User Authentication

The Top 11 Single Sign-On Solutions For Business

Discover the top best Single Sign (SSO) solutions. Explore features such as identity management, app integrations, multi-factor authentication and password vaults.

The Top 11 Single Sign-On Solutions Include:

Single Sign-On (SSO) solutions enable users to authenticate identity securely and seamlessly with multiple applications, using just one set of credentials. There are many benefits to implementing single sign-on: it is more secure than using multiple passwords to authenticate access, admins can more effectively control which accounts users have access to, and it makes managing credentials much easier for end-users.

Single sign-on solutions are delivered by identity providers, and work by building trusted relationships with third-party service providers to authenticate users across multiple accounts. When a user attempts to log into a service, the identity provider can be contacted to check if the user has been authenticated. If the users ID can be authenticated, the user is granted access with no further questions asked. If the user cannot be authenticated via the provider, they will need to authenticate access and login ––usually enforced with a secure method of authentication such as Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

As an end-user, single sign-on means you only need to login once to access all of your applications and services. After logging in, you can access apps as normal within a browser session with data tokens used to carry your authenticated status across applications and services. Users no longer need to remember multiple accounts and passwords, and admins can manage user privileges more effectively to reduce scope for data breach and account compromise.

The single sign-on market has become competitive, with a number of identity providers offering SSO solutions. They are typically tightly integrated with comprehensive identity and access management platforms which also enforce multi-factor authentication, privileged access management, remote access controls, password management and other zero trust principles.

This shortlist will explore the top enterprise SSO providers and their wider identity platforms. We’ll consider their features, such as third-party integrations, identity management policies, authentication, and auditing, based on our own technical testing and customer feedback. 

JumpCloud logo

JumpCloud is a comprehensive open directory platform that provides secure, cloud-based SSO capabilities. With JumpCloud SSO, users can access not just work-related applications, but also includes apps that authenticate with LDAP, from IT services (e.g., Jenkins, OpenVPN, or Airwatch) to ticketing and control systems (e.g., Atlassian Jira) to on-premises attached storage systems (e.g., Synology or QNAP), and other IT resources via a single set of credentials. This “one identity per user” feature allows for easier user management and gives admins full vision into the who, what, where, and when of each access attempt, as well as streamlining the login process for end users.

JumpCloud SSO delivers simple and scalable user management that allows administrators to create groups based on employee department or job role, then associate those groups to applications to restrict access and provide appropriate authorizations and permissions. Administrators can save time onboarding by adding a new user to a group and automatically granting them access to associated apps. 

Administrators can manage all of their users, access, account provisioning, user deactivation and from a single console and a growing list of SAML and SCIM connectors that enable out of the box integrations with an extensive library of applications. 

JumpCloud has been used by over 200,000 organizations worldwide and is consistently ranked as a top solution by customers. JumpCloud SSO is available as a standalone solution, or as a bundle with other JumpCloud identity, access, and device management solutions. We would recommend JumpCloud’s SSO solution for SMBs and mid-market companies looking to streamline and tighten account security.

Thales Logo

Thales is a well-established technology company, currently providing solutions across critical sectors for more than 30,000 organizations in 68 countries globally. Having acquired identity security company Gemalto in 2019—who, themselves, acquired SafeNet in 2015— Thales is able to leverage Gemalto’s Trusted Digital ID Services Platform as well as the SafeNet Trusted Access solution for their customers. Identity and Security being a key market for Thales, they offer SafeNet Trusted Access as a cloud-based, SaaS, all-in-one identity and access management solution. This solution combines features such as SSO, MFA, and modern access security, while providing a single pane view of your entire organization for admins.

Part of Thales’ SafeNet Trusted Access solution, Smart SSO enables users to log into all their accounts and applications using a single identity, via one centralized portal. Admins can configure granular and flexible scenario-based access policies for each application, that determine the level of authentication required for each login attempt. This works in the background, gathering contextual information on factors such as known devices, location, and previous sessions, without disrupting users. Alongside SSO, users can leverage MFA and passwordless features, to reduce password fatigue while strengthening security. For admins, granular reports can be created and customized seamlessly, and lifecycle administration tasks can be fully automated.

Overall, Thales’ SafeNet Trusted Access is a comprehensive and trusted SSO and authentication solution. Users rate the platform as easy to deploy and manage, user friendly, reliable, providing excellent authentication and visibility across their user base. This makes it suitable across a wide range of use cases. Offering a multi-tier, multi-tenant environment, as well as hundreds of out-of-the-box integrations, this solution is ideal for mid to large Enterprises across all industries—with financial institutions, healthcare and governments being current customers—and organizations looking for an access management solution that offers strong authentication capabilities for numerous user contexts.

