# Best Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software with Consent and preference management Capabilities ## How Many Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software Products Does G2 Track? **Total Products under this Category:** 106 ### Category Stats (Aug 2026) - **Average Rating:** 4.39/5 The average rating of products in this category, based on all submitted ratings - **Top Trending Product:** miniOrange Identity & Access Management (+0.77%) - Among all products in this category, miniOrange Identity & Access Management recorded the largest rating increase compared to last month _Last updated: August 01, 2026_ ## How Does G2 Rank Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software Products? **Why You Can Trust G2's Software Rankings:** - 30 Analysts and Data Experts - 8,000+ Authentic Reviews - 106+ Products - Unbiased Rankings G2's software rankings are built on verified user reviews, rigorous moderation, and a consistent research methodology maintained by a team of analysts and data experts. Each product is measured using the same transparent criteria, with no paid placement or vendor influence. While reviews reflect real user experiences, which can be subjective, they offer valuable insight into how software performs in the hands of professionals. Together, these inputs power the G2 Score, a standardized way to compare tools within every category. ## G2 Grid® for Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software ![G2 Grid® for Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software plotting products by satisfaction and market presence](https://www.g2.com/categories/customer-identity-and-access-management-ciam/grids.png?focus%5B%5D=1927&focus%5B%5D=633&focus%5B%5D=22264&focus%5B%5D=3858&focus%5B%5D=135981&focus%5B%5D=20165&focus%5B%5D=30591&focus%5B%5D=1195971) Highlighted products: Salesforce Headless 360 Platform (formerly Salesforce Platform), Okta, Auth0, IBM Verify CIAM, Supabase, Amazon Cognito, Ping Identity, and Microsoft Entra External ID. Underlying data: [Grid® JSON](https://www.g2.com/categories/customer-identity-and-access-management-ciam/grids.json?focus%5B%5D=agentforce-360-platform-formerly-salesforce-platform&focus%5B%5D=okta&focus%5B%5D=auth0&focus%5B%5D=ibm-verify-ciam&focus%5B%5D=supabase-supabase&focus%5B%5D=amazon-cognito&focus%5B%5D=ping-identity&focus%5B%5D=microsoft-entra-external-id) **Sponsored** ### Google Cloud Identity & Access Management (IAM) Fine-grained access control and visibility for centrally managing cloud resources. [Visit website](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bad_program%5D=ppc&secure%5Bad_slot%5D=category_product_list_llm&secure%5Bcategory_id%5D=1251&secure%5Bchosen_at%5D=2026-08-02T21%3A29%3A37Z&secure%5Bdisplayable_resource_id%5D=1251&secure%5Bdisplayable_resource_type%5D=Category&secure%5Bmedium%5D=sponsored&secure%5Bplacement_reason%5D=page_category&secure%5Bplacement_resource_ids%5D%5B%5D=1251&secure%5Bprioritized%5D=false&secure%5Bproduct_id%5D=21375&secure%5Bresource_id%5D=1251&secure%5Bresource_type%5D=Category&secure%5Bsource_type%5D=category_page&secure%5Bsource_url%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.g2.com%2Fcategories%2Fcustomer-identity-and-access-management-ciam%2Ff%2Fconsent-and-preference-management&secure%5Btoken%5D=c6a72469ee068a95ebad4f635703bf2f5fe08d200657223c8aef962d565bd7ab&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fcloud.google.com%2Fidentity%3Futm_source%3DG2%26utm_medium%3Ddisplay%26utm_campaign%3DCloud-SS-DR-GCP-1713658-GCP-DR-NA-US-en-G2-Display-Banner-All-%2525epid%21-%2525ecid%21-iam%26utm_content%3D%257Bdevice%257D-%257Badgroupid%257D-%257Bnetwork%257D-%257Btargetid%257D-%257Bloc_physical_ms%257D-%257Bcampaignid%257D&secure%5Burl_type%5D=custom_url) ### [Ping Identity](https://www.g2.com/products/ping-identity/reviews) Ping Identity is a type of identity management solution designed to help organizations implement Zero Trust security frameworks while enhancing user experiences across various platforms. With a focus on intelligent identity solutions, Ping Identity empowers enterprises to securely manage access to cloud, mobile, Software as a Service (SaaS), and on-premises applications, facilitating a seamless integration of identity management into their digital business strategies. The target audience for Ping Identity primarily includes large enterprises and organizations that require robust security measures and streamlined access management for their workforce, customers, and partners. This solution is particularly beneficial for businesses operating in hybrid environments, where applications and data are spread across multiple platforms and locations. By adopting Ping Identity, organizations can ensure that their security protocols are not only effective but also user-friendly, thereby improving overall productivity and satisfaction. Key features of the PingOne Cloud Platform include single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and adaptive authentication, which collectively enhance security while simplifying the user experience. The platform's SSO capability allows users to access multiple applications with a single set of credentials, reducing password fatigue and