Best OKTA Alternatives For 2024

Looking for the top Okta alternatives to meet your organization's identity and access management needs?

Many businesses explore other options for different reasons, either they're facing limitations with Okta’s pricing, specific feature gaps, or looking for a more flexible solution. Perhaps they need a platform that aligns better with their scaling needs or offers a more tailored experience for their specific industry.

Whatever the case may be, In this article, we’ll dive into the best Okta alternatives, exploring their core features, pricing models, strengths, and potential drawbacks. By the end, you’ll have a clearer picture of which solution best fits your business.

Why You Might Look for Okta Alternatives?

Okta has some great strengths, to be completely fair:

▶️ It offers a robust identity and access management platform, widely recognized for its security and reliability.

▶️ Its broad integration capabilities with thousands of apps make it a go-to solution for some enterprises.

However, these strengths will only take you so far, as the downsides far outweigh the benefits for businesses needing more cost-effective solutions, greater customization, or better scalability to fit niche industry needs. Let’s look at a dew of these downsides:

Pricing Becomes Unsustainable at Scale

A frequent concern cited by users is Okta’s pricing structure. While the platform works well for small to medium-sized businesses or those with simpler identity management needs, costs can quickly skyrocket as user numbers grow or as more advanced features are required.

Organizations with high growth trajectories or those with a large number of users often find that Okta's pricing becomes prohibitive, pushing them to seek more affordable alternatives that can scale more effectively with their business.

The Okta Death Loop

Another particularly frustrating issue cited by some users is what’s been dubbed the “Okta death loop.” This occurs when users are repeatedly asked to authenticate, even after successfully logging in, creating an endless loop of login prompts.

This glitch affects user experience and can lead to significant downtime and productivity loss, particularly in environments where seamless access to multiple apps is critical. For businesses that rely heavily on smooth, uninterrupted user access, this recurring issue is a major drawback and a driving factor for switching to alternative platforms.

Complexity in Implementation and Maintenance

For many organizations, the initial setup and ongoing management of Okta can be overly complex. Even though it boasts powerful capabilities, configuring those features often requires dedicated teams or external consultants, making it less ideal for companies with lean IT teams or those lacking in-house identity management expertise.

The learning curve, combined with the effort needed to maintain the system over time, drives many businesses to search for more intuitive and easier-to-maintain solutions.

What are the best alternatives to Okta?

The best alternatives to Okta are:

OneLogin — Great for businesses looking for streamlined user management with strong security features.
Ping Identity — Ideal for enterprises needing advanced authentication options and robust multi-factor authentication (MFA).
IBM — Known for its comprehensive IAM solutions tailored to complex enterprise environments with deep integration capabilities.
JumpCloud — Best for companies seeking a unified directory service with cross-platform support and simplified access control.
CyberArk — Specializes in privileged access management, perfect for organizations with high-security needs.
SailPoint — A great option for organizations focused on identity governance and managing large-scale identity lifecycles.
Zitadel — Suited for developers needing an open-source identity management platform with advanced customization options.
Frontegg — Excellent for startups or businesses wanting a developer-first approach to building user management features into their applications.

OneLogin

OneLogin is a comprehensive identity and access management (IAM) platform that focuses on providing secure, scalable access to applications for users across enterprises. It offers single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and unified directory services, all designed to streamline and secure the login process for employees and customers.

OneLogin emphasizes ease of use and a user-friendly interface, making it an attractive option for companies looking to simplify identity management without sacrificing security.

Best for: Organizations looking for a seamless SSO solution with strong integration capabilities and robust security features.

Similar to: Okta, Ping Identity

OneLogin differentiates itself from Okta with its simpler pricing structure and ease of implementation, especially for mid-sized companies.

Who Is It For?

OneLogin is ideal for mid-sized to large enterprises that need a straightforward, scalable identity and access management solution. It’s particularly beneficial for organizations looking for robust security features like MFA and SSO, combined with ease of deployment and integration across a wide range of applications.

OneLogin’s Top Features

OneLogin simplifies the login process by allowing users to sign in once and access all of their applications, improving productivity and reducing password fatigue.
OneLogin integrates with directories like Active Directory, LDAP, and Google Workspace, making it easy to sync user data across multiple sources.
Built-in compliance support for regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and others ensures that businesses can meet their security obligations.

OneLogin Pricing

OneLogin provides two main pricing plans, each catering to different business needs. The platform is designed to offer flexibility while maintaining robust security and identity management features.

