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Government · head to head

Accela vs Entrust Identity as a Service

Accela logo

Accela

Government

Civic Solutions for Modern Government

From
$800/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Entrust Identity as a Service logo

Entrust Identity as a Service

Cybersecurity

Workforce and customer authentication from a certificate authority

From
$2/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Accela pricing not publicly available; requires sales consultation and government procurement process; Entrust Identity as a Service the application integration catalogue is smaller than that of the dedicated identity vendors, so uncommon SaaS applications more often need custom SAML configuration rather than a template.
  • They diverge on capability: Accela covers Building Permits, Entrust Identity as a Service covers Multi-factor authentication.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Accela and Entrust Identity as a Service actually diverge.

Attributes where Accela and Entrust Identity as a Service differ
AttributeAccelaEntrust Identity as a Service
Starting price$800/month$2/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, Linux
CategoryGovernmentCybersecurity
Founded1999Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Accela

  • Building Permits
  • Business Licenses
  • Code Enforcement
  • Planning & Zoning
  • Environmental Health
  • Esri ArcGIS
  • Bluebeam
  • DocuSign

Only in Entrust Identity as a Service

  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Single sign-on
  • Adaptive authentication
  • Passwordless login
  • Credential lifecycle
  • Derived PIV credentials
  • Directory integration

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Accela

  • Citizen Servicesnot Entrust Identity as a Service
  • Records Managementnot Entrust Identity as a Service
  • Public Safetynot Entrust Identity as a Service
  • Civic Engagementnot Entrust Identity as a Service

Entrust Identity as a Service

  • A government agency needing derived mobile credentials from an existing PIV smart card estatenot Accela
  • A bank that must support hardware tokens for corporate treasury users alongside push authentication for staffnot Accela
  • An organisation already buying Entrust certificates that wants credential issuance and authentication from one vendornot Accela
  • A defence supplier required to use certificate-based authentication that mainstream cloud identity products handle poorlynot Accela

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Accela

  • Pricing not publicly available; requires sales consultation and government procurement process
  • Significant upfront implementation costs typical of enterprise government software
  • Complex deployment requiring significant customization for different agency workflows

Entrust Identity as a Service

  • The application integration catalogue is smaller than that of the dedicated identity vendors, so uncommon SaaS applications more often need custom SAML configuration rather than a template.
  • Developer experience for customer identity use cases is behind the specialists, and teams building consumer signup flows will find the APIs and documentation less complete.
  • Advanced capabilities including adaptive authentication and credential management sit above the published entry price, so the two dollar figure rarely reflects what a regulated buyer actually spends.
  • There are two overlapping products, Identity as a Service and Identity Enterprise, and choosing wrongly at the start means a migration later rather than a licence change.
  • Identity governance, access certification and privileged access are not covered, so an organisation with audit-driven access review requirements needs a second vendor alongside it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Accela

$800/month
  • Civic Platform$800/month
    • Permitting
    • Licensing
    • Code Enforcement

Entrust Identity as a Service

$2/month
  • Workforce Standard$2/month
    • Multi-factor authentication
    • Single sign-on
    • Directory integration
  • Higher tiers$undefined/month
    • Adaptive risk-based authentication
    • Certificate and smart card credential management
    • Derived PIV credentials

Which should you pick?

Choose Accela if

  • You need building permits.
  • You also want business licenses.
Accela review

Choose Entrust Identity as a Service if

  • You need multi-factor authentication.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want single sign-on.
Entrust Identity as a Service review

Questions people ask

Is Accela or Entrust Identity as a Service better?
Neither clearly leads. Accela starts at $800/month and Entrust Identity as a Service at $2/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Accela or Entrust Identity as a Service?
Accela starts at $800/month and Entrust Identity as a Service at $2/month.
Does Accela or Entrust Identity as a Service run on more platforms?
Accela runs on Web. Entrust Identity as a Service runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, Linux.
What is Accela best used for?
Accela is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement. Of those, citizen services and records management are not what Entrust Identity as a Service is typically brought in for.
What can Accela do that Entrust Identity as a Service cannot?
Accela covers Building Permits, Business Licenses, Code Enforcement, Planning & Zoning. Entrust Identity as a Service covers Multi-factor authentication, Single sign-on, Adaptive authentication, Passwordless login.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Accela: What government functions does Accela's Civic Platform cover?

Accela provides solutions for permitting (building, planning, zoning), licensing (business, occupational, alcohol), public health (environmental health, fire prevention), asset management, and citizen services (complaints, requests).

Source
Entrust Identity as a Service: Is MFA included or extra?

Multi-factor authentication is included in the workforce bundles rather than sold separately, which is not true of every competitor. Adaptive risk-based authentication sits in higher tiers.

Accela: Does Accela include AI capabilities?

Yes. Accela offers CivicAI, described as AI built for government rather than adapted from commercial solutions, with emphasis on explainability and auditability for regulatory compliance.

Source
Entrust Identity as a Service: Does it do identity governance?

No. Access certification, role mining and joiner-mover-leaver governance require a separate product such as SailPoint or Saviynt.

Accela: Can Accela handle multiple department reviews simultaneously?

Yes. Accela's building permitting module enables concurrent multi-department review where fire, planning, public works, and utilities departments review applications simultaneously, with real-time tracking of annotations and approvals.

Source
Entrust Identity as a Service: Why choose this over Okta or Entra ID?

Almost always because of PKI, smart cards or derived credentials. Without that requirement the mainstream platforms are the stronger general purpose choice.

Accela: How many government agencies use Accela?

Accela serves 900+ government agencies globally, including over 50% of top U.S. cities and counties.

Source
Accela: Does Accela publish its pricing?

No. Accela does not publish pricing on its website. Costs are custom-quoted based on agency size, modules deployed, and integration needs, typically through government procurement processes.

Source
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