Okta

Okta is an enterprise-grade identity and access management (IAM) platform that provides single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), user provisioning, and lifecycle management for workforce and customer identity scenarios. Organizations use Okta as a central identity provider to manage employee access to SaaS applications (Salesforce, G Suite, Slack, etc.) and to secure customer-facing applications with modern authentication standards.

Best for: Enterprises and growing companies managing employee access to dozens of SaaS applications or building B2B SaaS products that need enterprise SSO (SAML, OIDC) for customer organizations. Particularly valuable for IT teams needing automated user provisioning/deprovisioning across applications and security teams requiring MFA and adaptive authentication policies based on risk.

Common Questions

What is Okta used for?
Okta serves two main use cases: (1) Workforce Identity - employees sign in once to Okta and gain SSO access to all company applications (Gmail, Salesforce, Slack, etc.) with centralized MFA and access policies; (2) Customer Identity (Auth0) - add secure login, SSO, and user management to your own applications for customers. Okta manages the entire user lifecycle from onboarding to offboarding.

How does Okta SSO work?
Employees log in to Okta's dashboard once with their corporate credentials (often with MFA). From there, they click app tiles to access integrated applications without re-authenticating. Okta acts as the SAML or OIDC identity provider, proving the user's identity to each application. When employees leave, disabling their Okta account revokes access everywhere simultaneously.

What's the difference between Okta and Auth0?
Okta (parent company) focuses on enterprise workforce identity—managing employee access to applications with SSO, provisioning, and compliance features. Auth0 (acquired by Okta) focuses on customer identity for developers building consumer or B2B SaaS applications. Workforce teams use Okta; product teams use Auth0. Both products remain separate with different pricing models.

Does Okta support multi-factor authentication?
Yes, Okta provides built-in MFA with support for SMS, voice calls, Okta Verify app (push notifications), Google Authenticator, hardware tokens (YubiKey, RSA SecurID), and biometrics. Administrators can enforce MFA per application, user group, or network location. Adaptive MFA policies adjust requirements based on login risk (new device, unusual location).

Pricing & Plans

Workforce Identity:

• Single Sign-On: $2/user/month (annual), unlimited apps, core SSO features
• Enterprise Single Sign-On: $5/user/month, adds MFA, lifecycle management, advanced integrations
• Universal Directory: Additional cost for advanced user attributes and profile management
• Adaptive MFA: $3/user/month addon for risk-based authentication policies

Customer Identity (Auth0):

• Separate pricing model based on monthly active users (see Auth0 entry)

Minimum typically 25-100 users depending on plan. Volume discounts for 1,000+ users.

Limitations

• Per-user costs accumulate: At $2-$5/user/month minimum, costs for large organizations with thousands of employees can reach $50,000-$200,000+/year.
• Complex pricing structure: Multiple add-ons (MFA, Universal Directory, API Access Management, Advanced Server Access) make total cost difficult to predict without detailed scoping.
• Workforce focus: While Okta acquired Auth0 for customer identity, the Okta platform itself is optimized for employee/workforce scenarios. For customer-facing auth, Auth0 is the better choice within the portfolio.

Getting Started

1. Sign up for Okta trial at okta.com (typically 30 days)
2. Configure your Okta domain (e.g., yourcompany.okta.com)
3. Import users via CSV, Active Directory sync, or HR system integration
4. Add applications from the Okta Integration Network (7,000+ pre-built integrations)
5. Configure SSO for each application (SAML, OIDC, or app-specific protocols)
6. Set up MFA policies and enroll users with Okta Verify app
7. Customize end-user dashboard with company branding

Start with 2-3 high-usage SaaS apps (Google Workspace, Salesforce, Slack) to demonstrate SSO value before expanding to entire portfolio.