The Best Authentication Software in 2026
We researched authentication software using vendors’ official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables, and product documentation. Rankings focus on how well each product handles authentication, value for money, and verified features. Compare options for securing employee or customer sign-ins and find a fit for your access requirements.
Our top picks
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Top ranked
Okta Workforce Identity#1 of 339.3/10A broad workforce identity suite, with core SSO and MFA starting at $6 per user/month annually.
30-day trial
-
Runner-up
Google Cloud Identity#2 of 339.1/10A Google-centered identity service with free core controls and paid adaptive security.
Free plan
-
Top-ranked free plan
Amazon Cognito#4 of 338.9/10A developer-focused authentication service with AWS credentials, federation, and usage-based pricing.
Free plan
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 33 tools, best first
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Best forWorkforces needing broad identity governance
A broad workforce identity suite, with core SSO and MFA starting at $6 per user/month annually.
- Directory sync
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Okta -
Best forOrganizations standardized on Google identity
A Google-centered identity service with free core controls and paid adaptive security.
- Directory sync
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Google Cloud -
Best forTeams wanting self-hosted, open-source identity
A self-hosted, open-source identity server with broad protocol and MFA support.
- Directory sync
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Keycloak -
Best forApplications built around AWS authentication
A developer-focused authentication service with AWS credentials, federation, and usage-based pricing.
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Amazon Cognito -
Best forTeams prioritizing passwordless MFA and device trust
Passwordless MFA and SSO with device verification, from $3 per user per month.
- Directory sync
Free plan · 30-day trial Our Cisco Duo Passwordless verdict → Visit Cisco DuoFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #5 · $59/mo →8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Cisco Duo -
Best forMid-market and enterprise identity teams
A broad identity suite for organizations managing workforce and customer access across apps.
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit IBM Verify -
Best forHybrid enterprises needing broad access controls
Broad authentication controls for hybrid enterprises, with capabilities varying by paid tier.
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit RSA ID Plus -
Best forWorkforces needing adaptive SSO and provisioning
Adaptive SSO, MFA, passwordless access, and provisioning for workforce and customer identities.
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit PingOne -
Best forTeams seeking open-source enterprise identity
Open-source IAM with enterprise protocols, adaptive access, and self-hosted control.
- Directory sync
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit WSO2 -
Best forSelf-hosters needing flexible access policies
Flexible self-hosted identity and access control, with Enterprise features from $5 per user monthly.
- Directory sync
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit authentik -
Best forOrganizations needing passwordless workforce access
A workforce identity product pairing passwordless sign-in with federation and lifecycle management.
- Passkey sign-in
- Directory sync
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit OneLogin -
Best forSaaS teams embedding tenant identity features
Embedded customer identity for SaaS teams, with enterprise access controls and a free entry plan.
- Directory sync
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Frontegg -
Best forTeams embedding organizational authentication
Stytch gives product teams organization-ready authentication APIs with a free starting tier.
- Directory sync
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Stytch -
Best forDevelopers wanting ready-made sign-in components
Clerk pairs prebuilt sign-in components with identity, organization, and access-management features.
- Directory sync
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Clerk -
Best forTeams needing open-source multi-tenant identity
A flexible identity platform for teams building multi-tenant apps, with cloud and self-hosted options.
- Directory sync
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit ZITADEL -
Best forSaaS teams onboarding enterprise customers
A focused API platform for adding enterprise identity features to SaaS products.
- Directory sync
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit WorkOS -
Best forDevelopers building custom authentication flows
Developer-focused authentication with visual flows, passwordless methods, MFA, SSO and provisioning.
- Directory sync
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit Descope -
Best forTeams needing customizable application identity
Flexible application identity with self-hosted Community and paid hosted plans.
- Directory sync
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit FusionAuth -
Best forIndividuals and teams managing passwords and passkeys
A credential-focused manager for personal vaults, family sharing, and business access controls.
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit 1Password -
Best forDevelopers adding authentication to a data platform
A broad Postgres platform for developers who need authentication alongside data services.
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit Supabase -
Best forApps needing hosted customer authentication
A developer-focused identity service with hosted login, passkeys, SSO and MFA.
- Passkey sign-in
- Directory sync
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit Auth0 -
Best forEmployees needing OTP and account recovery tools
A free authenticator for organizations using Entrust identity services, not a standalone IAM suite.
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Entrust -
Best forEnterprises focused on phishing-resistant MFA
A paid, passkey-first platform for phishing-resistant workforce and customer authentication.
