Cisco Duo vs Thales Authenticators comparison

Cisco and Thales are both solutions in the Authentication Systems category. Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.8, while Thales is ranked #11 with an average rating of 9.0. Cisco holds a 5.0% mindshare in AS, compared to Thales’s 2.4% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Thales users who would recommend it.

Cisco Duo

Read 89 Cisco Duo reviews

7,041 Views
4,858 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Thales Authenticators

Read 5 Thales Authenticators reviews

1,483 Views
1,231 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Duo

Thales Authenticators

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 28, 2025

Thales Authenticators and Cisco Duo are two leading products in the authentication space. Cisco Duo seems to have the upper hand due to its broader feature set despite higher costs.

What features are offered by Thales Authenticators in comparison to Cisco Duo?

Thales Authenticators is praised for its comprehensive and easy-to-use multi-factor authentication, biometric support, and competitive pricing. Cisco Duo stands out with its extensive integrations, zero-trust security model, and broader feature set, making it a preferred choice.

What areas of improvement can be found in Thales Authenticators in comparison to Cisco Duo?

Thales Authenticators users mention a need for a more intuitive mobile app, faster authentication processes, and enhancements in user interface design. Cisco Duo users suggest improvements in its reporting tools, reduction of occasional service lag, and better customization options for different user roles.

How is the ease of deployment and customer service of Thales Authenticators in comparison to Cisco Duo?

Thales Authenticators is commended for its straightforward deployment and responsive customer service. Cisco Duo is praised for quick deployment and receives slightly better testimonials for its customer support and ongoing assistance.

What setup costs and ROI can be seen with Thales Authenticators in comparison to Cisco Duo?

Thales Authenticators offers a cost-effective solution with good ROI according to user reviews. Cisco Duo, while more expensive, is viewed as a worthy investment due to its rich feature set and reliable protection, delivering stronger value in terms of ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Duo vs. Thales Authenticators Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo vs. Thales Authenticators

February 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Duo

Ranking in Authentication Systems

2nd

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Single Sign-On (SSO) (3rd), Access Management (4th), ZTNA as a Service (4th), Cisco Security Portfolio (2nd), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) (1st)

Thales Authenticators

Ranking in Authentication Systems

11th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Authentication Systems category, the mindshare of Cisco Duo is 5.0%, down from 10.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Thales Authenticators is 2.4%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Authentication Systems Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Duo	5.0%
Thales Authenticators	2.4%
Other	92.6%

Authentication Systems

Featured Reviews

Charles Slaustas

Information Technology Contractor at Insight global

Supports seamless authentication for users across multiple organizations and personal portals

The features I use in Cisco Duo include Duo Pushes to confirm my identity to the device, and eventually as MFA security was increased, I actually had to use exchange passcodes. Sometimes, I have to go into the site and get into Cisco Duo to retrieve the passcode, and many of them have been two-factor, where the sites send a passcode that I have to enter into Cisco Duo. It has been more of the latter. I have not seen issues with lagging or crashing on Cisco Duo's end; it was usually on the client end, often because someone set up a bad upgrade or there were connection issues with the Cisco Duo cloud through the administrative site.

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Gustavo Merighi

Automation and Telecommunications Analyst at Grupo Energisa

Has an easy-to-use management interface and a straightforward initial setup process

Our primary use cases include multifactor authentication for VPN connections and access to security tools like jump servers and firewalls. We also use it to enhance security measures in an enterprise environment The most valuable feature is the YAML 2.0 integration. It has an easy-to-use…

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The Verified Duo Push feature is valuable. It gives an extra level of security beyond just the regular push."

"It's simple. It's reliable. I haven't had any issues with it."

"For one of my clients, the ROI was somewhere between 25 to 27 percent in year one."

"Duo Security gives us an additional layer of security that would give us added confidence that our network will be less likely to get hacked, compromised, or otherwise."

"At the moment, the ease of use is what is the best feature for me. Once it has been set up and the security can hoc to my mobile device, it's very simple to use my single sign-on, get prompted for a Duo Security, push, go to my phone, accept the push, and I'm done. It's a very simple process."

"We're working remotely. It helps us keep people more safe. Its adoption has been fine. I like the fact that you can bypass it if you need to because there are situations where the internet doesn't work, etc."

"The thing that I appreciate the most about Cisco Duo is the ease of setup."

"The ease of deploying Cisco Duo Security and onboarding has greatly benefited our customers."

More Cisco Duo pros

"The technical support services are good."

"Scalable and stable."

"We use this solution to log into virtual machines like VMware and VMware Horizon."

"The most valuable feature of SafeNet Authentication Manager is authentication."

"I like how the solution allows me to support different types of hardware tokens and integrate with OTP."

Cons

"My experience with Cisco Duo's strong security authentication system is that sometimes there are difficulties, and sometimes users just won't be able to log in. We have to reset their password so they can use Duo."

"Compared to other vendors, Cisco Duo is on the pricey end."

"Duo Security could improve by being more compatible with other vendors."

"I believe there are two new features. I am interested in adding auto-admin services and incorporating icons for easier navigation. This could contribute to a new business idea platform. I have seen the features, and they make things easier, resolving issues from before. The platform has been updated, and there's now another link in my platform for media access. When it comes to improvements, the UI can be more user-friendly, and there is room for easier navigation. Perhaps there could be enhancements in customization. I haven't faced issues in storage or backup, but I am open to improvements in customization functionality. It's not my environment, but I see possibilities for improvement in the deployment of funds. The addition of new features is appreciated, and for customization, it could provide more freedom for users."

"The pain point for us at one point was the Duo Authentication Proxy since we're on-premises and not in the cloud. We had to have a proxy machine that's in our DMZ to talk to Duo for us. The configuration of that was a little complicated."