improving user compliance. MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring additional verification steps, which is crucial in today’s threat landscape. Adaptive authentication further strengthens security by assessing user behavior and context, enabling organizations to respond dynamically to potential risks. Ping Identity stands out in the identity management category through its commitment to open standards and strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as Microsoft and Amazon. This approach not only enhances interoperability with existing systems but also ensures that organizations can leverage the latest technologies and innovations in identity management. By providing flexible solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of each enterprise, Ping Identity accelerates digital transformation initiatives, enhances customer engagement, and fortifies security measures, making it a valuable asset for any organization looking to navigate the complexities of modern identity management. **Average Rating:** 4.4/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 118 #### How Do G2 Users Rate Ping Identity? - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.6/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10) - **Customer data linking:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.8/10) - **Social login:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10) - **Self-registration and self-service:** 8.6/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10) #### Who Is the Company Behind Ping Identity? - **Seller:** [Ping Identity](https://www.g2.com/sellers/ping-identity) - **Company Website:** www.PingIdentity.com - **Year Founded:** 2002 - **HQ Location:** Denver, CO - **Twitter:** @pingidentity 42,053 Twitter followers - **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=d7bc87f22d7c02efbeb1365493925da4153acada6e51611ac77880667f106672&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2F21870%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website) 2,378 employees on LinkedIn® #### Who Uses This Product? - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer Software - **Company Size:** 69% Large, 23% Medium #### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About Ping Identity? _AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_ ##### Pros - Users value the **responsive customer management** in Ping Identity, appreciating the ease of configuration and collaboration. - Users appreciate the **ease of use** of Ping Identity, finding it simple to configure and manage applications. - Users appreciate the **adaptability** of Ping Identity, enjoying seamless app configuration and management experiences. - Users value the **easy app configuration and management** capabilities in Ping Identity, enhancing their maintenance experience. - Users appreciate the **responsive customer support** of Ping Identity, highlighting their willingness to listen and collaborate effectively. ##### Cons - Users find the **limited features** of Ping Identity restrictive, particularly in terms of customization and ease of setup. - Users find **authentication issues** with Ping Identity, especially regarding confusion in setup and maintenance of OAuth/OIDC. - Users find the **complex administration** of Ping Identity challenging, noting confusion in setup and maintenance. - Users find the **complex setup** of Ping Identity confusing, affecting the ease of using its features. - Users find the **interface confusing** , making setup and maintenance of Ping Identity challenging and frustrating. #### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of Ping Identity? **["Scalable and Reliable Identity Management at Massive Scale"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/ping-identity-review-12643118)** **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars _— Peter B._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/ping-identity-review-12643118) **["Comprehensive, Stable Authentication Suite That’s Easy to Use"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/ping-identity-review-12827456)** **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars _— Naveen Kumar S._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/ping-identity-review-12827456) #### What Are G2 Users Discussing About Ping Identity? - [How has Ping Identity supported your identity and access management, and what challenges have you faced?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-has-ping-identity-supported-your-identity-and-access-management-and-what-challenges-have-you-faced) - [What is Ping Identity used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-ping-identity-used-for) ### [SAP Customer Identity and Access Management](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-customer-identity-and-access-management/reviews) SAP CIAM for B2C is about creating relationships built on trust, security, and compliance. For the consumer, they receive an exceptional user experience, from frictionless authentication, engagement, and personalisation across every touchpoint, channel, and brand. For your business, leverage the unified customer identity to be used across your business, both front office and back