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Head-to-head · Passkey Authentication Software

Amazon Cognito vs Hanko

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score Amazon Cognito #2 in Passkey Authentication Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Amazon Cognito
Hanko #5 in Passkey Authentication Software 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Hanko

Amazon Cognito leads on 1 check, Hanko on 0, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreAmazon Cognito · 9.2/10
  • Lowest starting priceAmazon Cognito · $0.0055/user/mo
  • Free planboth

Amazon Cognito scores higher on our rubric for passkey authentication software: 9.2 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #5.

Amazon Cognito is cheaper to start at $0.0055/user/mo against $29/user/mo.

Amazon Cognito is the better fit for AWS teams needing low-cost passkeys. Hanko is the better fit for developers needing flexible passkey authentication.

  • Amazon Cognito fits best

    AWS teams needing low-cost passkeys

  • Hanko fits best

    Developers needing flexible passkey authentication

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Side by side

Feature Amazon Cognito 9.2/10 Visit ↗ Hanko 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 8.6
Ranking #2 in Passkey Authentication Software #5 in Passkey Authentication Software
Best for AWS teams needing low-cost passkeys Developers needing flexible passkey authentication
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $0.0055/user/mo (best) $29/mo
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Cloud, Self-hosted, Mobile
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web, iOS, Android
Features Amazon Cognito 0/4 · Hanko 0/4
Mobile SDKs Not checked yet Not checked yet
Workforce authentication Not checked yet Not checked yet
Directory sync Not checked yet Not checked yet
Authentication policies Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Deployment model Not checked yet Not checked yet
Passkey types Not checked yet Not checked yet
Included monthly users Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • WebAuthn passkeys support passwordless sign-in and MFA
  • Integrates with AWS Lambda, API Gateway, IAM, and other AWS services
  • Supports SAML, OIDC, OAuth 2.0, social sign-in, and custom flows
  • WebAuthn passkeys plus passwords, social login, SSO, and MFA
  • Web, iOS, Android, API, cloud, private cloud, and self-hosted coverage
  • Open-source Starter plan with 10,000 monthly active users and 2 projects
Cons
  • Pricing rises from Lite to Essentials and Plus per monthly active user
  • Plus includes no free tier
  • Primarily customer identity, not a standalone workforce directory
  • SAML SSO costs $49/month per connection on Pro
  • Pro pricing starts at $29/month before usage above 10,000 users
  • Enterprise features include volume discounts but no published starting price
Our verdict

Amazon Cognito is a developer-oriented identity service for web, iOS, Android, and API applications. It combines user directories, authentication, authorization, identity federation, and temporary AWS credentials. User pools support local…

Read the review →

Hanko is an open-source authentication and user management platform for developers and organizations building customer-facing web and mobile applications. Passkeys using WebAuthn are central, while email passcodes, social login, OAuth…

Read the review →
  1. Amazon CognitoPasskey Authentication Software 9.2Free plan
  2. HankoPasskey Authentication Software 8.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Amazon Cognito — where it wins

    • WebAuthn passkeys support passwordless sign-in and MFA
    • Integrates with AWS Lambda, API Gateway, IAM, and other AWS services
    • Supports SAML, OIDC, OAuth 2.0, social sign-in, and custom flows

    Where it doesn't

    • Pricing rises from Lite to Essentials and Plus per monthly active user
    • Plus includes no free tier
    • Primarily customer identity, not a standalone workforce directory

  • Hanko — where it wins

    • WebAuthn passkeys plus passwords, social login, SSO, and MFA
    • Web, iOS, Android, API, cloud, private cloud, and self-hosted coverage
    • Open-source Starter plan with 10,000 monthly active users and 2 projects

    Where it doesn't

    • SAML SSO costs $49/month per connection on Pro
    • Pro pricing starts at $29/month before usage above 10,000 users
    • Enterprise features include volume discounts but no published starting price

More comparisons

All passkey authentication software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update