Authen2cate vs Deepnet DualShield: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)

Authen2cate

Startups and early-stage SMBs needing to lock down employee access without overcomplicating identity infrastructure should evaluate Authen2cate, particularly if they're already running Active Directory on premises. The platform delivers SSO and MFA in one product, which eliminates the tax of bolting separate tools together, and its hybrid deployment model means you don't have to rip out existing directory infrastructure. Skip this if you need SCIM provisioning, fine-grained access policies, or plans to scale past a few dozen users; the pricing and feature set clearly target the sub-100-person window.

Deepnet DualShield

Mid-market and enterprise teams running on-premises Microsoft infrastructure will find Deepnet DualShield's tight Active Directory and Exchange integration hard to replicate in cloud-native platforms. The tool supports seven authentication methods including FIDO and biometrics across OWA, Outlook, RDP, and VPN without forced cloud dependency, which matters for regulated industries that can't migrate identity to SaaS. Skip this if your org is primarily cloud-hosted or needs out-of-the-box integrations beyond the Microsoft ecosystem; Deepnet's small vendor size and UK-only presence also mean longer support cycles for custom deployments.