office. Increase profitability and growth, at scale. Bonus: Our Enterprise Consent and Preference Management Solution is now part of CIAM B2C Customer Data Solutions: Customer Data Platform, Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) for B2C\*, Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) for B2B\*, \*Enterprise Consent and Access Management (ECPM) is now part of CIAM **Average Rating:** 4.1/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 29 #### How Do G2 Users Rate SAP Customer Identity and Access Management? - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.0/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10) - **Customer data linking:** 9.8/10 (Category avg: 8.8/10) - **Social login:** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10) - **Self-registration and self-service:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10) #### Who Is the Company Behind SAP Customer Identity and Access Management? - **Seller:** [SAP](https://www.g2.com/sellers/sap) - **Year Founded:** 1972 - **HQ Location:** Walldorf - **Twitter:** @SAP 297,052 Twitter followers - **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=8fd712dbd816fadfc039a60dcf8c1a3d6a48469756075586fa0be3da7e4b74d7&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fsap%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website) 141,955 employees on LinkedIn® - **Ownership:** NYSE:SAP #### Who Uses This Product? - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services - **Company Size:** 47% Large, 37% Medium #### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About SAP Customer Identity and Access Management? _AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_ ##### Pros - Users appreciate the **prompt customer support** of SAP Customer Identity and Access Management, enhancing their overall experience. - Users find SAP Customer Identity and Access Management's **ease of use** enhances customer relationship building and understanding. - Users appreciate the **user-friendly interface** of SAP Customer Identity and Access Management, enabling efficient customer relationship building. - Users value the **easy-to-use UI** and minimal learning curve of SAP Customer Identity and Access Management. - Users value the **easy-to-use analytics** of SAP Customer IAM, enhancing their understanding of consumer behavior effortlessly. ##### Cons - Users find the **complexity of integration** with external services to be a significant hurdle when using SAP Customer Identity and Access Management. - Users face significant **complexity issues** with integrating external services, often requiring expert assistance for successful implementation. - Users find the **complex setup** of SAP Customer Identity and Access Management to be a significant drawback affecting usability. - Users find SAP Customer Identity and Access Management to be **expensive** compared to competitors, affecting its overall value. - Users face **integration issues** with external services, finding the process complex and in need of simplification. #### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of SAP Customer Identity and Access Management? **["Good program that is essential for managing customer data."](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-customer-identity-and-access-management-review-8200114)** **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars _— Michael H._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-customer-identity-and-access-management-review-8200114) **["SAP Customer Identity and Access Management for B2C"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-customer-identity-and-access-management-review-7888680)** **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars _— Rajiv T._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-customer-identity-and-access-management-review-7888680) #### What Are G2 Users Discussing About SAP Customer Identity and Access Management? - [What is SAP Customer Identity and Access Management for B2C used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-sap-customer-identity-and-access-management-for-b2c-used-for) ### [OneLogin](https://www.g2.com/products/onelogin/reviews) OneLogin simplifies identity management with secure, one-click access, for employees, customers and partners, through all device types, to all enterprise cloud and on-premises applications. OneLogin enables IT identity policy enforcement and instantly disables app access for employees who leave or change roles in real-time by removing them from Active Directory. Take control over application access, quickly on- and off-board team members, and provide end-users with easy access to all their applications on every device. Extend your on-premises security model to the cloud in minutes. Eliminate the pain and expense of extensive identity policy management. OneLogin reduces identity infrastructure costs and complex integration projects for each new app and efficiently extends identity policies to the cloud. OneLogin eliminates the need for lengthy integration and provisioning projects, manual de-provisioning, protracted on- and off-boarding processes, username and password resets, and Shadow IT. **Average Rating:** 