Cisco Duo Passwordless vs Akamai MFA

Cisco Duo Passwordless9.4Visit Akamai MFA8.6Visit

Higher score Cisco Duo Passwordless #1 in Multi-Factor Authentication Software 9.4/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Cisco Duo

vs

Akamai MFA #7 in Multi-Factor Authentication Software 8.6/10 Pricing on request · 30-day trial Free trial✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Akamai MFA

• Cisco Duo Passwordless fits best

  Teams wanting a mature free MFA tier

• Akamai MFA fits best

  Mature adaptive MFA with strong device controls

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Side by side

Feature	Cisco Duo Passwordless 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Akamai MFA 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.6
Ranking	#1 in Multi-Factor Authentication Software	#7 in Multi-Factor Authentication Software
Best for	Teams wanting a mature free MFA tier	Mature adaptive MFA with strong device controls
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$3/user/mo	Pricing on request · 30-day trial
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	30 days	30 days
Free trial length	30 days	30 days
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Cloud, Mobile, Browser extension
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android, Chrome extension
Support	Email, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs	Docs, Community
Integrations	500+ integrations	9 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Cisco Duo Passwordless 0/3 · Akamai MFA 2/3
Adaptive access policies	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Passwordless authentication	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Device trust controls	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Deployment	Not checked yet	Cloud
Supported factors	Not checked yet	Phone security key (FIDO2), security key, platform authenticator, passkey, push notification, TOTP, email or SMS OTP, hardware-token TOTP/HOTP, phone-call OTP, magic link, bypass code, third-party authenticator OTP
App integration methods	Not checked yet	SAML 2.0; PacketFence Gateway using RADIUS, LDAP, or Active Directory; Unix PAM; Windows Logon; APIs
Our review
Pros	Free Duo tier includes strong MFA and a free authenticator app Supports passkeys, biometrics, FIDO2 keys, and Duo Push Works across web, desktop, mobile, directories, and cloud apps	Supports passkeys, FIDO2 phone keys, push, OTPs, and hardware tokens. Applies policies across devices, locations, browsers, networks, and operating systems. Integrates with major identity providers, Windows, Unix PAM, RADIUS, LDAP, and APIs.
Cons	Complete passwordless mode starts with the $3 Essentials plan Advanced risk and session protections require Duo Advantage VPN-less private-resource access is limited to Duo Premier	Paid pricing requires a contract or sales contact. The breadth of controls may exceed the needs of smaller deployments. No free plan is offered; the advertised trial lasts 30 days.
Our verdict	Cisco Duo Passwordless provides password-free access to web applications through Duo Single Sign-On. It is designed for businesses and enterprises that need phishing-resistant authentication, centralized policy controls, directory… Read the review →	Akamai MFA is a cloud workforce multi-factor authentication service for organizations protecting cloud, on-premises, web, SaaS, and IaaS applications. It adds secondary authentication to existing identity-provider workflows and supports… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Cisco Duo Passwordless — where it wins

  • Free Duo tier includes strong MFA and a free authenticator app
  • Supports passkeys, biometrics, FIDO2 keys, and Duo Push
  • Works across web, desktop, mobile, directories, and cloud apps

  Where it doesn't

  • Complete passwordless mode starts with the $3 Essentials plan
  • Advanced risk and session protections require Duo Advantage
  • VPN-less private-resource access is limited to Duo Premier

• Akamai MFA — where it wins

  • Supports passkeys, FIDO2 phone keys, push, OTPs, and hardware tokens.
  • Applies policies across devices, locations, browsers, networks, and operating systems.
  • Integrates with major identity providers, Windows, Unix PAM, RADIUS, LDAP, and APIs.

  Where it doesn't

  • Paid pricing requires a contract or sales contact.
  • The breadth of controls may exceed the needs of smaller deployments.
  • No free plan is offered; the advertised trial lasts 30 days.

• Cisco Duo Passwordless9.4/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A broad MFA platform with a capable free tier and paid passwordless access.

  Visit Cisco DuoFull verdict →
• Akamai MFA8.6/10 · Pricing on request · 30-day trial

  A broad MFA service for organizations needing adaptive access and device controls.

  Visit Akamai MFAFull verdict →