Pick Okta if you want one platform for staff, customer and AI agent identities, with governance and privileged access from the same vendor. Pick OneLogin if your main job is single sign-on, MFA and lifecycle automation for a smaller or mid-size IT team that wants a simpler setup. Neither vendor's site proves a general winner.
Most identity projects go wrong in the same place: the feature list you compared isn't quite the set of tools you end up with. That's the risk with this pair, and it's why this page spends more time on what comes in the box than on login screens.
Both vendors cover the basics: single sign-on, multi-factor authentication and the automation that adds and removes people from apps as they join and leave. Where they part ways is everything around those basics, from privileged access to AI agents.
Quick advice for busy IT leads
If you're securing a large estate with employees, customers, partners and now AI agents, and you want governance and privileged access to sit under one vendor, Okta is the closer fit. If your real need is SSO, MFA and lifecycle automation done simply, and you're running a smaller or mid-size IT team, OneLogin's pitch is built for you. Read the next section before you sign either, because it changes how you should compare them.
What comes in the box, and what sits next door
OneLogin's own product page sends buyers to a section called Explore One Identity Solutions for Active Directory management, identity governance and privileged access. It also lists One Identity Cloud PAM Essentials next to its own tools. In plain terms, the heavier governance and privileged access pieces are presented as a sibling product family, not as part of the core product.
The bigger platform takes the opposite approach. It describes a broad identity fabric covering SSO, MFA, privileged access, identity threat detection, posture management and governance, all inside one platform.
Why does this matter? Because a side-by-side feature list can make the two look closer than they are. If privileged access or governance is on your must-have list, ask each vendor exactly which product delivers it, under which contract, and whether it shares one admin console with your SSO. If you only need SSO and MFA, this gap may not matter to you at all.
Head to head on six points
| Point | Okta | OneLogin |
|---|---|---|
| Platform scope | SSO, MFA, privileged access, identity threat detection, posture management and governance | Workforce IAM (SSO, MFA, directory, lifecycle) plus customer identity; PAM, IGA and AD management shown as One Identity solutions |
| Customer identity | Sold through the separate Auth0 platform and Okta Customer Identity | A Customer Identity (CIAM) tier on its own product page, with social login, account management and APIs |
| AI and non-human identity | Leads with AI agent identities, a product for AI agents and a Cross App Access protocol | Mentions a Vigilance AI product, but doesn't lead with agent identity |
| How it pitches itself | The neutral platform for every kind of identity | Simplicity, and enterprise-grade security for teams that aren't enterprises |
| Integrations | An integration network promoted as a core part of the offer | Says it has 8K+ pre-built connectors and a 6000+ app catalogue for provisioning |
| Developers | Separate developer centres for its core platform and for Auth0, with community and status pages | Open-source client SDKs, APIs, sandboxes and Smart Hooks for customisation |
Customers, AI agents and developers
Customer logins
If you also need sign-in for your own customers, the two route you differently. The bigger platform sells customer identity through Auth0, a separate platform, and through a product it calls Okta Customer Identity. The leaner vendor keeps a Customer Identity tier on its own product page, with social login, account management and APIs. One product page versus a separate platform is a real difference for a small team that wants one place to manage it all. If customer login is the main job, our comparison of Okta and Auth0 for customer sign-in goes further.
AI agents as identities
The bigger platform leads its home page with AI agent identities, a dedicated product for securing AI agents and a Cross App Access protocol. If your company is rolling out agents that log into business apps, that's a lot of attention on a problem you'll soon have. The leaner vendor mentions a Vigilance AI product, but it doesn't lead with agent identity, so there's less to go on there.
Building on top
Developers get separate developer centres from the bigger platform, one for its core product and one for Auth0, plus community and status pages. The leaner vendor offers open-source client SDKs, APIs, sandboxes and Smart Hooks for custom logic. Both give engineers room to work. The question is whether you want one developer home or two.
Connectors and the app catalogue
Integrations decide how much of your day goes on manual account setup. The leaner vendor says it has more than 8,000 pre-built connectors and an app catalogue of over 6,000 apps for provisioning. The bigger platform promotes its integration network as a core part of the offer. Before choosing, list the ten apps your team logs into most and check each vendor's catalogue for all of them. That's a ten-minute job that'll save you a painful rollout.
If MFA is your starting point and you're still weighing options, our roundup of the best MFA software for small teams is a good next read.
Other identity vendors on the shortlist
Ping Identity
Best for: Enterprises with large customer identity needs; the vendor says it was named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for CIAM.
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JumpCloud
Best for: IT teams wanting identity, access and device management in a single platform, with agentic IAM for human and non-human identities.
Cisco Duo
Best for: Teams already using Duo for MFA who want a security-first IAM that extends it.
Microsoft Entra
Best for: Organisations already on Microsoft that need identity and network access for workforce, customer and agent identities across clouds and on-premises.
Do you make an identity, SSO or access management tool? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this page.
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Frequently asked questions
Does OneLogin include privileged access management?
Its product page presents PAM, identity governance and AD management as One Identity solutions, including One Identity Cloud PAM Essentials, rather than as core features. Check which product you'd be buying.
Which one is better for securing AI agents?
The bigger platform leads with AI agent identities, a product for AI agents and a Cross App Access protocol. The leaner vendor mentions Vigilance AI but doesn't lead with agent identity.
Do both handle customer logins?
Yes, in different ways. One sells customer identity through the separate Auth0 platform and its own customer identity product. The other has a CIAM tier on its product page with social login and APIs.
Do both vendors offer a free trial?
Both state a free trial on their sites. Use it to check your most-used apps against each connector catalogue.
Which is simpler for a small IT team?
The leaner vendor pitches simplicity for smaller and mid-size teams, focused on SSO, MFA, directory sync and lifecycle automation. The bigger platform is broader, so expect more to set up.
