Okta is an on-demand identity management platform that will place all of your web applications behind a firewall and into the cloud. The target audience for these services is businesses looking to migrate to cloud-based services offered by the likes of Google, Salesforce, Workday, etc.  

No need to build an integrated and on-demand identity management system from the ground up; Okta's comprehensive service offers a complete, hassle-free solution for IT personnel, business stakeholders and decision-makers, executives, and end-users alike. And best of all, with the software solution, no extensive services engagements or customization work are necessary. But there is more to Okta than this. We will be looking at the pricing, its core features, security, and much more in the article below.

Want to try Okta? Visit the website.

Plans and pricing

The easiest thing to list regarding pricing is the free plan which will require a business email for sign-up and credit card details. You will get a chance to test out the product for 30 days. After the free trial, things get more complicated. The general paradigm surrounding pricing revolves around the number of users you have. 

For the Workplace Identity product, the pricing looks as follows:

While these four represent the main ones, there are other pricing plans that cover Universal Directory, Lifecycle Management, API Access Management, Advanced Server Acess, Access Gateway, Workflows, and Identity Governance.

Finally, for the Customer Identity Cloud Pricing, there are three plans, the Enterprise, B2C Plan, and B2B plan. 

The sheer number of plans is enough to have your head spinning and confuse even the most seasoned procurement officers. In our opinion, this could have been simplified, though we understand that some enjoy the customization options the plans offer.

Features

With the sheer number of features Okta offers, it is inevitable that we will have to leave out so much and do a disservice to the company. So, we will focus on some of the main ones that may help businesses decide whether Okta is right for them. 

If you want to ensure secure authentication and authorization across multiple apps, you can utilize Okta's sign-in components or Universal Login, allowing users to log in with either a username and password, or their social profiles, such as Facebook or Google. 

Furthermore, you can determine the level of access that each user enjoys. With Okta SSO, users will be able to log in once with a single ID and access various services on multiple applications without having to enter authentication details again. 

With Okta's Authentication API, you can also secure your APIs and backends to make sure only authorized users and applications can access them. Moreover, you can track users with Okta's Universal Directory, creating and managing users and groups, and assigning permission levels based on user attributes. 

In order to keep your data secure, Okta offers several Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) factors that you can easily enable and configure. Lastly, the Federated Identity Management (FIM) offered by Okta enables single access to several applications and enterprises, allowing users to log in with existing organization credentials, LDAP servers, or Active Directory (AD).

Interface and in use

Overall, the interface is simple enough, especially considering that IT professionals will be using it to streamline their work. The part that the end users of a business will interact with, is even simpler. The slick dashboard that houses all of the applications in one place, with clear icons, is a life safer if your business is using multiple apps. 

An additional option for the end user is that you can customize your dashboard to house the ones you most frequently use. Moreover, getting the browser extension can speed up the entire process even further, making Okta very easy to use.

Support

From customer case studies to demo libraries, videos, webinars, and whitepapers, Okta has it all. A huge emphasis is placed on customer success, and Okta has a strategy to lead customers through its features via training, certification, and professional services. 

If you need more, there is the product documentation, a knowledge base, FAQ, and ability to get in touch via email, telephone, chat, support portal, and a contact form. When it comes to support, the extensive approach by Okta simply cannot be beat. Though the complexity of some elements warrants such an approach to support, as newbies in the field will have a steep learning curve.

Security

Okta goes beyond the ordinary by meeting the highest industry certification and authorization standards. ISO 27001/27018/27017, SOC 2 Type II, EU Cloud Code of Conduct Level 2, are just some of the few security certificates the company holds. Moreover, if you are worried about compliance, Okta has you covered, as they offer companies assistance in compliance across GDPR, Sarbanes Oxley (SOX), HIPAA, and numerous other compliance requirements.

The competition

In the world of security solutions, Twingate stands out from the competition with its more detailed configurations, plus more wallet-friendly prices. While Okta may boast more features, Twingate has the edge in offering better granularity when it comes to setting up security details.

Boasting excellent security and a multitude of customisation options, Perimeter 81 is an expensive alternative that appears to do it all superbly - however, be ready to dig deep if you want to access its features.

Final verdict

Okta offers a head spinning number of options, starting from the pricing, moving to the features, and ending on the support documentation. While this may be attractive for seasoned IT professionals and procurement managers working for large companies, small businesses could struggle trying to find their way through Okta’s maze. 

