Best Single Sign-On (SSO) Software
Single sign-on (SSO) solutions are authentication tools that allows users to sign into multiple applications or databases with a single set of credentials. Federation is the linking of IT systems, organizations, and personal identities with credentials and repositories. The best SSO solutions serve to simplify identification processes and create an uninhibited feel when working to access applications, portals, and servers. The software is designed to provide users with access to multiple applications or datasets without requiring multiple logins.
The goal of SSO software is not only to improve ease of use while navigating across applications but also to minimize work for IT administrators and developers by centralizing access management. SSO products effectively join the desired applications and route logins through an SSO server. These solutions often include features such as dashboards for simplified navigation, application clouds, directory integration, and mobile applications for remote access.
There is some crossover between SSO software and solution types such as cloud identity and access management software, password management software, and user provisioning/governance software, but single sign-on products focus mainly on secure enterprise access to servers, applications, and databases rather than the management of data or passwords.
To qualify for inclusion in the SSO category, a product must:
Featured Single Sign-On (SSO) Solutions At A Glance
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Okta, Inc. is The World’s Identity Company™. We secure AI, machine, and human identity so everyone is free to safely use any technology. Our customer and workforce solutions empower businesses and dev
42,664 Twitter followers
JumpCloud® delivers a unified identity, device, and access management platform that makes it easy to securely manage identities, devices, and access across your organization. With JumpCloud, IT teams
JumpCloud is a tool that manages user access and authentication, unifying identity, access, and device management into a single, cloud-native platform. Users frequently mention that JumpCloud simplifies IT operations by providing a single source of truth for users and devices, enabling strong security through SSO, MFA, and automated onboarding/offboarding. Reviewers noted that the initial setup and policy configuration can be complex, especially for organizations migrating from traditional Active Directory or managing advanced security use cases.
36,543 Twitter followers
Transform your organization’s IT operations with Rippling’s unified platform for identity, device, access, and security management. Centralize every IT workflow, from provisioning apps and laptops to
11,947 Twitter followers
Entra ID is a complete identity and access management solution with integrated security that connects people to their apps, devices, and data and helps protect from identity compromise. With Entra ID,
13,088,482 Twitter followers
Duo stops identity-based threats and boosts workforce productivity. Our Continuous Identity Security solution provides the best access management experience across users, devices, and applications whi
721,498 Twitter followers
The Most Used Enterprise Password Manager, trusted by over 180,00 businesses, 1Password helps improve security, visibility and control over how their passwords and company data are protected. Secu
139,776 Twitter followers
LastPass is a secure, cloud-based password manager that takes the hassle out of remembering and managing passwords. It works across all your devices, so you can log in faster and stay protected everyw
46,119 Twitter followers
Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) is a cloud-based zero trust solution that securely connects users to private applications hosted in public clouds, data centers, or on-premises environments without relyin
Zscaler Private Access is a security tool that provides secure access to internal applications without using a traditional VPN. Reviewers like the fast and reliable connection, the ease of use, and the enhanced security features that Zscaler Private Access offers. Users mentioned that the initial setup can be complex and time-consuming, and troubleshooting issues can take longer than expected.
17,394 Twitter followers
Citrix Secure Workspace Access provides a comprehensive, zero-trust approach to deliver secure and contextual access to the corporate internal web apps, SaaS, and virtual applications. It enables the
198,784 Twitter followers
A centralized solution for managing customer and workforce identity and access including capabilities such as single-sign-on, multifactor authentication, adaptive AI-based access, passwordless access,
IBM Verify CIAM is a customer identity and access management solution that manages customer accounts, handles identity verification, and ensures secure logins across various platforms. Reviewers like the strong security features of IBM Verify CIAM, including single sign-on and multi-factor authentication, which reduce login problems and protect user data. Users experienced complexity during the initial setup and configuration, and suggested improvements such as a more visual dashboard and step-by-step tutorial features.
