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Developer Tools · head to head

Azure DevOps vs Beyond Identity

Azure DevOps logo

Azure DevOps

Developer Tools

Plan smarter, collaborate better, and ship faster

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Beyond Identity logo

Beyond Identity

Cybersecurity

Phishing-resistant passwordless authentication with device trust enforced at every login

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Azure DevOps has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Azure DevOps first 5 users free applies to Basic plan only; Test Plans users are not included in free tier; Beyond Identity it is an authentication layer, not an identity provider, so you keep and keep paying for Okta or Entra ID underneath and the combined per-user cost is roughly double a single-vendor approach.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Azure DevOps and Beyond Identity actually diverge.

Attributes where Azure DevOps and Beyond Identity differ
AttributeAzure DevOpsBeyond Identity
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelmixedquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity

Identical on both: 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 Azure DevOps

Nothing recorded that Beyond Identity does not also cover.

Only in Beyond Identity

  • Device-bound credentials
  • Continuous device posture
  • No shared secrets
  • Identity provider integration
  • Secure developer signing
  • Administrator policy engine

What people use each for

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

Azure DevOps

  • CI/CD pipelines and build automation for software development teamsnot Beyond Identity
  • Source code repository management and version controlnot Beyond Identity
  • Test planning and tracking for QA teamsnot Beyond Identity
  • Artifact storage for packages and binariesnot Beyond Identity

Beyond Identity

  • An organisation that suffered a breach through MFA push fatigue and needs a factor that cannot be socially engineerednot Azure DevOps
  • A software company enforcing that code is only signed from a managed device with current patchesnot Azure DevOps
  • A firm with contractors on unmanaged laptops that must meet posture requirements before reaching internal systemsnot Azure DevOps
  • A security team wanting to remove passwords from the helpdesk workload rather than adding another factor on topnot Azure DevOps

Where each one falls short

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

Azure DevOps

  • First 5 users free applies to Basic plan only; Test Plans users are not included in free tier
  • Storage pricing increases per-GiB cost as volumes grow, with no volume discount threshold below $0.25

Beyond Identity

  • It is an authentication layer, not an identity provider, so you keep and keep paying for Okta or Entra ID underneath and the combined per-user cost is roughly double a single-vendor approach.
  • Every device that authenticates needs the platform authenticator installed, which makes onboarding contractors, third parties and shared kiosks awkward and sometimes impossible.
  • Pricing is quoted per user with no published rates, so buyers cannot benchmark it against the increasingly capable passkey support now included in identity provider base licences.
  • Losing all enrolled devices requires an administrative recovery path, and organisations that design that path poorly reintroduce a social-engineering target at the helpdesk.
  • Legacy applications that only speak passwords or older protocols need a federation shim or stay outside the policy, so coverage is rarely complete in an estate with old systems.

Pricing, plan by plan

Azure DevOps

Free
  • Basic$6/month per user
    • First 5 users free
    • Additional users $6/user/month
    • Pipelines (free tier)
  • Basic + Test Plans$52/month per user
    • All Basic features
    • Test planning, tracking, and execution
  • Azure Pipelines CI/CD - Microsoft-hosted$40/month per additional parallel job
    • 1 free parallel job with 1,800 minutes per month
    • Additional jobs at $40/month each
  • Azure Artifacts Storage$2/month per GiB
    • First 2 GiB free
    • 2-10 GiB: $2/GiB
    • 10-100 GiB: $1/GiB

Beyond Identity

On request
  • Secure Access Platform$undefined/year
    • Per-user annual subscription quoted by seat count
    • Deployed alongside an existing identity provider rather than replacing it
    • Device posture integrations with major EDR and MDM vendors included

Which should you pick?

Choose Azure DevOps if

  • You want to start without paying.
Azure DevOps review

Choose Beyond Identity if

  • You need device-bound credentials.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
  • You also want continuous device posture.
Beyond Identity review

Questions people ask

Is Azure DevOps or Beyond Identity better?
Neither clearly leads. Azure DevOps starts at Free and Beyond Identity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Azure DevOps or Beyond Identity?
Azure DevOps has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Azure DevOps and On request for Beyond Identity.
Does Azure DevOps or Beyond Identity run on more platforms?
Azure DevOps runs on Web. Beyond Identity runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
Can I use Azure DevOps for free?
Yes. Azure DevOps has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Beyond Identity starts at On request.
What is Azure DevOps best used for?
Azure DevOps is most often used for ci/cd pipelines and build automation for software development teams, source code repository management and version control, test planning and tracking for qa teams, artifact storage for packages and binaries. Of those, ci/cd pipelines and build automation for software development teams and source code repository management and version control are not what Beyond Identity is typically brought in for.
What can Azure DevOps do that Beyond Identity cannot?
Beyond Identity covers Device-bound credentials, Continuous device posture, No shared secrets, Identity provider integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Azure DevOps: How much does Azure DevOps cost?

Azure DevOps Basic plan is $6 per user per month after the first 5 users are free. Basic + Test Plans tier costs $52 per user per month. Azure Pipelines add-on for extra parallel jobs costs $40 per job for Microsoft-hosted runners and $15 per job for self-hosted runners.

Source
Beyond Identity: Does it replace Okta or Entra ID?

No. It sits in front of them as the authentication method. Budget for both.

Azure DevOps: Is there a free tier for Azure DevOps?

Yes, Azure DevOps includes 5 free users on the Basic plan. Additional free allocations include 1,800 free minutes per month on Azure Pipelines with a free parallel job, 2 GiB free storage on Azure Artifacts, and free access for Visual Studio subscribers and Stakeholders with limited functionality.

Source
Beyond Identity: What happens when a user loses their laptop?

They authenticate from another enrolled device, or go through an administrative recovery flow. Designing that recovery well matters, because it is the weakest point.

Azure DevOps: What does the Basic + Test Plans tier add to Azure DevOps?

The Basic + Test Plans tier adds test planning and execution capabilities, browser-based testing, and centralized reporting features. This tier costs $52 per user per month compared to $6 per user for the Basic plan.

Source
Beyond Identity: Is it different from passkeys?

The credential mechanism is similar in spirit. The difference is enforcing device security posture at every authentication, which standard passkeys do not do.

Azure DevOps: How is Azure Artifacts priced?

Azure Artifacts provides 2 GiB of free storage, then charges $2 per GiB for 2-10 GiB, $1 per GiB for 10-100 GiB, $0.50 per GiB for 100-1,000 GiB, and $0.25 per GiB for over 1,000 GiB.

Source
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