Compare Tools
Side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right tool for your organisation.
Duo Security
Cisco
Microsoft Entra ID
Microsoft
Tagline
Trusted access and multi-factor authentication
Cloud identity and access management (formerly Azure Active Directory)
Category
Identity & Access
Identity & Access
Importance
★★★★☆
★★★★★
UK Pricing
Duo Essentials from ~£3/user/mo. Duo Advantage (device trust) ~£6/user/mo. Duo Premier (ZTNA) ~£9/user/mo.
Free tier included with M365. Entra ID P1 (~£5.10/user/mo), P2 (~£7.70/user/mo). P1 included in M365 Business Premium.
Target Size
Any size
Any size using Microsoft 365
Pros
- Easy to deploy MFA on any existing system including legacy apps and VPNs
- Device Trust checks health before granting access
- Duo Push is user-friendly and supports number matching
- Works alongside any IdP (Entra, Okta, on-prem AD)
- Trusted Access reports show who accessed what and from where
- Foundation of the Microsoft security stack — required for Conditional Access
- P1 included in M365 Business Premium
- Seamless SSO across thousands of SaaS apps
- Self-service password reset reduces helpdesk load
- Privileged Identity Management (P2) for just-in-time admin access
Cons
- Overlaps with Entra ID MFA and Okta Verify if already using those
- Cisco acquisition has added complexity to licensing
- Duo Essentials lacks some reporting features needed for compliance
- App-by-app integration can be time-consuming for large portfolios
- Pricing has increased post-Cisco acquisition
- P2 features (PIM, Identity Protection) require expensive E5 or separate P2 licence
- Hybrid environments (on-prem AD sync) add complexity
- Conditional Access policies require careful design to avoid user lockouts
- Guest B2B access management can become complex at scale
- Rebranding from Azure AD causes documentation confusion
Cyber Essentials
Access ControlUser Authentication
Access ControlUser Authentication
Integrations
Microsoft Entra IDOktaCisco AnyConnect VPNPalo Alto GlobalProtectF5 BIG-IP
Microsoft IntuneMicrosoft 365 AppsMicrosoft Defender XDROkta (federation)Salesforce
Why Use It
Duo is the fastest way to add MFA to legacy systems (VPNs, on-prem apps, RDP) that don't natively support modern authentication. If you have a mix of cloud and on-premises systems, Duo unifies MFA across all of them without replacing your IdP.
Entra ID is non-negotiable if you're on Microsoft 365. It's the identity backbone that makes Conditional Access, Intune compliance policies, and Defender signals all work together. Without properly configured Entra ID, your other Microsoft tools are significantly weaker.