708,744 Twitter followers
Auth0 takes a modern approach to Identity, providing secure access to any application, for any user. Safeguarding billions of login transactions each month, Auth0 delivers convenience, privacy, and se
42,664 Twitter followers
A suite that simplifies enterprise single sign-on deployments for system administrators and extends the benefits of ESSO to remote and mobile users.
825,317 Twitter followers
Keeper Security is transforming cybersecurity for millions of individuals and thousands of organizations globally. Built with end-to-end encryption, Keeper's intuitive cybersecurity platform is truste
18,963 Twitter followers
Trusted by more than 9,000 businesses worldwide, NordPass is a password management tool that upholds the finest privacy and security standards for businesses. Unlock the ease of cybersecurity and b
9,525 Twitter followers
PingFederate is an enterprise federation server that enables secure user authentication and single sign-on (SSO) across various applications and services. It acts as a centralized authentication autho
42,161 Twitter followers
Learn More About Single Sign-On (SSO) Solutions
What are Single Sign-On (SSO) Solutions?
Single sign-on (SSO) solutions are user authentication solution that helps companies secure access to business applications and assets. It does so while also providing end users with a convenient, easy-to-use portal that requires them only to sign in and authenticate once to access multiple corporate applications and resources.
SSO solutions share authentication sessions between a trusted identity provider, which manages digital identities and applications. In practice, commonly, an identity provider requires the user to log in and authenticate; the identity provider then shares this authentication session with other applications by passing digitally signed tokens for the receiving application to verify that it is coming from a trusted provider before granting the user with access to the application. If the user identity token is accepted, the user is automatically granted access to the application.
Companies use SSO software mainly to improve security and enhance the end-user sign-on experience, whether that be internal employees, end customers, or corporate business partners. SSO solutions also centralizes user access management, thus reducing the security management burden on administrators. Using an SSO solution, IT administrators can reduce or eliminate common time-consuming tasks like password resets. SSO products contain features that benefit both end users and administrators. For end users, this includes an easy-to-use user portal, intuitive authentication, and often a mobile application. For administrators, these solutions often include an identity directory or directory integrations, multiple multi-factor authentication (MFA) methods, audit features, and prebuilt application integrations.
What Does SSO Stand For?
SSO most commonly stands for single sign-on. The acronym SSO is less frequently used to describe same sign-on, which is different from single sign-on; same sign-on does not rely on trusted tokens, but rather credential sharing. Rarely, the acronym SSO is used to describe single sign-out.
Other common acronyms people may encounter regarding SSO products include:
FIM: federated identity management, of which SSO is a part
IAM: identity and access management
IdP: identity provider
JWT: JSON Web Token, a protocol commonly used in business-to-consumer (B2C) SSO applications
LDAP: lightweight directory access protocol, an open protocol used for directory services authentication
MFA: multi-factor authentication
OIDC: OpenID Connect, an authentication protocol
OAuth: an open standard authentication protocol
SAML: Security Assertion Markup Language, an open standard used for SSO solutions
What Types of Single Sign-On (SSO) Solutions Exist?
Business to employee (B2E)
Companies use B2E SSO solutions to securely manage their employees’ access to corporate accounts, provide an easy-to-use user experience, and reduce user need for IT administrators services.
Business to business (B2B)
Companies use B2B SSO solutions to enable their business partners and corporate customers to best utilize the company’s services, using the partner or corporate customer’s preferred identity providers.
Business to consumer (B2C) or customer identity and access management (CIAM)
In B2C or CIAM use cases, customers are able to sign into other accounts and connect them to the business’ app to provide an SSO experience. Most commonly, customers authenticate using social media identity providers like Facebook or Google enabling them access to connected accounts.
What are the Common Features of Single Sign-On (SSO) Solutions?
The following are some core features within SSO solutions that can help users and administrators.
User portal: User portals provide an intuitive, easy-to-use end-user interface.
Mobile app: Many SSO solutions offer a mobile app for end users to both authenticate and access the SSO solution from their mobile devices.
MFA methods: Most SSO providers offer multiple authentication methods to end users, from software or hardware token-based authentication, to mobile push, passwordless authentication, biometric authentication, or one-time passcodes (OTPs).