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ManageEngine logo

ManageEngine, the IT management division of Zoho Corporation, offers ADSelfService Plus – a robust Single Sign-On (SSO) and password management solution with powerful Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) capabilities. ADSelfService Plus provides secure access to Windows, macOS, and LinuxOS machines, VPNs, applications, endpoints, and Outlook Web Access (OWA) via secure single sign-on, enforced with multi-factor authentication.

With ADSelfService Plus, organizations can simplify the end-user login experience and secure access to multiple points with secure SSO. By using Active Directory domain credentials, users can easily and securely authenticate their identities across corporate accounts, confirmed with a second factor using one of 18 methods. These include security questions, authenticator apps, hardware security tokens, and facial recognition.

Admins can also configure authentication policies from the admin console to enforce specific methods for specific groups and situations, and ensure users have access to only the right applications and services: a key tenant of Zero Trust. Admins can also create secure custom password policies to add an extra layer of security to their networks by preventing poor password behaviors.

ADSelfService Plus is easy to install and use, with options for server or machine installation and the choice of 64-bit or 32-bit versions. Highly rated by current users for its simplicity, ADSelfService Plus is a trusted solution for larger organizations – especially in finance, IT, healthcare, and government – seeking strong MFA and SSO alongside password management.

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Duo Logo

Cisco Duo Single Sign-On is a cloud-hosted SAML 2.0 identity solution that enables two-factor authentication and access policy enforcement for third-party applications, including Microsoft 365, and Salesforce. Users can securely access all of their native and cloud-based work applications by signing in once with their existing directory credentials; these are secured with additional adaptive authentication factors to prevent account compromise. The platform supports multiple authentication methods, including FIDO passkeys, security keys, phone, SMS, and Duo Push.

From the management console, admins can customize granular access policies at an application level. This includes configuring adaptive and risk-based MFA policies based on contextual login data such as user location, role, and device. Cisco Duo produces a risk score for each login based on these factors. For high-risk logins, Duo requires users to verify their identity via integrated MFA. This ensures that only genuine users are accessing corporate accounts, whilst streamlining the authentication process for the end user. Users can self-enroll and self-manage their devices, including password resets.

Cisco Duo SSO is available in all of Duo’s commercial plans. It’s fully cloud-based, making it easy to deploy and giving it the flexibility to scale with your organization. Organizations can use Active Directory or another identity provider of their choice as a first-factor authentication source to govern user accounts. Duo is praised by both end users and IT admins for its ease of use, and is also popular amongst the MSP community, thanks to its multi-tenant dashboard that enables MSPs to manage Duo seamlessly across all of their clients’ devices. We recommend Cisco Duo SSO as a powerful tool for organizations of any size, and particularly those looking for a SSO as part of an intuitive, comprehensive authentication and access management platform.

Read our interview with Wolfgang Goerlich, Advisory CISO and Strategist, Cisco Duo.

IBM Logo

IBM Security Verify is a robust identity-as-a-service solution that offers multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, password-less authentication, adaptive access, lifecycle management, and identity analytics. This product aims to streamline access management while ensuring robust identity security for users in both cloud and on-premises environments.

The Security Verify platform offers federated Single Sign-On (SSO), which allows users to access multiple applications with a single set of credentials. This simplifies the login process, while maintaining secure access across cloud and on-premises apps. Additional security is provided through multi-factor authentication, risk-based contextual authentication. Supported authentication methods include email and SMS OTPs, time-based OTPs, and the IBM Verify Authentication mobile app. Security Verify also offers tools for user lifecycle orchestration, contextual risk monitoring, custom activity reports for troubleshooting, and identity analytics, which enhance risk awareness and helps prevent breaches.

IBM Security Verify is a strong solution for larger enterprises looking to implement single sign-on as part of a wider zero-trust identity management strategy. Its advanced features, such as SSO, password-less authentication, and risk-based multi-factor authentication, combined with its competitive pricing, make it a top choice for IT, security, and business leaders.

Microsoft Logo

Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) is the most popular cloud-based user directory service globally, delivered as part of Microsoft’s Entra identity management platform and Microsoft 365. Entra ID allows admins to enforce multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, conditional access policies, and identity governance policies across cloud and on-prem applications.

Microsoft Entra ID supports several protocols for single sign-on, including SAML 2.0, OpenID Connect (OIDC), OAuth 2.0, and WS-Federation. Entra ID is widely used by third-party applications for federated single sign-on. With federated single sign-on, Entra ID authenticates the user using their existing Microsoft credentials. Third-party developers can also use Entra ID to authenticate user access to their service.

