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Head-to-head · Identity and Access Management Software

Google Cloud Identity vs Apache Syncope

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Google Cloud Identity #2 in Identity and Access Management Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Google Cloud
Apache Syncope #8 in Identity and Access Management Software 8.6/10 Open source ✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Apache Syncope

Google Cloud Identity leads on 0 checks, Apache Syncope on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreGoogle Cloud Identity · 9.2/10
  • Free planonly Google Cloud Identity
  • Most featuresGoogle Cloud Identity · 3 of 3

Google Cloud Identity scores higher on our rubric for identity and access management software: 9.2 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #8.

Google Cloud Identity is the better fit for google-centric organizations needing affordable IAM. Apache Syncope is the better fit for open-source identity provisioning and federation.

  • Google Cloud Identity fits best

    Google-centric organizations needing affordable IAM

  • Apache Syncope fits best

    Open-source identity provisioning and federation

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Side by side

Feature Google Cloud Identity 9.2/10 Visit ↗ Apache Syncope 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 8.6
Ranking #2 in Identity and Access Management Software #8 in Identity and Access Management Software
Best for Google-centric organizations needing affordable IAM Open-source identity provisioning and federation
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price $6/user/mo Open source
Free plan ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Mobile Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web, Windows, Android, iOS Web
Integrations 5 integrations 10 integrations
Features Google Cloud Identity 3/3 · Apache Syncope 2/3
Directory sync ✓ ✓
Lifecycle provisioning ✓ ✓
Adaptive access policies ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
SSO protocols SAML, OIDC OpenID Connect, SAML 2.0, CAS
MFA methods Security keys, Google Prompt, Google Authenticator and other TOTP code generators, backup codes, SMS, voice calls, passkeys TOTP, Duo Security, Google Authenticator, FIDO2 WebAuthn (Passkey)
Included users Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Free tier includes core identity, SSO, MFA, and endpoint management
  • Supports SAML and OIDC SSO plus broad MFA methods
  • Adds lifecycle provisioning, adaptive access, LDAP, and directory sync
  • Inbound, outbound, pull, push, and live-sync provisioning
  • SAML 2.0, OpenID Connect, and CAS support
  • Delegated administration, workflows, multitenancy, and MFA
Cons
  • Free edition provides 50 user licenses by default
  • Advanced controls require the Premium edition
  • Flexible Premium billing costs $7.20 per user monthly
  • The broad scope may exceed the needs of smaller deployments
  • Self-hosted operation requires infrastructure managed by the organization
  • Connector-based integrations can add planning and administration effort
Our verdict

Google Cloud Identity is a cloud-based identity and access management platform for organizations that need centralized control over users, groups, applications, and endpoints. It is particularly well suited to Google-centric environments,…

Read the review →

Apache Syncope is an open-source identity and access management platform for enterprise environments. It manages users, groups, and custom identity objects while supporting authentication, authorization, provisioning, synchronization,…

Read the review →
  1. Google Cloud IdentityIdentity and Access Management Software 9.2Free plan
  2. Apache SyncopeIdentity and Access Management Software 8.6Open source

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Google Cloud Identity — where it wins

    • Free tier includes core identity, SSO, MFA, and endpoint management
    • Supports SAML and OIDC SSO plus broad MFA methods
    • Adds lifecycle provisioning, adaptive access, LDAP, and directory sync

    Where it doesn't

    • Free edition provides 50 user licenses by default
    • Advanced controls require the Premium edition
    • Flexible Premium billing costs $7.20 per user monthly

  • Apache Syncope — where it wins

    • Inbound, outbound, pull, push, and live-sync provisioning
    • SAML 2.0, OpenID Connect, and CAS support
    • Delegated administration, workflows, multitenancy, and MFA

    Where it doesn't

    • The broad scope may exceed the needs of smaller deployments
    • Self-hosted operation requires infrastructure managed by the organization
    • Connector-based integrations can add planning and administration effort

More comparisons

All identity and access management software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update