HEAD-TO-HEAD · FACTS ONLY, NO SCORES

Microsoft Entra vs Okta: IAM jobs, prices and limits side by side

Short answer

The two identity providers buyers compare most often. Both document directory, lifecycle and threat detection. Microsoft publishes a price for every Entra tier and documents account discovery for app users who match no Entra ID user; Okta lists Privileged Access in its Essentials suite. Both cover directory and SSO, lifecycle and IGA, privileged access and threat detection. Only Microsoft Entra covers app coverage.

By The Access Desk · Best IAM Tools · Published 2026-10-08

Desk research from public vendor pages read in September 2026, updated 2026-10-11. Editorial profiles, no scores; we did not run the products.

How do they compare job by job?

Coverage as described on each vendor's own pages, read in September 2026 and updated 11 October 2026. Not a score.
Job	Microsoft Entra	Okta
J1Directory and SSO	Documented Entra ID Free includes MFA and SSO; the app gallery lists thousands of applications; Conditional Access comes with P1; phishing-resistant methods include passkeys and FIDO2 security keys. Source: Microsoft Entra pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026 · Source: Microsoft Learn: Entra application gallery · Read 27 Sep 2026 · Source: Microsoft Learn: Conditional Access overview · Read 27 Sep 2026 · Source: Microsoft Learn: Entra authentication methods · Read 27 Sep 2026	Documented Universal Directory, SSO and MFA from the Starter suite; 8,000+ pre-built integrations in the Okta Integration Network; FastPass passwordless; Adaptive MFA. Source: Okta pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026 · Source: Okta Integration Network · Read 27 Sep 2026 · Source: Okta FastPass · Read 27 Sep 2026 · Source: Okta Adaptive MFA · Read 27 Sep 2026
J2Lifecycle and IGA	Documented Entra ID Governance: lifecycle workflows before start, on status change and at leave, access reviews, entitlement management, and HR-driven provisioning from Workday and SAP SuccessFactors. Source: Microsoft Learn: Entra ID Governance overview · Read 27 Sep 2026 · Source: Microsoft Learn: HR-driven provisioning · Read 27 Sep 2026	Documented Lifecycle Management with HR sources (Workday, BambooHR, SuccessFactors) and SCIM; Okta Identity Governance adds access requests, certifications and entitlement management and requires Okta Workforce Identity. Source: Okta Lifecycle Management · Read 27 Sep 2026 · Source: Okta Identity Governance · Read 27 Sep 2026
J3App coverage	Partial Account discovery shows app users who do not match an Entra ID user. For apps without provisioning, the documented path is a CSV export, matching, an access review and an optional ServiceNow ticket. Source: Microsoft Learn: governing existing users in an application · Read 27 Sep 2026 · Source: Microsoft Learn: applications that do not support provisioning · Read 27 Sep 2026	Not in our sources Governance of apps outside Okta's integrations is not described on the pages reviewed.
J4Privileged access	Partial Privileged Identity Management (PIM) needs Microsoft Entra ID Governance or Entra ID P2 licences, per Microsoft's licensing page; feature detail is not in our sources. Source: Microsoft Learn: Entra ID Governance licensing fundamentals · Read 11 Oct 2026	Partial Privileged Access is listed in the Essentials suite on the pricing page; feature detail is not in our sources. Source: Okta pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026
J5Threat detection	Documented Defender for Identity detects identity-based attacks across on-premises Active Directory, Entra ID and other IAM such as Okta; ID Protection and risk-based Conditional Access come with P2. Source: Microsoft Learn: What is Microsoft Defender for Identity · Read 29 Sep 2026 · Source: Microsoft Entra pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026	Documented Identity Threat Protection evaluates risk during sessions, offers Universal Logout and shares signals with CrowdStrike, Zscaler, Palo Alto Networks and Jamf. Source: Okta Identity Threat Protection · Read 27 Sep 2026

Can you run both in one stack?

They overlap on directory and SSO, lifecycle and IGA and threat detection, so most stacks would use one of them for that job and the other only for the jobs it adds.

What do they cost and how are they deployed?

Microsoft Entra

Pricing: Per user per month, paid yearly: Entra ID Free; P1 $7.00; P2 $10.00; ID Governance $7.00 (requires P1 or P2); Entra Suite $12.00 (requires P1); Workload ID $3.00 per workload identity. P1 is included in Microsoft 365 E3 and Business Premium, P2 in Microsoft 365 E5. Defender for Identity needs EMS E5 or A5, Microsoft 365 E5 (E5, A5, G5), Microsoft 365 E5, A5, G5 or F5 Security, Microsoft 365 F5 Security and Compliance, or a standalone Defender for Identity licence; the standalone price is not stated.
Source: Microsoft Entra pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026 · Source: Microsoft Learn: What is Microsoft Defender for Identity · Read 29 Sep 2026 · Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender for Identity sensor prerequisites · Read 11 Oct 2026
Deployment: Microsoft cloud service; on-premises apps provisioned through the ECMA connector host; Defender for Identity uses sensors on identity infrastructure.
Source: Microsoft Learn: application provisioning · Read 27 Sep 2026 · Source: Microsoft Learn: What is Microsoft Defender for Identity · Read 29 Sep 2026
Integrations: Thousands of gallery applications; provisioning by SCIM 2.0, LDAP, SQL, REST, SOAP, PowerShell and ECMA connectors.
Source: Microsoft Learn: Entra application gallery · Read 27 Sep 2026 · Source: Microsoft Learn: application provisioning · Read 27 Sep 2026
Certifications: Not covered in our sources

