Okta vs Azure AD (Entra ID) vs Ping Identity (2026)
Verified 2026 comparison. Okta correction: the old $2/user/month pricing is gone. New Workforce Identity Suites start at $6/user/month (Starter). Azure Entra ID P1=$6, P2=$9. Ping Identity is custom enterprise pricing only.
Okta’s old per-feature pricing (from $2/user/month) has been replaced by Workforce Identity Suites. 2026 pricing: Starter Suite $6/user/month, Core Essentials $14/user/month, Essentials Suite $17/user/month. Professional/Enterprise = custom quotes. Azure Entra ID: Free (included with M365), P1=$6/user/mo (in M365 E3), P2=$9/user/mo, Entra Suite=$12/user/mo. Ping Identity = custom enterprise pricing only. Verified May 2026.
- Okta — Best standalone identity platform. 7,000+ pre-built integrations, most cloud-native, vendor-neutral. Workforce Identity Suites from $6/user/month (Starter). Best for organizations not tied to Microsoft or a specific vendor ecosystem.
- Microsoft Entra ID — Best for Microsoft-heavy organizations. 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 you’re already on M365 E3+.
- Ping Identity — Best for enterprise hybrid environments. Custom pricing. Most flexible deployment (cloud, on-premises, hybrid). Strongest for legacy app support and regulated industries. Used by 50%+ of Fortune 100.
| 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| You saw Okta listed at $2/user/month | Verify before budgeting | That pricing is outdated — Okta Workforce Identity Suites now start at $6/user/month (Starter) |
| 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 |
True Cost Calculator
Okta and Entra ID charge per user. Ping Identity is custom enterprise pricing — estimated here at $12/user/month as a market benchmark for mid-market enterprise (actual pricing requires a quote). Entra ID P1 may already be included in your M365 E3 subscription at no extra cost.
Key Stats & Pricing (May 2026)
At a Glance
Best standalone IAM. 7,000+ app integrations. Vendor-neutral. New 2026 Workforce Identity Suites pricing.
- 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
- AI-powered threat detection and Identity Governance on higher tiers
- Old $2/user/month pricing is gone — Starter Suite now $6/user/month
- Most expensive standalone option vs Entra ID P1 (which may be free in M365)
- Complex advanced configurations require Okta expertise
Formerly 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)
- Conditional Access policies with 400+ signal conditions
- 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
Best 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
- PingOne for Workforce and PingOne for Customers products
- 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
At-a-Glance Scorecard
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Okta | Microsoft Entra ID | Ping Identity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price (corrected) | Starter Suite $6/user/mo (old $2 pricing retired) | ✓ 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 | ✓ All plans — phishing-resistant options | ✓ 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 |
Verified Pricing (May 2026)
The original page on this comparison showed Okta at $2/user/month — this is outdated pricing from before Okta introduced Workforce Identity Suites. Okta now sells IAM as solution-based packages starting at $6/user/month for Starter Suite (billed annually). Microsoft Entra ID pricing is also more complex than a simple “Free / $6 P1” summary suggests: most Microsoft 365 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) |
| Entry paid | Starter Suite $6/user/mo (billed annually) | 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 |
| Watch out for | The old $2/user/month pricing was per-feature (SSO-only). New Workforce Identity Suites at $6+ bundle multiple capabilities. Old guides quoting Okta at $2/user are showing retired pricing — budget accordingly. | Licensing is complex: P1 included in M365 E3 (many orgs already have it). Governance requires a separate add-on ($7/user/mo) OR upgrade to P2 + Governance OR Entra Suite ($12/user/mo). Always audit your existing M365 licenses before buying Entra add-ons. | No public pricing. Salesforce-style enterprise contracts. Expect minimum user counts, annual commitments, and professional services fees for implementation. Get multiple quotes and compare against Okta Professional before signing. |
The Full Picture
Okta — The Vendor-Neutral Identity Standard, Now Sold as Suites
Okta’s core differentiator has always been its position as a vendor-neutral identity platform: it integrates with virtually any application (7,000+ pre-built integrations in the OIN catalog) and works equally well regardless of whether your infrastructure runs on AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, or on-premises. For organizations with a heterogeneous stack that spans multiple cloud providers and SaaS applications, Okta’s neutral stance and integration depth make it the default choice.
Important 2026 pricing correction: Okta retired its old per-feature pricing model (which started from $2/user/month for SSO alone) and replaced it with Workforce Identity Suites. The Starter Suite at $6/user/month bundles core SSO, MFA, and basic lifecycle management. The Core Essentials tier at $14/user/month adds more advanced automation. Essentials Suite at $17/user/month provides comprehensive identity security. Professional and Enterprise suites require custom quotes and include Identity Governance capabilities. Any comparison guide showing Okta at $2/user/month is displaying outdated pricing.
