Software Alternatives & Startups

Duo Security VS Smallstep SSH

Compare Duo Security VS Smallstep SSH and see what are their differences

Duo Security

Duo Security provides cloud-based two-factor authentication. Duo’s technology can be deployed to protect users, data, and applications from breaches, credential theft, and account takeover.

Rating
0 reviews
Smallstep SSH

Single Sign-on SSH

Rating
0 reviews

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Duo Security seems to be a lot more popular than Smallstep SSH. While we know about 33 links to Duo Security, we've tracked only 1 mention of Smallstep SSH.

social mentions
33 vs 1
Identity And Access Management popularity
97% vs 3%
alternatives listed
239 vs 30

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Duo Security
Smallstep SSH
Website duo.com smallstep.com
Pricing —
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Duo Security 6 features
Smallstep SSH 5 features
  • Easy Integration
    Duo Security offers seamless integration with a wide range of applications and services, making it easier for organizations to implement multi-factor authentication (MFA).
  • User-Friendly
    The platform is designed with simplicity in mind, providing a straightforward user experience for both end-users and administrators.
  • Comprehensive MFA Options
    Duo supports a variety of authentication methods including push notifications, biometrics, and hardware tokens, giving users flexibility in how they authenticate.
  • Strong Security Features
    Duo incorporates advanced security features such as device health checks and endpoint visibility, enhancing the overall security posture of an organization.
  • Good Customer Support
    Duo Security is known for its responsive and knowledgeable customer support, helping organizations address issues quickly.
  • Scalability
    The platform can easily scale to accommodate organizations of varying sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises.

Possible disadvantages

  • Cost
    The service can be expensive compared to other MFA solutions, particularly for smaller organizations with limited budgets.
  • User Management Complexity
    Managing a large number of users can become complex, particularly in organizations with high employee turnover.
  • Dependency on Mobile Devices
    Many of Duo's authentication methods rely on mobile devices, which can be inconvenient or impractical for users without access to smartphones.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite being user-friendly, there is still a learning curve for administrators new to the platform, particularly for advanced features.
  • Internet Dependence
    The service requires a reliable internet connection to function properly, which can be a limitation in areas with poor connectivity.
  • Limited Offline Options
    Duo Security has limited options for offline authentication, which may pose challenges in environments where internet access is intermittent.
  • Enhanced Security
    Smallstep SSH enables strong authentication practices by integrating with identity providers, reducing the chances of compromised passwords and ensuring secure connections.
  • Centralized Access Management
    The platform centralizes user access management, allowing admins to easily manage and revoke user access across multiple servers and services from a single point of control.
  • Ease of Integration
    Smallstep SSH integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure and identity providers like Okta and Google Workspace, simplifying the onboarding process for enterprises.
  • Improved Compliance
    With detailed logging and custom policies, Smallstep SSH helps organizations meet various compliance requirements by offering traceability and accountability for user actions.
  • Scalability
    Designed with scalability in mind, Smallstep SSH can efficiently handle growing organizational needs without sacrificing performance or security.

Possible disadvantages

  • Complexity of Setup
    For organizations unfamiliar with identity provider integrations or certificate-based authentication, the initial setup can be complex and may require specialized knowledge.
  • Dependence on External Identity Providers
    Reliance on external identity providers for authentication means that downtime or disruptions with these services can impact Smallstep SSH functionality.
  • Limited Offline Access
    Because the solution is designed to work with identity providers, offline mode functionality is limited, which might be a concern for systems that require constant availability.
  • Cost Considerations
    For small organizations or startups, the cost of implementing and maintaining an enterprise-level authentication system like Smallstep SSH might be prohibitive.
  • Learning Curve
    There is a learning curve associated with transitioning from traditional SSH management to Smallstep SSH's certificate-based approach, which might necessitate training for IT staff.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Duo Security 3 videos + Add
Smallstep SSH 0 videos + Add

What is DUO Security 2FA and How it Works With Windows Remote Desktop

More videos

  • - Powerful New Features from Duo Security
  • - An Introduction to Duo Security

No Smallstep SSH videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Duo Security
Smallstep SSH
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Duo Security and Smallstep SSH. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Duo Security no reviews yet
Smallstep SSH no reviews yet

We have no reviews of Smallstep SSH yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Duo Security 33 mentions
Smallstep SSH 1 mention
  • Michigan bill would bar employers from requiring after-hours coms with workers
    Take for example a university. Many of them seem to use Duo[1], which is not something you can replace with Google Authenticator or other TOTP app. They require it for students as well as faculty and staff. Is it reasonable for them to... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • How to Enable Duo MFA on GCP Windows VMs for Compliance in 10 Minutes
    The Solution: There are not only one solution to achieve the goal, but this time we choose Cisco Duo as the MFA infrastructure. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • A list of SaaS, PaaS and IaaS offerings that have free tiers of interest to devops and infradev
    Duo.com — Two-factor authentication (2FA) for website or app. Free for ten users, all authentication methods, unlimited, integrations, hardware tokens. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago

View more

  • SSH With SSO
    Through a combination of the properties that are in an SSH certificate and configuration on the hosts, you'll be able to realize RBAC. If you're using the open source step-ca, this will require you to configure things yourself on the... Source: over 3 years ago

Alternatives to Duo Security and Smallstep SSH

When comparing Duo Security and Smallstep SSH, you can also consider the following products.