With Entra ID SSO, users can log in into all their applications seamlessly from any device using only their Microsoft 365 credentials. Microsoft also offers a “seamless” single-sign option that enables users on Windows devices to automatically authenticate to applications. When enabled, users don’t need to even type in passwords or usernames – instead, they authenticate using native, on-device biometric controls. Once signed in, users can access a centralized portal showcasing connected applications. Admins can easily integrate third-party applications via the admin dashboard and enforce risk-based conditional access policies. Admins can also enforce multi-factor authentication policies, with multiple authentication options supported, including biometric authentication.

Microsoft Entra ID is a strong single sign-on option for enterprises using the Microsoft 365 eco-system. It offers comprehensive and secure identity controls, with wide support for third-party applications.

Read our interview with Alex Weinert, Director of Identity Security at Microsoft.

Okta Logo

Okta is a leading global identity provider, used by more than 10,000 organizations globally to secure access for enterprise workforces and customer-facing applications. The Okta Workforce Identity Cloud is a comprehensive suite of cloud-based enterprise identity solutions designed to enforce secure access to company accounts. This includes always on single sign-on, adaptive MFA, lifecycle and workflow management, and identity governance. Okta Single Sign-On is a customizable, cloud-based solution that enables secure access for internal employees and external contractors or partners, across all on-prem and cloud applications.

Okta Single Sign-on is easy to deploy, with pre-built integrations across more than 7,000 enterprise cloud applications and the ability to support on-premises applications via SAML and OPENID connect integrations, with RADIUS and LDAP support and password vaulting. It also offers intergrations with any and all identity stores, including AD, LDAP, and HR systems. Once deployed, end users can sign in with a single set of credentials to access all of their applications from their cloud-based dashboard on any device, with self-service password resets.

Admins can manage all user access and applications from the central admin console, including identity policies such as multi-factor authentication, lifecycle management, and policy workflows. Okta enforces adaptive security policies to prevent account takeover attempts and ensure single sign-on users are securely authenticated. Okta also provides comprehensive auditing.

Okta’s platform is easy to use and simple to deploy, with comprehensive admin policies, and cost-effective pricing. From an end-user perspective, Okta delivers a secure and convenient SSO experience. Workforce Identity has a $1,500 annual minimum contract price. The SSO component is available at a list price of $2 per user, per month. We recommend OKTA as a strong option for larger enterprises looking for a comprehensive identity and access management platform, with a secure, easy-to-manage SSO component.

Onelogin logo

Acquired by One Identity in 2021, OneLogin is a leading identity and access management provider that secures more than 5,500 organizations worldwide. OneLogin’s cloud-based Workforce Identity platform provides a user directory, secure single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, and identity lifecycle management in one unified identity platform. Their Secure Single Sign-On solution is available as part of this platform.

OneLogin Secure Single Sign-On enables secure, one-click login, with pre-built integrations across more than 6,000 enterprise applications. Users can access all connected applications from the Secure Single Sign-On portal, which provisions access to all company and personal accounts with just one set of login credentials. They can sign into this portal with their existing directory credentials, or use the Social Login feature to sign in using their Facebook, LinkedIn, or X (formerly Twitter) credentials. Admins can enforce password security, multi-factor authentication, and context-based adaptive authentication workflows, as well as set session timeouts, to secure access and prevent account takeover attempts.

OneLogin also supports shared login credentials within the single sign-on component, enabling apps that don’t support multiple users to be accessed by different team members where required. For example, your marketing team could each have access to the shared corporate Twitter account.

OneLogin’s single sign-on also provides secure endpoint management functionalities, tied to the user directory component of the platform. Admins can enforce device trust policies and enforce multi-factor authentication when users log into their Windows or Mac devices. For the end user, this makes authentication across devices seamless. They simply switch on their device, authenticate their identity to log in, and are granted have seamless access to all of the applications available in the OneLogin SSO portal. Plus, integrated Windows Authentication compatibility means that users who are signed into their corporate Windows domain will be logged into OneLogin automatically.

OneLogin Secure Single Sign-On is a strong choice for teams looking for secure, fully featured single sign-on that’s intuitive for the end user. The platform is a strong choice for organizations of all sizes that require secure single sign-on and multi-factor authentication with user directory and device management capabilities.

Ping Identity Logo

Popular with users since its establishment in 2002, Ping Identity is a market leader in the identity and access management space that currently manages more than two billion identities globally—including some of the world’s leading organizations. Ping Identity Single Sign-On is included in Ping’s PingOne for Workforce, PingOne for Customers, PingFederate, and PingAccess products. The solution is designed for easy cloud deployment with unlimited application integrations, and works across cloud, hybrid, and on-prem environments for all customers, partners, and employees.

