Cisco Duo vs Okta Platform comparison

Cisco and Okta are both solutions in the ZTNA as a Service category. Cisco is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.8, while Okta is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.7. Cisco holds a 2.3% mindshare in ZaaS, compared to Okta’s 3.9% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Okta users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 15, 2025

Okta and Cisco Duo are leading competitors in the identity management and authentication category. Okta appears to have an edge due to its comprehensive identity lifecycle management and robust integration capabilities, whereas Cisco Duo is lauded for its versatility in multi-factor authentication, especially for non-smartphone users.

Features: Okta offers excellent provisioning and de-provisioning capabilities which simplify identity lifecycle management. Its adaptive multi-factor authentication enhances security and is supported by robust single sign-on options that integrate seamlessly with numerous applications. On the other hand, Cisco Duo shines in its multi-factor authentication, offering diverse methods like text and call notifications ideal for users without smartphones. It also provides a consolidated platform for securing various applications and networks.

Room for Improvement: Okta could enhance its offerings by streamlining integration with on-premise and cloud systems and offering more competitive pricing for small to medium-sized businesses. Improvements in lifecycle management tools and technical support are needed. Cisco Duo would benefit from better integration with legacy systems and offering password-free login solutions while improving compliance alignment and user interface intuitiveness.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Okta allows flexible deployments across public and hybrid clouds, simplifying cloud application setups but needs to improve its on-premises integration. Customer service receives high marks, though response times could improve. Cisco Duo is commended for its straightforward deployment in both cloud and on-premise environments and reliable customer service, making it a trustworthy choice with efficient integration into existing security systems.

Pricing and ROI: Okta's pricing favors larger enterprises due to its extensive feature suite, which can be cost-prohibitive for smaller businesses. However, it delivers significant ROI by improving security and identity management efficiency. Cisco Duo offers a more reasonable pricing structure that scales well for larger deployments, providing solid value for extensive enterprise security needs without high entry costs.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Duo vs. Okta Platform Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo vs. Okta Platform

January 2026

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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

iboss

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the ZTNA as a Service category, the mindshare of iboss is 2.3%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Duo is 2.3%, down from 2.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Okta Platform is 3.9%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

ZTNA as a Service Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Okta Platform	3.9%
Cisco Duo	2.3%
iboss	2.3%
Other	91.5%

ZTNA as a Service

Featured Reviews

reviewer2701851

Managing Director

Enhances web security with a single pane of glass and flexible deployment

I don't see any need for improvement; one of the really good things about iboss as a company is that they listen to customer feedback. I have suggested enhancements, and they are responsive, making changes for the better, and they do a lot of testing. To improve iboss, although we haven't used it, we considered the VPN solution that comes with the highest tier licensing, which includes DLP and various other add-ons. We prefer using another product which automatically logs you back onto your network when turning on your PC. With iboss, the connection is manual, which doesn't meet our needs. Additionally, sizing can be tricky because, although the initial recommendations may seem adequate, actual usage may require more gateways than anticipated.

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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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SumitMundik

Lead Admin Systems at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Authentication process improves security with quick and intuitive user interface

The best feature is the speed and execution of Okta Workforce Identity. The moment you click on single sign-on, you immediately get the notification on your mobile phone, then you do the authentication and within a second you get authenticated. The entire customer experience is very good. The user interface is pretty simple, straightforward, and really good. Multi-factor authentication in Okta Workforce Identity is very useful so people who do not have access or are trying to access using just a user ID and password will be completely blocked because of this two-factor authentication. You will get the code, and as your device is authorized in the system, only that device can be used for the authentication purpose. A third person trying to access or hack your data will not be able to do that anymore. Additionally, you don't have to remember your passwords going forward. Previously, every 60 days or 90 days, passwords kept changing. With the two-factor authentication or single sign-on option in Okta Workforce Identity, you don't have to remember it anymore or write down passwords in plain text. If something goes wrong, we have the IAM team which can unlock your account immediately if you have issues.

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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

"iboss is pretty scalable. They provide good support. The case managers you work with to coordinate what you need are pretty good."

"Granular setup, which was able to set different levels of filters using the OUs in the AD."