"We use Yubikey for pushing it to the phones. Yubikeys can get expensive because people tend to lose those for some reason. Fifty dollars a device is pretty high."

"Improving Cisco Duo might involve alerting us about telephony credits when people receive texts. We hit zero at one point, and we were running around in circles without any idea until I discovered it. That's my only complaint."

"The dashboard needs to be improved."

More Cisco Duo cons

"The problem with SafeNet is that it's not integrated with Microsoft 365."

"The product could be improved by adding more features for sending tokens via SMS or phone calls."

"The solution should allow for support of multi-tenant architecture."

"Lacks integration with other platforms."

"The stability could improve."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"You pay per user when using this solution and the pricing is fair."

"The pricing was a lot more than what we were paying for our previous solution."

"It's a bit confusing because we're on a three-year plan with a certain number of licenses, and we've gone over that number. They told us that when we renew, they will add all these licenses. We've expanded quickly, so everyone's kind of scared because no one knows what the bill is with the long pricing cycle."

"The pricing is pretty competitive. It's pretty cheap. Anybody can adopt it."

"It's very simple. Its price is fair. We use the hardware tokens as well. You get what you pay for. In terms of licensing, Cisco has very complicated products, but Duo Security was surprisingly easy."

"Duo Security is free."

"Overall, the pricing is fair. Customers can wrap it into their Enterprise Agreement, making it easier for them to solve their issues."

"I am not aware of the pricing. There are two departments, and I don't have any information about them."

More Cisco Duo pricing and cost advice

"Thales is more expensive than its competitors."

"There is an annual licensing fee."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

14%

Government

Performing Arts

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	34
Midsize Enterprise	18
Large Enterprise	40

No data available

Questions from the Community

How does Duo Security compare with Microsoft Authenticator?

We switched to Duo Security for identity verification. We’d been using a competitor but got the chance to evaluate Duo for 30 days, and we could not be happier. Duo Security is easy to configure a...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Duo Security?

The pricing of Cisco Duo is quite reasonable compared to other products.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Duo Security?

One downside of Cisco Duo is the expense, as there are clients that can afford only the basic package, which does not include Geo-fencing, leaving them unable to pay for the more expensive level, w...

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What needs improvement with Thales Authenticators?

Currently, the solution fulfills our requirements. We are very satisfied with its features, and do not have any specific ideas for improvement right now. Perhaps, in the future, three-factor authen...

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What is your primary use case for Thales Authenticators?

Our employees, whether working on-site or remotely, use Thales Authenticators for two-factor authentication to log in to their laptops or PCs. This is our primary use case.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Thales Authenticators?

From our past years of experience, the solution is very smooth, and we have had a good experience with it. We would definitely recommend Thales to others for its reliability and features. I'd rate ...

See all answers

Comparisons

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Cisco Duo

Compared 7% of the time

Microsoft Entra ID vs Cisco Duo

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiToken vs Cisco Duo

Compared 6% of the time

Yubico YubiKey vs Cisco Duo

Compared 4% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs Cisco Duo

Compared 4% of the time

More Cisco Duo Competitors

Utimaco SecurityServer vs Thales Authenticators

Compared 18% of the time

Yubico YubiKey vs Thales Authenticators

Compared 15% of the time

Atalla Hardware Security Module vs Thales Authenticators

Compared 9% of the time

RSA SecurID vs Thales Authenticators

Compared 5% of the time

OneSpan DIGIPASS vs Thales Authenticators

Compared 5% of the time

More Thales Authenticators Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo

February 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Authentication Systems

January 2026

Download Thales Authenticators product report

Also Known As

Duo Security

Gemalto Ezio, Ezio, Gemalto Authenticators, SafeNet Authentication Manager

Overview

Cisco Duo is a cloud-based identity security platform safeguarding critical resources for any user and device worldwide. Known for its ease of use, Duo offers seamless protection across multi-cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments.

Cisco Duo is designed to secure access with identity-first protection and provides extensive visibility throughout an organization's identity ecosystem. Offering multi-factor authentication, Duo facilitates easy integration and management, allowing teams to protect data effectively on VPNs, applications, and networks. Its single-pane management improves security processes while enhancing trust, making it suitable for diverse IT infrastructures.

What are the key features of Cisco Duo?

Multi-factor Authentication: Strengthens user verification with multiple methods.
Push Notifications: Simplifies authentication with quick approvals.
Single Sign-On: Enhances convenience by allowing one set of credentials.
VPN Access: Secures remote connections with reliable authentication.
User Activity Visibility: Offers comprehensive insights into access patterns.

Which benefits and ROI should users consider?

Quick Deployment: Facilitates rapid integration within existing systems.
Effective Management: Streamlines IT operations with centralized control.
Regulatory Compliance: Aids in meeting industry standards for data protection.
Enhanced Trust: Strengthens security posture across networks.
User-friendly Approach: Simplifies authentication for non-technical users.

In industries like education and finance, Cisco Duo is widely employed to secure multi-factor authentication across platforms such as email, databases, and servers. Its integration capabilities with Microsoft 365, Active Directory, and VPNs like AnyConnect are instrumental in verifying user identities using mobile apps or OTPs, catering effectively to both remote and on-premise environments.

Cisco

Offering the broadest range of authentication methods and form factors, Thales allows customers to address numerous use cases, assurance levels, and threat vectors with unified, centrally managed policies—managed from one authentication back end delivered in the cloud or on premise.

Thales

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Standard Chartered Bank (SCB)

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo vs. Thales Authenticators

February 2026

Free Report: Cisco Duo vs. Thales Authenticators

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