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Independent decision guide

Okta vs Microsoft Entra ID for single sign-on and identity

Okta Workforce Identity and Microsoft Entra ID compared for single sign-on and workforce identity: price per user, app catalogue, MFA and passwordless, lifecycle and SCIM provisioning, Conditional Access and Okta policies, hybrid Active Directory, device trust, identity threat protection and administration, with a clear verdict.

Checked against vendor documentation on 8 November 202620 vendor sources listedNo paid placement

KBY decision summary

The short answer

Choose Microsoft Entra ID if Microsoft 365 is your core platform: Entra ID P1, with Conditional Access, is included in Microsoft 365 E3 and Business Premium, P2 in E5, and Intune device compliance plugs straight into it. Choose Okta if you want a vendor-neutral identity layer across a mixed estate of platforms and SaaS apps, with 8,000+ pre-built integrations, no-code Workflows and HR-driven Lifecycle Management. Okta costs more per user at list price, so the question is whether that neutrality and tooling is worth paying for on top of the Entra licence many organisations already own.

At a glance

Okta vs Entra ID: side by side

FeatureOkta Workforce IdentityMicrosoft Entra ID
List price (annual billing)Starter $6, Core Essentials $14 and Essentials $17 per user per month. Professional and Enterprise on quote. $1,500 minimum annual contract.Entra ID Free with Microsoft cloud subscriptions. P1 $7 and P2 $10 per user per month. P1 is included in Microsoft 365 E3 and Business Premium; P2 in E5.
Free trial30 daysOffered for P1 and P2; length not stated on the pricing page
SSO app catalogue8,000+ pre-built integrations in the Okta Integration NetworkThousands of pre-integrated apps in the Entra application gallery, with risk scores across 90+ factors
MFA and passwordlessMFA in every suite; Adaptive MFA from Essentials. Okta FastPass, FIDO2 WebAuthn authenticators such as YubiKey and Touch ID, and PIV/CAC smart cards.MFA in every edition (security defaults on Free). Passkeys (FIDO2, in Microsoft Authenticator or synced), Windows Hello for Business and certificate-based authentication.
Lifecycle and SCIM provisioningLifecycle Management included from Essentials, or as an add-on: joiner, mover and leaver automation and import from HR systemsAutomated app provisioning over SCIM, including on-premises apps. HR-driven provisioning (Workday, SuccessFactors) needs P1 or P2; Lifecycle Workflows need ID Governance ($7 per user per month).
Access policiesContextual sign-in policies on device, network, location, IP and behaviour; device assurance rules; ThreatInsight blocks suspicious IPsConditional Access (P1, also in Business Premium). Risk-based policies need P2.
Hybrid Active DirectoryOkta AD agent on a Windows server: import, delegated authentication, just-in-time provisioning, push to AD and password syncEntra Cloud Sync (lightweight agent) or Entra Connect Sync; hybrid-joined devices
Device trustDevice assurance in app sign-in policies; FastPass device checks. Okta Device Access (desktop MFA and Mac password sync) in Professional or as an add-on.Conditional Access can require an Intune-compliant or hybrid-joined device
Identity threat protectionIdentity Threat Protection with Okta AI and Identity Security Posture Management in Professional, or as add-ons; Universal LogoutEntra ID Protection in P2: risky users, risky sign-ins and risk-based Conditional Access
On-premises appsOkta Access Gateway (Enterprise suite or add-on)Microsoft Entra application proxy (P1 or P2)
HostingCloud serviceCloud service

From each vendor's own pages on 8 November 2026. Prices and plans change; confirm them with the vendor before you buy.

Verdict

Which should you choose?

Choose Microsoft Entra ID if:

  • Microsoft 365 is your core platform and you already own E3, E5 or Business Premium.
  • You manage devices with Intune and want compliant-device Conditional Access without another vendor.
  • Price per user matters: P1 lists at $7 against $17 for Okta Essentials.
  • You run Active Directory today and want Microsoft's own sync and hybrid join.

Choose Okta Workforce Identity if:

  • You want a vendor-neutral identity provider for a mixed estate that is not built only on Microsoft.
  • You connect many SaaS apps and want the 8,000+ integrations and no-code Workflows.
  • HR-driven joiner, mover and leaver automation is a priority.
  • You want Okta FastPass and Device Access for passwordless sign-in to apps and desktops.

Selection framework

What to test before choosing

01

Existing licences

Check which Microsoft 365 plans you own and whether they already include Entra ID P1 or P2.

