Cisco Duo Passwordless vs Okta Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication

Cisco Duo Passwordless9.4Visit Okta Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication8.8Visit

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

Okta Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication #5 in Multi-Factor Authentication Software 8.8/10 Paid ✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Okta

• Cisco Duo Passwordless fits best

  Teams wanting a mature free MFA tier

• Okta Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication fits best

  Enterprise adaptive MFA

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Side by side

Feature	Cisco Duo Passwordless 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Okta Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.8
Ranking	#1 in Multi-Factor Authentication Software	#5 in Multi-Factor Authentication Software
Best for	Teams wanting a mature free MFA tier	Enterprise adaptive MFA
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$3/user/mo (best)	$6/user/mo
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Email, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs	Docs
Integrations	500+ integrations	4 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Cisco Duo Passwordless 0/3 · Okta Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication 3/3
Adaptive access policies	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Passwordless authentication	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Device trust controls	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Deployment	Not checked yet	Hybrid
Supported factors	Not checked yet	Okta FastPass; FIDO2/WebAuthn; PIV/CAC smart cards; biometrics; Okta Verify; SMS; email; voice; Duo; third-party authenticators
App integration methods	Not checked yet	SAML; RADIUS; Okta RADIUS Agent
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	Risk-based policies use device, network, location, behavior, and IP signals. Supports phishing-resistant FastPass, FIDO2 WebAuthn, and smart cards. Covers web, desktop, mobile, Linux, Windows, macOS, APIs, and more.
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	Starts at $17 per user per month with annual billing. No free plan is available. Advanced capabilities are split across multiple paid plan tiers.
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 →	Okta Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication is a workforce authentication solution for organizations that need more control than a basic second-factor prompt. It evaluates signals such as device health, location, network, user behavior, and… 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

• Okta Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication — where it wins

  • Risk-based policies use device, network, location, behavior, and IP signals.
  • Supports phishing-resistant FastPass, FIDO2 WebAuthn, and smart cards.
  • Covers web, desktop, mobile, Linux, Windows, macOS, APIs, and more.

  Where it doesn't

  • Starts at $17 per user per month with annual billing.
  • No free plan is available.
  • Advanced capabilities are split across multiple paid plan tiers.

• 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 →
• Okta Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication8.8/10 · Paid

  Enterprise MFA with adaptive policies, passwordless options, and device-posture checks.

  Visit OktaFull verdict →