Technical Review by
Craig MacAlpine
In 2025, “123456” was still the most common breached password globally, with over six billion stolen credentials captured and analyzed in a single 12-month period. Weak passwords cause an estimated 30% of all data breaches, and 78% of the most common passwords can be cracked in under a second. Passwordless authentication removes this risk entirely by eliminating passwords from the login process.
As well as this, research suggests that over 80% of data breaches involve weak or stolen passwords. And so, it’s easy to see why organizations are turning toward passwordless methods of authenticating users. But what can be classed as passwordless authentication?
While we use “passwordless authentication” as an umbrella term, the sub-types within this can be split into what we at Expert Insights consider “semi” passwordless, and “true” passwordless. “Semi” passwordless solutions include certain types of Single Sign-On (SSO) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), where the password itself still exists, but where users can log on to all connected accounts password-free via one connected portal, or sign-in using alternative methods of authentication, such as biometrics and authenticator apps. “True” passwordless, on the other hand, means that the password itself doesn’t exist; it was never created from the beginning and the user’s account was created using passwordless methods. This heavily relies on FIDO2 standards and public-key cryptography to authenticate users.
We’ve put together a list of the top passwordless authentication solutions for organizations looking to reduce password usage and simplify the log-in process for users. We’ve evaluated these based on SSO capabilities, methods of passwordless authentication available, policy management, and reporting capabilities.
Passwordless authentication lets users log in without typing a password. Instead of remembering and entering credentials, users verify their identity using biometrics (fingerprint or facial recognition), hardware security keys (physical devices you tap or plug in), push notifications (approving a login on your phone), or passkeys (cryptographic keys stored on your device). The result is a login experience that is both faster for users and harder for attackers to compromise, because there is no password to steal, guess, or phish.
Passwordless authentication replaces shared secrets (passwords) with asymmetric cryptography. FIDO2/WebAuthn is the dominant standard: during registration, the authenticator generates a public-private key pair, stores the private key in a secure enclave (TPM, Secure Element, or TEE), and sends the public key to the relying party. At login, the relying party issues a challenge, the authenticator signs it with the private key, and the server verifies the signature against the stored public key. Because the private key never leaves the device and each credential is scoped to a single origin, phishing and credential replay attacks are structurally impossible. Passkeys extend FIDO2 by enabling credential synchronization across devices via platform providers (Apple, Google, Microsoft). Hardware security keys provide device-bound credentials that cannot be synced or extracted. Enterprise deployments layer passwordless authentication with adaptive risk engines that evaluate device posture, location, and behavioral signals to determine whether to grant access or require step-up verification.
Here is a comparison of the top passwordless authentication platforms across key capabilities.
| Product | Best For | FIDO2 | Biometrics | Push Auth | Hardware Tokens |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Thales SafeNet Trusted Access
|
Flexible authenticator options across regulated industries
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Cisco Duo
|
Fast, low-friction MFA rollout across distributed workforces
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
HID Advanced MFA
|
Converged physical and logical access on one credential
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
HYPR
|
Phishing-resistant passwordless in regulated environments
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
|
Microsoft Entra ID
|
M365 environments needing native passwordless integration
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Okta Workforce Identity Cloud
|
Large app portfolios needing centralized passwordless access
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
|
OneLogin Workforce Identity
|
Mid-market teams needing simple SSO and MFA
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Ping Identity PingOne
|
Enterprises needing adaptive, risk-based authentication
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Prove Auth
|
Consumer-facing environments needing phone-centric verification
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
RSA SecurID
|
Compliance-driven enterprises needing deep risk intelligence
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Yubico YubiKey
|
Hardware-backed phishing resistance without software dependencies
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
We assessed each passwordless authentication solution based on authentication methods supported (FIDO2, biometrics, push, smartcards), SSO capabilities and app integration depth, policy configuration and adaptive access controls, deployment flexibility (cloud, on-premises, hybrid), admin reporting and compliance support, end-user experience and adoption friction, and customer feedback on reliability and support quality. This article was researched and written by Joel Witts, with technical review by Craig MacAlpine. Read our full methodology
Thales is a global technology company providing security solutions across critical sectors for more than 30,000 organizations in 68 countries. SafeNet Trusted Access is their cloud-based access management platform, combining passwordless authentication, SSO, and adaptive MFA in one integrated service. The platform offers one of the widest ranges of phishing-resistant authentication methods available, including FIDO2 security keys, biometrics, and certificate-based smart cards.