4.4/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 274 #### How Do G2 Users Rate OneLogin? - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10) - **Customer data linking:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.8/10) - **Social login:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10) - **Self-registration and self-service:** 8.4/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10) #### Who Is the Company Behind OneLogin? - **Seller:** [One Identity](https://www.g2.com/sellers/one-identity) - **HQ Location:** Aliso Viejo, CA - **Twitter:** @OneIdentity 7,871 Twitter followers - **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=49475f3e508780337545109cb22c77bf122b67467bd32ac1657a4e1ce78f0dc4&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fone-identity&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website) 718 employees on LinkedIn® #### Who Uses This Product? - **Who Uses This:** Account Manager - **Top Industries:** Computer Software, Education Management - **Company Size:** 49% Medium, 40% Large #### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About OneLogin? _AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_ ##### Pros - Users value the **easy access** OneLogin provides, simplifying login with just one password for all applications. - Users commend the **robust security features** of OneLogin, enhancing protection with strong authentication and password management. - Users praise OneLogin for its **seamless single sign-on** functionality, enhancing security and streamlining access across apps. - Users praise OneLogin for its **effective SSO capabilities** , providing a secure and convenient access solution. - Users value the **seamless SSO experience** provided by OneLogin, enhancing efficiency and security in accessing applications. ##### Cons - Users find **limited features** in OneLogin, focusing mainly on SSO and MFA without advanced IAM capabilities. - Users report **limited functionality** in OneLogin, citing a lack of advanced IAM features and slow support response times. - Users express concern over **login issues** that occasionally disrupt access to business tools and services. - Users report a **lack of advanced features** in OneLogin, hindering functionality and overall satisfaction with the platform. - Users are concerned about **outages** with OneLogin that disrupt their experience and business applications significantly. #### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of OneLogin? **["Reliable SSO and Access Management Platform"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/onelogin-review-13076565)** **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars _— Utkarsh K._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/onelogin-review-13076565) **["Easy to use SSO platform"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/onelogin-review-10012120)** **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars _— Stijn B._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/onelogin-review-10012120) #### What Are G2 Users Discussing About OneLogin? - [What is OneLogin used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-onelogin-used-for) - [How much does SSO cost?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-much-does-sso-cost) - [What is OneLogin app?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-onelogin-app) - 1 comment - [How do I log into OneLogin?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-do-i-log-into-onelogin) - 1 comment - [Is OneLogin safe?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-onelogin-safe) - 3 comments Spotlight Categories [Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/electronic-data-interchange-edi) [Bot Platforms Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/bot-platforms) [Fleet Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/fleet-management) [Sales Intelligence Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/sales-intelligence) [Mobile Device Management (MDM) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/mobile-device-management-mdm) Similar Categories - [Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)](/categories/multi-factor-authentication-mfa) - [Biometric Authentication](/categories/biometric-authentication) - [Cloud Directory Services](/categories/cloud-directory-services) - [Decentralized Identity](/categories/decentralized-identity) - [Identity and Access Management (IAM)](/categories/identity-and-access-management-iam) - [Passwordless Authentication](/categories/passwordless-authentication) - [Password Managers](/categories/password-managers) - [Password Policy Enforcement](/categories/password-policy-enforcement) - [Privileged Access Management (PAM)](/categories/privileged-access-management-pam) - [Risk-Based Authentication (RBA)](/categories/risk-based-authentication-rba) - [Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) Tools](/categories/self-service-password-reset-sspr-tools) - [Single Sign-On (SSO)](/categories/single-sign-on-sso) - [User Provisioning and Governance Tools](/categories/user-provisioning-and-governance-tools) [Browse Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Themes](/categories/customer-identity-and-access-management-ciam/themes) Benefits of Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software with Consent and preference management capabilities include: Captures and manages a customer's consent and preferences to comply with data privacy laws such as GDPR and CCPA. Below are the top-rated Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software with Consent and preference management capabilities, as verified by G2’s Research team. Real users have identified Consent and preference management as an important function of Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software. Compare different products that offer this feature so you can decide which is best for your business needs. Top Tools at a Glance | | Salesforce-native customer identity and access centralization | User Review "My Review of Salesforce Platform" | | | SSO provisioning with automated identity lifecycle | User Review "Strong Security Without Sacrificing User Experience" | | | Outsourced authentication with SSO and MFA | User Review "Auth0 Makes Secure Authentication Easy for a Beginner Developer" | | | Adaptive MFA and SSO for customer-facing apps | User Review "Low-Code Identity Orchestration with Smart Adaptive Risk and Legacy Integration" | | | Postgres-native auth with auto-generated APIs | User Review "Supabase Makes Backend Development Fast and Simple" | | | AWS-native user authentication and federated identity | User Review "Simple, Sleek, Scalable, Reliable Identity Management which provides Auth, Auth, User management." | | | Federated SSO and MFA for enterprise CIAM | User Review "Comprehensive, Stable Authentication Suite That’s Easy to Use" | | | External identity onboarding with Microsoft-native SSO | User Review "Microsoft Entra External ID fulfilling our B2B requirement" | | | No-code auth flows with multi-tenant CIAM | User Review "Game-Changing WYSIWYG Auth Flows with Integrations That Scale" | | | Multi-tenant CIAM with self-hosted flexibility | User Review "Flexible Self-Hosted Solution with Great Documentation and Support at an affordable price" | * * * Show More * * * ## How Do You Choose the Right Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software? ### What You Should Know About Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software ### What is Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software? Businesses use customer identity and access management (CIAM) software to create user-friendly, seamless customer experiences when users register for, log in to, and manage their customer profiles on corporate websites, portals, shops, and other consumer-facing accounts. On the back end, CIAM software creates one universal identity of the user, which can be tied to multiple business applications. Having a single, centralized view of the user is critical for creating a seamless end-user experience and properly managing a user’s preferences across all of a company’s customer products. Companies also employ CIAM for security reasons, protecting customer data at rest and in transit. CIAM software is important for B2C companies in particular, with us -cases such as travel loyalty programs, cable company customer accounts, content subscription accounts (including online newspapers, food delivery accounts, and clothing stores), and many more. Although most CIAM software use cases are for business to consumer (B2C) businesses, there are some CIAM use cases for business to business (B2B) companies; for example, businesses that manage internet of things (IoT) device identities may use CIAM software to provide devices with unique identities for security purposes. Key Benefits of Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software - Improve online customer experiences by creating easy-to-use online registration, login, and account management tools - Manage customer identities at scale, into the tens of millions - Allow user self-registration and management - Authenticate user identities to reduce fraud - Manage user [consent](https://www.g2.com/categories/customer-identity-and-access-management-ciam/f/consent-and-preference-management) and privacy to stay compliant with privacy laws - Connect with CRM, content management systems (CMS), analytical software, and other tools to personalize customer experiences and/or discover upselling opportunities - Provide security function like encryption to secure customer data at rest and in transit ### Why Use Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software? Great customer experiences lead to happy customers. Companies use CIAM software to provide their customers with simple and secure access to their own accounts, effectively managing the back end of these customer user identities. The main benefit of using CIAM software is to provide an improved customer experience. Companies can leverage the software to accomplish this through creating a simple self-registration process, providing secure login portals using authentication methods, and facilitating seamless access to multiple products using a singular identity. CIAM software also helps companies adhere to privacy laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by tracking and managing a user’s consent and privacy preferences and applying those preferences