Advanced Plan: Starts at $4 per user/month (bundle price). This plan includes key features such as Single Sign-On (SSO), Advanced Directory, and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), making it ideal for companies needing policy-driven security and advanced user management.
Professional Plan: Starts at $8 per user/month (bundle price). This plan includes all features of the Advanced plan, plus Identity Lifecycle Management and HR-driven identity, making it the perfect choice for enterprises requiring comprehensive identity management solutions.

OneLogin offers a simpler and more affordable pricing structure compared to Okta, which can be a deciding factor for companies looking to control costs without sacrificing functionality.

OneLogin Pros and Cons

OneLogin is known for its intuitive design, making it easy for both IT administrators and end-users to navigate and manage their accounts.
neLogin’s pricing plans are more budget-friendly, especially for small to mid-sized businesses, offering a cost-effective alternative to some larger competitors.
With built-in MFA, SSO, and robust compliance options, OneLogin provides solid security for companies of all sizes.
While OneLogin offers many essential features, it lacks the deep customization options required by some larger enterprises or highly specialized industries.
Some users have reported mixed experiences with OneLogin's customer support, with varying levels of responsiveness and helpfulness.

Ping Identity

Best for: Creating secure, scalable, and flexible identity management solutions with a focus on zero-trust security architectures and multi-factor authentication.

Similar to: Okta, ForgeRock

Ping Identity is a leading identity and access management (IAM) solution tailored to enterprises with complex security and compliance needs. It provides a range of tools for managing user identities, including SSO, MFA, and advanced identity governance.

While Okta is often seen as the more user-friendly solution, Ping Identity's ability to handle highly customized and secure environments makes it a better fit for large enterprises with complex identity needs. Ping Identity also strongly emphasizes zero-trust architecture, which is essential for industries requiring heightened security.

Who Is It For?

Ping Identity is ideal for large enterprises with complex identity management needs, particularly those in finance, healthcare, and government, where security and compliance are critical.

Ping Identity’s Top Features

Offers a variety of authentication methods, including biometrics and mobile device authentication, ensuring secure access across devices and networks.
Ping Identity enables enterprises to enforce zero-trust principles, requiring verification of every user and device attempting to access resources.
Protects APIs with OAuth, OpenID Connect, and other standards, ensuring secure and authenticated access to enterprise services.

Ping Identity Pricing

Ping Identity offers three pricing tiers designed for enterprises that need advanced security and identity management features.

Essential Plan: Starting at $20,000 annually, this plan is designed for businesses looking to build identity experiences using no-code orchestration rapidly.
Plus Plan: Starting at $40,000 annually, this plan builds upon the Essential Plan by adding advanced security features like adaptive multi-factor authentication (MFA), seamless MFA with device authorization, customer device management, and API access management.
Premium Plan: Pricing is available upon request. This tier is for organizations that require maximum configuration and scalability.

Ping Identity’s pricing is positioned for larger enterprises, with a stronger focus on zero-trust architecture and scalability, which tends to make it more expensive but also more secure and customizable compared to Okta.

Ping Identity Pros and Cons

Ping Identity excels in providing zero-trust architecture and advanced authentication methods, making it a strong choice for high-security environments.
Supports both on-premise and cloud environments, as well as hybrid setups, giving enterprises more control over their identity infrastructure.
Strong integration capabilities with cloud services, applications, and APIs ensure compatibility with a wide range of enterprise systems.
Ping Identity is generally more expensive than other IAM solutions, making it a better fit for larger organizations with bigger budgets.
Due to its advanced features and high level of customization, implementing Ping Identity can be more time-consuming and require more technical expertise compared to simpler alternatives.

IBM

Best for: Enterprises with complex IT infrastructures that need highly secure and scalable identity management solutions, particularly in industries like banking, healthcare, and government.

Similar to: CyberArk, ForgeRock

IBM offers a powerful suite of identity and access management (IAM) solutions tailored for large enterprises that require a high level of security and scalability. IBM’s IAM services include identity governance, multi-factor authentication (MFA), privileged access management, and AI-driven identity analytics.

Its platform is particularly well-suited for organizations with hybrid cloud environments, offering seamless integration across on-premise, cloud, and multi-cloud infrastructures.

IBM provides a more comprehensive and customizable solution than Okta

Who Is It For?

IBM’s identity and access management solutions are ideal for large enterprises with complex security, compliance, and scalability requirements.

IBM’s Top Features

IBM provides powerful tools for managing user identities, access rights, and compliance, ensuring businesses meet regulatory requirements like GDPR and HIPAA.
IBM’s PAM solutions help businesses manage, monitor, and secure privileged accounts, reducing the risk of insider threats and ensuring that only authorized users have access to critical systems.
IBM IAM integrates with both on-premise and cloud environments, making it ideal for enterprises with complex IT infrastructures that span multiple platforms.

