Okta leads the market with comprehensive cloud-native IAM and superior SSO capabilities, ideal for mid-to-large enterprises. Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) is the top choice for organisations already invested in Microsoft ecosystems. Ping Identity offers advanced federation and API security, best suited to organisations requiring complex integrations and high-security demands.
RANKENTRYSCORETRENDFROM
1OktaOkta handles over 100 trillion authentications annually across its platform.95.0NEWCustom 2Microsoft Entra IDEntra ID protects over 3 billion user identities globally.92.7NEW£1.50 per user per month (Free tier available) 3Ping IdentityPing Identity enables secure identity exchanges across 95% of Fortune 500 organisations.90.3NEWCustom 4KeycloakKeycloak supports over 50 authentication mechanisms and protocols out-of-the-box.88.0NEWFree (open-source) to Custom (managed services) 5Auth0Auth0 secures over 250 million logins per day across its customer base.85.7NEWFree tier; paid from £30 per month 6CognitoCognito is tightly integrated with over 200 AWS services and features.83.3NEWFree tier; pay-as-you-go from $0.0055 per user per month 7ForgerockForgeRock protects over 2 billion identities across financial, healthcare, and government sectors.81.0NEWCustom 9JumpCloudJumpCloud manages identity for over 200,000 organisations globally.76.3NEW£16 per user per month The ranking, in detail
01
The leading cloud identity platform for secure access
Okta is a cloud-based identity platform that provides single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, lifecycle management, and API access management. It serves over 18,000 customers globally and integrates with thousands of applications.
From CustomBest for Mid-market to enterprise organisations requiring comprehensive cloud IAM
95.0
02
Enterprise identity and access management from Microsoft
Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) is a cloud-based identity and access management service integrated into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. It provides SSO, multi-tenant support, and hybrid identity management.
From £1.50 per user per month (Free tier available)Best for Organisations heavily invested in Microsoft 365 and Azure cloud services
92.7
03
Intelligent identity platform with advanced federation capabilities
Ping Identity provides cloud and on-premises identity solutions including federated identity management, API security, and consent management. Known for sophisticated security protocols and complex enterprise deployments.
From CustomBest for Enterprise organisations requiring complex federation and API-level security
90.3
04
Open-source identity and access management platform
Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management solution providing SSO, user federation, social login, and identity provider bridging. It offers both self-hosted and managed cloud options.
From Free (open-source) to Custom (managed services)Best for Developers and organisations seeking cost-effective, self-hosted IAM solutions
88.0
05
Identity platform built for developers
Auth0 is a developer-focused identity platform providing authentication, authorisation, and user management for web, mobile, and legacy applications. Owned by Okta since 2021, it offers flexible deployment options.
From Free tier; paid from £30 per monthBest for Development teams and smaller organisations needing rapid authentication integration
85.7
06
AWS managed identity and access service
Amazon Cognito is a managed authentication and authorisation service within AWS. It provides user sign-up, sign-in, and access control for web and mobile applications with deep AWS ecosystem integration.
From Free tier; pay-as-you-go from $0.0055 per user per monthBest for Organisations building applications on AWS infrastructure
83.3
07
Digital identity and access management for the modern enterprise
ForgeRock provides a comprehensive identity platform for customer identity and access management (CIAM) with identity governance, federation, and API security capabilities.
From CustomBest for Large enterprises requiring customer-facing identity management and complex governance
81.0
08
Workforce authentication and provisioning solution
Part of the Okta suite, Workforce Identity Cloud provides employee authentication, provisioning, and access management specifically designed for workforce security and compliance.
From CustomBest for Enterprises focused on workforce security and compliance requirements
78.7
09
Cloud-based directory platform and identity management
JumpCloud provides cloud-based directory services, single sign-on, and device management for organisations moving away from traditional on-premises Active Directory.
From £16 per user per monthBest for Mid-market organisations seeking to modernise away from on-premises Active Directory
76.3
10
Identity governance and administration platform
IBM Security Identity Governance provides identity and access governance, compliance management, and administration capabilities for large enterprise organisations with complex regulatory requirements.
From CustomBest for Large financial and regulated sector organisations requiring comprehensive identity governance
74.0
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between IAM and CIAM?
IAM (Identity and Access Management) focuses on managing employee and internal user identities, whilst CIAM (Customer Identity and Access Management) handles external customer identities. Okta and Ping Identity excel at IAM, whilst ForgeRock and Auth0 lead in CIAM solutions.
Can I use a free or open-source identity management solution for enterprise use?
Yes, Keycloak is a fully featured open-source platform suitable for enterprises, though it requires internal resources for support and maintenance. Most organisations pair it with managed services or commercial support contracts.
What should I consider when selecting an identity management platform?
Key factors include: existing infrastructure and cloud investments (AWS Cognito for AWS, Entra ID for Microsoft), application ecosystem size, budget constraints, required compliance certifications, technical team expertise, and whether you need on-premises or cloud deployment flexibility.