02

App coverage

Confirm SSO and SCIM provisioning for your top 20 apps in each catalogue.

03

Authentication

Test phishing-resistant sign-in (passkeys, FastPass or Windows Hello) and the recovery path for a lost device.

04

Access policy

Rebuild your key access rules as Conditional Access or Okta policies and compare the result for the same users and devices.

05

Lifecycle

Run a joiner, mover and leaver from your HR system through to app deprovisioning in each product.

06

Total cost

Price the tier you actually need, including threat protection, governance and device access, over three years.

Shortlist

Products and trade-offs

Best fit

Okta Workforce Identity

Organisations that want a vendor-neutral identity layer across many SaaS apps and platforms.

Okta Workforce Identity is sold as suites from $6 per user per month (Starter) to $17 (Essentials), with Professional and Enterprise on quote. It offers 8,000+ pre-built integrations, FastPass, Adaptive MFA, Lifecycle Management, Workflows and an AD agent for hybrid setups.

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Reasons to shortlist

  • Vendor-neutral identity platform
  • 8,000+ pre-built integrations and no-code Workflows
  • FastPass and Device Access for passwordless app and desktop sign-in

What to verify

  • Higher list price per user than Entra ID P1
  • Threat protection and Device Access need Professional or add-ons
  • Many Microsoft 365 plans already include Entra ID P1

Best fit

Microsoft Entra ID

Organisations built on Microsoft 365, especially with Intune-managed devices.

Entra ID P1 lists at $7 and P2 at $10 per user per month, and P1 is included in Microsoft 365 E3 and Business Premium. It provides SSO from the Entra gallery, passkeys and Windows Hello, Conditional Access, SCIM provisioning and Cloud Sync for Active Directory; P2 adds ID Protection.

Visit official product site Add to Stack Ledger

Reasons to shortlist

  • Often already licensed through Microsoft 365
  • Conditional Access with Intune device compliance
  • Lower list price per user

What to verify

  • Risk-based policies need P2
  • Lifecycle Workflows need the ID Governance add-on
  • Tightest fit is with Microsoft's own stack

Proof of concept

Run these checks before rollout

  1. 01List your Microsoft 365 licences and the Entra ID tier each includes.
  2. 02Connect five representative apps, with SSO and SCIM provisioning, in each product.
  3. 03Enroll pilot users in phishing-resistant sign-in and test lost-device recovery.
  4. 04Rebuild your main access policies and confirm a non-compliant device is blocked.
  5. 05Run joiner, mover and leaver tests from your HR system or Active Directory.
  6. 06Keep two cloud-only break-glass admin accounts outside every policy.
  7. 07Get written quotes for the tier you need and compare the three-year total.

Frequently asked questions

How much do Okta and Entra ID cost?

At list price on annual billing, Okta Workforce Identity starts at $6 per user per month for Starter and $17 for Essentials, with a $1,500 minimum annual contract; Professional and Enterprise are quote only. Microsoft Entra ID P1 is $7 and P2 $10 per user per month. For 100 users that is about $20,400 a year on Okta Essentials against $8,400 on Entra ID P1.

Is Entra ID included in Microsoft 365?

Entra ID Free comes with Microsoft cloud subscriptions. Entra ID P1, which adds Conditional Access, is included in Microsoft 365 E3 and Microsoft 365 Business Premium, and P2, which adds ID Protection and risk-based Conditional Access, is included in Microsoft 365 E5.

Which is better for single sign-on?

Both offer SSO to cloud apps from a large catalogue: Okta lists 8,000+ pre-built integrations and Microsoft's Entra gallery holds thousands of pre-integrated apps. Okta's strength is neutrality across vendors and no-code Workflows; Entra's is tight integration with Microsoft 365, Intune and Conditional Access. Check that your own top 20 apps support SSO and provisioning in each catalogue.

Do both work with on-premises Active Directory?

Yes. Okta uses its AD agent on a Windows server to import users, delegate authentication to AD, provision users just in time and push changes back. Microsoft uses Entra Cloud Sync, a lightweight agent, or Entra Connect Sync, and can hybrid-join devices.

Which has better identity threat protection?

Entra ID Protection, in P2, scores risky users and sign-ins and feeds risk-based Conditional Access. Okta's Identity Threat Protection with Okta AI, in the Professional suite or as an add-on, re-evaluates risk during sessions and can trigger Universal Logout. Both need the higher tier, so price that tier, not the entry plan.

Sources reviewed

The guide was checked against these vendor pages on 8 November 2026. Product behaviour and availability can change.

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