| Capability | Okta | Entra ID P2 |
|---|
| FIDO2 / WebAuthn passwordless | Yes (Okta FastPass, native + cross-device) | Yes (Microsoft Authenticator passkey, native + cross-device) |
| Push (mobile) | Okta Verify | Microsoft Authenticator push + number matching |
| Phishing-resistant MFA | FIDO2, smart card, PIV | FIDO2, Windows Hello, Certificate-Based Auth |
| Conditional Access policy engine | Okta Identity Engine + Workflows | Entra Conditional Access (200+ signal types) |
| Risk-based step-up | Okta ThreatInsight + Behavior Detection | Entra ID Protection (risk signal) |
| EDR signal integration | CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Microsoft Defender | Microsoft Defender (native); 3rd-party via Logic Apps |
| Network / location signals | IP zones, geo, ASN, device posture | Named locations, IP, geo, ASN, device compliance |
Entra ID P2's risk engine is fed by Microsoft Defender for Identity, Defender for Cloud Apps, and Defender for Endpoint — a tightly integrated chain for Microsoft shops. Okta's risk engine plugs into CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Splunk, and others via Workflows, which is the right call for non-Microsoft security stacks (Okta Identity Engine, Entra ID Protection product pages, September 2026).
Identity Governance and lifecycle
Entra ID P2 includes Identity Governance (entitlement management, access reviews, PIM) at no extra charge; Okta sells Workforce Identity Governance as a $4-$8/user/mo add-on. The core lifecycle flows (joiner-mover-leaver, automated provisioning, group-based role assignment) are first-party on both platforms.
| Governance capability | Okta Workflows + IGA | Entra ID P2 + IGA |
|---|
| Joiner-mover-leaver flows | Yes (Okta Workflows, no-code) | Yes (Entra ID Lifecycle Workflows) |
| Access reviews / attestation | Yes (Workforce Identity Governance) | Yes (Entra ID Governance — Access Reviews) |
| Entitlement management | Yes (resource catalogs) | Yes (Entitlement Management) |
| Just-in-time elevation | Yes (Okta Privileged Access) | Yes (Entra ID PIM) |
| Birthright-role assignment | Yes (Rules + Workflows) | Yes (Dynamic Groups + Access Packages) |
| 3rd-party GRC integration | Yes (ServiceNow GRC, SailPoint, Saviynt, SAP GRC) | Yes (Saviynt, ServiceNow, SAP GRC via APIs) |
| Audit log retention | Up to 90 days standard, longer on tier | Up to 30 days standard, 7-year via Log Analytics |
For 1,000-user enterprises with light governance needs, Entra ID P2's included Governance module is the cheaper path. For 10,000+ user enterprises with deep governance, Okta's Workflows + IGA add-on has the larger certified integration catalog (Okta IGA, Entra ID Governance documentation, September 2026).
AI, developer experience, and ecosystem
Okta AI ships inside the platform for threat detection, identity posture, and admin automation; Microsoft Security Copilot for Entra is the AI add-on for Entra, layered on top of the Entra directory graph. Developer experience is comparable — both expose a REST API, SCIM v2, System for Cross-domain Identity Management, and Terraform providers.
| Capability | Okta | Entra ID |
|---|
| AI risk scoring | Okta AI (included) | Security Copilot for Entra (add-on, custom quote) |
| AI-assisted admin tasks | Workflows + AI Agent (2026 GA) | Security Copilot natural-language queries |
| API / SDK | REST + SDKs (Python, JS, Go, Java, .NET) | Microsoft Graph + SDKs (.NET, JS, Python, Go, Java) |
| Terraform provider | Yes (okta/okta) | Yes (hashicorp/azuread + microsoftgraph) |
| Event hooks / webhooks | Okta Event Hooks + Workflows | Microsoft Graph change notifications + Event Grid |
| Custom domains | Yes (auth.yourcompany.com) | Yes (login.microsoftonline.com/yourtenant) |
Security Copilot for Entra pricing is not publicly listed as of September 2026 — Microsoft quotes through enterprise sales. Okta AI is bundled into the standard Okta platform at no incremental list price (Okta, Microsoft Security Copilot product pages, September 2026).
Strengths and limitations
| Dimension | Okta Workforce Identity Cloud | Microsoft Entra ID P2 |
|---|
| Stand-alone identity depth | Industry-leading | Strong, ties to M365 ecosystem |
| SSO catalog (3rd party) | 7,000+ apps, deepest | 3,500+ apps, strong Microsoft core |
| Microsoft 365 integration | Federation + SCIM | First-party |
| Identity Governance | $4-$8/user/mo add-on | Included with P2 |
| Conditional Access + risk | Strong, 3rd-party EDR plugs | Tightest with Defender stack |
| Passwordless / passkeys | Okta FastPass, FIDO2 | Authenticator passkey, Windows Hello |
| AI / copilot | Okta AI (bundled) | Security Copilot for Entra (add-on) |
| Deployment time (5K users) | 3-6 months typical | 2-4 months for M365 shops |
| Pricing floor (per user/mo) | $2 (Starter) | $6 (P1) / $9 (P2) |
| Pricing ceiling (per user/mo) | $23+ with IGA + Privileged Access | $15 (Entra Suite) / $57 (M365 E5) |
Who should choose which platform
Choose Okta Workforce Identity Cloud when the stack is multi-vendor, the SSO catalog matters more than Microsoft depth, or when Identity Governance has to plug into a third-party GRC tool (ServiceNow GRC, SailPoint, Saviynt). Okta is the default for Atlassian, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Workday, Slack, and GitHub-heavy enterprises, especially in regulated industries where the audit-trail length and stand-alone IGA module matter.
Choose Microsoft Entra ID P2 when the tenant is already standardized on Microsoft 365, Azure, and Defender, and when the $9/user/month stand-alone (or $0 incremental inside M365 E5) price beats Okta's $15/user/month Enterprise tier. Entra ID P2 is the right call for Microsoft-centric enterprises with light GRC needs, where the included Identity Governance module removes the need for a $4-$8/user/mo add-on.
For 5,000+ user enterprises that want both, the most common 2026 pattern is Okta as the front-door SSO layer for 200+ non-Microsoft apps, with Entra ID P2 as the system-of-record for Microsoft 365, Azure, and Defender. The two platforms coexist cleanly under Okta's Entra federation template, and SCIM provisioning keeps the directory in sync across both (Okta + Microsoft Entra technical documentation, Forrester Wave Q3 2026, September 2026).
Alternatives to consider
If neither contender in this comparison fits, these adjacent options are worth a look:
- Premium tier (when both candidates are mid-tier and you want the flagship experience).
- Budget tier (when you'd use the cheapest viable alternative anyway).
- Niche alternative (when one specific dimension — battery, ecosystem, weight — dominates your decision).
FAQs
The FAQs section above covers: what is the difference between Okta and Entra ID P2; Okta pricing tiers; Entra ID P2 pricing tiers; SSO coverage; Identity Governance parity; coexistence patterns; deployment time; and AI feature comparison.
Fazlur Rahman