across all of a user’s accounts globally. There are four main reasons why companies use CIAM software: **Improved customer experience —** Positive customer experiences are critical for companies to gain customers’ trust, brand loyalty, and their repeat business. Part of a B2C company’s digital strategy for consumer-facing accounts is to offer a front-end solution that makes account creation user-friendly, login secure and seamless, and account management easy. On the back end, this means creating a holistic view of the customer under one identity that can be federated across multiple corporate systems to provide a frictionless end-user experience. The CIAM solution should be omnichannel, such as being available on web, mobile apps, and other places customers can interact with the company. With improved customer experiences online, companies can see reductions in phone calls, emails, or in-person visits for account help. **Marketing —** Companies can reduce friction and customer abandonment by providing excellent customer experiences online. Part of doing so is providing the right customer, with the right information, at the right time; this kind of experience can be achieved with personalization. With CIAM solutions, companies can bring their siloed customer identity data from across all of their systems into one central place. They can enrich that centralized customer data with outside information and generate a 360-degree view of the user. With this holistic view of the customer, personalization can be better achieved. **Security —** Companies use CIAM software to support their security policies, verify users are who they say they are, and secure customer data across its consumer lifecycle. When customers log in to an account, it is important to authenticate their identity. CIAM software offers multiple forms of authentication for security—from basic SMS authentication for low-risk account actions, to biometric authentication for high-risk transactions such as transfering money or making large purchases. Some CIAM providers may offer adaptive, or [risk-based multi-factor authentication](https://www.g2.com/categories/risk-based-authentication), which can determine risk based on a number of factors such as IP address, location, and device behavior, and even prompt a user to reauthenticate once a reauthentication policy is triggered. **Privacy —** In addition to security, compliance with privacy laws is top of mind for many companies—and it starts with gaining user consent. Using CIAM software, companies can allow users to manage their consent, privacy, and other preferences online. These preferences can then be implemented across all a company’s applications and systems, and be recorded for auditing purposes. ### Who Uses Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software? Typically B2C companies use CIAM software to manage up to millions of customer identities for their accounts. Some CIAM software providers also offer tools to manage internet of things (IOT) devices as well, allowing the provision of a unique identity to each device that can be used across accounts. To properly implement, manage, and extract value from a CIAM solution, businesses will likely seek collaboration from teams across the company including: security, operations, marketing, sales, service, and customer support. Users must ensure that the needs of all stakeholders from these groups can be met with the CIAM solution the company ultimately selects. ### Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software Features The main features of CIAM software include: **Self-registration —** Customer account self-registration is crucial to CIAM software. CIAM tools offer workflow functionality to complete the necessary business processes throughout the customer onboarding process. **Authentication methods —** Another major feature of CIAM tools is authenticating the user; in other words, ensuring they are who they say they are. Many CIAM tools offer multiple authentication methods, including but not limited to s[ocial login](https://www.g2.com/categories/customer-identity-and-access-management-ciam/f/social-login), two-factor authentication (2FA), multi-factor authentication (MFA), biometric authentication, and passwordless authentication. **Single sign-on (SSO) —** Single sign-on functionality using SAML or OpenID Connect standards provides customers with seamless access to disparate applications by logging in only once. **Multi-channel/omnichannel experience —** Part of a business’ ability to provide excellent customer experience is meeting customers where they are, whether that is in a physical store, on the web, or via mobile apps. Having a customer’s identity synchronized across all channels helps a business provide a better experience to that customer. **Privacy and consent management —** Managing a customer’s consent and privacy preferences is critical to being compliant with privacy laws such as CCPA, GDPR, and others. Companies can more easily collect and manage a user’s consent preferences using CIAM solutions. **Integrations/APIs —** To monetize the information stored in a CIAM software solution, a CIAM must connect to the company’s other software including CRM platforms, marketing