The Top 10 Alternatives To Okta Workforce Identity

Cisco’s Identity Services Engine (ISE) is a comprehensive IAM solution that delivers strong protection across wired, wireless, and VPN connections. It provides centralized management, extensive access control, rule-based, attribute-driven policy models, guest lifecycle management to manage guest users on your network, device administration access control and auditing, device profiling, and much more. ISE is a robust, technical product, and some users report that it comes with a learning curve and tricky deployment and configuration. That said, users also note that guidance from Cisco’s support teams is incredibly helpful and thorough.

With Cisco ISE, authentication and authorization for all endpoints are determined by business function–i.e., who is trying to gain access, what they’re doing, and what job role they have. Visibility is particularly in-depth and far-reaching, with admins able to minutely track all identity and access-related activity across all networks and endpoints. In addition to network visibility (which covers users, applications, and more), ISE also provides contextual data, which includes user and device identities, threats, and vulnerabilities within integrated solutions from Cisco partners, meaning that the identification and remediation of threats is streamlined.

The level of involvement with deployment, configuration, and maintenance can make ISE appear daunting, but it makes up for it with a strong support team to help tackle the learning curve. It also comes with strong security compliance. As such, we recommend Cisco ISE as a strong alternative to Okta for both SMBs and larger enterprises.

CyberArk is a leading figure in the IAM realm, being named a Visionary in Gartner’s 2021 report on access management. Their IAM solution, Workforce Identity, can deliver single sign-on capabilities, MFA/2FA, password management, endpoint authentication, and lifecycle management.

CyberArk Workforce Identity’s lifecycle management tool is particularly handy in assisting with application access requisitions, terminating access, and creating application accounts. Users praise this particular feature for its ease of use and streamlining of procedures. The solution also offers per application authentication policies and scripts, which allow for extensive customization and enhanced flexibility, and an AI-powered analytics engine, which can provide insights into user access activity. Users can securely access the corporate network remotely  and, with the solutions App Gateway feature, users can securely access applications directly via SSO without having to be granted full network access. This ensures productivity, while preventing harmful code from spreading laterally through the network.

CyberArk’s Workforce Identity solution helps businesses meet strict external and internal compliance requirements for data protection, as well as helping to meet security requirements, aid in access management, and provide reports on user access for centralized auditing. Workforce Identity is a powerful solution that we would recommend as a strong alternative to Okta for enterprises across all industries.

ForgeRock is a specialist in the identity and access management sector, bringing a strong, automated solution to the table. ForgeRock have been praised for their strong customer-centric approach to how they do business, with a skilled support team to guide admins when needed. Their Identity Platform product is a flexible, intuitive IAM solution that consolidates identity governance, directories, gateways, SDKs, identity cloud, and access management features to create unified, adaptive identity and access related security. It’s an AI-intuitive solution that has a range of deployment options including on-premises, multi-cloud, hybrid, and as-a-service environments.

The Identity Platform makes use of identity lifecycle management capabilities. This particular feature helps to streamline and automate how identities access and traverse your network.  The platform combines this with MFA and SSO to give admins complete control over what users have access to and how they interact with other users and apps in the network. ForgeRock’s Identity Platform also uses edge security that supports authentication and granular authorization decisions that apply across all interactions and patterns. Admins get full visibility into the who, what, where, when, why, and how of every login attempt from a single, clean dashboard.

Because of this granular visibility, ForgeRock’s solution helps business prove compliance with strict industry guidelines for data protection. As such we would recommend ForgeRock’s IAM solution as a strong Okta alterative for healthcare, governmental, financial, and retail organizations of all sizes.

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Colorado, USA, JumpCloud is a firmly established favorite in the IAM industry.  The JumpCloud platform is a highly customizable solution, with the directory being composed of various features that companies can cherry pick to build a solution that works best for their needs. The directory includes–but is not limited to–user lifecycle management, multi-factor authentication, single sign-on capabilities, cloud LDAP, endpoint management, and more . It’s a cloud-deployed solution, requiring no hardware or software prior to installation.

