Okta vs Azure AD (Entra ID) vs Ping Identity (2026)
Verified 2026 comparison. Okta's $2/user/month SSO pricing hasn't disappeared — it's still available a-la-carte, but Okta now recommends the bundled Starter Suite ($6/user/month) since bare SSO lacks MFA and directory features most orgs need. Azure Entra ID P1=$6, P2=$9. Ping Identity is custom enterprise pricing only.
Find yourself first
IT and security teams
Evaluating enterprise IAM platforms. All three cover SSO and MFA; the depth and cost model differ sharply.
Microsoft 365 users
Wondering if they already have Entra ID P1. Many orgs pay for it separately without realizing it's already included.
Hybrid infrastructure orgs
On a mix of cloud and on-premises. Ping Identity's deployment flexibility matters most here.
Teams checking Okta's old pricing
The $2/user/month figure still technically exists — but only for bare SSO, not a full solution.
Enterprises needing Zero Trust
SSO, MFA, and Zero Trust access policies. All three offer this; the granularity differs by tier.
Security leads in regulated industries
Evaluating Ping Identity for legacy app integration. Its hybrid model is genuinely differentiated here.
Okta's $2/user pricing hasn't actually disappeared
The 10-second answer
Okta
7,000+ pre-built integrations, most cloud-native, vendor-neutral. Workforce Identity Suites from $6/user/month (Starter) — a-la-carte SSO still available at $2/mo but lacks MFA. $1,500/year minimum contract on all suites.
$6/mo Starter (or $2/mo SSO-only)Microsoft Entra ID
Free with any M365 subscription (P1 included in M365 E3). P1=$6/user/month, P2=$9/user/month. Deepest Azure and M365 integration. Most cost-effective if already on M365 E3+.
Free (M365) → $6/mo P1Ping Identity
Custom pricing only. Most flexible deployment (cloud, on-premises, hybrid). Strongest for legacy app support and regulated industries. Used by 50%+ of Fortune 100.
Custom enterprise quoteMatch your situation
| Your situation | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Your organization runs on Microsoft 365 (E3 or higher) | Entra ID P1 | Already included in M365 E3 at no extra cost — Conditional Access, hybrid SSO, granular MFA. |
| You want the most cloud integrations and vendor neutrality | Okta | 7,000+ app integrations, independent of any vendor ecosystem. |
| You have on-premises legacy apps that need modern identity | Ping Identity | Best hybrid and on-premises deployment flexibility of the three. |
| You need Identity Protection and Privileged Identity Management | Entra ID P2 ($9/user/mo) | PIM, risk-based Conditional Access, Identity Protection — best value at this tier. |
| You saw Okta listed at $2/user/month | Verify what's included | That's still real — but it's SSO-only, no MFA. Most orgs need the $6 Starter Suite instead. |
| You need enterprise IAM for regulated industry (finance, healthcare) | Ping Identity | Most enterprise-grade compliance and deployment options — used by Fortune 100. |
| Small-to-mid Microsoft shop, needs Conditional Access only | Entra ID P1 $6/user/mo | Cheapest per-user with Conditional Access — or free if on M365 E3. |
What will your team actually cost?
Okta and Entra ID charge per user. Ping Identity is custom enterprise pricing — estimated here at a market benchmark (actual pricing requires a quote). Entra ID P1 may already be included in your M365 E3 subscription at no extra cost.
⚠️ Ping Identity pricing is custom enterprise only — contact sales for a real quote. The figures shown (~$12–$18/user/month) are market estimates only and may not reflect your actual contract. Okta suites carry a $1,500/year minimum contract regardless of user count — reflected below for small teams.
The numbers that matter
lacks MFA — most orgs need the $6 Starter Suite
included in M365 E3, F1, F3, Business Premium
applies to all Workforce Identity suites regardless of user count
pre-built app integrations — most of the three
~14% average negotiated discount off list price
of Fortune 100 trust Ping Identity
Three platforms, three philosophies
Okta — Vendor-Neutral Identity, Now Sold as Suites (A-La-Carte Still Alive)
$6/mo Starter (or $2/mo SSO-only)Best standalone IAM. 7,000+ app integrations. Vendor-neutral. Bundled suites are the recommended path, but a-la-carte still exists.
