Microsoft Entra vs Okta for workforce IAM
SHORT ANSWER
Editorial assessment · Desk research from public vendor material · Reviewed 2026-09-29
Scores by criterion
The Entra app gallery "contains thousands of applications"; no exact count is published.
More than 8,000 pre-built integrations in the Okta Integration Network.
Source: Okta Integration Network
Higher score: Okta
Windows Hello for Business, platform credential for macOS, synced passkeys, FIDO2 keys and certificate-based authentication.
FastPass is passwordless and Okta states it meets NIST AAL3 on properly configured devices.
Source: Okta FastPass
Higher score: Tie
Customer-held signing keys are not described on the pages reviewed.
Customer-held signing keys are not described on the pages reviewed.
Source: Okta pricing
Higher score: Tie
SCIM 2.0, LDAP, SQL, REST, SOAP and PowerShell connectors, including on-premises targets.
SCIM provisioning "for thousands of apps", with HR systems as a source.
Source: Okta Lifecycle Management
Higher score: Tie
Entra Agent ID is generally available to all Entra customers.
Okta for AI Agents with agent discovery and scoped tokens, sold as an add-on.
Source: Okta: Secure AI · Okta pricing
Higher score: Tie
Starter $6, Core Essentials $14 and Essentials $17 per user per month, billed annually, $1,500 minimum.
Source: Okta pricing
Higher score: Microsoft Entra
Weighted total
Microsoft Entra 8.3 / 10 · Okta 8.5 / 10
Higher score: Okta
Where each one scores higher
Microsoft Entra scores higher on
- pricing transparency (9 vs 8)
Okta scores higher on
- app integration breadth (8 vs 10)
Pricing, side by side
Microsoft Entra
- Entra ID Free: $0 per user per month
- Entra ID P1: $7 per user per month
- Entra ID P2: $10 per user per month
included with Microsoft cloud subscriptions; per user per month, annual commitment.
P1 is included in Microsoft 365 E3 and Business Premium; P2 is included in Microsoft 365 E5.
Source: Microsoft Entra pricing
As published on 2026-09-29.
Okta
- Starter: $6 per user per month
- Core Essentials: $14 per user per month
- Essentials: $17 per user per month
per user per month, billed annually.
Professional and Enterprise are priced on request. $1,500 annual minimum contract.
Source: Okta pricing
As published on 2026-09-29.
Which should you choose?
Choose Microsoft Entra if phishing-resistant sign-in and pricing transparency matter most. It scores 9 and 9 on them. Windows Hello for Business, platform credential for macOS, synced passkeys, FIDO2 keys and certificate-based authentication.
Choose Okta if app integration breadth and phishing-resistant sign-in matter most. It scores 10 and 9 on them. More than 8,000 pre-built integrations in the Okta Integration Network.
Questions
Which scores higher overall, Microsoft Entra or Okta?
On our weights for workforce IAM, Okta scores 8.5 / 10 and Microsoft Entra 8.3 / 10. Totals are the weighted average of six criterion scores; the weights are listed on the Workforce IAM page.
Where does Microsoft Entra score higher than Okta?
On pricing transparency.
Where does Okta score higher than Microsoft Entra?
On app integration breadth.
Related
Sources
- Microsoft Learn: application gallery: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/enterprise-apps/overview-application-gallery
- Microsoft Learn: authentication methods: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/authentication/concept-authentication-methods
- Microsoft Learn: app provisioning: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/app-provisioning/user-provisioning
- Microsoft Learn: agent identities for AI agents: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/agent-id/identity-professional/microsoft-entra-agent-identities-for-ai-agents
- Microsoft Entra pricing: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/business/microsoft-entra-pricing
- Okta Integration Network: https://www.okta.com/integrations/
- Okta FastPass: https://www.okta.com/products/fastpass/
- Okta pricing: https://www.okta.com/pricing/
- Okta Lifecycle Management: https://www.okta.com/products/lifecycle-management/
- Okta: Secure AI: https://www.okta.com/solutions/secure-ai/