Duo vs Microsoft Authenticator (2024): Which Software is Higher?

Two-factor authentication has emerged as an important safety measure for organizations to reinforce the safety of their customers. Duo and Microsoft Authenticator are two fashionable apps that present this degree of safety.

Duo makes use of push notifications, time-based, one-time passwords, bodily tokens and biometrics to confirm the id of customers at login. Equally, Microsoft Authenticator makes use of push notifications, one-time passcodes and may combine with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Entra ID (previously Azure Energetic Listing.)

Whereas each 2FA choices share some similarities, there are key variations that may sway your choice to decide on one over the opposite.

Duo vs. Microsoft Authenticator: Comparability desk

Duo vs Microsoft Authenticator pricing

Under is how Duo and Microsoft Authenticator sq. up towards one another by way of pricing.

Duo pricing (Free plan; then begins at $3 per consumer, monthly for next-level plan)

Duo follows a tiered system based mostly on options and providers you want to added to the applying.

• Free plan: The free model permits as much as 10 customers and provides basic safety features.
• Important: This plan begins at $3 per consumer monthly and contains further options like single sign-on, verified Duo push, trusted endpoints and passwordless authentication.
• Benefit: The Duo Benefit plan is $6 per consumer monthly and contains all Important options plus risk-based authentication, adaptive entry insurance policies, gadget well being checks and full gadget visibility.
• Premier: This plan begins at $9 per consumer monthly and provides all Benefit options and inclusions similar to full gadget belief with endpoint safety examine, a complete package deal for zero-trust entry and VPN-less distant entry to non-public assets. (Determine A)

Microsoft Authenticator pricing (Free; bundled into some current merchandise)

Microsoft Authenticator is free and comes bundled with all Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Energetic Listing) and 365 Enterprise accounts.

For a full checklist of costs and options, you possibly can go to our articles on Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Energetic Listing).

Function comparability: Duo vs. Microsoft Authenticator

Each Duo and Microsoft Authenticator current wonderful options to customers however here’s a head-to-head function comparability:

Utility Programming Interface integration

Most enterprise organizations contemplating Duo or Microsoft Authenticator will need to combine these apps with current software program or customized software program and server purposes.

Duo helps limitless utility integrations by means of its platform on all editions out there.

Then again, whereas Microsoft Authenticator additionally integrates with different third-party services, it’s far simpler to combine with Microsoft-supported providers as a result of it’s already bundled with a few of them.

Security measures

Each Duo and Microsoft Authenticator prioritize safety and supply sturdy options to guard consumer accounts. Duo helps adaptive authentication, which assesses the chance of every login try and prompts for added verification when essential. It additionally offers granular entry insurance policies, permitting directors to outline particular authentication necessities based mostly on consumer roles and circumstances.

Microsoft Authenticator leverages the facility of Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Energetic Listing) to ship superior safety features, similar to conditional entry insurance policies, risk-based authentication and seamless single sign-on experiences throughout purposes. It additionally helps hardware-backed safety keys for enhanced safety towards phishing assaults.

Authentication strategies

Each Duo and Microsoft Authenticator present a number of authentication strategies. Duo provides quite a lot of authentication choices, together with push notifications, WebAuthn and biometrics, tokens, passcodes and {hardware} safety keys.

In the meantime, Microsoft Authenticator helps push notifications, OTPs and biometric authentication (fingerprint, facial recognition) on supported gadgets (see Determine B).

Backup and restoration

Duo’s Restore function lets customers backup Duo-protected accounts and third-party OTP accounts for restoration to the identical or new gadget. This lets you backup your Duo accounts on cloud providers like iCloud and Google Drive.

Equally, Microsoft Authenticator provides backup and restoration choices that permit customers to securely retailer their accounts and settings within the cloud. This function allows straightforward restoration of accounts on new gadgets or in case of gadget loss.

Duo professionals and cons

Whereas Duo presents many advantages to customers, it additionally has some drawbacks. Here’s a abstract of the professionals and cons.

Professionals

• Single sign-on.
• Passwordless.
• A number of authentication strategies.
• Push Phishing Safety.
• Risk Detection.
• Backup and restoration.

Cons

• Duo Free accounts are restricted to 10 customers.
• Barely cluttered UI in sure locations because of the vast number of authentication choices.
• Safety notifications typically take longer than anticipated.

Microsoft Authenticator professionals and cons

Microsoft authenticator provides highly effective two-factor authentication options, however there could also be a number of drawbacks some customers say they’ve skilled whereas utilizing the product. Under are a number of the professionals and cons.

Professionals

• Passwordless sign-in.
• Push notifications by means of cellular app.
• The authenticator app can be utilized as a software program token.
• Backup and restoration help.

Cons

• Multi-factor report choice is just supported within the increased plans.
• Pricing mannequin could also be difficult for some customers to navigate.
• Is probably not preferrred for firms that would not have Microsoft ecosystems.

Methodology

So as to draw a good comparability between Duo and Microsoft Authenticator, we began by going by means of the documentation pages of every product, the place we realized about their key options and the way they combine with different applied sciences. We additionally checked out consumer critiques from trusted third-party overview websites to get some opinions from verified customers. The author additionally makes use of Microsoft Authenticator, making it simpler to debate the product based mostly on my expertise. All these supplied sufficient perception that helped form our overview.

This text was initially written by Franklin Okeke and was up to date by Luis Millares to account for function and product modifications, like Azure Energetic Listing’s title change to Microsoft Entra ID.

Ought to your group use Duo or Microsoft Authenticator?

Choosing one 2FA software program over one other may be difficult, particularly when many putting similarities bind the merchandise collectively. For Duo and Microsoft Authenticator, the principle level of reference when you need to resolve between the 2 ought to revolve round your total know-how stack, ease of use and pricing.

Should you closely depend on Microsoft merchandise similar to Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Energetic Listing), Microsoft 365 and different Microsoft providers, Microsoft Authenticator might present a extra seamless and built-in expertise.

Then again, if in case you have a various set of platforms and purposes, Duo’s broad compatibility and in depth integration capabilities make it a extra versatile alternative. Duo integrates simply with providers like Slack, Atlassian, Salesforce, Dropbox and extra.

You also needs to contemplate the pricing fashions and the way they meet your corporation necessities and budgets. Duo’s pricing construction varies relying on the options and help degree chosen, whereas Microsoft Authenticator is often bundled with Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

Duo’s pricing is extra complete and clear, not like Microsoft’s, which is extra difficult as a consequence of its bundling with Microsoft subscriptions. Take time to judge your group’s particular wants and contemplate the related prices when evaluating the pricing of those options.

Lastly, look into every service’s consumer expertise and ease of use. Each Duo and Microsoft Authenticator present seamless consumer experiences, however preferences might fluctuate relying in your group’s tech stack, consumer base and the way acquainted they’re with every platform. Use the free variations supplied by every resolution to get hands-on expertise with every product. When testing, assess issues such because the simplicity of setup, the intuitiveness of the authentication course of, and any further options that improve usability.

Take into account conducting a pilot take a look at with each options to judge their efficiency and compatibility inside your corporation setting. It will permit you to collect firsthand expertise and suggestions out of your customers and directors earlier than making a remaining choice.

For a extra complete analysis of two-factor authentication based mostly on safety affect and strategic enterprise initiative, try this two-factor authentication analysis information.

Learn subsequent: Two-factor authentication: A cheat sheet