"It was a very easy product to install. It can be deployed very fast."

"We were impressed by the solution's mental health function, which can detect if someone needs help. It scans what users are browsing and flags warning signs so we can check to see if they are okay. We've had to use it a couple of times."

"First of all, the security policies are essential. I do not have to rely solely on Active Directory for our users."

"The solution has massively improved our security posture, giving us full visibility into what our staff does online."

"I would definitely recommend iboss for web filtering purposes to other organizations or individuals."

"iboss is easy to use despite its complexity. Multiple engineers manage it, but it's significantly more straightforward to administer than traditional VPNs and web proxies."

More iboss pros

"Clients I implemented Cisco Duo at immediately feel more confident in their security environment, and we can see a lot of illegal attempts to get in, giving me faith in the product."

"The administrator tool in the dashboard is the most valuable feature. It's really easy to quickly see if users are locked out from their device, firmware code, or just all the little dashboards and reports I can run to give the security for monthly reports. The dashboard's really good."

"Compared to Cisco, the general support I experience is fantastic; I have no complaints about it."

"Cisco Duo is rock solid in terms of stability and reliability."

"Cisco Duo seems very scalable; in my experience, I started with a small-medium business, and in my last contracting position, it was a large one for a major worldwide airline that had hundreds of thousands of devices that could use Cisco Duo, and it scaled very well."

"Cisco Duo scales with the growing needs of our organization by making it easy to acquire more licensing, especially with an enterprise agreement, which allows built-in growth and minimizes worries about licensing as we expand."

"The feature of Cisco Duo that I value the most is that it's easy to use; it monitors all our devices to ensure everything is updated before we're given access to those applications."

"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."

More Cisco Duo pros

"Okta Customer Identity is considered cheaper compared to other tools in the market, such as IBM and CyberArk products."

"The solution so far has been very stable."

"As far as our security team is concerned, the ease of implementing multifactor authentication is definitely the biggest value for our organization."

"The most valuable feature in Okta Workforce Identity is the single sign-on, universal directory, and lifecycle management."

"We find the solution to be stable."

"The MFA part is the best. MFA provided most of the security that we were looking at with respect to the second level of authentication. Okta Workforce Identity provides a number of options with respect to multifactor authentication, such as the app, phone call, and text. These options provide different ways of logging in for users, and they were a lot more than what we needed. This is certainly a very good feature of Okta Workforce Identity."

"We find the solution to be reliable for our customers and it is nice that it is cloud-based and can be accessed from anywhere."

"Its simplicity and its integration with various vendor-agnostic platforms are the most valuable features."

More Okta Platform pros

Cons

"Its pricing could be better."

"For zero trust implementation, we encountered complexity issues, especially with a large infrastructure company ExxonMobil."

"Fold that in with the risk intelligence they're getting from all of the different subscriptions they are a part of. Now, these security companies subscribe to things like emerging threats, databases, etc. You can fold all this intelligence to decide what's happening on an endpoint. I would love to see them start moving into that space. That would compete directly with Microsoft. Maybe that's why they haven't. Having that ability native within the solution would be great. The other area in which I would love to see improvement is more detailed descriptions of why they block websites."

"One thing I would like to see differently with their Zero Trust platform is that some of the AI aspects related to high-risk activities have more false positives."

"The solution could be stronger on the integration side and offer more cloud applications like G Suite or Oracle."

"Iboss is growing so fast that it is often hard for them to keep up with the challenges."

"If they could implement an extra security layer preventing access to iboss from the open internet, it would be great."

"Our biggest problem with their service was it did not recognize the device and filtering did not always work correctly."

More iboss cons

"To improve Cisco Duo, the biggest consideration is the licensing standpoint; the most common issue I've found is customers not setting up the Active Directory sync properly, leading to inflated licensing usage when they try to delete inactive users that are still being charged."

"It took me a while to figure it out. I went to every user and forced them to set it up. I might have done it the long way."

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

"Duo Security should have more customized use cases. For example, if a client needs to have more customization, it would be better to connect directly with Duo's R&D to try to discuss the issues together in order to add customizations."