Ping Identity’s SSO solution is built to scale and enables staff to access all workspace applications—whether mobile, cloud, enterprise, or SaaS—using one set of credentials, via their centralized employee dock. This federated SSO is designed to work anywhere and from any device. The platform includes native support for identity standards such as SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect (OIDC) tokens. It also supports LDAP and SCIM. As well as this, the platform leverages artificial intelligence to analyze anomalous login attempts and can request further verification of the user’s identity if suspicious behavior is detected—such as logging in from an unrecognized device. These adaptive authentication policies can be configured by admins via a centralized console and provide a greater level of assurance that the right users are accessing their accounts. From the same console, admins can also onboard and manage users, including password resets.

We rate Ping Identity’s SSO solution highly, particularly for its reliability and ease of use as well as ease of deployment and configuration. With its focus on scalability, performance, and security, this solution is suitable for large enterprises as well as SMBs, and is well-suited to organizations across all industries—including finance, healthcare, and the public sector. We’d recommend this solution for organizations looking to enable scalable, secure, and convenient access to their workspace applications from any device and location.

Read our interview with Aubrey Turner, Executive Advisor at Ping Identity.

Rippling Logo

Rippling IT consolidates user authentication, single sign-on, identity and access management, and mobile device management in one platform for streamlined deployment, easier management, and robust enforcement of security controls.

The Rippling IT platform acts as a single source of truth for all identity and access management workflows. It includes a full cloud directory service, including full user lifecycle management of every employee, linked to device management. This enables admins to provision enterprise single sign-on across the organization with dynamic access management protocols. Automate user provisioning and group management with dynamic policies based on employee attributes like role, department, and hundreds of others. Rippling IT supports any federated identity protocol, including LDAP, AD, OIDC, and RADIUS for custom SCIM and SAML apps—plus 600+ pre-built integrations with enterprise apps through the Rippling App Shop.

Rippling IT also includes a full enterprise password manager component, with a secure password vault for improving end user password security and productivity. Users no longer have to remember each password individually. Rippling IT supports multi-factor authentication and automatically requests that users authenticate with MFA when suspicious behaviors are detected. This helps to prevent account compromise attacks. Implement advanced security controls like Device Trust in just a few clicks using Rippling IT’s unified IAM and MDM platform.

We highly rate Rippling IT’s IAM and SSO capabilities. The platform is easy to manage and provides granular admin controls for strengthened security and custom reporting for compliance. Rippling IT can suit teams of all sizes, from one person IT teams to large departments. It’s used by both SMBs and large enterprises, with flexibility in the granularity of features and use cases depending on business requirements.

Rippling Logo
SecureAuth Logo

SecureAuth is a leading provider of access management and secure authentication solutions, delivering passwordless authentication, secure single sign-on, and risk-based access for employees, partners, and customers. Their Identity Platform supports continuous, adaptive authentication, context-aware sign-in flows, comprehensive analytics, device trust, and single sign-on. This enables secure identity management across the enterprise network.

Within the SecureAuth Identity Platform, SecureAuth’s SSO empowers users to access connected applications – including Microsoft 365, Slack, and Salesforce – quickly and efficiently using only one set of password credentials. The platform uses adaptive authentication policies to continuously verify user identities, using detailed risk profiling and machine learning-powered technologies to assess each login risk, integrated across existing PAM, SIEM, and IGA solutions. Once verified and signed in, users can view all connected applications via an easy-to-use SSO portal. Admins can see a global view of all applications and devices connected to the network in real time, with comprehensive policy controls and analytics to secure network access.

The SecureAuth Identity Platform also delivers secure passwordless authentication, with strong multi-factor authentication processes to minimize the risk of account compromise. It supports over 30 different multi-factor authentication options, including on-device biometrics such as TouchID, and, industry standard, FIDO2. SecureAuth’s authentication app allows users to leverage their smartphones for OTP and facial recognition, improving the end-user experience for single sign-on authentication workflows.

SecureAuth’s Identity Platform offers a secure, flexible authentication platform, supporting a wide range of MFA methods, with organizations able to choose between on-prem, cloud, and hybrid applications. We rate the solution highly for its risk profiling capabilities, extensive user authentication options, and secure identity platform. We recommend SecureAuth mid-size and enterprise organizations, including healthcare and educational institutions, looking to deploy secure single sign-on, enforced by adaptive MFA workflows.

Read our interview with Paul Trulove, CEO at SecureAuth.

The Top 11 Single Sign-On Solutions For Business