Relevant to IAM, the directory boasts an optimized user lifecycle management system, concentrating all analytics, reporting, user activity, level of access and more in one easy-to-navigate, intuitive dashboard. The solution is flexible in its deployment and versatile in what it can manage, with support for user access to Windows, macOS, Linux, cloud applications, on-prem applications, and networks. User access is streamlined through the implementation of SSO, which requires users to sign in via only one set of credentials at the start of their sessions to gain access to all apps and services.

A flexible, scalable solution that is cost effective, we would recommend JumpCloud’s Directory Platform as a strong Okta alternative for small- to medium-sized businesses prioritizing ease of use for both admins and end users.

OneLogin, acquired by One Identity in 2021, is a leading provider of IAM solutions. Their Workforce Identity solution seamlessly blends SSO capabilities, 2FA/MFA, advanced password reset that includes resetting based on location, application, and level of user access, and more. It’s deployable on either cloud, on-prem, or hybrid networks, and is overall a highly flexible and scalable solution.

Workforce Identity makes use of an active cloud directory, allowing for the synchronization and categorization of all users across the network and providing a single source of truth for access–admins know exactly who has access to what, and when. The platform’s MFA feature supports a wide range of authentication methods, including OneLogin’s own OneLogin Protect one time password app, as well as verification through email, SMS, biometric methods, or through the use of a third-party app or service. SmartFactor Authentication is also available, which utilizes machine learning to assess each login attempt and automatically grant access, deny access or step-up authentication based on the risk and context of the login.

 A powerful and complex solution, we would recommend OneLogin’s Workforce Identity for medium, large, and enterprise level organizations of all industries and MSPs.

Oracle’s Identity and Access Management Suite, marketed under their Oracle Unified Directory 12c, is a highly robust and intuitive solution that comes with high levels of customization or can be run immediately with the out-of-the-box settings. The Suite includes four different solutions which can be purchased separately, including Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Identity and Access Management—a cloud-native specific IAM solution—Oracle Access Management, Oracle Identity Governance, and Oracle Directory Services. The solutions are highly integrative, with existing workflows to support native, custom, and third-party tools and apps. Users praise the suite for its ease of use during deployment, configuration, and ongoing management, all of which can be managed from a simplified, clean dashboard.

Oracle’s IAM Suite provides overarching visibility into the entire network, detailing who has access to what and why. Admins can use this information to configure access policies based on on job role, level within the company, and more, to help limit the lateral spread of attacks via overprivileged accounts. The solution includes SSO, complete and unified lifecycle management, risk-based authentication, user provisioning, self-service access, and integrated identity administration and analytics, which in turn help prove compliance with data protection regulations. Directories help unify users, endpoints and more, and 360 visibility is offered through in-depth dashboards and reporting.

Oracle’s IAM Suite is a highly flexible and scalable solution, making it an attractive option for medium to large sized organizations.

PingIdentity is an established vendor in the identity and access management sphere and has been recognised by Gartner’s Magic Quadrant multiple times as being a leader for their identity security solutions–most recently in 2021. Their PingOne Cloud Platform is a cloud native IAM solution that delivers authentication, SSO, directories, and access management features. This IAM solution is highly customizable and can be tailored to meet your business’ specific needs, with companies only needing to pay for the exact features they need. It integrates well with all environments–including on-prem and hybrid. It’s a highly robust and flexible IAM solution, though users report that deployment, configuration, and troubleshooting can be somewhat complex.

The PingOne Cloud Platform blends authentication, directories, SSO, MFA/2FA, API Intelligence, risk management capabilities and more. Users can manage their own profiles through the Personal Identity feature, choosing how they interact with the solution and which identity verification methods they’d prefer to use. This boosts productivity by enabling users to authenticate in whatever way is easiest for them. The solution introduces continuous authorization to make sure the right person is accessing the right tools with the right credentials. It also employs adaptive access policies, which assess the specific context in which a user is trying to access a particular app or network and step-up authentication as required to ensure security without adding unnecessary friction to the user login experience. Centralized administration streamlines the management of the entire solution in one place that is easy for admins to navigate and digest, as well as providing enhanced network visibility and reporting in the one place.

