Cybersecurity · head to head
Mimecast vs Okta
The short version
- Only Okta has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Mimecast no pricing is published for any product or plan, and every route ends at a quote or demo request; Okta requires $1,500 annual minimum contract
- They diverge on capability: Mimecast covers Advanced threat detection, Okta covers Single sign-on (SSO).
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mimecast and Okta actually diverge.
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 Mimecast
- Advanced threat detection
- Secure sharing
- Email encryption
- Message tracking
- Email archiving
- Legal hold
- eDiscovery
- Backup and recovery
Only in Okta
- Single sign-on (SSO)
- Multi-factor authentication
- Lifecycle management
- Universal directory
- API access management
- B2B integration
- Passwordless authentication
- Adaptive MFA
Both cover
- Microsoft 365
- Google Workspace
- Salesforce
- Slack
- ServiceNow
- HIPAA
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Mimecast
- Email security filtering against phishing and targeted attacksnot Okta
- Email archiving, continuity and compliance for organisationsnot Okta
Okta
- Employee SSOnot Mimecast
- Customer identitynot Mimecast
- B2B integrationnot Mimecast
- Zero Trust securitynot Mimecast
- Compliancenot Mimecast
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Mimecast
- No pricing is published for any product or plan, and every route ends at a quote or demo request
- The platform is split into separately sold products for email security, awareness training, data protection and governance
- Collaboration threat protection, DMARC analysis, incident response and email archiving are all further add ons on top of those
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
Mimecast
$4/month- Defender$4/month
- Per user
- Threat protection
- Impersonation prevention
- Archive$3/month
- Email archiving
- Legal hold
- Search & recall
- Unified$6/month
- All Defender features
- All Archive features
- Backup
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$17/user/month
- Same as Core Essentials
- Most popular
- Professional Suite$undefined/custom
- Device Access
- Identity Security Posture
- Threat Protection
Which should you pick?
Choose Mimecast if
- You need advanced threat detection.
- You work on Email, Cloud, Collaboration.
- You also want secure sharing.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Mimecast or Okta better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mimecast starts at $4/month and Okta at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Mimecast or Okta?
- Okta has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $4/month for Mimecast and Free for Okta.
- Does Mimecast or Okta run on more platforms?
- Mimecast runs on Email, Cloud, Collaboration. Okta runs on Web, SaaS.
- Can I use Okta for free?
- Yes. Okta has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mimecast starts at $4/month.
- What is Mimecast best used for?
- Mimecast is most often used for email security filtering against phishing and targeted attacks, email archiving, continuity and compliance for organisations. Of those, email security filtering against phishing and targeted attacks and email archiving, continuity and compliance for organisations are not what Okta is typically brought in for.
- What can Mimecast do that Okta cannot?
- Mimecast covers Advanced threat detection, Secure sharing, Email encryption, Message tracking. Okta covers Single sign-on (SSO), Multi-factor authentication, Lifecycle management, Universal directory. Both handle Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Slack.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Mimecast: How much does Mimecast cost?
Mimecast does not publish pricing on its website. Customers must request a custom quote by contacting the sales team at +1 617 393 7000 or using the Get a Quote button.
SourceOkta: 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.
SourceMimecast: Is there a free trial of Mimecast?
Mimecast's trial and pricing options are not specified on the public website. Contact sales at +1 617 393 7000 or through their support portal at mimecastsupport.zendesk.com for trial availability.
SourceOkta: 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.
SourceOkta: 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.
SourceOkta: 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.
SourceOkta: 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.
SourceRelated pages
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