IBM Pricing

IBM’s identity and access management solutions are highly customizable and designed to meet the needs of large enterprises. As such, IBM does not provide a standard pricing structure and instead tailors its pricing based on the specific requirements of each organization.

IBM Pros and Cons

IBM offers a full suite of IAM solutions, including privileged access management, identity governance, and MFA, catering to large enterprises with intricate needs.
IBM’s platform is built to handle large-scale deployments, making it suitable for organizations managing millions of identities across multiple cloud and on-premise environments.
IBM IAM solutions easily integrate across on-premise, cloud, and multi-cloud infrastructures, offering flexibility for enterprises with complex IT environments.
IBM’s solutions are tailored for large enterprises, and the associated costs may be prohibitive for smaller organizations or those without significant IT budgets.
Some users have reported occasional performance slowdowns when managing large-scale deployments, which can impact business operations.

JumpCloud

Best for: Small to medium-sized businesses and IT teams seeking a cloud-based directory service that simplifies identity, access, and device management across multiple platforms.

Similar to: OneLogin, Okta

JumpCloud is a comprehensive cloud-based directory-as-a-service (DaaS) solution that centralizes identity, access, and device management into a single platform. It’s designed to provide businesses with a flexible, multi-platform identity management system that works seamlessly across Windows, Mac, and Linux environments.

JumpCloud is particularly attractive for organizations that want to unify their IT resources in the cloud without relying on traditional on-premise directories like Active Directory.

While Okta focuses mainly on identity and access management, JumpCloud stands out with its all-in-one approach that includes device monitoring and control.

Who Is It For?

JumpCloud is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses and IT teams looking for an all-in-one solution that combines identity, access, and device management. It's particularly beneficial for organizations that operate across multiple platforms (Windows, Mac, and Linux) and want a centralized, cloud-based directory service.

JumpCloud’s Top Features

JumpCloud supports both LDAP and RADIUS protocols, providing compatibility with a wide range of enterprise applications and services that rely on these standards.
JumpCloud incorporates a zero-trust approach, ensuring that all users, devices, and applications are verified before access is granted, improving overall security.
Beyond identity management, JumpCloud also provides tools for monitoring, managing, and securing devices, giving IT teams full visibility and control over their organization's devices.

JumpCloud Pricing

JumpCloud offers a range of pricing plans to suit different business needs, with options to manage users, devices, or both.

Device Management Plan: This plan starts at $9 per user/month (billed annually) or $11 per user/month (billed monthly) and focuses on cross-platform and mobile device management (MDM), making it ideal for companies that need to manage their device infrastructure.
SSO Plan: This plan starts at $11 per user/month (billed annually) or $13 per user/month (billed monthly) and offers automated user lifecycle management, SSO, MFA, and password management for businesses that need comprehensive identity management.
Core Directory Plan: Starting at $13 per user/month (billed annually) or $15 per user/month (billed monthly). This package includes all-inclusive IAM features like cloud RADIUS and LDAP for secure access to on-premise and cloud resources.
Platform Plan: This plan starts at $19 per user/month (billed annually) or $22 per user/month (billed monthly) and unifies identity, device, and access management in one package, combining features from the Device Management and Core Directory packages.
Platform Prime Plan: Starting at $24 per user/month (billed annually) or $27 per user/month (billed monthly). This top-tier plan includes everything from the Platform package, plus Zero Trust security, 24/7 premium support, and future JumpCloud features via the Prime Pass.

JumpCloud Pros and Cons

JumpCloud works seamlessly across Windows, Mac, and Linux, making it ideal for businesses with diverse IT environments.
Combines identity, access, and device management in a single platform, reducing the need for multiple tools.
Offers a variety of plans that cater to different business sizes, with scalable pricing options that fit both small teams and larger enterprises.

CyberArk

Best for: Large enterprises and organizations with high-security requirements that need to protect privileged accounts and manage identity access securely.

Similar to: IBM, SailPoint

CyberArk is a leading privileged access management (PAM) solution that focuses on securing, managing, and monitoring privileged accounts within an organization. It helps businesses protect critical systems and sensitive data by controlling access to administrative accounts, reducing the risk of insider threats, and ensuring compliance with strict regulatory standards.

CyberArk specializes in privileged access management, offering more robust tools than Okta for securing high-level accounts.

Who Is It For?