 Some users report PingOne as being difficult and time consuming to deploy–with a steep learning curve. However, once configured, the solution offers robust MFA capabilities and deep visibility into access for compliance and auditing purposes. As such, we would recommend the solution as a strong alternative to Okta for large enterprises looking for powerful adaptive authentication with granular customization options.

SecurID is an identity and access management solution that consolidates everything needed to deliver effective access security within one platform. SecurID’s cloud-native IAM solution includes multi-factor authentication, passwordless authentication, single sign-on and user lifecycle governance. Due to its cloud-based architecture, the platform’s range of deployment options are flexible, with support for on-prem and hybrid environments. Some users report that initial deployment and configuration can be complex and take time, however.

SecurID’s IAM solution blends multi-factor authentication, single sign-on capabilities, passwordless authentication, identity governance and lifecycle capabilities, risk-based authentication, and one-time-password authentication. The one-time-password feature enables users to request codes via personal devices such as their cell phone, circumventing the need to introduce dongles or other devices to the workforce. Access is validated based on predetermined policies that categorize users according to characterizations such as role, location, network, session, and other contextual information. Analyzing each login attempt for deviations from these baseline policies, the solution will make a risk assessment in real-time and respond accordingly, stepping up authentication where required for more risky login attempts.

RSA’s SecurID is a powerful, robust solution that is incredibly complex, time consuming, and expensive to deploy and maintain. As such, we would recommend the solution for large to enterprise level organizations.

tenfold is a niche player in the IAM industry. Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, the company focuses on making user-friendly, easy-to-manage IAM solutions that also help organizations meets strict regulatory compliance requirements, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO 27001. The solution includes active directory monitoring, user lifecycle management, role-based access control, application integration and more. Deployment is flexible, with on-prem, hybrid, and cloud deployment all possible, and is straightforward and fuss free, providing easy management of users and their access privileges. Finally, the platform integrates well with, and is tailored for, all Microsoft environments.

What  sets tenfold apart from its competitors is its self-service interface feature, which enables users to request access to certain areas of the network as and when they need them. These requests are automatically sent to the data owner alongside the contextual information of each login for fast approval. Documentation and reporting are extensive, giving admins a full view into who has access to what, when they’re doing so, and any more relevant data. The platform also logs all historical user access activities, including changes to access privileges.

At the heart of tenfold’s solutions are two things: its affordability and its manageability. Their IAM solution simplifies the whole process, making the solution easy to deploy, configure, and maintain for small- to medium-sized businesses. As such, we recommend tenfold as a strong alternative to Okta for SMBs—particularly those that need to meet strict compliance requirements, and those prioritizing ease-of-use.

A highly established global company specializing in a range of solutions, tools, and products, Thales is a leader in cloud-based access management solutions. Their people-centric, customer-driven answer to identity and access management is their cloud-native SafeNet Trusted Access product. SafeNet Trusted Access, like other IAM solutions the company offers, supports a wide range of authentication methods for users, including passwordless authentication—making it adaptable and accessible for most, if not all, workers. Its cloud-native architecture makes it highly deployable and seamlessly integrative with most existing network architecture.

SafeNet works as an integrated platform with a single dashboard for admins to gain enhanced visibility into all network activity regarding user permissions and access. The platform consolidates single sign-on capabilities, advanced and extensive authentication methods, risk-based policies, and configuration possibilities, and much more. Their authentication methods supported include hardware authentication such as smart and traditional tokens, PKI-style devices, and one-time password tokens, as well as mobile authentication methods, and push technology authentication. Another form of authentication uses a touch-screen grid for end-users to create their own pattern as a way of authenticating themselves, which has proved to be popular for organizations that frequently enroll external users as there is no complex onboarding required.

We would strongly recommend Thales’ SafeNet Trusted Access solution for large enterprises, particularly those in industries such as manufacturing that require the use of extensive endpoints outside the traditional office perimeter and a constant influx of guest users.