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Cybersecurity · head to head

Cisco Duo vs Trulioo

Cisco Duo logo

Cisco Duo

Cybersecurity

Trusted access for all users, all devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Trulioo logo

Trulioo

Cybersecurity

Identity and business verification against national data sources in nearly 200 countries

From
On request
Rated
-

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; Trulioo per-check rates vary widely by country and data source, so a blended average from the sales conversation misleads if your volume concentrates in expensive markets.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Cisco Duo and Trulioo differ
AttributeCisco DuoTrulioo
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, API

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

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 Trulioo does not also cover.

Only in Trulioo

  • Person match
  • Business verification
  • Watchlist screening
  • Document and biometric
  • Single API
  • Workflow orchestration

What people use each for

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

Cisco Duo

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

Trulioo

  • A payments firm onboarding across dozens of countries where building a data-source integration per market is impracticalnot Cisco Duo
  • A marketplace verifying business sellers and needing beneficial ownership rather than just a company numbernot Cisco Duo
  • A fintech wanting a cheap frictionless first check and reserving document scanning for the minority that fail itnot Cisco Duo
  • A bank expanding into a market where document upload completion rates are poor and registry matching works betternot 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

Trulioo

  • Per-check rates vary widely by country and data source, so a blended average from the sales conversation misleads if your volume concentrates in expensive markets.
  • Coverage breadth is real but depth is uneven; a country on the map may be served by one thin source with low match rates, which you only discover in a live test.
  • You are charged per query including no-match results, so a market with poor source coverage burns budget producing nothing usable.
  • Because it aggregates third-party data, data residency and consent handling depend on the underlying provider terms, which complicates GDPR assessments in some jurisdictions.
  • Document and biometric capability is competent but not the strongest in the market, so buyers whose primary need is document fraud detection usually pair it with a specialist.

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

Trulioo

On request
  • Trulioo Platform$undefined/year
    • Priced per check with rates varying by country and data source
    • Person, business and watchlist checks charged separately
    • Volume commitment negotiated annually

Which should you pick?

Choose Cisco Duo if

  • You want to start without paying.

Choose Trulioo if

  • You need person match.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want business verification.

Questions people ask

Is Cisco Duo or Trulioo better?
Neither clearly leads. Cisco Duo starts at Free and Trulioo at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cisco Duo or Trulioo?
Cisco Duo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cisco Duo and On request for Trulioo.
Does Cisco Duo or Trulioo run on more platforms?
Cisco Duo runs on Web. Trulioo runs on Web, API.
Can I use Cisco Duo for free?
Yes. Cisco Duo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Trulioo starts at On request.
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 Trulioo is typically brought in for.
What can Cisco Duo do that Trulioo cannot?
Trulioo covers Person match, Business verification, Watchlist screening, Document and biometric.

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
Trulioo: Does it need a document?

Not for the core product. Data-source matching uses name, address and date of birth, which is why completion rates are higher than document flows.

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
Trulioo: Are unmatched queries billed?

Yes, in general you pay per query rather than per successful match. Negotiate this explicitly if you are entering markets with thin coverage.

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
Trulioo: Can it verify companies as well as people?

Yes. Business verification including beneficial ownership is a distinct product line and a common reason to choose Trulioo over document-first vendors.

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
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