- 7,000+ pre-built app integrations — best integration library
- Vendor-neutral — works equally well regardless of cloud provider
- Workforce Identity Suites bundle SSO, MFA, lifecycle management
- Lifecycle Management for automated provisioning/deprovisioning
- Strong developer experience and documentation
- A-la-carte SSO ($2/mo) lacks MFA, adaptive security, phishing resistance — not a real solution alone
- $1,500/year minimum contract regardless of actual user count
- Most expensive standalone option vs Entra ID P1 (which may be free in M365)
- "SSO tax" from connected SaaS vendors can dwarf Okta's own subscription cost
- All plans billed annually — no monthly billing option available
Microsoft Entra ID — The Smartest Choice for M365 Organizations
Free · P1 $6/user · P2 $9/userFormerly Azure Active Directory. Free with M365. P1 already in E3. Deepest Azure/M365 integration.
- Free tier with any Microsoft cloud subscription
- P1 ($6/user/mo) included in M365 E3, F1, F3, Business Premium
- Best Azure + M365 integration — Intune, SharePoint, Teams native
- P2: Identity Protection + PIM (just-in-time admin access)
- New M365 E7 (May 2026) includes full Entra Suite
- Limited value for non-Microsoft environments
- Complex licensing tiers — P1/P2/Governance/Suite/E3/E5 overlap
- Governance features require add-on ($7/user/mo) or P2
- Less vendor-neutral than Okta for mixed cloud stacks
Ping Identity — Enterprise Hybrid IAM for Fortune 100 Complexity
Custom enterprise pricingBest for enterprise hybrid infrastructure. Custom pricing. Strongest on-premises flexibility. Fortune 100 standard.
- Most flexible deployment: cloud, on-premises, hybrid, multi-cloud
- Best for legacy app integration with modern identity standards
- Trusted by 50%+ of Fortune 100 companies
- 2026 "Universal Services" — centralized trust across fragmented identity environments
- Strong regulated industry support (finance, healthcare, government)
- No public pricing — custom enterprise quotes only
- Higher complexity than Okta for initial setup
- Primarily designed for large enterprises, less suited to SMBs
- Community and documentation less accessible than Okta
Strengths at a glance
| Criteria | Okta | Entra ID | Ping Identity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $6 Starter (or $2 SSO-only, limited) | $6/user — same, but may already be free | Custom enterprise only |
| App integrations | 7,000+ — most here | Native M365/Azure, fewer 3rd-party | Broad, legacy-protocol focused |
| Vendor neutrality | Best — fully neutral | Microsoft-centric | Neutral — integrates with any IdP |
| SMB suitability | Good, but $1,500/yr floor | Good — scales down cheaply | Not designed for SMBs |
| Microsoft integration | Good but not native | Best — native platform | Integration available |
| Hybrid/on-prem deployment | AD Agent for on-prem sync | Entra Connect — native hybrid AD sync | Best — cloud/on-prem/hybrid all supported |
🟢 STRONG · 🟠 ACCEPTABLE WITH CAVEATS · 🔴 WEAK / WATCH OUT
Feature by feature
| Feature | Okta | Microsoft Entra ID | Ping Identity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | ⚡ Starter Suite $6/user/mo · a-la-carte SSO still $2/mo (MFA not included) | ✓ Free (M365) · P1 $6 · P2 $9 — P1 free in M365 E3 | ✗ Custom enterprise quotes only |
| Free tier | ⚡ 30-day trial only | ✓ Included with any Microsoft subscription | ⚡ 30-day PingOne trial only |
| SSO | ✓ 7,000+ pre-built integrations | ✓ All M365/Azure apps native + SAML/OIDC | ✓ Enterprise-grade SSO + legacy protocols |
| MFA | ⚡ Starter Suite+ (a-la-carte SSO alone lacks this) | ✓ Free (basic) · P1 (granular) · P2 (risk-based) | ✓ PingID — MFA for all identity types |
| Conditional Access / Policies | ✓ All Workforce Identity Suites | ✓ P1+ — 400+ signal conditions | ✓ PingOne Protect — risk-based policies |
| Privileged Identity Mgmt | ⚡ Okta Governance on Professional/Enterprise | ✓ P2 — just-in-time privileged access | ✓ PingOne Authorize — fine-grained access |
| Hybrid / on-premises | ⚡ Okta AD Agent for on-prem sync | ✓ Entra Connect — native hybrid AD sync | ✓ Best — cloud, on-prem, hybrid all supported |
| Vendor neutrality | ✓ Fully neutral — no preferred cloud | ✗ Microsoft-centric — limited outside M365/Azure | ✓ Neutral — integrates with any IdP |
Every plan, verified
Okta's a-la-carte pricing hasn't disappeared — it's simply de-emphasized in favor of bundled suites. Microsoft Entra ID pricing is more complex than a simple "Free / $6 P1" summary suggests: most M365 E3 and Business Premium customers already have P1 included at no extra cost. Ping Identity publishes no public per-user rates — all pricing is custom enterprise.
