Updated 30 March 2026

Auth0 vs Okta

Same company, different products. Auth0 handles customer-facing login for developers building apps. Okta handles employee SSO for IT teams managing workforce access. Here is when to use each and what each one costs.

Quick Verdict

Choose Auth0 if you are building a product where customers log in (SaaS, consumer apps, B2B platforms). Choose Okta Workforce if you need to manage employee access to corporate tools (SSO, directory management, provisioning). Some companies need both: Auth0 for customers, Okta for employees.

The Auth0-Okta Relationship

May 2021: The $6.5 Billion Acquisition

Okta acquired Auth0 in May 2021 for approximately $6.5 billion in stock. At the time, both companies were solving identity management but for different audiences. Auth0 had built a developer-loved platform for customer identity (CIAM) with excellent SDKs, documentation, and a generous free tier. Okta dominated workforce identity with deep enterprise integrations, Active Directory sync, and SCIM provisioning.

The acquisition was strategic: Okta wanted to capture the CIAM market without building a developer platform from scratch. Auth0 wanted Okta's enterprise sales reach and compliance certifications. The result is two distinct products under one corporate umbrella.

Today: Two Products, One Company

Auth0 has been rebranded as "Okta Customer Identity Cloud" in marketing materials, though the Auth0 brand, dashboard, SDKs, and documentation remain separate. Developers still sign up at auth0.com, use the Auth0 dashboard, and integrate Auth0 SDKs. The developer experience has not been merged into Okta's platform.

Okta Workforce Identity Cloud (the original Okta product) continues to target IT administrators managing employee access. It has its own dashboard at okta.com, its own admin console, and its own app catalog. The two products can be federated together (Auth0 can use Okta as an enterprise connection, and Okta can delegate customer auth to Auth0), but they remain separate systems.

Feature Comparison

Auth0 (Customer Identity) vs Okta (Workforce Identity) across every dimension.

FeatureAuth0Okta Workforce
Official nameOkta Customer Identity Cloud (Auth0)Okta Workforce Identity Cloud
Primary audienceDevelopers building customer loginIT teams managing employee access
Pricing modelPer MAU (Monthly Active User)Per user per month
Free tier7,500 MAUNo free tier (trial only)
Starting price$35/mo (Essentials)$2/user/month (SSO only)
Developer SDKs30+ SDKs (React, Next.js, Node, Python, etc.)Limited SDKs, more IT-focused
Social loginExtensive (Google, GitHub, Apple, etc.)Basic social login support
Enterprise SSOSAML, OIDC (Professional plan)SAML, OIDC, WS-Fed (core feature)
Directory integrationCustom DB connections, LDAP (limited)AD, LDAP, Google Workspace, deep SCIM
User provisioning (SCIM)LimitedCore feature with lifecycle automation
MFA optionsTOTP, SMS, Email, WebAuthn, PushOkta Verify, TOTP, SMS, FIDO2, push
ComplianceSOC 2, HIPAA (Enterprise), ISO 27001SOC 2, HIPAA, FedRAMP, ISO 27001, more
Custom login pagesUniversal Login (fully customizable)Sign-In Widget (customizable)
Organizations (multi-tenant)Yes (Professional plan)Not applicable (employee-focused)
Passwordless authMagic links, SMS, email OTP, WebAuthnOkta FastPass, FIDO2, email magic link

Okta Workforce Pricing

Okta Workforce uses per-user-per-month pricing. Products are sold individually or bundled.

Single Sign-On (SSO)

$2/user/month

Basic SSO for cloud apps. Includes app catalog, basic reporting.

Adaptive MFA

$3/user/month

Multi-factor authentication with risk-based policies. Okta Verify, TOTP, SMS, FIDO2.

Lifecycle Management

$6/user/month

Automated provisioning and deprovisioning. SCIM support. Joiner/mover/leaver workflows.

Universal Directory

$8/user/month

Unified user directory across AD, LDAP, HR systems. Attribute mapping and transformation.

API Access Management

$4/user/month

OAuth 2.0 authorization server. API gateway integration. Token management.

Identity Governance

$9-$15/user/month

Access certifications, entitlement management, audit trails. Compliance-focused.

Cost Example: 200 Employees

SSO Only

$400/mo

$2/user x 200

SSO + MFA

$1,000/mo

$5/user x 200

Full Suite

$3,000/mo

$15/user x 200

When to Use Each

Use Auth0 when:

  • Building a SaaS product with customer login
  • Creating a consumer-facing application
  • Need social login (Google, GitHub, Apple)
  • Building multi-tenant B2B software
  • Need developer-friendly SDKs and APIs
  • Want a free tier for development and early users
  • Building mobile apps with authentication

Use Okta Workforce when:

  • Managing employee access to corporate SaaS tools
  • Need Active Directory or LDAP integration
  • Require SCIM provisioning for joiner/mover/leaver workflows
  • Need compliance reporting and access certifications
  • Managing access across 50+ corporate applications
  • IT team wants a unified admin console for all employee access
  • Need lifecycle management for employee onboarding/offboarding

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Auth0 and Okta the same thing?
No. They are separate products owned by the same company. Okta acquired Auth0 in May 2021 for $6.5 billion. Auth0 became Okta's Customer Identity Cloud (for developers building customer-facing login). Okta's original product became Okta Workforce Identity Cloud (for IT teams managing employee access). They share a parent company but have different codebases, different dashboards, different SDKs, and different pricing models.
Can I use Auth0 for employee SSO instead of Okta?
Technically yes, but it is not the intended use case. Auth0 is designed for customer-facing authentication with developer-centric SDKs and MAU-based pricing. Okta Workforce Identity is designed for employee access management with IT-centric features like directory integration, SCIM provisioning, lifecycle management, and per-user pricing. Using Auth0 for 500 employees would cost you MAU charges. Using Okta Workforce would give you purpose-built employee management tools at a per-user rate.
Which is cheaper, Auth0 or Okta?
They use completely different pricing models, so direct comparison depends on your use case. Auth0 charges by Monthly Active Users (MAU): Free up to 7,500 MAU, then $35-$240/month base plus per-MAU charges. Okta Workforce charges per user per month: $2/user for SSO, $3/user for MFA, $6/user for Lifecycle Management, $8/user for Universal Directory, up to $15/user for the full Identity Governance suite. For 100 employees, Okta costs $200-$1,500/month depending on features. Auth0 for 100 MAU would be free. But they serve fundamentally different purposes.
Do I need both Auth0 and Okta?
Some companies do. A typical scenario: you build a B2B SaaS platform where your customers log in via Auth0 (customer identity), while your internal employees access corporate tools via Okta Workforce Identity (employee SSO). This gives you the best of both worlds, but you are paying for two separate products. Okta offers some integration between the two (federated authentication, shared user directories), but they remain distinct systems with separate billing.
Is Okta trying to replace Auth0?
No, at least not publicly. Okta has positioned Auth0 as its Customer Identity Cloud and continues to invest in Auth0's developer tools, SDKs, and documentation. Auth0's developer experience and community remain distinct from Okta's IT-focused approach. However, there has been some organizational consolidation (shared sales teams, unified enterprise contracts) that concerns some developers who fear enterprise bloat could slow Auth0's product velocity.
Auth0 Pricing OverviewAuth0 vs ClerkFree Plan Limits