Top 6 Passwordless Authentication Solutions

Keeper: Best for remote and hybrid workforces

For remote workforces, I recommend Keeper. Keeper is a password manager for individuals and businesses alike — that also includes biometric passwordless authentication. The Keeper Business plan provides encrypted password vaults, security auditing and reporting, team management, and multi-factor authentication across unlimited devices for each user. Plus, every team member also gets a free family plan to protect the personal devices and accounts on their home network, improving overall security for remote and hybrid workforces.

Why I chose Keeper

I have Keeper on this list as it protects business users’ accounts at work and at home, reducing the risk that a compromised personal device might infect business assets when employees work remotely.

Pricing

• The Keeper Business Starter Plan: $2.00 per user per month for teams of 5 to 10 people.
• The Keeper Business Plan: $3.75 per user per month and adds advanced administration features.
• The Keeper Enterprise Plan: $5.00 per user, per month adds adaptive MFA, SSO, automated team management, and other advanced features.

Okta: Best passwordless authentication solution for developers

For developers, I highly suggest looking into Okta. Okta is an IAM platform for workforces and customer-facing applications. Okta’s passwordless authentication solution is called FastPass, which is included with all Okta SSO and MFA products. It supports FIDO2 WebAuthn authentication such as YubiKey and TouchID, as well as smart cards and mobile-push authentication using the Okta Verify MFA app.

While Okta’s individual products are competitively priced, there is a $1,500 annual contract minimum that may exclude SMB customers. However, I feel that its developer-focused platform and large integration network still makes it a great solution for custom applications.

Why I chose Okta

I chose Okta for its robust, developer-focused platform that provides flexible passwordless authentication options that easily integrate with custom applications.

Pricing

• Okta FastPass: included with all Okta SSO and MFA products.
• Okta has a $1,500 annual contract minimum.
• Enterprise: volume discounts are available for customers with more than 5,000 users.

Microsoft Entra ID: Best for Microsoft Azure cloud environments

Microsoft Entra ID (formerly called Azure Active Directory) is an IAM solution purpose-built for Microsoft Azure cloud environments. The free version is included with Azure, Microsoft 365, and other Microsoft cloud subscriptions, and it provides passwordless authentication, SSO, and MFA. Additional features like cloud application discovery, cloud monitoring, and privileged identity management are available with upgraded subscriptions.

Passwordless authentication supports Windows Hello for Business, the Microsoft Authenticator mobile app, and FIDO2 biometrics, making it a robust solution for Microsoft environments. However, Microsoft Entra ID does not natively support other cloud environments.

Why I chose Microsoft Entra ID

I picked Microsoft Entra ID as it provides comprehensive IAM and passwordless authentication features for Microsoft Azure environments, many of which are included for free with Azure and 365 subscriptions.

Pricing

• The free version: included with Azure and 365, and it provides passwordless authentication, SSO and MFA.
• The P1 subscription: $6 per user per month, and adds cloud app discovery, an SLA, advanced group management, cloud monitoring, adaptive MFA, and advanced provisioning features.
• The P2 subscription: $9 per user per month, and adds identity protection and privileged identity management.

Cisco Duo: Best passwordless authentication for SMBs

For SMBs, I highly recommend Cisco Duo. It’s an access management solution that provides FIDO2 and mobile push passwordless authentication as well as MFA, SSO, and policy-based access control for users and devices all for $3 per user per month. Duo built their platform and pricing plans with small and medium businesses in mind, offering a wide range of advanced IAM features at competitive prices with no contract minimums. For example, the $9 per user per month Premier Plan provides adaptive MFA, complete device visibility, threat detection, and even adds zero trust network access (ZTNA) for secure, VPN-less remote access to company resources.

Why I chose Cisco Duo

I have Cisco Duo on this list for its passwordless authentication and comprehensive IAM features at competitive prices with no annual minimum. In my view, its plans also offer a ton of value for SMBs and small teams alike.

Pricing

• The Essentials plan: $3 per user per month and includes passwordless authentication, MFA, SSO, device-based policies, and user group policies.
• The Advantage plan: $6 per user per month and adds risk-based authentication, adaptive access policies, complete device visibility, device health checks, and threat detection.
• The Premier plan: $9 per user per month and adds ZTNA with endpoint protection checks.

Ping Identity: Best IAM solution for enterprises

If you’re looking for an enterprise solution, Ping Identity should be on your radar. Ping Identity provides options for both workforce and customer IAM. PingOne for Workforce offers SSO, MFA, and a unified directory for SaaS applications; organizations need at least the Plus plan to get passwordless authentication. This plan also includes adaptive MFA, Microsoft ecosystem integrations, and inbound provisioning.

In addition to FIDO2 biometrics, PingOne supports passwordless authentication via the PingID mobile app, which allows fingerprint, facial recognition, and Apple Watch authentication. The PingOne platform is upgradable with additional features like a comprehensive policy engine, VPN/remote access integrations, and API access control. All plans offer competitive per-user pricing, but PingOne targets enterprises and has a 5,000 user minimum.

Why I chose Ping Identity

I found the PingOne platform to be a compelling workforce IAM solution, offering affordable pricing and strong IAM capabilities for enterprise customers.

Pricing

• The Essential plan: starts at $3 per user per month, but does not include passwordless authentication.
• The Plus plan: $6 per user per month, offering passwordless authentication, adaptive MFA, Microsoft ecosystem integrations, and inbound provisioning.
• The Premium plan: requires a custom quote and adds SSO for non-standard apps, a comprehensive policy engine, VPN/remote access integrations and API access control.

Yubico: Best hardware solution for passwordless authentication

If you want a hardware-focused authentication solution, Yubico is my top pick. It provides hardware authentication devices known as YubiKeys that are used for passwordless authentication and MFA. They also offer a mobile authenticator app that integrates with YubiKeys and third-party applications. YubiKeys are often combined with a software IAM solution like the ones on this list to provide hardware-based tokens or biometric capabilities. Yubico’s various devices include support for FIDO2, U2F, smart card, OTP, and OpenPGP 3 authentication.

Why I chose Yubico

I chose Yubico for its industry-leading hardware authentication devices that integrate with most third-party IAM software to provide strong passwordless authentication.

Pricing

• The Yubico Security Key Series: starts at $25 and provides FIDO authentication.
• The YubiKey 5 Series: starts at $50 and supports multiple authentication protocols.
• The YubiKey 5 FIPS Series: starts at $80 and is FIPS 140-2 validated for government and regulated organizations.
• The YubiKey Bio Series: starts at $90 and supports Biometric authentication for FIDO-based services.
• The YubiHSM 2 Series: starts at $650 and is a hardware security module for servers, applications and computing devices.
• Enterprise customers can subscribe to YubiKeys as a service to save on individual devices.