Okta Review: Is it the best identity management solution for you?

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1.7/5)

Introduction

Okta is one of the most well-known identity management and Single Sign-On (SSO) solutions, used by many organizations to manage identity and access securely.

While it offers a range of powerful features, there have been growing concerns and dissatisfaction among users regarding the company’s support, pricing, and transparency.

This review takes a detailed look at Okta, analyzing its features, challenges, user feedback, and viable alternatives.

Overview of Okta’s features

Okta offers several features designed to simplify identity management for organizations:

• Identity management: Okta provides centralized identity management to control and secure user access across multiple systems.

• Single Sign-On (SSO): With SSO, users can access multiple applications using a single set of credentials, reducing the need to manage multiple passwords.

• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): To enhance security, Okta requires additional verification beyond usernames and passwords, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

• Lifecycle management: Automates the processes of user provisioning and de-provisioning, making user management more efficient.

• Integration with multiple apps: Okta’s compatibility with numerous applications makes it flexible and capable of integrating into various organizational ecosystems.

Learn more about User Life cycle management , SSO,MFA, SSO and more here

The Bad

Despite its extensive feature set, Okta comes with several drawbacks that have been consistently highlighted by users and critics alike:

High cost in later years: Many organizations report that Okta becomes cost-prohibitive as their user numbers grow. Renewal contracts often come with significant price hikes, making Okta less cost-effective, especially for larger organizations that require scalability.

Customer support issues: Customer support is a major issue for Okta. Users often complain about unresponsive support. In my personal experience, getting a response from their sales or support team regarding pricing took up to six months, and in some cases, no one bothered to follow up at all. This lack of responsiveness can be highly frustrating for organizations relying on timely assistance.

Sales tactics: Okta’s sales tactics are often criticized as aggressive. Customers report difficulty in canceling contracts, reluctance from the company to make modifications, and aggressive upselling tactics that can leave customers feeling trapped with higher costs.

Add-ons and extra costs: Many features that appear attractive initially are only available through costly add-ons, which adds significantly to the overall expense of using Okta. This can make managing budgets challenging as costs can quickly escalate beyond initial expectations.

Talent availability: The availability of Okta-certified professionals is a significant limitation. There are not many engineers who specialize in Okta, making it difficult for organizations to find skilled professionals to manage the system internally. This often forces customers to rely solely on Okta’s team, leading to increased dependency and potential delays in resolving issues.

User experiences Feedback from users has provided valuable insights into Okta’s strengths and weaknesses:

• Security breach and criticism
  • Recently, Okta faced a security breach involving a third-party supplier, leading to widespread criticism of the company’s response. The impact was significant, with approximately $6 billion shaved off Okta’s market cap during the week the breach was made public. Okta’s public statements downplayed the customer impact, which led to further dissatisfaction among its users. (Source)

• Glassdoor employee feedback
  • Employee feedback on Glassdoor reflects a mixed picture. Okta has an average rating of 1.7, and many employees cite poor management and a lack of domain expertise as major issues. Phrases like “Bad management all around” and “Managers with no identity knowledge given Director titles” are common sentiments among reviews. (Source)

• Reddit user feedback
  • Reddit users have highlighted some strengths of Okta, particularly in its ability to handle system integration effectively, especially for mixed environments outside the Microsoft ecosystem. However, they also mention expensive renewal costs and a love/hate relationship with Okta’s billing, support, and services platform. (Source)

• Multi-factor frustration: The case against Okta
  • Satya Benson and Santiago Ferris (September 20, 2023) provided a detailed critique titled “Multi-factor frustration: The case against Okta.” Their complaints centered around the mobile app-based MFA, which forces users to have 24/7 phone access. Additionally, they pointed out the slow and inefficient login process, usability issues with browser extensions, and higher costs without clear benefits compared to Google’s MFA system. (Source)

• Okta schooled on security practices
  • Okta faced further criticism when multiple customers reported security breaches, and Okta failed to respond adequately. Cloudflare eventually detected the same breach 20 days later, prompting questions about how Okta, as a security-focused company, fell behind its own customers in breach detection. (Source)

Alternatives to Okta

If the drawbacks of Okta seem overwhelming, there are numerous alternatives available that can provide similar functionality without the associated drawbacks. Here are some of the top choices:

Microsoft 365 Solutions: Microsoft offers built-in identity management features that work seamlessly within its ecosystem. If you’re already using Microsoft products, this is a strong alternative.

Read Microsoft 365 review here

SailPoint: Specializes in identity governance and administration, making it ideal for organizations that prioritize managing user identities and access.

Read SailPoint review here

JumpCloud: Provides a comprehensive identity management solution along with device management, making it versatile for organizations that need both.

Read JumpCloud review here

Splunk: Known for its security information and event management (SIEM) capabilities, Splunk also offers some identity features that can be helpful for organizations looking to boost their security posture.

Read Splunk review here

SolarWinds: Offers monitoring and access management capabilities that are robust and useful for IT infrastructure management.

Read Solarwinds review here

JAMF: Ideal for organizations with a heavy reliance on Apple devices, JAMF provides strong integration for device and identity management.

Read JAMF review here

OneLogin: A more affordable identity management solution compared to Okta, with strong SSO and integration capabilities that make it a suitable choice for organizations with limited budgets.

Read OneLogin review here

Conclusion

Okta undoubtedly remains a leader in the identity management and SSO space, and it provides a solid product portfolio for securing and managing user access across multiple systems.

However, its high costs, unreliable customer support, aggressive sales tactics, and the scarcity of available talent present substantial challenges that many organizations struggle with.

In my own experience, the lack of responsiveness from the sales and support teams, coupled with heavy dependency on Okta’s internal experts due to the shortage of skilled professionals, makes the overall experience frustrating.

For many organizations, the cost and effort required to maintain Okta may simply outweigh the benefits.

Final verdict:

Given the many challenges associated with Okta, potential users may want to consider staying away from it for now and explore other identity management solutions that might better meet their needs.

Sources

1. Security breach details: Silicon Angle – Ripple effects of Okta security breach
2. Glassdoor rating and employee feedback: Glassdoor Okta Reviews
3. Reddit user feedback: Reddit discussion on Okta
4. Multi-factor frustration: The case against Okta: By Satya Benson and Santiago Ferris (September 20, 2023)
5. Okta schooled on security practices: Pragmatic Engineer Newsletter – The Pulse #67

Medha Cloud provides IT consulting services that guide organizations on how to implement efficient offboarding processes, making sure the right investments are made to safeguard company information and streamline operations. Cost-saving is important, but ensuring the right measures are in place to prevent losses is crucial for business growth and stability.