Okta has invested heavily in AI-powered threat detection and Identity Governance in 2026, responding to the reality that over 80% of data breaches involve identity. Phishing-resistant authentication and continuous session risk evaluation are now part of the Starter Suite, making Okta’s entry-level offering competitive with what previously required higher-tier purchases.
Microsoft Entra ID — The Smartest Choice for M365 Organizations
Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) is the identity backbone for the entire Microsoft 365 and Azure ecosystem. For any organization already running M365 E3, Business Premium, or higher, the critical insight is that Entra ID P1 is already included at no extra cost. P1 provides Conditional Access (Microsoft’s Zero Trust policy engine), group-based access management, self-service password reset, hybrid identity with Entra Connect, and Application Proxy. Most medium-to-large Microsoft 365 customers are already paying for P1 capabilities without necessarily using them fully.
The tier structure rewards organizations that lean into the Microsoft ecosystem: P2 at $9/user/month adds Identity Protection with AI-driven risk analysis, Privileged Identity Management (just-in-time admin access), and advanced Conditional Access with risk-based authentication. The Entra Suite at $12/user/month adds governance, network access control, and private access — often cheaper than buying components individually. The new M365 E7 plan (generally available May 2026) is the first Microsoft 365 bundle to include the complete Entra Suite.
The honest limitation: outside the Microsoft ecosystem, Entra ID delivers less value. Organizations with multi-cloud stacks or heavy third-party SaaS (Salesforce, Workday, Google Workspace) will find Okta’s integration breadth more practical. Entra ID’s licensing complexity — the overlapping P1/P2/Governance/Suite/E3/E5 tiers — also creates significant confusion at procurement time.
Ping Identity — Enterprise Hybrid IAM for Fortune 100 Complexity
Ping Identity occupies the most specialized position in this comparison: enterprise IAM for organizations with the most complex identity environments. Its defining advantage is deployment flexibility — Ping supports cloud, on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud deployments across the same identity control plane. For organizations with large on-premises infrastructure, legacy applications that predate modern identity standards, or strict data residency requirements, Ping’s ability to deploy locally (as opposed to pure SaaS) is a meaningful differentiator.
In January 2026, Ping launched Universal Services — a centralized trust control layer that sits alongside existing identity providers without replacing them. This addresses a common enterprise challenge: fragmented identity environments where multiple IdPs (Okta, Entra, LDAP, legacy systems) coexist and need consistent trust policy enforcement. Universal Services combine identity verification, risk evaluation, zero-knowledge biometrics, and fine-grained authorization into a single orchestration layer — designed for organizations too complex to consolidate onto a single identity platform.
The commercial model reflects the enterprise focus: Ping publishes no public per-user rates. All pricing involves custom enterprise contracts with minimum user counts, annual commitments, and typically professional services for implementation. This makes Ping unsuitable for organizations under ~500 users or those without dedicated identity engineering teams. For Fortune 100 companies with complex hybrid environments, Ping’s capabilities justify the premium — 50%+ of Fortune 100 companies use Ping for a reason.
Who Should Use Each Tool?
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 want phishing-resistant MFA on the Starter tier
- 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
Best IAM Platform by Use Case
Hidden Costs & Gotchas
Okta — Old $2/user pricing is retired
Many comparison guides still show Okta starting at $2/user/month (for SSO-only). This per-feature pricing model was replaced by Workforce Identity Suites. Starter Suite at $6/user/month now bundles SSO, MFA, and lifecycle basics. Budget with $6 as the entry point, not $2. Verify at okta.com/pricing before finalizing any budget estimate.
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 before purchasing.
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. Professional services fees for deployment are typically additional to license costs.
All three — Implementation costs can exceed license costs
IAM platforms require significant implementation effort: SSO configuration for each application, MFA rollout, lifecycle automation rules, and Conditional Access policy design. For 500+ users, implementation professional services often cost as much as the first year of licensing. Factor implementation into total cost of ownership.
Okta + Entra ID — Many organizations run both
It is common for Microsoft 365 organizations to run Entra ID P1 for native M365 integration AND Okta for third-party SaaS applications. This dual-platform approach avoids the limitations of each. If evaluating this combination, calculate the combined per-user cost (Entra P1 =$6 may already be free in M365, then Okta Starter =$6 on top).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Okta cost in 2026?
Is Microsoft Entra ID the same as Azure Active Directory?
Does Microsoft Entra ID have a free plan?
Which is better: Okta, Entra ID, or Ping Identity?
Can Ping Identity replace Okta?
Ready to Choose Your IAM Platform?
Okta and Ping Identity offer free trials. Entra ID Free is included with any M365 subscription.