Adaptive or contextual access: Some SSO software offers advanced authentication tools, such as adaptive or contextual access. Using machine learning to understand a user’s contextual use of the SSO product, such as location, IP address, time, and other real-time factors to create a user baseline profile. This profile is then used to determine anomalous access activity to prevent access when risk is deemed too high.
Directory or integration: To assist with user provisioning and management, SSO solutions either integrate with standard directories, such as Microsoft Active Directory, LDAP-based directories, or Google Cloud Directory or offer their own cloud directories built into the SSO software.
Prebuilt integration application catalog: SSO solutions commonly provide prebuilt integrations to widely used SaaS applications, which are available on an application catalog.
Role management: SSO solutions assist administrators with user provisioning and assigning permissions based on user role for access control.
Audit features: Audit features provide administrators audit logs to monitor user access.
What are the Benefits of Single Sign-On (SSO) Solutions?
Increases security: The main benefit of using an SSO solution is for securing user access to company applications and other resources through user authentication.
Reduces password authentication risk: Since users must only sign in and authenticate once to access multiple applications, SSO solutions reduce the risks associated with poor password management and using only a single factor for authentication.
Saves users time and frustration: SSO solutions reduce the number of logins end users such as employees or customers must remember and SSO solutions reduce user frustration when switching between multiple applications once authenticated.
Saves administrators time and money: Users can access their accounts in one centralized location, reducing the number of calls to administrators for password resets, saving time and, therefore money on labor costs.
Seamless experience across assets: SSO solutions reduce login friction for end users once authenticated and give them access to multiple accounts.
Centralizes consumer profiles: SSO software consolidates end-user experiences in one tool to provide a centralized view of end-user or customer data.
Who Uses Single Sign-On (SSO) Solutions?
Systems administrators: Systems administrators are responsible for deploying and managing a company’s SSO solutions.
Employees: Employees are end users of SSO solutions in a B2E use case to sign on and authenticate with the user portal to access their corporate accounts.
Customers: Customers are end users of SSO solutions in a B2C use case and sign in and authenticate using an identity provider, often a social media account, to access a business’ applications.
Business contacts: Companies may use SSO software to enable their business partners and corporate customers to securely authenticate and access the company’s assets, often with multiple identity providers.
Software Related to Single Sign-On (SSO) Solutions
Related solutions that can be used together with SSO software include:
Identity and access management (IAM) software: For employee use cases, IAM software offers broader identity solutions, of which SSO is often a part. IAM software authenticates users, provides access to systems and data based on company policies, tracks user activity, and provides reporting tools to ensure employees comply with company policies and regulations.
Customer identity and access management (CIAM) software: For customer use cases, CIAM software provides robust identity functionality. CIAM software enables businesses to centralize and manage customer identities, preferences, and profile information at scale while offering customers self-registration options.
Password manager software: Password managers are secure repositories that store individual user passwords, much like a vault. SSO solutions differs from password managers because SSO software provides authentication before granting a trusted token, not an actual password, for access to an application.
SaaS operations management software: SaaS operations management software tools enable businesses to manage, govern, and secure their SaaS product portfolios; many of these tools integrate with SSO solutions to manage user permissions.
SaaS spend management software: This software enables companies to manage SaaS utilization to identify cost savings. Many of these tools integrate with SSO software to manage end-user utilization of SaaS subscriptions.
Challenges with Single Sign-On (SSO) Solutions
Software solutions can come with their own set of challenges. Issues to consider include:
Legacy applications: SSO tools may not integrate with legacy applications; a solution to overcome this may include password vaulting tools within the SSO software to provide the end user with ease of use, despite not technically functioning as SSO regarding authentication.
High availability: It is important that the SSO provider has high availability to avoid users being locked out of their systems; with applications managed centrally with an SSO solution, any downtime can prevent end users from accessing their applications and resources. If a company has mission-critical applications that must be available 24/7, many companies will not integrate these tools with SSO providers and instead log in and authenticate separately.
Which Companies Should Buy Single Sign-On (SSO) Solutions?
All companies can benefit from securing their login process to corporate assets.
