Cisco Duo vs Yubico YubiKey comparison

Cisco and Yubico are both solutions in the Authentication Systems category. Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.7, while Yubico is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.0. Cisco holds a 6.0% mindshare in AS, compared to Yubico’s 5.7% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Yubico users who would recommend it.

Cisco Duo

Read 85 Cisco Duo reviews

6,393 Views
4,795 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Yubico YubiKey

Read 5 Yubico YubiKey reviews

3,413 Views
3,276 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Duo

Yubico YubiKey

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 28, 2025

Yubico YubiKey and Cisco Duo each offer unique security solutions. Cisco Duo is seen as a superior product due to its comprehensive features, making it worth the higher cost.

Features:YubiKey is valued for its strong physical security, ease of use, and seamless integration with various platforms. Cisco Duo shines with its multi-factor authentication capabilities, user management features, and robust analytics.

Room for Improvement:YubiKey could improve in supporting more authentication protocols, providing better mobile app support, and increasing versatility. Cisco Duo users recommend enhancements in biometric authentication, a reduction in false positives, and refining advanced security measures.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service:YubiKey users appreciate the straightforward deployment process and effective customer support. Cisco Duo users report that despite a more complex setup, the customer service effectively mitigates challenges.

Pricing and ROI:YubiKey users find the pricing budget-friendly with a solid return on investment. Cisco Duo, while more expensive, is perceived to deliver strong ROI through enhanced security features.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Duo vs. Yubico YubiKey Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo vs. Yubico YubiKey

December 2025

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Helped 879,259 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 Authentication Systems

2nd

Ranking in Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

1st

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Single Sign-On (SSO) (3rd), Access Management (4th), ZTNA as a Service (5th), Cisco Security Portfolio (3rd), AI Data Analysis (5th)

Yubico YubiKey

Ranking in Authentication Systems

5th

Ranking in Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

3rd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Passwordless Authentication (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2025, in the Authentication Systems category, the mindshare of Cisco Duo is 6.0%, down from 10.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Yubico YubiKey is 5.7%, down from 10.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Authentication Systems Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Duo	6.0%
Yubico YubiKey	5.7%
Other	88.3%

Authentication Systems

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.

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Kedar Mantri

Co-Founder at LBR Infosolutions

Robust authentication boosts security in restricted environments

Yubico YubiKey is highly valued for its anti-phishing feature, which prevents phishing of OTPs that are normally obtained through phones. The security features of Yubico YubiKey make it stand out among other MFA products in India, as it prevents anyone from accessing my password or PIN. Additionally, it supports receiving OTPs on phones.

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 features of Cisco Duo have benefited my organization because it's secure, provides a way of accessing the workspace, and it's easy to operate from mobile."

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

"Cisco Secure solutions are great for detecting and remediating threats across our infrastructure from end to end. The integration of Talos in SecureX is great. Everything is clear in one dashboard. You have a dashboard there, your dashboard, and now you can have one look in your dashboard and see everything. It's on one pane of glass."

"Another feature is the single pane of glass management. That's important for analytics and also for troubleshooting. It means there's one place that you go to at least start the troubleshooting process."

"The solution is pretty secure."

"Duo offers dual-factor authentication for our logins. I put in my credentials and hit go. Then I get an alert on my Apple watch, and I approve it. That part is just phenomenal."

"At the moment, the ease of use is what is the best feature for me. Once it has been set up and the security can hoc to my mobile device, it's very simple to use my single sign-on, get prompted for a Duo Security, push, go to my phone, accept the push, and I'm done. It's a very simple process."

"The ability for users to authenticate via phone, from any random phone number, has been very helpful for managing a distributed workforce. Using it across a distributed network for securing access to our applications is big for us."

More Cisco Duo pros

"The most valuable feature of Yubico YubiKey is security."

"YubiKey is a hardware security device with advanced security features."

"It's small and lightweight. Like a phone, it doesn't run out of battery. It also doesn't have to be unlocked. It doesn't break. Moreover, they're very durable and it's very convenient."

"The solution is simple to use and we have installed it in our clients' endpoints. The tool is just plug-and-play for the end user. The end user can just put in the key to the security computer and log in without any hassle. The solution is efficient, user-friendly, and easy to use."

"Yubico YubiKey is highly valued for its anti-phishing feature, which prevents phishing of OTPs that are normally obtained through phones."

