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One of the hottest categories in the IT sector has been the identity and access management (IAM) market for web application single sign-on (SSO). A company of 101-250 employees uses an average of 99 web applications, so there’s no doubt that IT admins are looking for solutions to secure and streamline user access to them. This abundance of applications used in a professional setting leads those looking for an SSO solution to ask the question of whether Okta or OneLogin SSO is better.
Okta and OneLogin are just two of the many players in the SSO market. JumpCloud offers SSO as part of a bigger IAM solution, and major tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and AWS also have their hands in this cookie jar. With so many options to consider, it can be a difficult task to determine which solution is better for your IT environment.
The thing is, choosing between Okta or OneLogin SSO might not even get you to where you want to be, because both options were intended to be web app SSO solutions rather than full blown IAM/directory platforms. Even though both Okta and OneLogin have come a long way over time, they are both still used as add-ons to existing directory services.
Web App SSO was Created to Help Active Directory
Before web-based applications were created, the typical user utilized Microsoft Windows for their system, Microsoft Office for productivity software, and Microsoft Exchange for email. IT admins used Microsoft Active Directory on Windows servers to manage users and systems. Suffice it to say, the traditional office was dominated by on-prem, Microsoft technology.
Then, the first major Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product, Salesforce, revolutionized how applications and software were delivered. The ease of use and low costs resulted in the thousands of SaaS products available today. However, the dominant identity provider (IdP) at the time, Active Directory (AD), wasn’t built to connect with these non-Microsoft, web-based applications. But, this didn’t change the fact that IT still needed to manage user access to this new type of resource. To fill this gap, the first web app SSO providers emerged.
Comparing Okta SSO vs OneLogin SSO
Web app SSO providers have done well, and Okta SSO and OneLogin SSO have matured over the last ten years. Both SSO solutions were built well, and each supports thousands of applications. They also integrate seamlessly with Microsoft Active Directory and OpenLDAP – the core identity providers many organizations are using.
They both offer multi-factor authentication (MFA) capabilities and some limited account provisioning on certain web applications. For many implementations, there isn’t a substantial difference between the two.
Okta vs OneLogin: Target Market
Both Okta and OneLogin have centered the creation of their products around mid-market and enterprise-size organizations, though Okta leans more heavily toward enterprises.
Okta vs OneLogin: Key Features and Cons
Okta offers:
- Primarily SSO and MFA
- User and lifecycle management
- Directory integrations
- API access management
- Server access controls
- ThreatInsight
Cons of Okta:
- Cost
- Focused on large scale enterprises
- Not a directory service — you have to integrate it with an existing directory service
- Setup can be difficult and implementation can be slow
OneLogin offers:
- Primarily SSO and MFA
- User provisioning
- Lifecycle identity management
- Directory integrations
- SmartFactor authentication
Cons of OneLogin:
- Primarily a web app SSO solution — not a comprehensive IAM solution
- Lack of customization options
- Some features and integrations don’t work very well, and support is sometimes lacking
- Was recently acquired by One Identity, highlighting a significant market shift from SSO point solutions to holistic IAM solutions
*Cons are based on user reviews across sites such as TrustRadius, GetApp, and G2.
A Modern Approach to IAM and SSO
While it’s hard to go wrong with a web app SSO provider, most IT admins are rethinking how they want to approach the overall concept of IAM via cloud identity management. They know that web-based applications are just one IT resource that Active Directory struggles to connect with in today’s modern office. Effectively, Okta and OneLogin only help solve challenges related to web application access and management.
However, a modern core identity provider needs to manage the authentication and authorization of far more than web apps — think, on-prem applications, cloud infrastructure, devices, physical and virtual file storage, WiFi and VPN access, and much more. The right cloud identity management platform doesn’t provide just SSO to web apps, but also to a wide range of IT resources. At JumpCloud, we call this approach True Single Sign-On™, and it transcends web application SSO providers. What makes True SSO different is that it securely manages and connects users to virtually all of their IT resources regardless of platform, protocol, provider, and location.
Plus, with the market heading in the direction of comprehensive IAM solutions and away from point solutions like OneLogin SSO and Okta, many organizations are transitioning over to a cloud directory platform that includes built-in SSO capabilities.
JumpCloud Features
- Cloud directory platform
- Single sign-on (SSO) to virtually all IT resources — not just web applications
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) with integrated authenticator app that supports TOTP and push notifications
- Device management for Mac, Windows, and Linux
- Mobile device management
- Privileged access management
- Identity governance and administration
- User lifecycle management
- Directory and System Insights™
- Cloud LDAP
- Cloud RADIUS
- And more!
JumpCloud — A Better Solution Than Web App SSO
True SSO provides IT admins with one platform where they can manage user access to virtually all of their IT resources. IT admins can finally abandon their costly, cumbersome, multi-solution approach in favor of a single, cloud-based, comprehensive core identity provider. In addition to increasing productivity for end users, IT admins also benefit by gaining a secure, well-controlled environment. With just one solution, IT organizations can automate onboarding/offboarding and enforce secure authentication across all IT resources.
So, the IDaaS space may be full of options, but by asking the right questions (like, what does SSO mean to you) you’ll be able to determine which solutions will provide you with the level of identity management you’re looking for.
Consider the JumpCloud Directory Platform to serve as your comprehensive, cloud-based directory and an alternative to the question of Okta or OneLogin. Test out JumpCloud’s modern, simplified IAM solution with True SSO, and see if it’s right for your organization! Create a JumpCloud Free account to access the entirety of the platform for free, up to 10 users and 10 devices. Along with that, enjoy 24×7 in-app support — free for the first 10 days!