Okta

Pricing: Starter $6, Core Essentials $14, Essentials $17 per user per month, billed annually; Professional and Enterprise priced on request; $1,500 annual minimum; 30-day Starter trial. Identity Threat Protection is an add-on from Essentials up and included in Professional. Okta's pricing table marks Identity Governance (OIG) as included from Essentials ($17 per user per month) upward, and Okta's footnote describes OIG as an add-on.
Source: Okta pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026 · Source: Okta Identity Governance · Read 27 Sep 2026
Deployment: Okta cloud service.
Source: Okta pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026
Integrations: 8,000+ pre-built integrations.
Source: Okta Integration Network · Read 27 Sep 2026
Certifications: FastPass page cites FedRAMP High and NIST AAL3 requirements on properly configured devices.
Source: Okta FastPass · Read 27 Sep 2026

What are each one's strengths and limits?

Microsoft Entra

Strengths

Published per-user prices for every tier.
Source: Microsoft Entra pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026
Directory, governance and detection from one vendor.
Source: Microsoft Learn: Entra ID Governance overview · Read 27 Sep 2026 · Source: Microsoft Learn: What is Microsoft Defender for Identity · Read 29 Sep 2026
Account discovery for app users who match no Entra ID user.
Source: Microsoft Learn: governing existing users in an application · Read 27 Sep 2026

Limits

ID Governance requires Entra ID P1 or P2.
Source: Microsoft Entra pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026
Apps without provisioning rely on a documented manual path (CSV export and matching).
Source: Microsoft Learn: applications that do not support provisioning · Read 27 Sep 2026
Privileged Identity Management needs Entra ID P2 or ID Governance licences, and its feature detail is not in our sources.
Source: Microsoft Learn: Entra ID Governance licensing fundamentals · Read 11 Oct 2026

Okta

Strengths

The largest integration catalog in our sources (8,000+).
Source: Okta Integration Network · Read 27 Sep 2026
Published entry prices.
Source: Okta pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026
Directory, lifecycle, governance and threat protection from one vendor.
Source: Okta Lifecycle Management · Read 27 Sep 2026 · Source: Okta Identity Governance · Read 27 Sep 2026 · Source: Okta Identity Threat Protection · Read 27 Sep 2026

Limits

$1,500 annual minimum contract.
Source: Okta pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026
Professional and Enterprise are priced on request, and the footnote describes Identity Governance as an add-on.
Source: Okta pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026
Apps outside the integration catalog are not covered in our sources.
Basis: absence on the pages we read

Which should you look at first?

Microsoft Entra

Look at Microsoft Entra first if you need: the jobs both cover.

Microsoft Entra's pages highlight: Published per-user prices for every tier.

Source: Microsoft Entra pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026

Okta

Look at Okta first if you need: the jobs both cover.

Okta's pages highlight: The largest integration catalog in our sources (8,000+).

Source: Okta Integration Network · Read 27 Sep 2026

Frequently asked questions

Do Microsoft Entra and Okta publish prices?

Microsoft Entra: Per user per month, paid yearly: Entra ID Free; P1 $7.00; P2 $10.00; ID Governance $7.00 (requires P1 or P2); Entra Suite $12.00 (requires P1); Workload ID $3.00 per workload identity. P1 is included in Microsoft 365 E3 and Business Premium, P2 in Microsoft 365 E5. Defender for Identity needs EMS E5 or A5, Microsoft 365 E5 (E5, A5, G5), Microsoft 365 E5, A5, G5 or F5 Security, Microsoft 365 F5 Security and Compliance, or a standalone Defender for Identity licence; the standalone price is not stated. Okta: Starter $6, Core Essentials $14, Essentials $17 per user per month, billed annually; Professional and Enterprise priced on request; $1,500 annual minimum; 30-day Starter trial. Identity Threat Protection is an add-on from Essentials up and included in Professional. Okta's pricing table marks Identity Governance (OIG) as included from Essentials ($17 per user per month) upward, and Okta's footnote describes OIG as an add-on.

Do Microsoft Entra and Okta overlap?

They overlap on directory and SSO, lifecycle and IGA and threat detection, so most stacks would use one of them for that job and the other only for the jobs it adds.

How can I compare more than two IAM tools?

Use the side-by-side tool, which shows up to five vendors' job coverage, prices and limits in one table.