Duo vs Microsoft Authenticator: Which Tool Is Better?

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 identification of customers at login. Equally, Microsoft Authenticator makes use of push notifications and one-time passcodes that may combine with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Entra ID (previously Azure Lively Listing.)

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

• Duo: Greatest for further safety capabilities like adaptive authentication, granular entry insurance policies, and menace detection.
• Microsoft Authenticator: Greatest for Microsoft-centric environments that need seamless integration with Microsoft Entra ID and different Home windows companies.

Duo vs Microsoft Authenticator: Comparability desk

Duo vs Microsoft Authenticator pricing

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

Duo pricing

Duo follows a tiered system primarily based on options and companies you desire to added to the appliance. For the time being, it affords 4 subscription tiers:

Microsoft Authenticator pricing

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

For a full record of costs and options, you’ll be able to go to our articles on Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Lively Listing).

Function comparability: Duo vs Microsoft Authenticator

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

Software Programming Interface integration

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

Duo helps limitless utility integrations by way of its platform in all out there editions.

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

Safety features

Each Duo and Microsoft Authenticator prioritize safety and provide strong options to guard consumer accounts. Duo helps adaptive authentication, which assesses the chance of every login try and prompts for extra verification when crucial. It additionally gives granular entry insurance policies, permitting directors to outline particular authentication necessities primarily based on consumer roles and circumstances.

Microsoft Authenticator leverages the facility of Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Lively Listing) to ship superior security measures, resembling conditional entry insurance policies, risk-based authentication, and seamless single sign-on experiences throughout functions. It additionally helps hardware-backed safety keys for enhanced safety in opposition to phishing assaults.

Authentication strategies

Each Duo and Microsoft Authenticator present a number of authentication strategies. Duo affords 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 units.

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 again up your Duo accounts on cloud companies like iCloud and Google Drive.

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

Buyer help

On the subject of buyer help, each suppliers provide a good quantity of choices.

For Duo, they’ve a devoted help web page with a web based information base categorized for Duo customers and directors — making it straightforward to get help for each kinds of customers.

In addition they have a weblog, documentation portal, and chatbot function. Except for that, you’ll be able to file a help case, contact a reside agent through cellphone, or e-mail the Duo help workforce.

Conversely, help for Microsoft Authenticator falls below the umbrella help companies you get with Microsoft as a complete. You’ll be able to contact Microsoft’s help brokers by way of their official help web page, make a cellphone name to considered one of their regional help numbers, or go to their Microsoft Neighborhood discussion board for reside discussions.

In addition they have an in depth FAQs web page for Microsoft Authenticator itself, offering documentation from setup to troubleshooting frequent points.

Duo execs 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.
• Menace Detection.
• Backup and restoration.

Cons

• Duo Free accounts are restricted to 10 customers.
• Barely cluttered UI in sure locations as a result of huge number of authentication choices.
• Safety notifications typically take longer than anticipated.

Microsoft Authenticator execs and cons

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

Professionals

• Passwordless sign-in.
• Push notifications by way of the 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 greater plans.
• Pricing mannequin could also be difficult for some customers to navigate.
• Is probably not excellent for firms that do not need Microsoft ecosystems.

Ought to your group use Duo or Microsoft Authenticator?

Selecting one 2FA software program over one other might be difficult, particularly when many placing similarities bind the merchandise collectively. For Duo and Microsoft Authenticator, the primary level of reference when deciding between the 2 ought to revolve round your general expertise stack, ease of use, and pricing.

If you happen to closely depend on Microsoft merchandise resembling Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Lively Listing), Microsoft 365, and different Microsoft companies, Microsoft Authenticator could present a extra seamless and built-in expertise.

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

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

Duo’s pricing is extra complete and clear, in contrast to Microsoft’s, which is extra difficult as a result 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 could differ relying in your group’s tech stack, consumer base, and the way acquainted they’re with every platform.

Use the free variations every answer affords 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 extra options that improve usability.

Contemplate conducting a pilot check with each options to judge their efficiency and compatibility inside your enterprise atmosphere. This lets you collect firsthand expertise and suggestions out of your customers and directors earlier than making a last choice.

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

SEE: Securing Linux Coverage (TechRepublic Premium)

Methodology

To attract a good comparability between Duo and Microsoft Authenticator, we began by going by way of the documentation pages of every product, the place we discovered about their key options and the way they combine with different applied sciences. We additionally checked out consumer evaluations from trusted third-party evaluate websites to get some opinions from verified customers. The author additionally makes use of Microsoft Authenticator, making it simpler to debate the product primarily based on my expertise. All these offered sufficient perception to assist form our evaluate.

This text was initially written by Franklin Okeke in August 2023 and was up to date by Luis Millares in January 2025 to account for function and product adjustments, like Azure Lively Listing’s title change to Microsoft Entra ID.