We recommend SafeNet Trusted Access for mid-sized to large enterprises that need passwordless authentication with the flexibility to support multiple authenticator types from one platform. The FIDO2 and smart card support makes it practical for regulated industries like finance, healthcare, and government where phishing-resistant authentication is a compliance requirement. The per-user licensing model is a genuine advantage; you are not paying extra when users switch from a software token to a FIDO2 key. If your priority is eliminating passwords across your application estate with strong centralized policy control, SafeNet Trusted Access delivers.
Best for Fast, low-friction passwordless rollout across distributed workforces
Cisco Duo is a cloud-based MFA and access management platform built around push-first authentication. It serves over 20,000 customers and processes half a billion authentications monthly. We were impressed by how quickly teams can get Duo running, with QR-code-based enrollment that keeps IT involvement minimal during rollout.
Users consistently praise the simplicity. Daily authentication stays out of the way, and non-technical staff adapt quickly. With that said, some customer reviews note that push notifications occasionally lag during peak usage, which slows down login. Device dependency is a recurring theme. A dead phone or lost connectivity blocks authentication entirely, with no graceful fallback in some configurations.
We think Duo is a strong choice if your priority is fast, low-friction MFA rollout across a distributed workforce. The push-first approach drives high user adoption with minimal training. It suits mid-market and enterprise teams best, especially those securing remote access and hybrid app environments. If your budget is tight, evaluate pricing carefully as your user base grows.
Best for Converged physical and logical access on one credential
HID Advanced MFA is an enterprise-grade identity platform that secures over 85 million identities globally. Its differentiator is converged credentials, using a single smart card or token for both physical building access and logical network authentication. We think this is the right fit if your organization needs doors and desktops under one identity framework.
Customers highlight the speed of authentication and the depth of security layering across transactions. The converged credential approach gets strong praise from organizations already managing physical access. Something to be aware of is that some users report initial setup is technical and requires a meaningful learning curve for new administrators. Publicly available customer feedback is also more limited than with some competitors in this space, which makes long-term operational patterns harder to assess.
We think HID is strongest for government, manufacturing, banking, and healthcare teams with building security requirements. The converged credential approach is a real differentiator for organizations that already issue smart cards for physical access. If you only need software-based MFA without physical access needs, lighter alternatives exist.
Best for Phishing-resistant passwordless in regulated environments
HYPR is a passwordless authentication platform built on FIDO2 standards, designed for regulated industries like finance and healthcare. We were impressed by the approach here: HYPR eliminates shared secrets entirely, making credential phishing a non-issue rather than just harder to pull off.
Customer sentiment is unusually positive. Teams running HYPR for multiple years report zero service outages and rarely need to contact support. When they do, response quality gets high marks. End-user adoption is strong because the login experience feels natural, especially the biometric flow. There are trade-offs. Some users say initial setup takes time and full-scale integration leans heavily on Windows PKI, which adds complexity.
We think HYPR is a top-tier option if your organization operates in a regulated space and needs phishing-resistant MFA that users will actually adopt. The FIDO2 certification and biometric verification check boxes that auditors care about. If you need a quick plug-and-play MFA without infrastructure planning, expect a longer runway to full deployment.
Best for M365 environments needing native passwordless integration
Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) is Microsoft’s cloud-based identity and access management solution, currently trusted by over 1.2 billion identities globally to secure access to apps, devices, and data. If your organization already runs Microsoft 365, Entra ID is likely working under the hood already. We think it’s the default choice for Microsoft-heavy environments, and the depth of native integration is hard to match.
Customers consistently flag licensing complexity as the biggest frustration. Key security features like automatic access reviews and advanced risk-based sign-in protection sit behind the Premium P2 tier, and the licensing matrix isn’t always clear about what lives where. That price step catches teams off guard. Some customer reviews note that admin settings are fragmented across multiple portals, slowing down configuration and troubleshooting.
We think Entra ID is the natural starting point for any Microsoft 365 shop. The depth of native integration eliminates third-party identity connectors. Enterprise and hybrid environments get the strongest return. If you’re evaluating this for advanced security features, make sure your licensing tier covers what you actually need before committing. The free and P1 tiers leave meaningful gaps for security-focused teams.
Best for Large app portfolios needing centralized passwordless access
Okta is a market-leading identity platform serving over 10,000 organizations with SSO, MFA, and passwordless authentication. Focused on usability, it comes with a host of integrations with existing cloud-based tools and applications. We were impressed by the integration depth here: over 8,000 pre-built connectors in the Okta Integration Network mean most apps work out of the box. Okta itself has gone 100% passwordless internally for workforce apps, which is a strong signal of product maturity.