Functionality-wise, Okta is more than capable of covering your needs, but that comes at a steep price if you’re looking to onboard a lot of users. Small businesses should look elsewhere, as its hard to justify the pricing and options, despite Okta being an industry leader in its field.

Twingate revolutionizes corporate security with its software-defined perimeter platform, enabling IT, security, and DevOps teams to provide secure, remote access to critical business resources. Eliminating the need for legacy VPN solutions, Twingate's powerful and intuitive SaaS solution creates an enterprise-grade security network that's simple to set up and manage, no matter how complex the IT infrastructure is.

Want to try Twingate? Visit the website.

Plans and pricing

Pricing for Twingate starts off with the Starter-free plan, which allows access to up to 5 users and up to 10 remote networks. It’s a great way to test the waters before you decide and purchase the other plans. Following the Starter plan is the Teams plan which costs $5 per user, per month. You can have up to 100 users and 20 remote networks, and there is a 14-day trial or money-back guarantee. 

Moving on up, we reach the Business plan at $10 per user per month, meant for large firms with up to 500 employees and up to 100 remote networks. The Business plan offers a lot more integration options compared to the initial two plans, but costs significantly more. 

Finally, there is the Enterprise plan, for which you will have to go through sales to agree on a price and customize the features your organization needs.

Features

An advantage of Twingate is that IT teams can easily set up access restrictions - unlike with a traditional VPN (IKEv2 or OpenVPN, for instance) that requires tedious manual adjustments, additional proxies, and brings extra risk. With Twingate, it's all streamlined for effortless permission management.

Twingate offers a proxy connection to allow you access to your business resources - from files to servers and gateways. The process is comprised of four components - the app, controller, connector, and relay - which all work together to ensure secure access to the requested business resource. If the resource is a website that's available normally, you can access it without going through the relay.

Authentication with Twingate is taken to the next level - zero-trust network and application-level filters are used to verify users and provide them with access to only the resources they need. In the case of a security breach, only that particular resource is compromised, instead of the entire network. The system admin has full control over who has access to what with granular permissions for individuals and groups, all managed through one app. 

Additionally, Single-Sign-On methods like Okta and Google are used for authentication, with added second-factor authentication through Twingate's native 2FA functionality for added security. No need for a traditional VPN.

Not only does Twingate offer integrations with SIEM solutions and log managers, but it also seamlessly integrates with a wide range of identity providers such as Okta and OneLogin, offering MFA and single sign-on across all user accounts. Furthermore, Twingate integrates with mobile device management and endpoint detection and response vendors, making it easier to manage and provide a clearer view of security across various layers.

Interface and in use

With its user-friendly interface, Twingate makes it easier than ever to use commercial VPN software. Unlike many corporate VPN solutions, the Twingate client runs quietly in the background, requiring no user interaction after you're logged in. End-users don't need to worry about remembering alternate hostnames or IP addresses, either, Twingate will route requests to the right resource, no matter which network you're connected to. All in all, the convenience of Twingate ensures a seamless experience when accessing company resources.

Support

Twingate offers support, though you may not find it available when you need it. It utilizes a ticketing system, messaging, and email for its main forms of assistance. Plus, it has comprehensive guides and FAQs to help with more common issues - and I found these to be really helpful.

Security

Twingate collects some of your information, mostly to set up your account and for diagnostics. While you can voluntarily provide more info, the uses of your data is clearly stated in the privacy policy. Furthermore, since Twingate is integrated with various third-party apps, it may receive additional information. 

Nevertheless, don't worry; Twingate can't read any data not routed through it, meaning it won't log your usual personal traffic such as video calls and messages. However, as Twingate is based in the US and part of the 5 Eyes Alliance, it's possible that any member countries could demand your data. If this is a concern, be sure to check out standard VPNs with good privacy policies.

The competition

Okta is one of the main competitors that offers a viable alternative through numerous additional options that Twingate does not offer. The downside with Okta is that if you lack technical know how, choosing the right plan and setting everything up can be a right nightmare. Compared to Okta, Twingate is easy to set up and even easier to use. 

Perimiter 81 is another high-priced competitor that seems to do almost everything well. It has great security features and a lot of customization options, but be prepared to pay a premium for its features.

Final verdict

For secure and easy remote access to corporate resources, Twingate is an ideal zero trust network access solution. It offers comprehensive, granular access policy configurations, user activity logging, and an intuitive interface, making it the perfect choice for SMBs or mid-sized enterprises operating in highly regulated industries. With little specialized technical knowledge required and no need to sacrifice the user login experience, Twingate is the go-to choice for secure remote access.