authentik vs Duo Passport: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)
Features, pricing, ratings, and pros and cons, compared head to head.
authentik is a commercial access management tool by Authentik. Duo Passport is a commercial access management tool by Duo Security. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best access management fit for your security stack. Independent and vendor-neutral: our scores and rankings are earned, never bought — sponsored placement is always labeled.
CST VerdictShort answer
Startups and SMBs that need SSO and MFA without vendor lock-in should run authentik; the open-source model means you own the codebase, avoid licensing creep as you scale, and can self-host or go hybrid without renegotiating contracts. It covers NIST PR.AA identity management and access control natively, and the built-in application proxy handles remote access to RDP, SSH, and VNC without bolting on a separate tool. Expect to staff more ops lift than a SaaS alternative; this is not the tool for teams wanting a hands-off managed identity service. Mid-market and enterprise teams tired of authentication friction will find real value in Duo Passport's invisible authentication model, which eliminates repeated MFA prompts through continuous trust evaluation rather than point-in-time challenges. The tool's support for passwordless authentication, device memory, and cross-platform session sharing (Windows, macOS, browsers, desktop apps) means fewer login interruptions without sacrificing security posture. Skip this if your organization needs granular passwordless deployment control or deep integration with legacy on-premises identity systems; Passport prioritizes frictionless access over the configurability some enterprises demand.
Based on our analysis of core features, company size fit, deployment model, here is our conclusion:
