Two-factor authentication has emerged as an important safety measure for organizations to reinforce the safety of their customers. Duo and Microsoft Authenticator are two common apps that present this stage of safety.
Duo makes use of push notifications, time-based, one-time passwords, bodily tokens, and biometrics to confirm the identification of customers at login. Equally, Microsoft Authenticator makes use of push notifications and one-time passcodes that may combine with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Entra ID (previously Azure Lively Listing.)
Whereas each 2FA choices share some similarities, key variations can sway your determination to decide on one over the opposite.
- Duo: Finest for additional safety capabilities like adaptive authentication, granular entry insurance policies, and menace detection.
- Microsoft Authenticator: Finest for Microsoft-centric environments that need seamless integration with Microsoft Entra ID and different Home windows providers.
Duo vs Microsoft Authenticator: Comparability desk
| Options | ||
|---|---|---|
| Push notifications | ||
| Biometrics authentication | ||
| One-time passcodes | ||
| Integrations with different services | ||
| Backup and restoration | ||
| Pricing | ||
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Duo vs Microsoft Authenticator pricing
Beneath is how Duo and Microsoft Authenticator sq. up in opposition to one another by way of pricing.
Duo pricing
Duo follows a tiered system primarily based on options and providers you prefer to added to the applying. In the mean time, it presents 4 subscription tiers:
| Plan | Duo Free | Duo Important | Duo Benefit | Duo Premier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Free | $3 per person, monthly | $6 per person, monthly | $9 per person, monthly |
| Options variations | Permits 1-10 customers; MFA, integrations, and free authenticator app | All Free plan options plus, Single Signal-On, passwordless authentication, and person group insurance policies | All Important plan options plus Duo Passport, risk-based authentication, Cisco Identification Intelligence, and menace detection | All Benefit options plus VPN-less distant entry to personal assets, endpoint safety test, and nil belief entry |
Microsoft Authenticator pricing
Microsoft Authenticator is free and comes bundled with all Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Lively Listing) and 365 Enterprise accounts.
For a full record of costs and options, you’ll be able to go to our articles on Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Lively Listing).
Characteristic comparability: Duo vs Microsoft Authenticator
Each Duo and Microsoft Authenticator current glorious options to customers, however here’s a head-to-head function comparability:
Utility Programming Interface integration
Most enterprise organizations contemplating Duo or Microsoft Authenticator will wish to combine these apps with current or customized software program and server functions.
Duo helps limitless software integrations by way of its platform in all accessible editions.
Then again, whereas Microsoft Authenticator additionally integrates with different third-party services, it’s far simpler to combine with Microsoft-supported providers as a result of it’s already bundled with a few of them.
Security measures
Each Duo and Microsoft Authenticator prioritize safety and supply sturdy options to guard person accounts. Duo helps adaptive authentication, which assesses the chance of every login try and prompts for added verification when crucial. It additionally supplies granular entry insurance policies, permitting directors to outline particular authentication necessities primarily based on person roles and circumstances.
Microsoft Authenticator leverages the facility of Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Lively Listing) to ship superior security measures, akin to conditional entry insurance policies, risk-based authentication, and seamless single sign-on experiences throughout functions. It additionally helps hardware-backed safety keys for enhanced safety in opposition to phishing assaults.
Authentication strategies
Each Duo and Microsoft Authenticator present a number of authentication strategies. Duo presents quite a lot of authentication choices, together with push notifications, WebAuthn and biometrics, tokens, passcodes, and {hardware} safety keys.
In the meantime, Microsoft Authenticator helps push notifications, OTPs, and biometric authentication (fingerprint, facial recognition) on supported units.
Backup and restoration
Duo’s Restore function lets customers backup Duo-protected accounts and third-party OTP accounts for restoration to the identical or new gadget. This lets you again up your Duo accounts on cloud providers like iCloud and Google Drive.
Equally, Microsoft Authenticator presents backup and restoration choices that enable customers to securely retailer their accounts and settings within the cloud. This function permits straightforward account restoration on new units or in case of gadget loss.
Buyer help
On the subject of buyer help, each suppliers supply an honest quantity of choices.
For Duo, they’ve a devoted help web page with a web-based information base categorized for Duo customers and directors — making it straightforward to get help for each kinds of customers.
