces.
Scalability: Adapts to growing needs with broad compatibility and integration support.
Support for Distributed Workforces: Ensures secure remote access for teams anywhere.

Cisco Duo finds extensive applications across education, finance, retail, and government sectors by fortifying network and application access security. Organizations leverage it for its MFA capabilities, integrating with ERP systems, ensuring protected connectivity with VPN and cloud-based services, crucial in maintaining secure and efficient operations.

Cisco

Two Factor Authentication & Access Management for Windows Active Directory.

UserLock helps administrators to manage and secure access for every user, without obstructing employees or frustrating IT.

Two Factor Authentication on Windows logon, RDP, IIS and VPN connections. UserLock supports 2FA using authenticator applications which include Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator and LastPass Authenticator, or programmable hardware tokens such as YubiKey and Token2.

Single Sign-On: Secure and frictionless access to Microsoft 365 and other Cloud Applications, using on-premise Active Directory credentials.

Access Restrictions: Using the contextual information around a user’s logon, UserLock will authorize, deny or limit how a user can access the network, once authenticated.

Access Monitoring: Track and alert on all users’ logon and logoff activity in real-time. Interact remotely with any session and respond to login behavior.

Access Auditing: Record and report on all user connection events to provide a central audit across the whole network.

IS Decisions

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Barclays, US Department of Justice, National Bank of Kuwait, Turkish Aerospace, New York Albany School District, Regtransfers, University of Kent, Camden City School District, Oklahoma City Public Schools, Bank of Cyprus, Detran-PE: Pernambuco State Traffic Department

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo vs. UserLock

July 2025

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