The end-user experience gets consistently high marks. Customers say daily authentication is smooth, and non-technical staff adapt quickly to the SSO portal. Setup documentation is clear, and support is responsive when issues arise. The friction shows up in two areas. First, pricing escalates as you add capabilities like advanced MFA or lifecycle management. Second, policy management grows complex at scale. Customers with large user populations say configuring granular access policies requires solid IAM knowledge.
We think Okta is a top contender if your environment spans dozens or hundreds of SaaS apps and you need one identity layer across all of them. The integration depth is hard to beat. Enterprise teams and organizations with distributed, remote workforces benefit most from the FastPass experience and centralized access management. If your budget is tight or your app footprint is small, the pricing model may push you toward lighter alternatives.
Best for Mid-market teams needing simple passwordless SSO and MFA
OneLogin, now part of One Identity, is an IAM platform trusted by over 2,000 organizations for SSO, MFA, and passwordless authentication. Acclaimed for delivering easy-to-use, scalable, and secure identity products, OneLogin offers their Trusted Experience Platform with a suite of workforce identity capabilities. We think it’s a solid mid-market option if your primary need is simple SSO and MFA across a large app catalog.
Customers appreciate the simplicity of the single-password experience and the convenience of having all corporate apps grouped in one portal. Daily users say it stays out of the way and does what it should. There are trade-offs. Some users report unexpected outages and connectivity glitches that raise reliability concerns for always-on environments. Support response times also draw criticism, with some teams reporting slow issue resolution.
We think OneLogin delivers well on its core use case: simple, centralized access management without heavy configuration. The 6,000+ integrations and 25-language support suit distributed, global teams. The platform also supports 25 languages, meaning organizations with a global presence can provide localised content for employees. If your organization needs advanced identity governance or has zero tolerance for service interruptions, evaluate the platform’s operational track record carefully before committing.
Best for Enterprises needing adaptive, risk-based passwordless authentication
Ping Identity offers a stack of identity solutions to provide seamless and secure user access from any device. With a focus on enterprise customers, Ping Identity currently manages over two billion identities. PingOne for Workforce is their cloud-based identity platform, and we think the adaptive authentication engine is the standout here, offering a more dynamic approach than static policy engines that treat every login the same way.
Customers praise the speed of the authentication flow and the range of secondary verification methods: app-based push, email, phone, and manual codes all work. Setup and configuration are noted as being simple. The recurring complaint is push notification reliability. Some customer reviews note that tapping the notification sometimes fails to register, forcing users to open the PingID app manually and enter a code instead. A few users also report needing to complete the full MFA flow twice before access is granted.
We think PingOne for Workforce suits large enterprises that need risk-based authentication policies adapting to threat signals in real time. The scale is proven at two billion identities, and the adaptive engine adds a layer that simpler MFA platforms skip. Finance, healthcare, and public sector teams benefit most from the contextual policy approach. If your priority is a frictionless push-first experience, the notification reliability issues are worth evaluating during a proof of concept.
Best for Consumer-facing environments needing phone-centric identity verification
Prove Auth is a passwordless authentication platform that verifies identity through smartphone-derived signals rather than traditional credentials. We found the approach here distinctive: Prove treats the smartphone as the identity anchor, using cryptographic authentication layered with a behavioral reputation profile built from billions of mobile and telecom signals.
Customers with years on the platform report strong uptime, with some teams running Prove for a decade with minimal service interruptions. The onboarding experience gets consistent praise for prefill capabilities that reduce friction on the consumer side. Something to be aware of is that frequent certificate changes have caused disruptions to SMS-based authentication services. Mobile network coverage gaps also affect verification reliability with smaller carriers.
We think Prove Auth is strongest in financial services, insurance, and consumer-facing environments where fraud prevention and onboarding conversion both matter. The phone-centric verification model adds a layer that traditional MFA skips entirely. If your organization processes high volumes of account openings or transactions and needs real-time identity confidence, this is well worth considering. Teams looking for out-of-the-box IAM vendor integrations should confirm connector availability before committing.
Best for Compliance-driven enterprises needing deep risk intelligence
RSA SecurID is an adaptive MFA platform built for large enterprises with strict compliance requirements. We think the risk engine is the core strength here: it analyzes over 100 behavioral and contextual indicators per login attempt, making authentication decisions based on real-time threat signals rather than static rules.
Long-term customers praise RSA SecurID for reliability. Teams running it for years report consistent uptime and strong technical support. The platform earns trust in high-security environments where MFA failure isn’t an option. The trade-offs are well documented. Hardware tokens add logistical overhead: they get lost, replacement costs add up, and carrying a physical device frustrates some users. Licensing and ongoing maintenance costs also run higher than cloud-native alternatives in this space.
