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Cybersecurity · head to head

Cisco Duo vs Deno

Cisco Duo logo

Cisco Duo

Cybersecurity

Trusted access for all users, all devices

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Deno logo

Deno

Developer Tools

A fast, open-source, fully Node-compatible JS runtime with TypeScript baked right in

From
Free
Free plan
Yes

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cisco Duo free tier limited to 10 users maximum; Deno egress bandwidth overage costs $0.20/GB which can become expensive for high-traffic applications
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cisco Duo and Deno actually diverge.

Attributes where Cisco Duo and Deno differ
AttributeCisco DuoDeno
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).

What people use each for

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

Cisco Duo

  • Eliminating phishing with passwordless authnot Deno
  • Implementing zero trust with device trustnot Deno
  • Protecting sessions from hijacking and theftnot Deno
  • Managing compliance for regulated industriesnot Deno

Deno

  • Running TypeScript natively without transpilation overheadnot Cisco Duo
  • Migrating Node.js applications to secure-by-default runtimenot Cisco Duo
  • Deploying edge functions and serverless containers seamlesslynot Cisco Duo
  • Consolidating developer tools into single binarynot Cisco Duo

Where each one falls short

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

Cisco Duo

  • Free tier limited to 10 users maximum
  • Licenses must be purchased in 10-user increments (under 100 users) or 25-user increments (100+ users)
  • Pricing is per-user per-month with minimum purchase increments

Deno

  • Egress bandwidth overage costs $0.20/GB which can become expensive for high-traffic applications
  • CPU time overage is $0.10/hour on Pro and Builder tiers, adding to costs for compute-intensive workloads
  • Enterprise pricing is not disclosed; requires sales contact

Pricing, plan by plan

Cisco Duo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
    • Seamless integrations
    • Authenticator app
  • Essentials$3/month
    • All Free features
    • Duo Directory
    • Phishing-resistant MFA
  • Advantage$6/month
    • All Essentials features
    • Identity intelligence
    • Cisco Identity Intelligence (ISPM, ITDR)
  • Premier$9/month
    • All Advantage features
    • Complete device trust
    • VPN-less remote access

Deno

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 million requests/month
    • 20GB egress bandwidth
    • 10 apps
  • Pro$20/month
    • 5 million requests/month
    • 200GB egress
    • 50 apps
  • Builder$200/month
    • 25 million requests/month
    • 2,000GB egress
    • 10,000 apps
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom limits on all metrics
    • 99.95% reliability SLA
    • Email support with SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose Cisco Duo if

  • You want to start without paying.

Choose Deno if

  • You want to start without paying.

Questions people ask

Is Cisco Duo or Deno better?
Neither clearly leads. Cisco Duo starts at Free and Deno at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cisco Duo or Deno?
Cisco Duo starts at Free and Deno at Free.
Does Cisco Duo or Deno run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Cisco Duo for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Cisco Duo best used for?
Cisco Duo is most often used for eliminating phishing with passwordless auth, implementing zero trust with device trust, protecting sessions from hijacking and theft, managing compliance for regulated industries. Of those, eliminating phishing with passwordless auth and implementing zero trust with device trust are not what Deno is typically brought in for.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cisco Duo: How much does Cisco Duo cost?

Cisco Duo Free is $0/user/month (up to 10 users). Paid plans start at $3/user/month (Essentials), $6/user/month (Advantage), and $9/user/month (Premier). Billing is per-user per-month.

Source
Deno: How much does Deno Deploy cost?

Deno Deploy offers a free tier at $0/month, Pro at $20/month, and Builder at $200/month. Enterprise has custom pricing. All plans include base request and bandwidth limits, with overage charges for additional usage.

Source
Cisco Duo: Is Cisco Duo free to try?

Yes, Duo Free offers multi-factor authentication and seamless integrations at $0/user/month for up to 10 users.

Source
Deno: What are Deno Deploy's overage charges?

Egress bandwidth overages cost $0.20 per GB. CPU time overages are $0.10 per hour on Pro and Builder tiers. Memory time and KV database operations also incur charges beyond included limits.

Source
Cisco Duo: What is the minimum purchase for Cisco Duo?

Organizations must buy licenses in 10-user increments for under 100 users, or 25-user increments for 100 or more users. Plans are modifiable at any time.

Source
Deno: How many apps can I deploy on Deno's free plan?

The free tier includes 10 apps with up to 1 concurrent build. Pro tier supports 50 apps with 3 concurrent builds, and Builder supports 10,000 apps with 20 concurrent builds.

Source
Cisco Duo: What does the Advantage plan add over Essentials?

Advantage ($6/user/month) adds identity intelligence, Cisco Identity Intelligence (ISPM, ITDR), Duo Passport, session theft protection, Active Directory Defense, and risk-based authentication.

Source
Deno: How many team members can access Deno Deploy?

The free tier supports up to 3 team members. Pro supports 10 team members. Builder supports 25 team members. Enterprise has custom seat limits.

Source
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