Additionally they have a weblog, documentation portal, and chatbot function. Except for that, you’ll be able to file a help case, contact a dwell agent through telephone, or electronic mail the Duo help crew.
Conversely, help for Microsoft Authenticator falls beneath the umbrella help providers you get with Microsoft as a complete. You’ll be able to contact Microsoft’s help brokers by way of their official help web page, make a telephone name to certainly one of their regional help numbers, or go to their Microsoft Neighborhood discussion board for dwell discussions.
Additionally they have an intensive FAQs web page for Microsoft Authenticator itself, offering documentation from setup to troubleshooting frequent points.
Duo execs and cons
Whereas Duo presents many advantages to customers, it additionally has some drawbacks. Here’s a abstract of the professionals and cons.
Professionals
- Single sign-on.
- Passwordless.
- A number of authentication strategies.
- Push Phishing Safety.
- Risk Detection.
- Backup and restoration.
Cons
- Duo Free accounts are restricted to 10 customers.
- Barely cluttered UI in sure locations because of the vast number of authentication choices.
- Safety notifications generally take longer than anticipated.
Microsoft Authenticator execs and cons
Microsoft authenticator presents highly effective two-factor authentication options, however there could also be just a few drawbacks some customers say they’ve skilled whereas utilizing the product. Beneath are some execs and cons.
Professionals
- Passwordless sign-in.
- Push notifications by way of the cell app.
- The authenticator app can be utilized as a software program token.
- Backup and restoration help.
Cons
- Multi-factor report possibility is just supported within the larger plans.
- Pricing mannequin could also be difficult for some customers to navigate.
- Will not be very best for firms that would not have Microsoft ecosystems.
Ought to your group use Duo or Microsoft Authenticator?
Choosing one 2FA software program over one other might be difficult, particularly when many hanging similarities bind the merchandise collectively. For Duo and Microsoft Authenticator, the principle level of reference when deciding between the 2 ought to revolve round your total know-how stack, ease of use, and pricing.
In case you closely depend on Microsoft merchandise akin to Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Lively Listing), Microsoft 365, and different Microsoft providers, Microsoft Authenticator could present a extra seamless and built-in expertise.
Then again, if in case you have a various set of platforms and functions, Duo’s broad compatibility and intensive integration capabilities make it a extra versatile alternative. Duo integrates simply with providers like Slack, Atlassian, Salesforce, Dropbox, and extra.
You also needs to think about the pricing fashions and the way they meet your enterprise necessities and budgets. Duo’s pricing construction varies relying on the options and help stage chosen, whereas Microsoft Authenticator is usually bundled with Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
Duo’s pricing is extra complete and clear, in contrast to Microsoft’s, which is extra difficult on account of its bundling with Microsoft subscriptions. Take time to judge your group’s particular wants and think about the related prices when evaluating the pricing of those options.
Lastly, look into every service’s person expertise and ease of use. Each Duo and Microsoft Authenticator present seamless person experiences, however preferences could fluctuate relying in your group’s tech stack, person base, and the way acquainted they’re with every platform.
Use the free variations every resolution presents to get hands-on expertise with every product. When testing, assess issues such because the simplicity of setup, the intuitiveness of the authentication course of, and any extra options that improve usability.
Contemplate conducting a pilot check with each options to judge their efficiency and compatibility inside your enterprise atmosphere. This lets you collect firsthand expertise and suggestions out of your customers and directors earlier than making a remaining determination.
For a extra complete analysis of two-factor authentication primarily based on safety influence and strategic enterprise initiative, take a look at this two-factor authentication analysis information.
SEE: Securing Linux Coverage (TechRepublic Premium)
Methodology
To attract a good comparability between Duo and Microsoft Authenticator, we began by going by way of the documentation pages of every product, the place we realized about their key options and the way they combine with different applied sciences. We additionally checked out person critiques from trusted third-party evaluation websites to get some opinions from verified customers. The author additionally makes use of Microsoft Authenticator, making it simpler to debate the product primarily based on my expertise. All these supplied sufficient perception to assist form our evaluation.
This text was initially written by Franklin Okeke in August 2023 and was up to date by Luis Millares in January 2025 to account for function and product modifications, like Azure Lively Listing’s identify change to Microsoft Entra ID.