"I would like to see Duo Security increase the time that the users have to log into the devices. The maximum time interval is 50 minutes at the moment, and I would like it to be 60 minutes. When you try to log into a device and have to authenticate yourself, sometimes it's not very pleasant. It's not the best thing particularly if you have to do this every 50 minutes, which is the maximum time that Duo gives. This makes it difficult to use and does not save time."

"Most of my colleagues from other companies use the Microsoft MFA solution because it's included in Office 365. Few people are considering Cisco Duo. That's the primary problem in our area. It's a solution mostly adopted by Cisco users."

"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."

"An enhancement they might make is if they can log it to Splunk since they're big into Splunk. Instead of me having to go into that portal to look at things when someone is trying to log in and they forgot their password, I can look in and tell them they forgot their password or didn't respond to the prompt. That would be an improvement."

More Cisco Duo cons

"It can have more API integrations."

"It only facilitates provisioning and not de-provisioning."

"The integration process takes a bit longer than we would want it to."

"The only area of concern in the solution stems from the fact that my company needs some help regarding the setup phase from a partner."

"Okta should have at least a local peering partner for countries that align with or comply with GDPR, so there are no compliance or audit questions."

"We have experienced some challenges in integrating this solution with Scope and Cognito."

"RESTful Web Service calls and their response seem a bit slow."

"The error logging could be improved. Okta doesn't provide enough details when you are troubleshooting an issue. It's often difficult to fix it from our end, so we always need additional support from Okta."

More Okta Platform cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is probably in line with other solutions, but I do not deal with the financial side."

"It is expensive compared to one of its competitors."

"The overall pricing for iboss is very competitive and transparent."

"We have not priced the solution recently, but they were competitive with other vendors in the past."

"It is not expensive, and it is also not cheap. iboss is priced right in the sweet spot for the number of features it offers."

"We had the cost of purchasing a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs. However, the following year, the cost of just licensing was similar to what was paid the previous year for a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs."

"I believe the licensing model is excellent as it offers flexibility to our customers, allowing them to adopt a crawl, walk, or run approach."

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

"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."

"During testing we are allowed a certain number of licenses for free."

"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."

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

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

"My experience with pricing, setup costs, and licensing has been good, with no issues. I am pleased that the prices remained stable after Cisco acquired the solution."

More Cisco Duo pricing and cost advice

"The pricing is reasonable."

"The price of the solution is good."

"Price-wise, Okta Workforce Identity is a cheap solution. The overall cost depends on the license since you can negotiate with Okta or any of Okta's partners only if you opt for many licenses."

"The price of Okta Workforce Identity is competitively priced. We pay annually for the use of the solution."

"This solution is costly. Pricing is decent if you have less users, but it significantly goes up the more users you have, with its cost not justified."

"Okta Customer Identity is not an expensive solution."

"The product's price is high. For each feature, a certain payment is required."

"The licensing is per user per month and includes full technical support."

More Okta Platform pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	34
Midsize Enterprise	18
Large Enterprise	40

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	38
Midsize Enterprise	21
Large Enterprise	44

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with iboss?

For zero trust implementation, we encountered complexity issues, especially with a large infrastructure company Exxon...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for iboss?

Previously when I used iboss, we did the POC for iboss for ExxonMobil. Four or five people wanted to move from our ol...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for iboss?

Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, iboss is not cheap, and that's my only concern. There are cheaper alte...

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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 Du...

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

The pricing of Cisco Duo is quite reasonable compared to other products.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Duo Security?

One downside of Cisco Duo is the expense, as there are clients that can afford only the basic package, which does not...

See all answers

What do you like most about Okta Workforce Identity?

Okta has introduced the Universal Directory. It has custom attribute capability and user permissions to read/write on...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Okta Workforce Identity?

Pricing for Okta is reasonably not that much, however, I don't have access to the commercial aspect.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Okta Workforce Identity?

