OAuth vs Okta

The security dance everyone hates but can't live without meets the identity glue that holds your saas sprawl together, if you can afford the sticker shock. Here's our take.

OAuth

Nice Pick

The security dance everyone hates but can't live without. Delegating access without sharing passwords, because trust is a token.

Pros

• Eliminates password sharing for third-party apps
• Standardized across major platforms like Google and Facebook
• Granular scopes for fine-grained access control

Cons

• Implementation complexity leads to frequent security flaws
• Token management can be a debugging nightmare

Okta

The identity glue that holds your SaaS sprawl together, if you can afford the sticker shock.

Pros

• Seamless SSO integration with thousands of apps
• Robust MFA and security policies out of the box
• Great for managing user lifecycles in hybrid environments

Cons

• Pricing can make CFOs weep
• Admin console feels like navigating a maze

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. OAuth is a authentication while Okta is a hosting & deployment. We picked OAuth based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

OAuth wins

Based on overall popularity. OAuth is more widely used, but Okta excels in its own space.