Okta vs Duo: IAM Software Battleground

Identity and access management (IAM) is a diverse market, with typical software ranging from solely multi-factor authentication (MFA) to a more comprehensive life cycle and policy management approach.

The IAM market was valued at $10.32 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $26.6 billion by 2030, according to Research Reports World. 

Okta and Duo Security, a part of Cisco, are both considered top competitors in the IAM market. They each offer slightly different portfolios and expertise for specific industrial verticals, but both are viewed as high performers by cybersecurity analysts and users alike.

Read on for a full comparison of Okta and Duo to learn which identity and access management provider offers the best value proposition for your business:

Okta vs Duo

• Portfolio

• Partners

• Use cases

• Ratings

• Recognition

• Overall

Also read: SentinelOne vs Crowdstrike: Endpoint Security Comparison

Portfolio

Okta

Okta offers one of the most well-rounded portfolios in the IAM space.

These are some of their main offerings:

• Single sign-on (SSO)
• Universal directory for users, groups, and devices
• Server access management controls
• API access management
• Multi-factor authentication
• User experience (UX)-focused authentication
• User profile and data management
• B2B integration for customer, partner, and vendor user management
• Automated provisioning and life cycle management
• Access gateway
• No-code automated workflows and orchestration
• Day-one access during mergers and acquisitions

Okta also extends Okta Platform Services to its customers for additional support:

• Directories for user storage
• Integration frameworks, templates, and other resources
• Insights support for Okta and partner-sourced data
• Identity Engine for further access customization
• Workflow orchestration with conditional logic and life cycle management
• Device identity and contextual management

Duo

Duo does not offer as many portfolio solutions as Okta does for IAM, but several of its solutions, such as device trust and adaptive access policies, offer users specialized support for policy-based security needs.

These are some of their main offerings:

• Multi-factor authentication
• Remote access via server and virtual private network (VPN) management
• Device trust and standardization support
• Single sign-on
• Adaptive access policies
• Managed and unmanaged device visibility for administrators
• Native integrations for secure application access

Duo also integrates with several other Cisco solutions, which can significantly expand the platform’s functionality.

Okta vs Duo

Learn about Cisco’s networking portfolio: Cisco: Networking Portfolio Review

Partners

Okta

Okta’s partners are divided into five categories: distributors, global systems integrators, technology partners, solution providers, and managed service providers (MSPs). Beyond these categories is the Okta Integration Network, which offers over 7,000 native integrations for the Okta platform.

Okta and its partners operate globally, particularly in the U.S., Germany, Ireland, Singapore, and Australia — though some reviewers note that most of their operations and support stay within the United States. A key differentiator for Okta in this category is how many of its partners specialize in technical consulting for enterprise customers. 

Featured partners

• Deloitte
• Accenture
• PwC
• KPMG
• IBM Security
• Carahsoft
• Simeio
• TechJutsu
• CANCOM
• AccessIT Group
• RKON
• Kollab
• Optiv
• Sirius
• CDW

Duo

Duo works with three categories of partners through the Duo Technology Partner Program, Duo Managed Service Providers, and Duo Security Solution Providers. These partners are available to assist with application security integration, zero-trust strategy development, and several other areas of enterprise security.

Especially with its parent company, Cisco, Duo’s partner network offers a true global reach to its customers. Its partners come from a wide variety of backgrounds and specialties, but most focus on platform-specific security solutions.

Featured partners

• VMware
• Microsoft
• Intel
• Workday
• Splunk
• Akamai
• Sophos
• Palo Alto Networks
• Citrix
• NTT
• Sirius
• Presidio
• CDW
• Rhino
• Sentinel

Okta vs Duo

Use cases

Okta

Some reviewers believe Okta’s products better suit small-to-medium-sized companies. However, they also work with several larger enterprises across industries and locations. Some customer use cases they’ve addressed include developing secure omnichannel fan experiences, securing legacy platforms for cloud migrations, and implementing zero-trust strategy.

Featured customers: Major League Baseball, FedEx, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Lululemon, Fidelity National Financial, Grubhub, Siemens, T-Mobile, Nasdaq

Industry verticals: Health care, public sector, energy, financial services, technology, travel and hospitality, nonprofit

Duo

Duo Security, especially when integrated with other Cisco security and zero-trust solutions, is considered a top identity and access management solution for large enterprises. Duo particularly specializes in government security needs, with end-to-end Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) compliance features built into Duo products upon request.

Featured customers: Lyft, Box, city of Denver, Duke University, Etsy, Eventbrite, Facebook, Sophos, Yelp

Industry verticals: Education, financial, health care, legal, retail, technology, government

Okta vs Duo

Learn more about government and security solutions: Survey Shows Cybersecurity is Main Driver of IT ‘Modernization’ in Government

Ratings

Both Okta and Duo perform well across major review sites. Okta just barely earns a higher average user score across these sites, scoring higher than Duo by less than 0.1. It’s important to note that on some review sites, such as Gartner Peer Insights, Duo was reviewed by a larger number of users.

Okta vs Duo

Recognition

Okta and Duo both receive high marks for industry performance and their workplace. Okta has received more prestigious awards than Duo to date, but Duo is often informally recognized through other Cisco portfolio recognitions.

Top awards for each include:

• Okta was named a leader in Gartner’s “Magic Quadrant” for access management for five consecutive years, with the highest “ability to execute” score in 2021
• Okta named a leader in Forrester’s 2021 “Wave” for enterprise identity-as-a-service (IaaS), with the highest scores in strategy and current offerings
• Okta named a leader in IDC’s “MarketScape” for worldwide advanced authentication in 2021
• Both Okta and Duo were included on Capterra’s 2021 “Shortlist” for identity management software
• Cisco won awards from Comparably for “Best Company Global Culture” and “Best Company Perks and Benefits” in 2021
• Cisco’s security portfolio was selected by the NFL to secure Super Bowl LVI

Okta vs Duo

Overall

In most cases, Okta offers a stronger identity and access management security solution for businesses. It consistently outperforms Duo in both user ratings and industry recognition. More importantly, it offers a broader portfolio of access management and user life cycle management products.

But users shouldn’t discount the road map and deep partner network that Duo offers customers. Especially since Duo’s acquisition by Cisco in 2018 and Cisco’s goal to integrate it with solutions like Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), Duo is growing its IAM capabilities for new use cases.

Okta vs Duo

Learn about other top cybersecurity solutions in the Cybersecurity Market here.