Companies securing employees: Companies of all sizes that want to secure their employees’ access to corporate applications use SSO solutions.
Companies securing customers: Companies that want to enable their customers to provide self service to securely authenticate and login to applications use SSO solutions.
Companies securing partners: Companies that want to secure their partners and contractors access to corporate applications use SSO solutions.
How to Buy Single Sign-On (SSO) Solutions
Requirements Gathering (RFI/RFP) for Single Sign-On (SSO) Software
Prior to selecting an SSO software service provider or solution, buyers must consider what factors are important to the company, which may include:
End-user use case: Buyers must determine their end users—whether employees, customers, or business partners—to determine what kind of SSO solution works best for these constituencies.
Cloud vs. on-premises application support: The buyer should determine what applications and company resources will be connected to the SSO software. For applications that need high availability (24/7), they may not wish to connect those in case of downtime with the SSO provider. Many SSO providers offer prebuilt integrations with the most popular business software. If the business has applications that are custom-built, legacy, or on-premises, those may need integrations built to connect with the SSO. Another workaround would be to use a password vault within an SSO solution for legacy applications that are difficult to connect.
Federation protocols: If the organization needs to integrate with multiple identity providers outside of the organization, especially for authenticating business partners, FIM can achieve this. Federation protocols include SAML 1.1, SAML2, WS-Federation, OAuth2, OpenID Connect, WS-Trust, and other protocols.
Authentication type: The company should ensure that the authentication types its employees, customers, or partners will use are supported by the SSO solution of choice. This may include software or hardware-token-based authentication for employees and OTPs via email, SMS, or phone for customers, among many other authentication methods. Many SSO solutions now offer contextual or risk-based authentication measures to learn user behaviors, identify patterns, and thus provide risk-based assessments when the authentication process does not meet typical patterns.
Mobile app: If end users will access corporate applications from mobile devices, ensure the SSO software provider’s mobile app meets particular business needs.
Developer support: Buyers must ensure the SSO provider has the developer support the team requires, including software development kits (SDKs) and application programming interface (API) lifecycle management functions, particularly for B2C SSO use cases.
Meets security standards: SSO is a security tool providing users with authenticated access to their company resources. It is important that the SSO service provider meet security standards that are important to the company, which may include ISO 27017, ISO 27018, ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type 2, and others.
Compare Single Sign-On Software (SSO) Products
Create a long list
Buyers should create a long list of software solutions by researching on g2.com, by reading real-user reviews, seeing how vendors compare on G2 Grid® reports, and saving the software selections to “My List” to reference them in the future. Using g2.com, users can learn about which solutions are most often used in the geographic market and which ones are best for every business segment size—whether that is for small, medium, and enterprise businesses.
Create a short list
After creating a long list of vendors, buyers must do further research to narrow down the selections. Using g2.com’s compare feature, they can stack specific software up side by side to learn about how real users of the software rate their functionality. G2 also has quarterly reports showcasing users’ perception of return on investment (in months), the software provider’s average implementation time in months, usability scores, and many other factors.
Conduct demos
Up next is time to demo the products. Many vendors enable buyers to contact them directly from g2’s website by clicking the “Get a quote” button on their product profile. Buyers must prepare for each demo by having a standard list of questions and clarifications to ask each vendor.
Selection of Single Sign-On (SSO) Solutions
Choose a selection team
Single sign-on solutions impact users across the business—from employees, customers, business partners, IT teams, infosec teams, and more. The company’s software selection team should include people representative of these groups. They must start with three to five people to join the selection committee and clearly define project roles.
Negotiation
It is important to know how many licenses are needed, as pricing often depends on the number of licenses the buyer purchases and the length of time they purchase it for. Often buyers can get discounts if they purchase large blocks of licenses for a longer duration. They must be sure to negotiate not just on price, but also implementation. Companies may be able to get free or reduced implementation services or ongoing support, as well.
Final decision
Before making a final choice, buyers should check if they can get a trial run of the product to test adoption with a small sample size of users. If the tool is well used and well received, the buyer can be confident that the selection was correct.
