Auth0 is a platform that provides authentication and authorization services for SaaS applications. It allows developers to authenticate and authorize users using a variety of methods, such as single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and social logins, and can be easily integrated into web and mobile applications.
This is part of a series of articles about Auth0
Auth0 provides identity access management (IAM) capabilities and supports various types of applications and frameworks. It helps ensure secure configurations for each authorization request and workflow. It lets you configure the application’s login behavior and create a seamless authentication experience.
Auth0 also provides a management dashboard for administering user accounts and permissions. Additionally, it offers features such as passwordless authentication, user management, user profile storage, and token-based authentication, which can all be used to secure and manage access to applications and APIs.
There are several alternative platforms that can be used to manage identities and access to secure applications, including:
In this article:
Related: Read Our Auth0 SSO Guide
Deployment: Fully Managed in the Frontegg cloud / hybrid mode that allows installing data-sensitive parts on a private cloud or on-premises.
Pricing: 30-day free trial, paid plans start at $99/month.
Frontegg is a platform that provides a set of features and tools to help companies with their digital transformation, product-led growth (PLG) initiatives, and customer engagement optimization. It offers a set of pre-built, customizable, and self-served components for building and deploying web and mobile applications. Frontegg offers granular role and permission management, with support for popular authentication methods like single sign-on and passwordless (magic links, speedy logins).
The platform focuses on providing easy-to-use tools for developers to implement common user management features such as onboarding flows, billing management, and analytics, including important integrations with popular services such as Salesforce, Slack, and Twilio. Additionally, Frontegg provides a set of features to manage and secure access to applications and APIs. It also offers a plugin ecosystem that enables customers to easily extend the platform with custom functionality.
Deployment: Cloud, on-premises, and hybrid.
Pricing: Not publicly available, varies based on deployment, features, and user volume.
ForgeRock offers an identity platform designed to serve a wide range of customers—from global enterprises to consumer-facing businesses. The platform includes authentication, authorization, federation, and user management. Key features include adaptive risk authentication, user self-service, and social identity integration.
Through a unified dashboard, administrators can manage user identities, application permissions, and security policies. The platform’s modular architecture allows for flexibility, enabling organizations to implement only the services they need, ensuring scalability for future growth.
Deployment: Cloud and on-premises options are available.
Pricing: Free open source software.
Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management (IAM) solution. It’s a standalone server that provides authentication and authorization services for applications and services. Keycloak can be integrated with a wide variety of applications and services, both cloud-based and on-premises, and supports several protocols such as SAML, OAuth 2.0, and OpenID Connect.
Keycloak provides features such as user and group management, single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, and identity brokering, which allows users to authenticate through external providers such as social networks and identity providers. It also has a web-based management console for managing and configuring the server, and a set of APIs and libraries that can be used to integrate Keycloak with other applications.
Deployment: Cloud or on-premises.
Pricing: Cloud hosting plans start at $37/month, self-hosting plans start at $125/month.
FusionAuth is an IAM platform that provides authentication and authorization services for web and mobile SaaS applications. It supports cloud-based, on-premises, or hybrid deployments and is designed to be easy to use and easy to integrate with other applications. FusionAuth provides features such as user registration, login, passwordless authentication, single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, and social login. It also has user management, and user profile storage, as well as an event-based architecture which allows you to easily create custom workflows.
Additionally, FusionAuth offers an API-first architecture that allows developers to easily integrate and extend the platform with custom functionality, and a web-based management console for administering user accounts and permissions.
Deployment: Cloud
Pricing: Free tier (up to 50,000 users per month) and pay-as-you-go options, $0.10 per GB-month data storage.
Amazon Cognito is a customer identity and access management (CIAM) service that helps you add authentication, authorization, and user management to mobile and web apps. It is part of the AWS ecosystem. The Cognito console is part of an organization’s AWS Management Console, where all the information about the Cognito account and billing is available.
