Duo Cisco Duo Single Sign-On vs Rownd: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)
Features, pricing, ratings, and pros & cons — compared head-to-head.
Duo Cisco Duo Single Sign-On is a commercial multi-factor authentication and single sign-on tool by Duo Security. Rownd is a free multi-factor authentication and single sign-on tool by Rownd. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best multi-factor authentication and single sign-on fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of NIST CSF 2.0 coverage, core features, company size fit, deployment model, here is our conclusion:
Mid-market and enterprise teams tired of password fatigue driving risky workarounds will see immediate adoption gains with Duo Cisco Duo Single Sign-On, since passwordless authentication removes the friction that kills rollout. The platform maps directly to NIST CSF 2.0's PR.AA function for identity and access control, and Cisco's installed base means it integrates cleanly into existing infrastructure. Skip this if you need deep conditional access policies or advanced threat detection; Duo prioritizes frictionless auth over forensic capabilities, so teams building detection-heavy identity stacks will find it shallow.
Teams building consumer or internal apps that need passwordless auth without managing their own identity infrastructure should evaluate Rownd for its free tier covering 1M monthly active users and air-gapped deployment option, which eliminates vendor lock-in concerns that plague most auth platforms. The passkey-first approach directly addresses NIST CSF 2.0 Govern priorities around credential hygiene by removing passwords entirely rather than bolting MFA onto legacy systems. Skip this if you need enterprise directory integration, advanced conditional access policies, or a vendor with established SOC 2 audit trails; Rownd's 10-person team means compliance certifications and support depth lag behind Auth0 or Okta.
