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Microsoft Entra ID vs Okta(2026)

Microsoft Entra ID is better for teams that need included with microsoft 365. Okta is the stronger choice if industry standard. Microsoft Entra ID is freemium (from $6/user/mo) and Okta is paid (from $6/user/mo).

Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.

By Bikram Nath

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Microsoft Entra ID logo

Microsoft Entra ID

freemium

Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) is Microsoft's cloud identity platform providing SSO, MFA, conditional access, and privileged identity management — included with Microsoft 365.

Starting at $6/user/mo

Visit Microsoft Entra ID
Okta logo

Okta

paid

Okta is the leading enterprise identity platform providing SSO, MFA, lifecycle management, and API access management — used by 17,000+ organizations to secure workforce and customer identity.

Starting at $6/user/mo

Visit Okta

How Do Microsoft Entra ID and Okta Compare on Features?

FeatureMicrosoft Entra IDOkta
Pricing modelfreemiumpaid
Starting price$6/user/mo$6/user/mo
SSO✓—
Conditional access✓—
MFA✓✓
Privileged Identity Management✓—
B2B/B2C✓—
Azure integration✓—
Microsoft 365 SSO✓—
SSO (SAML/OIDC)—✓
Lifecycle management—✓
Universal Directory—✓
API access management—✓
Zero Trust policies—✓
Okta Integration Network (7,000+ apps)—✓

Microsoft Entra ID Pros and Cons vs Okta

M

Microsoft Entra ID

+Included with Microsoft 365
+Best Microsoft ecosystem integration
+Mature platform
+Strong enterprise support
−Complex for non-Microsoft shops
−Admin interface overwhelming
−B2C setup complex
O

Okta

+Industry standard
+7,000+ pre-built integrations
+Best enterprise support
+Comprehensive IAM
−Very expensive
−Complex for smaller teams
−Recent security incidents

Should You Use Microsoft Entra ID or Okta?

For most teams, Microsoft Entra ID is the better default: it offers included with microsoft 365 and is freemium (from $6/user/mo). Choose Okta instead if industry standard matters more than complex for non-microsoft shops. There is no universal winner — the right pick depends on your budget, team size, and whether you value included with microsoft 365 or industry standard more.

Choose Microsoft Entra ID if…

  • •Included with Microsoft 365
  • •Best Microsoft ecosystem integration
  • •Mature platform

Choose Okta if…

  • •Industry standard
  • •7,000+ pre-built integrations
  • •Best enterprise support

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