We think RSA SecurID fits enterprises where compliance mandates drive authentication decisions and risk-based intelligence justifies the investment. The 100+ indicator risk engine gives your security team visibility that simpler MFA tools can’t match. Organizations in finance, government, and critical infrastructure get the most value. If your team prioritizes low-cost, fast-deploy MFA with a modern push-first experience, lighter platforms will serve you better.
Best for Hardware-backed phishing resistance without software dependencies
Yubico is rated highly in the identity and access management space, serving millions of end-users in 160 countries and providing access to nearly 1,000 apps. YubiKey is a hardware security key that provides phishing-resistant authentication through a physical touch or tap. It supports FIDO2, U2F, OTP, PIV, and smart card protocols on a single device. We think it’s the strongest option if your organization prioritizes hardware-backed phishing resistance.
Customers consistently praise daily reliability. Once set up, the authentication experience is predictable and adds almost no friction. Documentation quality gets specific positive attention, and multi-year users report using the same key without issues. The challenges are inherent to hardware-based authentication. Losing a key without backup provisioning creates immediate access recovery challenges. And initial protocol setup involves a learning curve for teams with varied technical expertise.
We think YubiKey is the right choice for finance, government, and security-conscious enterprises that want a tangible trust anchor. The offline capability and protocol range set it apart from software-only MFA. Plan for backup key provisioning and user training during rollout. If your environment needs app-based or push-first MFA without physical tokens, this isn’t the right fit, but for teams that want phishing eliminated at the hardware level, YubiKey delivers.
Beyond our top 11, these passwordless authentication platforms are worth considering depending on your specific requirements.
Enables passwordless login using passkeys and device-based authentication.
Supports biometric and FIDO2-based passwordless access for enterprises.
Provides passwordless MFA with privacy-preserving biometric tech.
Integrates passkeys and biometric flows into existing apps via API.
Offers passwordless login using QR codes and mobile push.
Uses device trust and biometrics to eliminate passwords entirely.
Passwordless authentication pricing varies by platform, deployment model, and whether passwordless is standalone or part of a broader identity suite. Hardware key costs are per-device. The table below reflects publicly available starting prices where possible.
| Product | Starting Price | Billing | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Thales SafeNet Trusted Access
|
Contact for quote
|
Annual
|
|
|
Cisco Duo
|
Free tier available; from $6/user/mo
|
Annual
|
|
|
HID Advanced MFA
|
Contact for quote
|
Annual
|
|
|
HYPR
|
From $3/user/mo (workforce)
|
Annual
|
|
|
Microsoft Entra ID
|
Free with M365; P1 $6/user/mo; P2 $9/user/mo
|
Monthly or Annual
|
|
|
Okta Workforce Identity Cloud
|
$1,500 annual minimum
|
Annual
|
|
|
OneLogin Workforce Identity
|
From $2/user/mo
|
Annual
|
|
|
Ping Identity PingOne
|
From $3/user/mo (Essential)
|
Annual
|
|
|
Prove Auth
|
Contact for quote
|
Usage-based
|
|
|
RSA SecurID
|
Contact for quote
|
Annual
|
|
|
Yubico YubiKey
|
From $25/key (YubiKey 5 NFC)
|
Per device
|
|
These are the evaluation and deployment steps we recommend when selecting a passwordless authentication platform.
Semi-passwordless (SSO portals, push MFA) reduces password use; true passwordless (FIDO2 passkeys, hardware keys) eliminates passwords entirely, and the distinction affects which platforms fit.
FIDO2 credentials are bound to specific origins and cannot be phished or replayed, which is why compliance frameworks increasingly mandate phishing-resistant authentication.
Passwordless adoption depends on the login experience being simpler than what it replaces; if enrollment is difficult or authentication adds friction, users will resist the transition.
Passwordless authentication is only effective if it covers the applications users access daily; gaps force fallback to passwords and undermine the security benefit.
Applications using LDAP, RADIUS, or Kerberos may not support modern authentication protocols, and bridging these gaps requires platform-specific connectors or infrastructure changes.
Hardware keys require provisioning, distribution, backup key management, and replacement workflows that add operational overhead beyond software-only approaches.
Passwordless eliminates the password attack vector but does not address all identity risks; adaptive engines that evaluate device posture, location, and behavior add a necessary security layer.
Most organizations cannot go fully passwordless overnight; the platform needs to support password and passwordless authentication simultaneously during the transition.