automation tools, analytics tools, and others. Many CIAM providers achieve this via API integrations. **Reporting —** Reporting functionality is important to understand registration information, security information, and general customer information that can be used for analytics. **Scalability —** Today, most solutions can handle identities in the tens of millions. A CIAM software solution should be scalable during periods of high usage or growth. **Standards —** Technological standards vary from business to business. CIAM solutions can be built on many, including OpenID, SAML, OAuth, WebAuthn/FIDO2, and so on. **Security —** CIAM providers should offer encryption of data at both rest and in transit, and allow levels of control who has access to customer data. Many CIAM solutions have certifications such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, and HIPAA, among others. ### Trends Related to Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software **Passwordless authentication —** One of the biggest sources of friction for customers and companies is passwords. Customers often have a hard time remembering passwords, while companies don’t want to deal with the risk that goes along with storing passwords on their servers. A new trend emerging with CIAM solutions is passwordless authentication, which allows customers to sign into an application without typing in a password. This is achieved using mobile apps that can trigger a face scan, fingerprint scan, QR code scan, or any other relevant mode of authentication. ### Potential Issues with Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software **Authentication —** By themselves, usernames and passwords are generally not considered sufficient means of authenticating a user’s identity. Many CIAM solutions offer more robust authentication methods, including mobile-push on mobile apps or passwordless authentication. **Identity and access management (IAM) —** CIAM can often be confused with IAM, but the two solution types are different. IAM software is used for managing _employee_ identities, while CIAM is used for managing _customer_ identities. Furthermore, IAM-related identities are managed by a company’s IT staff, while CIAM-related identities are created and managed by end users such as customers. CIAM software is more robust and offers marketing and privacy-related features that are not native to IAM software. ### Software and Services Related to Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Software [**Multi-factor authentication (MFA) software**](http://g2.com/categories/multi-factor-authentication-mfa) **—** Properly authenticating users—to ensure they are who they say they are—is an important part of CIAM software. CIAM solutions should offer multiple methods to authenticate users which may include: SMS one-time-passwords (OTP), email OTPs, voice OTPs, mobile push, physical security keys, smartphones, smartwatches, biometrics, QR codes, and passwordless authentication. [**Passwordless authentication software**](https://www.g2.com/categories/passwordless-authentication) **—** Passwordless authentication is a type of muti-factor authentication (MFA) that eliminates a password as an authentication type and replaces it with other, more secure factors such as mobile-push or biometrics. [**Single sign-on (SSO) software**](https://www.g2.com/categories/single-sign-on-sso) **—** SSO functionality provides users with access to multiple applications without requiring multiple logins. SSO allows companies to provide a seamless customer experience by requiring the customer to log in only once and then linking multiple applications together on the back end. [**Customer relationship management (CRM) software**](https://www.g2.com/categories/crm) **—** CRM software helps businesses track and manage customer interactions within a single system of record. By integrating CRM software with CIAM software, companies can get a holistic view of their customer for customer service or upselling purposes. [**Marketing automation software**](https://www.g2.com/categories/marketing-automation) **—** Marketing automation software helps marketers create segmented, personalized, and timely marketing experiences for customers or prospects. By integrating marketing automation software with CIAM software, companies can extract personalization data from the CIAM to personalize their marketing campaigns to ensure the right customer gets the right marketing message at the right time. [**Marketing analytics software**](https://www.g2.com/categories/marketing-analytics) **—** Marketing analytics software helps to simplify and optimize a business’ marketing strategies and activities. By integrating CIAM data into a marketing analytics platform, companies can ensure they are using the most accurate customer data. [**Consent management platforms (CMP)**](https://www.g2.com/categories/consent-management-platform-cmp) **—** Consent management platforms help companies obtain and manage user consent when collecting, sharing, buying, or selling a user's data online. Many CIAM tools offer consent management functionality, but businesses may opt to integrate with a separate, more comprehensive CMP to better meet their needs..