Cons

"The only thing I can think of to improve for tech support is to have a dedicated engineer but then I would get an engineer that has priorities in one area or another and maybe not the scope I need."

"There is always room for improvement."

"The new smart license model doesn't always work. It's very complicated."

"It is easy to use when logging in, but at times, there's a delay in getting the pop-up on a phone, requiring users to occasionally retry authentication depending on backend services."

"I have not seen ROI with Cisco Duo; probably the opposite, because it impedes productivity time to be able to get into the system. You have to authenticate and do your regular login and your Active Directory logins."

"There is a little bit of apprehension for some users thinking, well, "How do I know this app is not collecting personal information from my personal device?""

"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."

"I would appreciate it if Duo Security could improve its integrations with Windows Hello."

More Cisco Duo cons

"Currently, an area where the product lacks is in addressing service needs."

"It's a hardware device, so it isn't cost-effective to use for all your accounts. You might have a hard time getting budget approval. It's better to take a strategic approach and use it only for critical accounts. You can use other forms of authentication for the rest."

"It would be better if the product can come up with a serial number for the keys. It would be nice if they had a numbering system as a configuration identity that would help the IT and technical teams to identify the keys because they look all the same. It would be more like putting a tag on them."

"Yubico YubiKey could be improved by allowing for centralized administration, which is not currently available in India."

"Yubico YubiKey is inconvient. No one likes the idea of having to put a USB device into the system, having to remember to take it out, and having passwords. It may be very good for security but it is not great for people to use."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Our licensing fee is currently on an annual basis."

"It has a fair pricing model. I know they have different tiers, but it would be nice to have different types of licenses for certain groups of users in our organization. That way, we wouldn't have to lump everybody into one group. That would be also one complaint."

"Cisco's licensing is always a bit complicated to understand, but the price is fair. It could be more expensive than others, but the way they integrate everything, it has a fair price."

"From a reseller perspective, it's still challenging to explain the whole license strategy to a client, so we really have to be ahead of that for all the true forward conversations."

"Cisco has the most expensive products because market leaders tend to charge a lot."

"Duo Security's pricing is good, fair, and very comparable to today's market."

"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."

"The licensing is very good because it does not cost a lot of money. It's affordable for all-sized customers, including enterprises. There is an additional cost for premium support."

More Cisco Duo pricing and cost advice

"We paid 100 bucks for one Yubikey."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

Financial Services Firm

Government

12%

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	31
Midsize Enterprise	18
Large Enterprise	38

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...

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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 pricing, setup cost, and licensing reveals that one of the most powerful features is the licensing model and the price. According to the pricing, it is really fantastic to get th...

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What needs improvement with Yubico YubiKey?

Yubico YubiKey could be improved by allowing for centralized administration, which is not currently available in India. In India, administrators typically have control over all security devices, bu...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Yubico YubiKey?

I primarily use Yubico YubiKey ( /products/yubico-yubikey-reviews ) for authentication in environments such as Active Directory, cloud administration, trading room, and dealing room where phones ar...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Yubico YubiKey?

From an individual perspective, no improvements are required for Yubico YubiKey. However, at a corporate or enterprise level, a central control mechanism is necessary, which is currently lacking in...

See all answers

Comparisons

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Cisco Duo

Compared 10% of the time

Microsoft Entra ID vs Cisco Duo

Compared 9% of the time

Fortinet FortiToken vs Cisco Duo

Compared 8% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs Cisco Duo

Compared 6% of the time

RSA SecurID vs Cisco Duo

Compared 4% of the time

More Cisco Duo Competitors

RSA SecurID vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 36% of the time

Fortinet FortiToken vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 11% of the time

Thales Authenticators vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 9% of the time

OneSpan DIGIPASS vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 6% of the time

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 6% of the time

More Yubico YubiKey Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo

December 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Authentication Systems

December 2025

Download Yubico YubiKey product report

Also Known As

Duo Security

YubiKey

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

The YubiKey works with hundreds of enterprise, developer and consumer applications, out-of-the-box and with no client software. Combined with leading password managers, social login and enterprise single sign on systems the YubiKey enables secure access to millions of online services.

Yubico

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Google Inc., Salesforce, Novartis, Facebook, GitHub, CERN, Duke University, Code Enigma, Luther Burbank High School, ZorgSaam, Agfa, Santa Clara County Fire Department, Dyson Ltd, Portugal Telecom, Boral, Canonical Ltd

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo vs. Yubico YubiKey

December 2025

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