Amazon Cognito vs Okta: Features, Pricing and User Reviews 2026
Compare features, pricing, reviews, and more to make an informed decision
Amazon Cognito
Amazon Cognito is a cloud service that adds secure user sign-up, sign-in, and access control to web and mobile apps.
Okta
Okta is a cloud-based identity management platform that provides secure access, single sign-on, and user authentication for businesses worldwide.
Amazon Cognito
Amazon Cognito is a cloud service that adds secure user sign-up, sign-in, and access control to web and mobile apps.
Okta
Okta is a cloud-based identity management platform that provides secure access, single sign-on, and user authentication for businesses worldwide.
Amazon Cognito
User pools for managing accounts
Social login with Google, Facebook, Apple
Enterprise federation via SAML and OIDC
Passwordless authentication options
Multi-factor authentication support
Advanced security and threat detection
Customizable login pages
AWS service access control
Email and SMS verification
Lambda triggers for custom workflows
Mobile and web SDK support
Compliance with security standards
Okta
Cloud-based identity management platform
Single sign-on for seamless app access
Multi-factor authentication for enhanced security
Automated user account lifecycle management
Access governance and compliance tools
Integration with 7,000+ applications
Universal directory for centralized user data
API access management capabilities
Workflow automation without coding
Real-time threat detection and protection
Mobile device management support
Detailed reporting and analytics dashboard
Amazon Cognito
Amazon Cognito uses pay-as-you-go pricing based on monthly active users (MAUs). A user counts as active when they sign in during the month. The service offers three pricing tiers:
Free Tier: Get 10,000 MAUs free every month for users signing in directly, plus 50 free MAUs for enterprise federation. This never expires and works for both new and existing customers.
Lite Tier: Starts at free for the first 10,000 users, then $0.0055 per MAU for users 10,001 to 100,000. Prices decrease as volume grows, reaching $0.0025 per MAU above 10 million users.
Essentials Tier: Costs $0.015 per MAU above 10,000 users. Includes standard security features and is the default for new accounts.
Plus Tier: Costs $0.02 per MAU with no free tier. Includes advanced security like threat detection, compromised credential monitoring, and risk-based authentication. This tier can save up to 60% compared to adding security features separately.
Enterprise federation through SAML or OIDC costs $0.015 per MAU above 50 users across all tiers.
Okta
Okta offers flexible pricing across two main product lines to meet different business needs.
Workforce Identity helps companies manage employee access with four tiers. The Starter plan costs $6 per user monthly and includes Single Sign-On, Multi-Factor Authentication, and Universal Directory with 5 workflows. Essentials at $17 per user monthly adds Adaptive MFA, Lifecycle Management, Access Governance, and 50 workflows. Professional and Enterprise plans require custom quotes and include advanced features like Device Access, Identity Threat Protection, API Access Management, and unlimited workflows.
Customer Identity starts at $3,000 monthly for the Enterprise base platform. This includes unlimited app connections, robust APIs, and a 99.99% uptime guarantee. The platform supports organizations building customer-facing applications that need reliable identity management at scale.
All plans include different levels of support and implementation assistance based on your needs.