Security & Cybersecurity · head to head
WorkOS vs Cisco Duo
WorkOS
Security & Cybersecurity
Developer platform for enterprise-ready authentication and identity.
- From
- $125/one-time per connection
- Rated
- -
Cisco Duo
Security & Cybersecurity
Trusted access for all users, all devices
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Cisco Duo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: WorkOS authKit free tier limited to 1 million monthly active users; additional millions cost $2,500/month; Cisco Duo free tier caps at 10 users; every paid tier requires a minimum of 10 users
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which WorkOS and Cisco Duo actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Security & Cybersecurity).
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
WorkOS
- SaaS applications needing rapid enterprise SSO deploymentnot Cisco Duo
- Companies selling to mid-market and enterprise customersnot Cisco Duo
- Applications requiring SCIM directory sync with corporate identity systemsnot Cisco Duo
- Product teams needing audit logs for compliance (SOC 2, ISO 27001)not Cisco Duo
- Platforms with multiple identity provider requirementsnot Cisco Duo
Cisco Duo
No use cases recorded yet. See the Cisco Duo review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
WorkOS
- AuthKit free tier limited to 1 million monthly active users; additional millions cost $2,500/month
- Per-connection pricing for SSO and Directory Sync ($125–$50 each) scales poorly for enterprises with many identity providers
- Audit logs require separate subscription at $125/month per SIEM connection or $99/month per 1 million events
- Radar fraud protection billed separately at $100/month per 50,000 additional checks beyond 1,000 free checks
- Custom domain feature requires $99/month subscription
- Requires annual commitment for SLA and support guarantees; pay-as-you-go tier lacks uptime guarantee
Cisco Duo
- Free tier caps at 10 users; every paid tier requires a minimum of 10 users
- Licenses cannot be bought individually above the free tier: under 100 users they are sold in increments of 10, and over 100 users in increments of 25
- Duo Premier, the top tier with the most adaptive access controls, costs $9 per user per month on top of the per-increment purchase requirement
Pricing, plan by plan
WorkOS
$125/one-time per connection- Pay as You Go$null/variable
- Per-connection pricing from $125 to $50 with volume discounts
- Up to 60% discount at scale
- Quick deployment
- Annual Credits$null/variable
- Custom pricing with volume discounts
- 99.99% uptime SLA
- Guided migration
Cisco Duo
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Cisco Duo review.
Which should you pick?
Questions people ask
- Is WorkOS or Cisco Duo better?
- Neither clearly leads. WorkOS starts at $125/one-time per connection and Cisco Duo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, WorkOS or Cisco Duo?
- Cisco Duo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $125/one-time per connection for WorkOS and Free for Cisco Duo.
- Does WorkOS or Cisco Duo run on more platforms?
- WorkOS runs on Web, API. Cisco Duo runs on Web.
- Can I use Cisco Duo for free?
- Yes. Cisco Duo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. WorkOS starts at $125/one-time per connection.
- What is WorkOS best used for?
- WorkOS is most often used for saas applications needing rapid enterprise sso deployment, companies selling to mid-market and enterprise customers, applications requiring scim directory sync with corporate identity systems, product teams needing audit logs for compliance (soc 2, iso 27001). Of those, saas applications needing rapid enterprise sso deployment and companies selling to mid-market and enterprise customers are not what Cisco Duo is typically brought in for.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
WorkOS: How quickly can I implement WorkOS SSO?
Developers can implement single sign-on in minutes instead of months. Multiple customers report setting up SSO in less than a week, with WorkOS handling the complexity of SAML and OIDC protocols.
SourceWorkOS: What SDKs does WorkOS provide?
WorkOS offers SDKs for Node.js, Python, Ruby, Go, PHP, Java, and .NET.
SourceWorkOS: Does WorkOS support SCIM provisioning?
Yes. WorkOS supports SCIM provisioning integration with systems like Okta and Entra ID for automated user management.
Source