| Plan / Tier | Okta | Microsoft Entra ID | Ping Identity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry / Free | 30-day trial (no free tier) | ✓ Free — included with any M365/Azure subscription | 30-day PingOne trial (no free tier) |
| A-la-carte / entry paid | SSO $2/user/mo, MFA $3/user/mo (a-la-carte, still available) · Starter Suite $6/user/mo (bundled, recommended) | P1 $6/user/mo — or free if on M365 E3, F1, F3, Business Premium | ✗ Custom enterprise quote — no public pricing |
| Mid tier | Core Essentials $14/user/mo | P2 $9/user/mo — adds PIM, Identity Protection, risk-based CA | Custom (PingOne Advanced Identity Cloud) |
| Advanced | Essentials Suite $17/user/mo | Entra Suite $12/user/mo — P2 + Governance + Internet/Private Access | Custom (includes hybrid deployment, advanced auth) |
| Enterprise | Professional / Enterprise — custom quotes | M365 E5 includes P2. New M365 E7 (May 2026) includes full Entra Suite. | Full enterprise platform — custom |
| Contract minimum | $1,500/year across all Workforce Identity suites, regardless of user count | None published beyond standard M365 licensing terms | Enterprise minimums vary by contract |
| Watch out for | A-la-carte SSO ($2/mo) lacks MFA and adaptive security — budget the $6 Starter Suite for a real solution. $1,500/yr floor hits small teams hardest. "SSO tax" from connected SaaS vendors adds up fast. | Licensing is complex: P1 included in M365 E3 (many orgs already have it). Governance requires a separate add-on OR P2 OR Entra Suite. Always audit existing M365 licenses first. | No public pricing. Expect minimum user counts, annual commitments, and professional services fees. Get multiple quotes and compare against Okta Professional before signing. |
Choose by fit
Choose Okta if…
- You use multiple cloud providers or aren't tied to Microsoft
- You need 7,000+ app integrations in one neutral platform
- You want lifecycle management and provisioning automation
- You've budgeted for the Starter Suite ($6/mo), not the bare $2/mo SSO-only product
- Developer experience and API quality matter to your team
Choose Entra ID if…
- You are already on Microsoft 365 E3+ (P1 is already included)
- You want the deepest Azure, Teams, SharePoint, Intune integration
- You need PIM and Identity Protection (P2 at $9/user/month)
- Your organization is Microsoft-centric and won't change
- You want Zero Trust Conditional Access at the lowest cost
Choose Ping Identity if…
- You have a large enterprise with hybrid cloud + on-premises infrastructure
- You need to modernize legacy application identity without re-architecting
- You operate in regulated industries (finance, healthcare, government)
- You need data residency or private deployment for compliance
- You have 500+ users and a dedicated identity engineering team
Match the tool to your job
M365 E3 organizations
Entra ID P1 (free)P1 already included — no extra cost for Conditional Access.
Multi-cloud / vendor-neutral
Okta7,000+ integrations, no preferred cloud vendor.
Testing SSO on a tight budget
Okta a-la-carte $2/moStill exists — but add MFA ($3/mo) at minimum for real security.
PIM + Identity Protection
Entra ID P2 $9/userJust-in-time admin access + AI-driven risk detection.
Hybrid on-premises enterprise
Ping IdentityCloud + on-prem + hybrid deployment on same platform.
Legacy app modernization
Ping IdentityWidest legacy protocol support without app re-architecture.
Fortune 100 / regulated
Ping Identity50%+ Fortune 100 trust Ping — strongest compliance posture.
Full IAM suite cheapest
Entra Suite $12/userP2 + Governance + network access — typically beats buying separately.