Cognito allows each user or visitor to sign in with a set of username and password credentials via Amazon or a third party such as Google, Apple, or Facebook. You can use Cognito’s built-in user interface (UI) to add user sign-in, sign-up, and access control to apps. It lets you define roles and map users to these different roles, and then handles all authentication requirements while providing secure access.
Pricing: Paid, undisclosed
PlainID is a policy-based access control (PBAC) solution that offers an alternative to traditional role-based access control (RBAC) systems. Unlike RBAC, which assigns permissions based on roles, PBAC allows for more granular control by defining policies based on attributes.
PlainID’s platform manages access across a business’s digital ecosystem. It supports various policy types, including static, dynamic, and time-based, and offers a range of tools for managing and visualizing policies. Additionally, PlainID integrates with a variety of systems and platforms, making it a versatile solution for businesses with complex needs.
However, the complexity of the PlainID solution also makes it potentially challenging to implement and manage. Businesses considering PlainID as an Auth0 alternative should be prepared to invest time and resources into understanding and effectively utilizing its policy-based approach.
Deployment: Hosted on Google Cloud Platform, supports hybrid solutions.
Pricing: Free and paid plans, including the no-cost Spark plan and the pay as you go Blaze plan.
Firebase provides cross-platform SDKs and documentation for building and delivering web and mobile apps. It includes an authentication suite that consists of ready-made UI libraries and SDKs designed to help authenticate users to apps. It supports various forms of authentication, including passwords and federated identity providers such as Google, Twitter, and Facebook.
Firebase Authentication uses OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect. It integrates with other Firebase services and can also integrate with a custom backend. It is also possible to upgrade to Firebase Authentication with Identity Platform to gain access to additional features, including multi-factor authentication (MFA), user activity and audit logging, multi-tenancy, enterprise-level support, and blocking functions.
Deployment: Primarily cloud, with some capabilities for on-premises integration.
Pricing: Okta requires a minimum annual contract of $1,500. Price per user starts from $2 per product (separate pricing for SSO, MFA, etc)
Okta is a leading identity and access management platform known for its user authentication and authorization capabilities. It facilitates secure connections between people and technology. Features include single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, lifecycle management, and API access management. It integrates with many applications and offers an intuitive admin dashboard.
Deployment: Cloud with Azure, can integrate with on-premises Active Directory.
Pricing: Free basic version. Premium plans based on user volume and features.
Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) is Microsoft’s cloud-based identity and access management service. It allows employees to sign in and access resources such as Microsoft Office 365, the Azure portal, and other SaaS applications. Features include multi-factor authentication, device registration, and user provisioning.
Azure AD provides B2B and B2C solutions, enabling organizations to customize and control how customers and partners access their resources. The platform integrates well with Microsoft’s suite of products and offers robust security features, including threat detection and risk-based conditional access.
Pricing: Paid, starts from $4 / user / month for Advanced package, $8 / user / month for Professional package
OneLogin is a unified access management platform. It supports a wide range of authentication methods, including single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, and adaptive authentication, which adjusts authentication requirements based on risk factors.
OneLogin’s platform is designed to simplify identity management across a wide range of applications and services. It offers extensive integration options, a straightforward management interface, and a range of features aimed at enhancing security and compliance.
However, OneLogin’s comprehensive feature set and broad focus could make it overkill for businesses with simpler needs. Additionally, while OneLogin offers a robust solution, it can be more expensive than other platforms, making it a potentially less appealing choice for smaller businesses or those with tighter budgets.
Choosing the right authentication solution for your organization involves considering a variety of factors, including:
Modern SaaS applications and services today need to be self-served and PLG-friendly. Your AuthO alternative should ideally cover both authentication and authorization requirements via one centralized solution, while allowing you to manage roles and permissions with just a few clicks. By doing so, you will no longer need to worry about roadmap delays, developer frustration, and support overhead.
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