Softwr

Software · head to head

Istio vs Okta

I

Istio

Software

Simplify observability, traffic management, security, and policy with the leading service mesh

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Okta logo

Okta

Software

The identity platform for builders

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Istio licensed under Apache License 2.0 per the project's GitHub repository (istio/istio LICENSE); as a CNCF graduated project it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare; Okta requires $1,500 annual minimum contract

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Istio and Okta actually diverge.

Attributes where Istio and Okta differ
AttributeIstioOkta
Pricing modelopen-sourceUnknown
PlatformsWebWeb, SaaS
FoundedUnknown2009

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

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 Istio

Nothing recorded that Okta does not also cover.

Only in Okta

  • Single sign-on (SSO)
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Lifecycle management
  • Universal directory
  • API access management
  • B2B integration
  • Passwordless authentication
  • Adaptive MFA

What people use each for

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

Istio

No use cases recorded yet. See the Istio review.

Okta

  • Employee SSOnot Istio
  • Customer identitynot Istio
  • B2B integrationnot Istio
  • Zero Trust securitynot Istio
  • Compliancenot Istio

Where each one falls short

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

Istio

  • Licensed under Apache License 2.0 per the project's GitHub repository (istio/istio LICENSE); as a CNCF graduated project it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare
  • Layer 7 features require deploying the Envoy service proxy alongside the lighter zero-trust tunnel option, per istio.io, so full traffic management capability is not available from the lightweight mode alone

Okta

  • Requires $1,500 annual minimum contract
  • Admin-only MFA can be vulnerable to push notification fatigue attacks
  • Implementation requires significant services and integration fees in year one

Pricing, plan by plan

Istio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Istio review.

Okta

Free
  • Starter Suite$6/user/month
    • SSO
    • MFA
    • Universal Directory
  • Core Essentials Suite$14/user/month
    • Adaptive MFA
    • Privileged Access
    • Lifecycle Management
  • Essentials Suite$17/user/month
    • Same as Core Essentials
    • Most popular
  • Professional Suite$null/custom
    • Device Access
    • Identity Security Posture
    • Threat Protection

Which should you pick?

Choose Istio if

  • You want to start without paying.
Istio review

Choose Okta if

  • You need single sign-on (sso).
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, SaaS.
  • You also want multi-factor authentication.
Okta review

Questions people ask

Is Istio or Okta better?
Neither clearly leads. Istio starts at Free and Okta at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Istio or Okta?
Istio starts at Free and Okta at Free.
Does Istio or Okta run on more platforms?
Istio runs on Web. Okta runs on Web, SaaS.
Can I use Istio for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can Istio do that Okta cannot?
Okta covers Single sign-on (SSO), Multi-factor authentication, Lifecycle management, Universal directory.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Okta: What is the minimum contract for Okta Workforce Identity?

Okta requires a $1,500 annual minimum contract for Workforce Identity plans. Pricing starts at $6 per user per month (Starter) and ranges to $17 per user per month (Essentials), billed annually.

Source
Okta: Does Okta offer a free trial?

Yes, Okta provides a 30-day free trial so customers can explore all product capabilities before committing to a paid plan.

Source
Okta: How many pre-built integrations does Okta support?

Okta offers over 7,000 pre-built integrations with popular enterprise applications including Salesforce, Slack, Workday, Box, Confluence, and Zendesk.

Source
Okta: What security features does Okta provide for admins?

Okta provides multi-factor authentication, adaptive MFA, single logout, and identity threat detection and response. However, only 94% of Okta customers have MFA enabled for administrators.

Source
Okta: Can Okta integrate with on-premises directories?

Yes, Okta's Universal Directory and lifecycle management support cloud and on-premises identity sources, including Active Directory and LDAP.

Source
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Related pages

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