Okta Identity Cloud

Overview

Okta Identity Cloud is a platform designed to manage and secure digital identities for both enterprise workforces and external customers. Established in 2009, Okta has expanded its offerings to address a broad spectrum of identity-related challenges, from simplifying employee access to enhancing customer experience and security. The platform is structured around two primary product lines: the Workforce Identity Cloud and the Customer Identity Cloud, which incorporates the Auth0 acquisition.

The Workforce Identity Cloud focuses on securing internal users, applications, and infrastructure. It provides capabilities such as single sign-on (SSO) for cloud and on-premises applications, multi-factor authentication (MFA) to strengthen login security, and lifecycle management for automated provisioning and deprovisioning of user accounts. This suite is often employed by IT departments and security teams to enforce access policies, improve compliance, and streamline employee onboarding and offboarding processes across diverse IT ecosystems.

The Customer Identity Cloud, powered by Auth0 technology, is tailored for external-facing applications and services. It enables organizations to manage customer identities, improve user registration and login experiences, and secure customer data. Key features include universal login, passwordless authentication, social login integration, and secure API access management. This offering is particularly relevant for developers building applications that require robust, scalable, and customizable authentication and authorization flows for their end-users. The integration of Auth0 has significantly enhanced Okta's developer-focused identity solutions, providing SDKs and APIs across multiple programming languages to embed identity services directly into applications (Okta Developer Documentation).

Okta's platform is designed to integrate with existing enterprise systems and cloud services, aiming to provide a unified identity layer. It supports various compliance standards, including SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and GDPR, which is critical for organizations operating in regulated industries. The platform's architectural approach emphasizes extensibility, allowing developers to customize identity workflows and integrate with a wide array of third-party tools and services. According to a Gartner Peer Insights 'Voice of the Customer' report, Okta is recognized for its comprehensive access management capabilities.

Key features

• Single Sign-On (SSO): Provides users with one set of credentials to access multiple applications, enhancing convenience and security (Okta SSO).
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Adds layers of security beyond passwords using various factors like biometrics, security keys, or one-time passcodes (Okta MFA).
• Adaptive MFA: Dynamically adjusts authentication requirements based on context, such as location, device, or behavior.
• API Access Management: Secures API endpoints and microservices by enforcing fine-grained access policies and token management.
• Universal Directory: Centralized user store that integrates with existing directories like Active Directory and LDAP.
• Lifecycle Management: Automates provisioning and deprovisioning of user accounts across various applications.
• Passwordless Authentication: Enables users to log in without passwords using methods like WebAuthn or magic links.
• Social Login: Allows users to sign in using their existing social media accounts (e.g., Google, Facebook).
• Device Trust: Verifies the security posture of devices accessing resources before granting access.
• Identity Governance: Provides tools for auditing, reporting, and enforcing identity-related compliance policies.

Pricing

Okta's pricing model is tiered, varying based on the specific product (Workforce Identity Cloud or Customer Identity Cloud), features, and the number of users or monthly active users (MAU). A free developer tier is available for Auth0, part of the Customer Identity Cloud.

Pricing as of May 7, 2026:

Detailed pricing information, including enterprise plans and specific feature breakdowns, is available on the Okta pricing page.

Common integrations

• Cloud Providers: AWS (AWS CLI SSO integration), Azure (Azure AD integration), Google Cloud Platform (Google Cloud SSO).
• Productivity Apps: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce (Salesforce SSO).
• HR Systems: Workday, BambooHR, UltiPro.
• Development Tools: GitHub (GitHub SSO), Jira, Slack.
• Networking & Security: Palo Alto Networks, Cisco, CrowdStrike.
• Identity Providers: Active Directory, LDAP.

Alternatives

• Microsoft Entra ID: Microsoft's cloud-based identity and access management service, formerly Azure Active Directory, for workforce and external users.
• Ping Identity: Offers a suite of identity solutions for workforce and customer IAM, including SSO, MFA, and access security.
• ForgeRock: Provides a comprehensive digital identity platform for consumers, workforce, and things, with open-source roots.
• AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM): Amazon's service to securely control access to AWS services and resources.
• Google Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM): Google's service for managing who has what access to Google Cloud resources.

Getting started

This example demonstrates how to integrate Okta's Auth0 SDK for client-side authentication in a simple JavaScript application, allowing users to log in and display their profile information. First, ensure you have an Auth0 application set up in your Okta Customer Identity Cloud dashboard to obtain your domain and client ID (Auth0 SPA SDK documentation).

// index.html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>Okta Auth0 SPA Example</title>
    <script src="https://cdn.auth0.com/js/auth0-spa-js/2.0/auth0-spa-js.production.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Welcome!</h1>
    <button id="login">Log In</button>
    <button id="logout">Log Out</button>
    <pre id="profile"></pre>

    <script>
        const config = {
            domain: "YOUR_AUTH0_DOMAIN", // e.g., "dev-yourcompany.us.auth0.com"
            clientId: "YOUR_AUTH0_CLIENT_ID", // e.g., "abcdef1234567890"
            authorizationParams: {
                redirect_uri: window.location.origin
            }
        };

        let auth0Client = null;

        const updateUI = async () => {
            const isAuthenticated = await auth0Client.isAuthenticated();
            document.getElementById("login").disabled = isAuthenticated;
            document.getElementById("logout").disabled = !isAuthenticated;

            if (isAuthenticated) {
                const user = await auth0Client.getUser();
                document.getElementById("profile").textContent = JSON.stringify(user, null, 2);
            } else {
                document.getElementById("profile").textContent = "";
            }
        };

        const configureAuth0 = async () => {
            auth0Client = await auth0spa.createAuth0Client(config);

            const query = window.location.search;
            if (query.includes("code=") && query.includes("state=")) {
                await auth0Client.handleRedirectCallback();
                window.history.replaceState({}, document.title, window.location.pathname);
            }

            updateUI();
        };

        window.onload = configureAuth0;

        document.getElementById("login").addEventListener("click", async () => {
            await auth0Client.loginWithRedirect();
        });

        document.getElementById("logout").addEventListener("click", async () => {
            await auth0Client.logout({
                logoutParams: {
                    returnTo: window.location.origin
                }
            });
        });
    </script>
</body>
</html>

To run this example:

1. Replace YOUR_AUTH0_DOMAIN and YOUR_AUTH0_CLIENT_ID with your actual Auth0 application credentials.
2. Ensure http://localhost:8080 (or your chosen development server URL) is added to the "Allowed Callback URLs" and "Allowed Logout URLs" in your Auth0 application settings.
3. Serve this index.html file using a local web server (e.g., Python's http.server or Node.js's serve) and navigate to it in your browser.