Passwordless authentication is moving from an aspiration to a practical requirement for organizations serious about reducing credential-based attacks. The solutions in this guide range from hardware-backed phishing resistance to adaptive risk engines that evaluate hundreds of signals per login. The best fit depends on your environment: Microsoft shops benefit from native Entra ID integration, regulated industries should evaluate FIDO2-certified platforms, and organizations with large app portfolios need deep integration networks. We recommend shortlisting two or three solutions based on your deployment model, compliance needs, and user base, then running a proof of concept with real users before committing.
Passwordless authentication is the process of replacing the use of a password with an alternative credential, such as biometrics, FIDO passkeys, hardware tokens, or any other passwordless authentication method. In an enterprise network, this means that an employee, contractor, end-customer, or admin can access key network services and applications with secure, passwordless credentials.
Passwordless authentication is typically more secure than password-based authentication because, instead of using a traditional PIN or password, authentication is typically based around user biometrics, or cryptographic passkeys tied to the specific device or browser in use. Because of this, passwordless credentials are impossible to guess, making them much more difficult to compromise. Passwordless authentication is not infallible and can be compromised, but overall it provides a more secure and user-friendly authentication experience.
Passwordless authentication is easier on the end user and more secure than using passwords. Passwords should be an unpredictable mix of capital letters, lowercase letters, special characters, and numbers. While this makes strong passwords hard for a threat actor to replicate, it also makes them hard to remember.
Most people reuse a simple password across multiple accounts. The problem with this is that when one account is breached, all of your accounts are vulnerable. Passwords can also be stolen via credential-based attacks such as phishing, and by password-stealing malware. Even with multi-factor authentication in place, passwords are still the weak link when authenticating account access.
Passwordless authentication takes away this risk, by taking away your password. This ensures that your account is securely protected, while freeing users from having to remember a complex series of letters, keystrokes, and numbers.
In addition, passwordless authentication gives greater control to admins. Rather than needing to enforce password usage and sharing policies, admins can easily control all accounts and services that a user has access to. Enterprise solutions offer integrations with third-party services and directories such as Microsoft Entra, along with support for custom and on-premises applications. This ensures passwordless can be deployed across the entire organization, seamlessly.
Passwordless authentication replaces the user-selected “password” with a replacement security token. This can be a biometric check, such as using numerical data from a facial scan or fingerprint read or based on cryptographic key data stored on a local device.
Alternatively, some passwordless deployments may leverage one-time passcodes, such as a text message sent to a registered cell phone or use a third-party hardware token that is registered to an account using NFC. Many of the best passwordless authentication solutions support several of these options, enabling users to choose the most convenient or most secure password alternative.
The underlying technology behind passwordless authentication, including FIDO2) is based on cryptographic key pairs. There is a public key, which is stored on the browser or application, and a private key, which is stored on the local device. The private key can only be accessed and matched with the public key using a secure authentication factor, such as a biometric check, OTP, hardware tokens, etc. This makes passwordless authentication highly resistant to phishing and malware, improving the security of accounts.
When choosing an enterprise passwordless authentication solution it’s important to consider first your internal requirements. Are you a cloud-based organization? Can your users authenticate using existing devices, or are new deployments required? Are users remote, and do you need to authenticate access to custom applications? These questions and more can be used to build an internal checklist of features to pass to vendors in the space.
With that said, there are some important features that all organizations should consider when choosing a passwordless authentication solution. These include:
Here are some common passwordless authentication methods:
When implementing passwordless authentication, it’s crucial to consider these security factors:
Further reading on identity and access management from Expert Insights — buyers' guides, comparison articles, and platform-specific shortlists.
Joel is the Director of Content and a co-founder at Expert Insights; a rapidly growing media company focussed on covering cybersecurity solutions.
He’s an experienced journalist and editor with 8 years’ experience covering the cybersecurity space. He’s reviewed hundreds of cybersecurity solutions, interviewed hundreds of industry experts and produced dozens of industry reports read by thousands of CISOs and security professionals in topics like IAM, MFA, zero trust, email security, DevSecOps and more.
He also hosts the Expert Insights Podcast and co-writes the weekly newsletter, Decrypted. Joel is driven to share his team’s expertise with cybersecurity leaders to help them create more secure business foundations.
Craig MacAlpine is CEO and Founder of Expert Insights. Before founding Expert Insights in August 2018, Craig spent 10 years as CEO of EPA Cloud, an email security provider that rebranded as VIPRE Email Security following its acquisition by Ziff Davis, formerly J2Global (NASDAQ: ZD) in 2013.
Craig is a passionate security innovator with over 20 years of experience helping organizations to stay secure with cutting-edge information security and cybersecurity solutions.
Using his extensive experience in the email security industry, he founded Expert Insights with the singular goal of helping IT professionals and CISOs to cut through the noise and find the right cybersecurity solutions they need to protect their organizations.