Cybersecurity · head to head
Cisco Duo vs GovQA

Cisco Duo
Cybersecurity
Trusted access for all users, all devices
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
The short version
- Only Cisco Duo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Cisco Duo free tier limited to 10 users maximum; GovQA pricing not published on vendor website; government contracting and custom quote model obscures list pricing
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cisco Duo and GovQA actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web), 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 Cisco Duo
Nothing recorded that GovQA does not also cover.
Only in GovQA
- FOIA Management
- Subpoena Processing
- e-Discovery
- Constituent Portal
- Reporting
- Document Management
- Court Systems
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Cisco Duo
- Eliminating phishing with passwordless authnot GovQA
- Implementing zero trust with device trustnot GovQA
- Protecting sessions from hijacking and theftnot GovQA
- Managing compliance for regulated industriesnot GovQA
GovQA
- Public records request management and legal compliance automationnot Cisco Duo
- Digital communication delivery to residents and constituentsnot Cisco Duo
- Service request management for government agencies and local departmentsnot Cisco Duo
- Agenda and meeting management for city councils and boardsnot Cisco Duo
- Business licensing and permitting workflow automationnot 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
GovQA
- Pricing not published on vendor website; government contracting and custom quote model obscures list pricing
- Requires booking a demo to learn pricing and deployment options
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
GovQA
$400/month- Request Management$400/month
- FOIA Management
- e-Discovery
- Constituent Portal
Which should you pick?
Questions people ask
- Is Cisco Duo or GovQA better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cisco Duo starts at Free and GovQA at $400/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cisco Duo or GovQA?
- Cisco Duo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cisco Duo and $400/month for GovQA.
- Does Cisco Duo or GovQA 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?
- Yes. Cisco Duo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. GovQA starts at $400/month.
- 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 GovQA is typically brought in for.
- What can Cisco Duo do that GovQA cannot?
- GovQA covers FOIA Management, Subpoena Processing, e-Discovery, Constituent Portal.
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.
SourceGovQA: What does GovQA (formerly Granicus) cost?
Granicus does not display pricing on its website. The vendor requires customers to schedule a demo or contact sales to receive cost estimates.
SourceCisco 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.
SourceGovQA: Does Granicus offer Government Experience Agent (GXA) pricing separately?
Granicus lists Government Experience Agent as a feature of its Government Experience Cloud platform, but separate licensing costs are not published.
SourceCisco 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.
SourceGovQA: How many users can access Granicus services under one license?
Granicus does not specify user seat counts, unlimited user models, or per-agency pricing on its website. Licensing terms vary by government size and jurisdiction.
SourceCisco 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.
SourceRelated pages
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- GovQA vs HID Global
- GovQA vs 1Password
- GovQA vs Norton 360
- GovQA vs Bitdefender Total Security
- GovQA vs LastPass
- GovQA vs Authy
- GovQA vs Stytch
- GovQA vs Descope
- GovQA vs Google Authenticator
- GovQA vs Sardine
- GovQA vs SentinelOne
- GovQA vs Shufti Pro
- GovQA vs Signicat
- GovQA vs Silent Eight
- GovQA vs Socket
- GovQA vs SentinelOne Singularity
- GovQA vs Accela
- GovQA vs CivicPlus
- GovQA vs DocuWare
- GovQA vs NextRequest
- GovQA vs MuckRock
- GovQA vs ArchiveSocial
- GovQA vs GovPilot
- GovQA vs Laserfiche
- GovQA vs CityView
- GovQA vs PublicInput
- GovQA vs Axon Records
- GovQA vs Mark43
- GovQA vs Vigilant Solutions
- GovQA vs Workday Government
- GovQA vs Zencity
- GovQA vs Polco
- GovQA vs RecDesk