It’s best suited for businesses that deal with sensitive data and require robust security measures to protect critical systems and prevent insider threats.

CyberArk’s Top Features

CyberArk supports just-in-time provisioning, granting privileged access to users only when necessary and for the minimum time required, reducing the risk of long-term exposure to sensitive systems.
Using AI and machine learning, CyberArk detects anomalies in user behavior, flagging potential security threats before they escalate.
CyberArk's core feature is its PAM solution, which secures, manages, and monitors privileged accounts across the organization. It ensures that only authorized users can access high-level systems and sensitive data.

CyberArk Pricing

CyberArk does not publicly disclose a standard pricing structure; instead, it provides custom quotes based on each business’s unique requirements.

Pricing typically depends on the deployment model (cloud-based or on-premise), the number of privileged accounts to manage, and additional features like session management, threat analytics, and compliance auditing.

CyberArk Pros and Cons

CyberArk excels in securing and managing privileged accounts, which is critical for organizations with sensitive data and high-level systems.
CyberArk provides detailed auditing and reporting features that help businesses meet regulatory requirements like GDPR, HIPAA, and SOX.
Real-time session monitoring allows organizations to keep track of privileged access activity and terminate any suspicious sessions immediately.
CyberArk’s advanced features and focus on privileged access management come at a premium, which may be prohibitive for smaller businesses.
While CyberArk is a leader in PAM, businesses looking for a more general identity management solution may find it lacking in broader IAM features.

SailPoint

Best for: Large enterprises that need a comprehensive identity governance solution to manage user identities, control access, and ensure compliance with security regulations. SailPoint is particularly suited for organizations in highly regulated industries like healthcare, finance, and government.

Similar to: Okta, ForgeRock

SailPoint is an industry leader in identity governance, offering a full suite of identity and access management (IAM) tools designed to help enterprises securely manage and govern user identities across on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments. SailPoint automates critical processes like provisioning, access requests, and compliance management, ensuring businesses can scale their identity governance efficiently while reducing risks.

SailPoint provides deeper tools than Okta for auditing, accessing certifications, and managing identities across complex, hybrid environments.

Who Is It For?

SailPoint is best suited for businesses that must manage and govern user access across hybrid cloud environments, ensuring that only authorized individuals have access to sensitive data and systems.

SailPoint’s Top Features

SailPoint automates the entire identity lifecycle, from provisioning new users to managing role-based access and de-provisioning accounts, ensuring strict control over who has access to what within an organization.
SailPoint ensures organizations meet compliance standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, and SOX by providing detailed auditing and reporting tools to track and document user access.
SailPoint offers robust RBAC features that help businesses define and enforce access policies based on job roles, ensuring that employees only have the permissions necessary for their work.

SailPoint Pricing

SailPoint offers three different product tiers: Standard, Business, and Business Plus, but you’ll have to contact its sales team for precise cost information.

SailPoint Pros and Cons

SailPoint provides powerful automation capabilities, allowing organizations to streamline identity processes and reduce manual tasks.
SailPoint offers strong support for both on-premise and cloud environments, allowing enterprises to manage identities across complex infrastructures.
SailPoint offers a high degree of customization, allowing organizations to tailor the solution to their specific needs and workflows.
SailPoint’s enterprise-grade solutions may be prohibitively expensive for smaller organizations or those with simpler identity management needs.
Implementing SailPoint’s advanced identity governance tools can take longer than implementing more lightweight IAM solutions, particularly in large, complex environments.

Zitadel

Best for: Developers and small to medium-sized businesses seeking an open-source identity and access management (IAM) solution that provides built-in multi-tenancy, high scalability, and seamless integration with cloud-native applications.

Similar to: Auth0, Keycloak

Zitadel is an open-source identity and access management platform designed to support modern cloud-native applications with a strong emphasis on scalability, security, and developer-friendly features. Zitadel offers features such as Single Sign-On (SSO), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and identity federation.

The platform is highly customizable and built for organizations that need multi-tenant environments, allowing businesses to manage multiple clients or projects from a single instance.

Zitadel differentiates itself from Auth0 by being fully open-source, allowing organizations to host it on their own infrastructure without vendor lock-in.

Who Is It For?

Zitadel is ideal for developers, small to medium-sized businesses, and organizations that need an open-source identity and access management (IAM) platform with a focus on multi-tenancy and cloud-native application integration.