- Directory sync
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit HYPR -
Best forEnterprises seeking device-bound workforce passkeys
Workforce passkeys, device trust, and adaptive access for enterprise environments.
- Directory sync
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit SecureAuth -
Best forDevelopers needing cloud or self-hosted sign-in
Flexible cloud or self-hosted authentication for developer-built applications.
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit Logto -
Best forTeams operating a self-hosted SSO service
A protocol-rich identity server for teams prepared to run authentication infrastructure themselves.
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit Apereo CAS -
Best forSmall self-hosters securing web apps behind proxies
A proxy-focused authentication server for operators protecting web apps with MFA and SSO.
6.3/10★★★☆☆Visit Authelia -
Best forJumpCloud users needing mobile MFA approvals
A free iOS and Android authenticator for JumpCloud MFA approvals and TOTP codes.
6.1/10★★★☆☆Visit JumpCloud -
Best forDevelopers building custom customer identity flows
Flexible, API-first authentication for application teams willing to own the user experience.
- Passkey sign-in
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit Ory -
Best forTeams seeking hosted passwordless customer login
Hosted passwordless login with a free plan and paid options for passkeys and SSO.
5.9/10★★★☆☆Visit MojoAuth -
Best forSelf-hosted deployments needing federation and tokens
A federation and token-focused IAM distribution for teams operating their own environments.
5.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Gluu -
Best forTeams adding adaptive MFA and passkeys
Adds adaptive MFA, passkeys and verification options to an existing identity stack.
5.7/10★★★☆☆Visit Authsignal -
Best forSmall businesses needing endpoint threat protection
A capable endpoint security suite, but not an authentication product.
5.6/10★★★☆☆Visit Microsoft
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Okta Workforce Identity | No | $6/user/mo | 9.3 |
| 2 | Google Cloud Identity | Yes | $6/user/mo | 9.1 |
| 3 | Keycloak | Free | 9.0 | |
| 4 | Amazon Cognito | Yes | $0.0055/user/mo | 8.9 |
| 5 | Cisco Duo Passwordless | Yes | $3/user/mo | 8.7 |
| 6 | IBM Verify | No | 8.5 | |
| 7 | RSA ID Plus | No | 8.3 | |
| 8 | PingOne | No | $3/user/mo | 8.2 |
| 9 | WSO2 Identity Server | Yes | Free | 8.1 |
| 10 | authentik | Yes | $5/user/mo | 8.0 |
| 11 | OneLogin Passwordless Authentication | No | 7.9 | |
| 12 | Frontegg | Yes | 7.8 | |
| 13 | Stytch | Yes | 7.7 | |
| 14 | Clerk | Yes | $20/mo | 7.6 |
| 15 | ZITADEL | Yes | $100/mo | 7.5 |
| 16 | WorkOS | Yes | $125/mo | 7.4 |
| 17 | Descope | Yes | $249/mo | 7.3 |
| 18 | FusionAuth | Yes | $162/mo | 7.2 |
| 19 | 1Password | No | $2.99/user/mo | 7.1 |
| 20 | Supabase | Yes | $25/mo | 7.1 |
| 21 | Okta Customer Identity Cloud (Auth0) | Yes | $35/mo | 7.1 |
| 22 | Entrust Identity App | Yes | Free | 6.8 |
| 23 | HYPR Identity Assurance Platform | No | $3/user/mo | 6.7 |
| 24 | SecureAuth Workforce Authority | No | 6.6 | |
| 25 | Logto | Yes | $24/mo | 6.5 |
| 26 | Apereo CAS | Yes | Free | 6.4 |
| 27 | Authelia | Yes | Free | 6.3 |
| 28 | JumpCloud Protect | Yes | Free | 6.1 |
| 29 | Ory Kratos | Yes | 6.0 | |
| 30 | MojoAuth | Yes | $50/mo | 5.9 |
| 31 | Gluu Flex | No | 5.8 | |
| 32 | Authsignal | No | $499/mo | 5.7 |
| 33 | Microsoft Defender for Business | No | $3/user/mo | 5.6 |
Head-to-head All 19 comparisons →
- Okta Workforce Identity vs Cisco Duo Passwordless
- Okta Workforce Identity vs IBM Verify
- Okta Workforce Identity vs RSA ID Plus
- Okta Workforce Identity vs PingOne
- Google Cloud Identity vs Cisco Duo Passwordless
- Google Cloud Identity vs IBM Verify
- Google Cloud Identity vs RSA ID Plus
- Google Cloud Identity vs PingOne
- Keycloak vs Cisco Duo Passwordless
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How we rank authentication software
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update