What vendors won't lead with
💵 Okta — the $2/user SSO price is real but incomplete
Many comparison guides say Okta's $2/user pricing "is gone" — it isn't. It's still purchasable a-la-carte today, but it's SSO only: no MFA, no adaptive security, no lifecycle management. For any real production deployment, budget the $6/mo Starter Suite (or higher) rather than assuming $2/mo covers a genuine identity solution.
🧾 Okta — $1,500/year minimum contract
All Okta Workforce Identity suites carry a $1,500/year minimum, regardless of actual user count. A team of 10 users on Starter Suite would calculate to $720/year by the per-user math, but pays the $1,500 floor instead. This makes Okta less cost-effective for very small teams than the headline per-user price suggests.
💸 The "SSO tax" — a cost beyond any IAM vendor's own price tag
Many SaaS vendors charge a real premium — sometimes 15% to over 100% more per user — to unlock SSO integration with a third-party identity provider. This cost applies regardless of which IAM platform you choose, and can dwarf the IAM subscription itself if you're connecting dozens of tools. Audit your existing SaaS stack's SSO pricing before assuming your total IAM cost is just the platform's sticker price.
🔍 Entra ID — check if P1 is already included in your M365 plan
Before purchasing Entra ID P1 standalone ($6/user/month), check your existing Microsoft 365 subscription. P1 is already included in M365 E3, F1, F3, and Business Premium. Many organizations buy P1 standalone without realizing they already have it — review your M365 admin center under Billing > Licenses first.
🧩 Entra ID — governance features require add-on or P2
Entitlement management, lifecycle workflows, and access reviews require either the Entra ID Governance add-on ($7/user/month on P1) OR P2 ($9/user/month) OR the Entra Suite ($12/user/month). P1 alone does not include governance features — map your required features to specific tiers before budgeting.
📋 Ping Identity — no public pricing means long procurement cycles
Ping Identity has no public per-user rates. Expect a full enterprise sales cycle with RFPs, POC environments, and multi-year contract negotiations. Budget 3-6 months for procurement and implementation, with professional services fees typically additional to license costs.
Quick answers
Yes — this is a correction to a common misconception (including a previous version of this page). Okta still sells a-la-carte SSO at $2/user/month and MFA at $3/user/month, confirmed directly on Okta's own pricing page. What's changed is that Okta now recommends and features the bundled Starter Suite ($6/user/month, including SSO, MFA, Universal Directory, and 5 workflows) as the practical entry point, since bare SSO alone lacks the security features most organizations actually need.
Okta sells Workforce Identity as both a-la-carte products (SSO $2/user/month, MFA $3/user/month) and bundled suites billed annually: Starter Suite $6/user/month, Core Essentials $14/user/month, Essentials Suite $17/user/month. Professional and Enterprise suites require custom quotes. All Workforce Identity plans carry a $1,500/year minimum contract regardless of actual user count.
Yes — Microsoft renamed Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) to Microsoft Entra ID in 2023. Same product, new name. Pricing: Free (with any Microsoft subscription), P1 at $6/user/month, P2 at $9/user/month, Entra Suite at $12/user/month. P1 is included in Microsoft 365 E3, F1, F3, and Business Premium.
The "SSO tax" refers to the premium many SaaS vendors charge to enable single sign-on integration with a third-party identity provider like Okta or Ping — sometimes 15% to over 100% more per user than the base plan. This cost is separate from your IAM platform's own subscription price and applies across whichever SaaS tools you connect, and can significantly increase your true total identity management cost.
It depends on your stack. Okta is best for vendor-neutral, multi-cloud environments with diverse SaaS applications. Entra ID is best if you're Microsoft-heavy — P1 is often free in M365 E3. Ping Identity is best for large enterprises with hybrid infrastructure, legacy apps, or regulated industry requirements. For many organizations, the right answer is Entra ID for Microsoft applications and Okta for everything else.
For enterprise hybrid environments, yes — and Ping has additional deployment flexibility. For SMBs and mid-market companies, no — Ping's custom pricing model and enterprise complexity make it impractical below roughly 500 users. For new cloud-native deployments without existing Ping infrastructure, Okta is typically easier to implement.
Ready to choose your IAM platform?
Okta and Ping Identity offer free trials. Entra ID Free is included with any M365 subscription.