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Neither platform is the right choice for every organization. Microsoft Entra ID may be the more economical fit if your Microsoft 365 subscriptions already include the identity features you need. Okta may fit better when its workforce identity capabilities align with your application, authentication, and lifecycle requirements. The decision turns on your actual licenses, apps, policies, and a like-for-like cost comparison—not the product names alone.
What should you compare before choosing?
Start with the same user population and the same requirements for both vendors. Compare the licenses and features you would actually deploy, not an entry-level plan on one side with a more comprehensive package on the other.
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- Existing licenses and total cost: Identify which Entra capabilities are already covered by your Microsoft subscriptions, then include any add-ons or standalone licenses you would need. Compare that result with an Okta quote for the same users and feature set.
- Application and protocol fit: List business-critical SaaS, on-premises, and custom applications. Confirm each app’s sign-in method and provisioning path in the products you are considering.
- Authentication and access policies: Write down the MFA methods, Conditional Access policies, and risk-based controls you require. Check the license entitlement for each feature.
- Provisioning and lifecycle: Test how joiner, mover, and leaver events should affect accounts and access in downstream apps.
- Governance and operations: Match access reviews, entitlement management, and lifecycle workflows to compliance needs. Include deployment, user communications, and ongoing support in the comparison.
How do Entra ID licenses affect the comparison?
Entra ID features depend on the license. Microsoft’s licensing documentation lists Free, P1, P2, ID Governance, and Entra Suite options. It says P1 is included in Microsoft 365 E3 and Business Premium, and P2 in Microsoft 365 E5, among other bundles. Those bundles do not make every Entra feature available automatically: verify the precise subscription and entitlement in your tenant before treating a capability as included. Feature and geography availability can also vary by plan and cloud environment. Microsoft’s Entra licensing documentation was last updated June 18, 2026.
Microsoft lists Conditional Access as requiring P1. Risk-based Conditional Access requires P2 or ID Protection. Governance capabilities such as provisioning, access reviews, and entitlement management also have tier-dependent entitlements, so map each required control to its license rather than assuming a general Entra or Microsoft 365 subscription covers it.
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For basic sign-on, Microsoft says SSO for pre-integrated enterprise applications is free. Other desired capabilities, including directory objects or additional features, may require paid licensing. See Microsoft’s enterprise application integration planning guidance and confirm the requirements for your implementation.
What does Okta publish about pricing?
Okta’s Workforce Identity pricing page lists Starter from $6 per user per month and Essentials from $17 per user per month, billed annually. These are vendor-published starting prices, not a complete quote for every organization or configuration. The page lists Professional and Enterprise as quote-based. Confirm the current price, included features, region, and contract terms with Okta before budgeting. See Okta’s Workforce Identity pricing.
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- POWERFUL SECURITY KEY: The Security Key NFC is the essential physical passkey for protecting your digital life from phishing attacks. It ensures only you can access your accounts.
- WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single Security Key NFC secures 100 of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more.
- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your Security Key NFC via USB-A and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC) to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
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These figures do not establish which platform costs less for your organization. The comparison depends on geography, user count, existing Microsoft licenses, required features, and Okta’s quote; public list pricing cannot determine your negotiated effective cost.
How should you validate application and lifecycle fit?
Broad labels such as “single sign-on” or “lifecycle management” are not enough to establish that two configurations will meet the same needs. Microsoft documents OpenID Connect, OAuth, SAML, password-based, and linked SSO options for cloud applications. Okta describes SSO integrations, Adaptive MFA, and Lifecycle Management in its workforce offering. Verify each required application, its protocol, and the provisioning behavior you need rather than assuming equivalent coverage from a feature name.
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- WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with popular accounts like Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single YubiKey 5 NFC secures 100+ of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more
- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your YubiKey 5 NFC via USB and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC), to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required
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Build a short test set around the applications and access changes that matter most. Confirm sign-in, MFA and policy behavior, provisioning, and removal of access when a user leaves. For Entra, check that the licenses in your tenant cover the policies and governance steps in the test. For Okta, validate the specific capabilities and terms in the proposed suite or quote.
How do you make the decision?
- Inventory users and apps. Set a consistent user count and list the business-critical cloud, on-premises, and custom applications.
- Define required controls. Specify SSO protocols, MFA, Conditional Access, risk-based controls, provisioning, access reviews, and entitlement workflows that are genuinely needed.
- Check existing Entra entitlements. Review the tenant’s exact Microsoft subscriptions and map each requirement to an included license or additional cost.
- Get an equivalent Okta proposal. Ask for pricing and feature details for the same users, applications, and controls—not a different scope.
- Test workflows and plan rollout. Validate application access and joiner, mover, and leaver cases. Microsoft’s deployment guidance recommends planning communications about the change and telling users how to get support if problems arise. Include that effort, migration work, and operational support in your evaluation. Review Microsoft’s application integration planning guidance.
Which platform is the better fit?
Entra ID is a strong candidate when your current Microsoft subscriptions already cover the identity capabilities you need and the required apps and workflows work with its integration options. Okta is a candidate when its workforce suites and capabilities match your application, authentication, and lifecycle needs. Neither public feature descriptions nor starting prices establish a universal winner; decide from your validated requirements and a cost comparison for equivalent scope.
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- POWERFUL SECURITY KEY: The YubiKey 5C NFC is the most versatile physical passkey, protecting your digital life from phishing attacks. It ensures only you can access your accounts
- WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with popular accounts like Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single YubiKey 5C NFC secures 100+ of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more
- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your YubiKey 5C NFC via USB and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC), to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required
- MOST SECURE PASSKEY: Supports FIDO2/WebAuthn, FIDO U2F, Yubico OTP, OATH-TOTP/HOTP, Smart card (PIV), and OpenPGP. That means it’s versatile, working almost anywhere you need it
- PRIMARY & SPARE KEYS: Just like having a spare house key, we recommend buying two YubiKeys - one for daily use and one as a spare. That way you’ll never get locked out of your accounts
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