Currently, in Okta Workforce Identity we get the two-digit authentication code. Instead of getting the two-digit auth...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 4% of the time

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform vs Cisco Duo

Compared 3% of the time

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Compared 9% of the time

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Compared 7% of the time

Auth0 Platform vs Okta Platform

Compared 4% of the time

Saviynt vs Okta Platform

Compared 4% of the time

Google Cloud Identity vs Okta Platform

Compared 2% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

iboss

January 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo

January 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Okta Platform

January 2026

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Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform

Duo Security

Okta Customer Identity, Workforce Identity

Overview

Iboss offers a comprehensive cloud-based security platform valued for its scalability and autonomous features, ensuring robust security with easy deployment and management capabilities.

Renowned for its robust security architecture, Iboss integrates seamlessly within diverse networks, delivering efficient granular filtering and advanced content categorization. Its single pane of glass console provides ease of management, allowing rapid scalability suitable for rapidly deploying environments. Operates in BYOD setups due to inline filtering without device installation. Integration with cloud-based applications enhances user control, and features like SASE, SSL inspection, and ChatGPT risk protection stand as highlights. Despite its strengths, users have pointed out areas for enhancement like direct navigation in reports, SSL decryption, and better cloud integration while having room to improve data loss prevention.

What are the most important features of Iboss?

Scalability: Supports rapid deployment across diverse networks.
SASE: A consolidated approach to secure access.
SSL Inspection: Ensures safe data transmission.
Granular Filtering: Detailed control over accessible content.
Single Pane Management: Unifies control through a centralized console.

What benefits should users consider in reviews?

Cost-effectiveness: Offers competitive pricing with robust features.
Autonomous Operation: Reduces management overhead.
Responsive Support: Provides assistance when needed.
Flexible Deployment: Available for both cloud and on-premises environments.

The usage of Iboss spans educational institutions, specifically K-12, to enforce internet policies, protect data, and support remote work environments. It provides web filtering and security frameworks to ensure safe browsing. Its platform-as-a-service model offers flexibility for both cloud-based and on-premises requirements, integrating seamlessly to deliver enhanced security features suitable for various deployment needs including zero trust, CASB, and network security for work-from-home setups.

iboss

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

Okta Platform provides comprehensive identity and access management, featuring Active Directory Sync, user management, and app auto-provisioning. It ensures security through single sign-on and adaptive multi-factor authentication.

Okta Platform offers advanced integration capabilities, allowing seamless connection with in-house and cloud applications. Security features are robust, incorporating multi-factor authentication and SSO to prevent unauthorized access. Users benefit from its ease of use and the ability to integrate and manage numerous applications effectively. While generally praised, users note areas for improvement, such as high costs and complex setups. Better integrations with on-premises systems and third-party tools are desired along with enhanced error logging and reporting features.

What are Okta's key features?

Active Directory Sync: Simplifies app management by synchronizing user directories.
Single Sign-On: Provides desktop SSO for easier access to multiple apps.
Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication: Offers robust security options for different scenarios.
Universal Directory: Supports flexible identity management and configuration.
Integration Capability: Enables connections with both in-house and SaaS applications.

What benefits do organizations find in Okta?

Enhanced Security: Multi-layered authentication to prevent unauthorized access.
Improved Efficiency: Streamlines user provisioning and app assignments.
Increased Compliance: Ensures secure access management aligning with IT policies.
Seamless Integration: Facilitates connections with various applications enhancing operational workflows.

Companies across industries implement Okta to secure user authentication and streamline onboarding processes. It supports access management for both on-premises and cloud applications, synchronizing directories and facilitating SaaS services. Organizations benefit from reduced credential management complexity and improved IT infrastructure compliance.

Okta

Sample Customers

More than 4,000 global enterprises trust the iboss Cloud Platform to support their modern workforces, including a large number of Fortune 50 companies.

Information Not Available

FedEx, Zoom, Takeda, Lululemon Athletica, GrunHub, jetBlue, McKensson, Bain & Company, Engie, Peloton, Sonos, T-Mobile, Hewlett Packard, MGM Resorts, Ally Financial, Priceline, Albertsons, Itercom, Classy, FICO, Kensho, Live Nation, Drata, Rotary, and others.

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo vs. Okta Platform

January 2026

Free Report: Cisco Duo vs. Okta Platform

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Duo vs. Okta Platform and other solutions. Updated: January 2026.

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