Security Boulevard’s new roundup of the “Top 15 SSO Providers 2025” is a handy entry point for anyone modernizing authentication, but several pricing notes and protocol claims need updating—and Windows shops in particular should weigh some very specific trade-offs around Entra ID, AD FS migrations, and phishing‑resistant passkeys before they buy. (securityboulevard.com)
Overview
The Security Boulevard guide surveys workforce and customer identity (CIAM) options from incumbents like Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, Ping Identity, and IBM Security Verify to developer‑first platforms such as Auth0, WorkOS, Frontegg, FusionAuth, Keycloak, and more. Its core message stands: Single Sign‑On paired with MFA and SCIM provisioning is now baseline for zero‑trust access, compliance, and operational efficiency. Where readers should be cautious is around pricing transparency (per‑user vs. per‑connection vs. MAU), what “passwordless” really means in production, and how well each platform fits Windows‑heavy environments. (securityboulevard.com)What’s accurate—and what needs a refresh
- Solid fundamentals
- The guide’s emphasis on protocols (SAML 2.0, OIDC/OAuth 2.0, SCIM) and features (MFA, risk‑based access, SIEM exports) is well placed. Most leaders now cover this matrix across SaaS and legacy apps.
- Pricing clarifications you should know in 2025
- Microsoft Entra ID still anchors many Windows estates; list pricing for P1/P2 remains $6/$9 per user per month in the U.S. as of August 2025. (microsoft.com)
- Ping Identity publishes workforce list pricing—$3 (Essential) and $6 (Plus) per user/month—and annual CIAM tiers starting around $20,000 (Essential), corroborated by Ping and independent reviews. (pingidentity.com, techradar.com)
- WorkOS continues to price SSO and Directory Sync per enterprise connection at $125/month, with automatic volume discounts—great for B2B SaaS with many small customers, but costs scale with each new logo. (workos.com)
- JumpCloud’s SSO SKU is $11/user/month billed annually ($13 month‑to‑month), with Core Directory at $13 annual ($15 monthly). Factor this in if you want SSO plus LDAP/RADIUS for Wi‑Fi/VPN. (ti-1.jumpcloud.com)
- IBM Security Verify uses usage‑based pricing; IBM’s own estimator shows example costs around $1.81 per user/month for SSO/MFA/Adaptive Access (5,000 users), and $2.13 for Lifecycle. (ibm.com)
- Okta module list prices commonly referenced by buyers—SSO $2, Adaptive SSO $5, MFA $3, Adaptive MFA $6 per user/month—remain widely cited even when the official page emphasizes “contact sales.” Treat them as directional; enterprise quotes vary. (trustradius.com, okta.com)
- RSA’s ID Plus now publishes transparent per‑user pricing (C1/E1/E2 starting at $2/$4/$6 per user/month), a notable shift from “contact sales” and helpful for hybrid Windows deployments. (rsa.com)
- Protocol support updates
- Google Identity “SCIM: No” is too simplistic. Google Workspace/Cloud Identity has supported outbound SCIM 2.0 provisioning to many third‑party apps for years; limitations exist (e.g., custom SCIM, group nuances), but provisioning is available and documented. (workspaceupdates.googleblog.com, workspace.google.com)
- Okta’s WS‑Federation support is real and valuable for legacy Windows apps and certain Microsoft workloads. (help.okta.com)
Windows-first perspective: what matters in 2025
1) Entra ID is your control plane—plan migrations off AD FS
- Microsoft is actively tooling the path from AD FS to Entra ID, including an app migration wizard and health‑assisted discovery. If you’re still federated with AD FS, put this on your 2025‑2026 roadmap. (learn.microsoft.com)
- Budget for Entra P1 at minimum to use Conditional Access at scale; many orgs pair Entra with a third‑party IdP (Okta/Ping) for specific app catalogs or CIAM, but Entra’s policy engine increasingly becomes the enforcement layer for Windows. (microsoft.com)
2) Go phishing‑resistant: passkeys and Windows Hello for Business
- For Windows 10/11 estates, plan passwordless using device‑bound passkeys via Windows Hello for Business and FIDO2 security keys. Microsoft’s latest guidance details staged deployments and minimum OS versions for a smooth rollout. (learn.microsoft.com)
3) Keep an eye on hybrid and legacy Windows app access
- If you still require WS‑Fed or Kerberos/NTLM bridges, ensure your provider explicitly supports these paths (Okta WS‑Fed, Ping agents, RSA agents) while you modernize to SAML/OIDC. (help.okta.com, pingidentity.com, rsa.com)
Provider-by-provider: headline takeaways for Windows admins
- Microsoft Entra ID (P1/P2)
- Best default for Microsoft 365, Conditional Access, and Windows Hello for Business; P1/P2 pricing is straightforward. Consider Entra Suite add‑ons only if you’ll use ZTNA/Private Access day‑to‑day. (microsoft.com)
- Okta Workforce Identity Cloud
