AWS IAM vs Okta: What are the differences?

Key Differences between AWS IAM and Okta

AWS IAM and Okta are both identity and access management (IAM) solutions, but they differ in several key aspects.

1. Authentication vs. Federation: AWS IAM focuses on authentication within the AWS environment, providing access control to AWS resources. On the other hand, Okta specializes in federation, offering a centralized identity management solution that enables single sign-on (SSO) access to multiple applications and services, including those outside of AWS.

2. Cloud vs. On-Premises: AWS IAM is a cloud-native IAM service provided by Amazon Web Services, designed specifically for managing access to AWS services. In contrast, Okta can be deployed both in the cloud and on-premises, making it suitable for organizations with diverse infrastructure needs.

3. Service Scope: While AWS IAM is primarily focused on managing access to AWS resources and services, Okta offers a broader range of features and integrations, allowing organizations to manage access across a variety of applications, third-party services, and even legacy systems.

4. Customization and Control: AWS IAM provides a high level of granularity and control over access policies, allowing administrators to define fine-grained permissions for specific AWS resources. Okta, on the other hand, offers more flexibility in terms of customization, enabling organizations to tailor their access policies and workflows to meet their unique requirements.

5. User Provisioning and Lifecycle Management: Okta excels at user provisioning and lifecycle management, providing features such as automated user creation, deactivation, and synchronization with various directories and applications. While AWS IAM does offer some user management capabilities, it is more focused on access control within the AWS ecosystem.

6. Pricing Structure: The pricing models for AWS IAM and Okta differ. AWS IAM is included as part of the overall AWS pricing package, where organizations pay for the AWS services they use. Okta, on the other hand, has its own pricing structure based on the number of users and the level of functionality required.

In summary, while AWS IAM is more focused on access control within the AWS environment and provides granular control over AWS resources, Okta is a comprehensive, centralized identity management solution that supports federation, user provisioning, and access management for a wide range of applications and services both within and outside the AWS ecosystem.