Zitadel’s Top Features

Enhanced security is provided through MFA, ensuring users authenticate using multiple verification methods for secure access to sensitive data and applications.
Zitadel supports identity federation, allowing organizations to integrate with other identity providers like Google, Facebook, or custom identity solutions, simplifying the user authentication process across platforms.
Zitadel is built for high scalability, capable of managing millions of users, making it a great choice for businesses that expect growth or need to manage a large number of identities in a multi-tenant environment.

Zitadel Pricing

Zitadel offers three pricing tiers, including a free option for small projects and paid plans for businesses that require more advanced features and higher scalability.

Free Plan: This plan is ideal for individuals or small projects that want to try out Zitadel’s full range of features.
Pro Plan($100 monthly): Designed for businesses that need more scalability and additional features, the Pro Plan provides support for up to 25,000 DAUs per month and offers a variety of premium features.
Enterprise Plan(Custom Pricing): Tailored for large organizations with complex requirements, this plan offers a customizable solution for companies that need higher performance, flexibility, and support.

Zitadel Pros and Cons

Zitadel offers businesses complete control over their identity infrastructure, allowing them to self-host and avoid vendor lock-in.
The platform’s multi-tenancy feature makes it easy to manage multiple clients, projects, or organizations from a single instance.
Zitadel’s API-first design allows for seamless integration with modern cloud-native applications and developer tools.
Businesses that choose to self-host Zitadel will need in-house technical expertise to manage the platform, which may not be feasible for smaller teams.
Compared to larger IAM providers like Okta or Auth0, Zitadel may offer fewer pre-built integrations, requiring more customization to integrate with certain tools.

Frontegg

Best for: Implementing modern authentication methods, including SSO, MFA, and role-based access control (RBAC).

Similar to: Auth0, Okta

Frontegg is a robust user management and authentication platform designed to help SaaS companies integrate user authentication and access management features quickly into their applications. Frontegg focuses on providing modern identity management capabilities like SSO, MFA, and self-service portals, enabling developers to deliver a seamless user experience without building complex authentication systems from scratch.

Frontegg differentiates itself from Auth0 by focusing on SaaS-first development, providing out-of-the-box support for multi-tenancy and customizable user portals.

Who Is It For?

Frontegg is perfect for businesses seeking to scale their user management capabilities quickly and offer features like multi-tenancy, Single Sign-On (SSO), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and customizable self-service portals.

Frontegg’s Top Features

Frontegg allows users to log in once and access multiple applications, streamlining authentication and improving user experience for SaaS platforms.
Frontegg enables users to manage their own profiles, update passwords, and configure authentication methods without requiring support from the IT team, reducing operational overhead.
Designed with multi-tenancy support, Frontegg allows SaaS companies to manage multiple customers or projects within a single instance, making it easy to scale user management across different tenants.

Frontegg Pricing

Frontegg offers three distinct pricing plans designed to cater to different business sizes and requirements.

Launch Plan (Free forever): Ideal for development teams or startups looking to deploy customer identity solutions without cost.
Scale Plan (Custom pricing): Designed for companies looking to grow their identity solutions with more advanced use cases and scalability.
Enterprise Plan (Custom pricing): Tailored for large organizations requiring premium support, security, and infrastructure.

Frontegg Pros and Cons

Developers can create and customize authentication flows, allowing for flexibility and a seamless user experience.
Frontegg allows for fast implementation, enabling businesses to quickly set up user authentication and access management systems without building from scratch.
The free Launch plan offers a startup starting point with its 7,500 MAUs and essential features at no cost.
Full customization options for branding and user interface are limited to the paid plans, which could be a drawback for smaller teams wanting more control over the user experience.
The Scale and Enterprise plans come with custom pricing, which may make it harder for businesses to estimate costs upfront without contacting sales.

Next Steps: Secure Your Identity Management Needs Without the Hassle of Okta

Choosing the right identity and access management (IAM) platform is crucial for ensuring security, scalability, and efficiency within your organization. While Okta remains a popular choice for many enterprises, it’s clear that one solution doesn’t fit all. Factors like pricing, complexity, or specific industry needs may push businesses to explore alternative platforms that better align with their goals.

From OneLogin's user-friendly interface and affordability to Ping Identity's zero-trust security, IBM’s scalability, and CyberArk’s robust privileged access management, there are plenty of strong Okta alternatives available in 2024. Whether you’re a small business looking for flexibility or an enterprise with complex security requirements, these solutions offer a wide range of features, pricing plans, and benefits that can cater to your specific needs.

By carefully considering your business’s unique requirements—whether it's advanced security, better scalability, or cost-effectiveness—you can find the perfect IAM platform to help your organization grow and stay secure in the modern digital landscape.