Okta is an on-demand identity management platform that will place all of your web applications behind a firewall and into the cloud. The target audience for these services is businesses looking to migrate to cloud-based services offered by the likes of Google, Salesforce, Workday, etc.
No need to build an integrated and on-demand identity management system from the ground up; Okta's comprehensive service offers a complete, hassle-free solution for IT personnel, business stakeholders and decision-makers, executives, and end-users alike. And best of all, with the software solution, no extensive services engagements or customization work are necessary. But there is more to Okta than this. We will be looking at the pricing, its core features, security, and much more in the article below.
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Plans and pricing
The easiest thing to list regarding pricing is the free plan which will require a business email for sign-up and credit card details. You will get a chance to test out the product for 30 days. After the free trial, things get more complicated. The general paradigm surrounding pricing revolves around the number of users you have.
For the Workplace Identity product, the pricing looks as follows:
While these four represent the main ones, there are other pricing plans that cover Universal Directory, Lifecycle Management, API Access Management, Advanced Server Acess, Access Gateway, Workflows, and Identity Governance.
Finally, for the Customer Identity Cloud Pricing, there are three plans, the Enterprise, B2C Plan, and B2B plan.
The sheer number of plans is enough to have your head spinning and confuse even the most seasoned procurement officers. In our opinion, this could have been simplified, though we understand that some enjoy the customization options the plans offer.
Features
With the sheer number of features Okta offers, it is inevitable that we will have to leave out so much and do a disservice to the company. So, we will focus on some of the main ones that may help businesses decide whether Okta is right for them.
If you want to ensure secure authentication and authorization across multiple apps, you can utilize Okta's sign-in components or Universal Login, allowing users to log in with either a username and password, or their social profiles, such as Facebook or Google.
Furthermore, you can determine the level of access that each user enjoys. With Okta SSO, users will be able to log in once with a single ID and access various services on multiple applications without having to enter authentication details again.
With Okta's Authentication API, you can also secure your APIs and backends to make sure only authorized users and applications can access them. Moreover, you can track users with Okta's Universal Directory, creating and managing users and groups, and assigning permission levels based on user attributes.
In order to keep your data secure, Okta offers several Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) factors that you can easily enable and configure. Lastly, the Federated Identity Management (FIM) offered by Okta enables single access to several applications and enterprises, allowing users to log in with existing organization credentials, LDAP servers, or Active Directory (AD).
Interface and in use
Overall, the interface is simple enough, especially considering that IT professionals will be using it to streamline their work. The part that the end users of a business will interact with, is even simpler. The slick dashboard that houses all of the applications in one place, with clear icons, is a life safer if your business is using multiple apps.
An additional option for the end user is that you can customize your dashboard to house the ones you most frequently use. Moreover, getting the browser extension can speed up the entire process even further, making Okta very easy to use.
Support
From customer case studies to demo libraries, videos, webinars, and whitepapers, Okta has it all. A huge emphasis is placed on customer success, and Okta has a strategy to lead customers through its features via training, certification, and professional services.
If you need more, there is the product documentation, a knowledge base, FAQ, and ability to get in touch via email, telephone, chat, support portal, and a contact form. When it comes to support, the extensive approach by Okta simply cannot be beat. Though the complexity of some elements warrants such an approach to support, as newbies in the field will have a steep learning curve.
Security
Okta goes beyond the ordinary by meeting the highest industry certification and authorization standards. ISO 27001/27018/27017, SOC 2 Type II, EU Cloud Code of Conduct Level 2, are just some of the few security certificates the company holds. Moreover, if you are worried about compliance, Okta has you covered, as they offer companies assistance in compliance across GDPR, Sarbanes Oxley (SOX), HIPAA, and numerous other compliance requirements.
The competition
In the world of security solutions, Twingate stands out from the competition with its more detailed configurations, plus more wallet-friendly prices. While Okta may boast more features, Twingate has the edge in offering better granularity when it comes to setting up security details.
Boasting excellent security and a multitude of customisation options, Perimeter 81 is an expensive alternative that appears to do it all superbly - however, be ready to dig deep if you want to access its features.
Final verdict
Okta offers a head spinning number of options, starting from the pricing, moving to the features, and ending on the support documentation. While this may be attractive for seasoned IT professionals and procurement managers working for large companies, small businesses could struggle trying to find their way through Okta’s maze.
Functionality-wise, Okta is more than capable of covering your needs, but that comes at a steep price if you’re looking to onboard a lot of users. Small businesses should look elsewhere, as its hard to justify the pricing and options, despite Okta being an industry leader in its field.
