OneLogin vs Okta: Comparing IAM solutions

Which identity and access management software should you choose? Compare the features of OneLogin and Okta to see if either is the right IAM tool for your business.

Identity and access management software is a must for mid-sized companies or enterprises that need to secure user access to corporate resources and manage information about user identity. OneLogin and Okta are two industry-leading IAM platforms, and each product has strengths and weaknesses. See how the features of OneLogin and Okta compare.

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What is OneLogin?

The OneLogin suite helps simplify access for end users without compromising the security of corporate accounts and resources. From the business perspective, the IAM tool makes it easy to provision, assign and set up user accounts for employees that will provide them access to important corporate resources, third-party software and accounts.

In practice, OneLogin helps to solve the problem with passwords without sacrificing security — namely, people forget passwords often, locking them out of their accounts, but giving carte-blanche access to any user would compromise security.

What is Okta?

Okta is a web-based SSO solution that provides a centralized interface for end users to access accounts, third-party software and other resources. For both corporations and individuals, Okta can simplify the process of managing many accounts and resources, helping to ensure that employees or users have access to the accounts they need.

Head-to-head comparison: OneLogin vs. Okta

Services and use cases

Both Okta and OneLogin offer SSO and MFA, critical planks of any IAM solution. Each platform also has its own password manager, browser extensions and authenticator apps. These features help improve usability and ensure that end-users can quickly access accounts and resources they’re authorized to use.

One advantage of Okta over OneLogin is its ThreatInsight feature. This feature draws from Okta data on malicious and suspicious IP addresses to proactively protect end-user accounts from unauthorized access.

OneLogin offers a similar service, SmartFactor Authentication, which uses information like network and IP reputation, location, device and user behavior to detect high-risk logins. The lower a login’s risk, the less additional authentication the login will require. In practice, this can reduce the frequency with which users will need to verify their identity with MFA. However, the feature doesn’t work as proactively as Okta’s ThreatInsight.

Security

Both OneLogin and Okta have faced significant security incidents within the past five years.

OneLogin’s most recent incident, the second in the company’s history, occurred in 2017. An attacker used the company’s AWS keys to gain access to the company’s AWS platform, providing access to database tables that contained information about OneLogin’s users and apps.

In response, OneLogin published an announcement of the breach the same day it was discovered. Over the next 48 hours, the company published additional details on the method of attack, impact and the company’s plan to improve AWS security. OneLogin’s response to the breach was effective and helped to restore customer trust in the breach’s aftermath.

Okta’s breach occurred in January 2022 when the cybercriminal group Lapsus$ gained remote access to a machine belonging to an employee of an Okta subcontractor that provided customer service.

Okta did not immediately disclose the breach. Details emerged two months later when Lapsus$ shared screenshots of Okta internal systems. Only then did Okta formally respond to the breach and conduct an internal investigation.

Ease of use

Neither OneLogin nor Okta has a reputation for being particularly difficult to use, configure or adopt.

The automation features and IAM tools that both services offer will help IT departments streamline account management and simplify logins for employees or other end-users.

Both Okta and OneLogin offer streamlined SSO interfaces that will keep the login process simple and make it easier for users to keep track of the resources to which they have access.

Choosing OneLogin vs. Okta

Both OneLogin and Okta are industry-leading IAM solutions that will support any business or individual that needs a robust access management tool.

When deciding whether to choose OneLogin or Okta, consider the two services’ interfaces and security track record. The interfaces of OneLogin and Okta are similar, but differ enough that different users may find one or the other more preferable, and while both Okta and OneLogin have dealt with serious security incidents, the two companies responded very differently to these events — potentially giving users an idea of how they’ll respond to future crises.