- Deep integration network and strong WS‑Fed coverage for legacy Windows apps; module pricing still orbits $2–$6 per user/month for SSO/MFA, but final quotes vary widely. Verify SKUs and minimums. (help.okta.com, trustradius.com)
- Ping Identity
- Flexible hybrid/on‑prem footprint with a no‑code orchestration engine; transparent workforce tiers ($3/$6) and annual CIAM tiers (from ~$20k) help set expectation early. (pingidentity.com, techradar.com)
- IBM Security Verify
- Usage‑based pricing is unusually concrete for an enterprise suite (example SSO/MFA/Adaptive at ~$1.81/user); appealing for large mixed environments that need governance plus risk‑based auth. (ibm.com)
- RSA ID Plus
- Newly transparent $2/$4/$6 per‑user plans, with Windows desktop/server login agents and on‑prem failover—good fit for high‑assurance or disconnected sites. (rsa.com)
- JumpCloud
- Cloud directory + SSO + LDAP/RADIUS can simplify VPN/Wi‑Fi and legacy auth in Windows networks; SSO is $11/user (annual). (ti-1.jumpcloud.com)
- Google Identity
- Excellent for Google‑centric estates and passkeys; outbound SCIM provisioning to supported apps exists, but the catalog and custom SCIM are less flexible than Entra/Okta/Ping. (workspaceupdates.googleblog.com)
- Auth0 (Okta CIC)
- Developer‑forward CIAM with expanded 2024+ free/paid tiers; ideal for Windows‑backed web/mobile apps needing custom B2C/B2B flows. (auth0.com)
- WorkOS
- Fast path to “enterprise‑ready” for B2B SaaS; budget per connection ($125 for SSO/SCIM) rather than per user. (workos.com)
- Frontegg
- B2B SaaS identity with strong multi‑tenancy and a generous free Launch tier (7,500 MAU, 5 SSO). SCIM and advanced features live behind Scale/Enterprise. (frontegg.com)
- FusionAuth
- Self‑hosted or cloud CIAM with a free Community tier; SCIM and advanced controls land in paid plans. Pricing starts at $125/month for Starter. (fusionauth.io)
- Keycloak
- Open‑source IAM with SAML/OIDC, AD/LDAP federation, and full theming; fantastic control if you have Java/DevOps depth (now an incubating CNCF project). (keycloak.org, en.wikipedia.org)
The Windows checklist: choosing SSO that won’t paint you into a corner
- Start with Conditional Access policy design
- Decide where policy lives (Entra vs. third‑party) and how you’ll enforce device trust on Windows endpoints (Intune/MDM + compliance signals). (microsoft.com)
- Map legacy protocols you must support for 12–24 months
- List apps still on WS‑Fed/Kerberos/NTLM and ensure your vendor supports bridges or agents while you modernize. (help.okta.com)
- Plan passwordless with passkeys and Windows Hello for Business
- Follow Microsoft’s staged guidance; require two phishing‑resistant methods per user for resilience. (learn.microsoft.com)
- Nail provisioning early
- Prefer SCIM 2.0 with group/role mapping. If you’re Google‑centric, verify SCIM coverage per app; if you’re Microsoft‑centric, Entra’s provisioning and app gallery may be broader. (workspaceupdates.googleblog.com)
- Pick a pricing model that matches your growth
- Workforce = per user tends to win (Okta/Ping/Entra/IBM). B2B SaaS = per connection can be predictable (WorkOS) but scales with customers; MAU tiers (Auth0/Frontegg/FusionAuth) fit consumer/B2B2C models. (workos.com, auth0.com, fusionauth.io)
Questions to press every vendor on (2025 edition)
- Do you support phishing‑resistant MFA and passkeys across Windows 10/11, including local desktop login and RDP? How? (learn.microsoft.com)
- What’s your exact SCIM 2.0 scope (users, groups, custom attributes)? Any rate limits or event ordering guarantees? (workos.com)
- For legacy Windows apps, do you support WS‑Fed or agents? What’s the deprecation roadmap? (help.okta.com)
- How are you priced—per user, per connection, per MAU—and where do add‑ons (e.g., SCIM, audit logs, custom domains) change TCO? (workos.com)
- What is your published uptime SLA and incident response target for auth outages?
- Can we export all audit logs to our SIEM in near real time without surcharge?
- How will you help us migrate AD FS apps to modern SAML/OIDC? (learn.microsoft.com)
Bottom line
Security Boulevard’s list captures the right players, but 2025 buyers should look beyond the logo grid to three realities: (1) Windows‑first orgs are better served when Entra ID is the policy and device‑trust anchor; (2) phishing‑resistant passkeys and Windows Hello for Business reduce risk materially and should guide your roadmap; and (3) pricing models differ dramatically—validate what’s per user, per connection, and per MAU before you lock in. With those lenses, Okta, Ping, Entra, IBM Verify, and RSA ID Plus remain proven for workforce Windows estates, while WorkOS, Frontegg, FusionAuth, and Auth0 shine for SaaS and CIAM—just be sure the contract matches your architecture and growth curve. (microsoft.com, learn.microsoft.com, workos.com, ibm.com, rsa.com)Source: Security Boulevard Top 15 SSO Providers 2025 – Secure Your Systems Confidently