Top 10 Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Solutions in ’25

Multi-factor authentication ensures only authorized users can access accounts, sensitive information, or apps. Based on product focus areas, features, and user experiences shared in review platforms, here are the leading commercial and free MFA solutions:

Market presence

MFA adaptability features

Solutions with:

• MFA for VPNs: Provides VPN connections to your organization’s network and resources.
• Offline MFA: Enable MFA for offline logons.

All solutions support FIDO2 authentication, an open authentication standard that utilizes public key cryptography to enable strong passwordless authentication. It helps MFA solutions resist phishing, and man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. 

Enterprise features

Solutions with:

• Approval-based workflow for self-service: Ensure self-service actions are monitored by sending user inquiries to the help desk team for approval.
• Conditional access: Automate access control decisions based on parameters like IP address, device, business hours, and geolocation.
• Employee search: Provide end users with a search feature that allows them to locate their colleagues’ AD profile information.

What are multi-factor authentication (MFA) solutions?

MFA solutions protect users’ accounts by asking them to authenticate their identity in two or more ways before accessing accounts, sensitive information, systems, or apps.

In addition to a single authentication factor, such as entering a username and password, users are asked for a second authentication factor to confirm who they claim they are. Authentication factors include one-time passcodes for SMS, email, or phone calls, or risk-based authentication.

MFA solutions can be sold as standalone solutions integrating with a company’s user accounts or as part of a compound solution, typically in identity products such as workforce-based identity and access management (IAM) software or customer-based privileged access management (PAM) solutions.

Top 10 MFA solutions reviewed

Disclaimer: review insights (below) come from our experience with these solutions as well as other users’ experiences shared in Reddit, Gartner, and G2.

ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus

ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus is a self-service password management and single sign-on (SSO) solution from ManageEngine, equipped with multi-factor authentication (MFA) capabilities. With ADSelfService Plus, you can secure multiple IT resources, such as identities, machines, and VPNs across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments for Windows, Linux, and macOS logons. 

The solution offers 20+ different authentication methods, including:

• SMS or email verification
• Google Authenticator
• Azure AD MFA
• Push notification authentication
• Fingerprint authentication
• QR code-based authentication
• Microsoft Authenticator
• Time-based one-time passcodes (TOTPs)
• YubiKey Authenticator
• Face ID Authentication

Pricing: ADSelfService Plus is available in 3 editions. The starter plan is $595 for 500 domain users and includes features such as web-based self-service password reset and password expiry notifier.

Integrations: ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus integrates with various tools:

• Security information and event management (SIEM) such as Splunk or Syslog help with event logging, threat detection, and investigation.
• Identity and access management (IAM) tools such as Okta for resource provisioning and Active Directory management.

Why we like it:

ADSelfService Plus integrates with several MFA techniques, including Microsoft Authenticator. You can use the MS Authenticator app to authenticate when connecting to desktops and remote desktop protocol (RDP) sessions, making it versatile for securing access to desktops, servers, and applications.

The solution supports YubiKey, a hardware token used to help verify users in multi-factor authentication, ensuring strong authentication when accessing computers, networks, and online services.

What needs improvement:

The verification techniques offered by ADSelfService Plus have some vulnerabilities:

• Email and SMS verification can be stolen (credential stuffing, SIM changing of phone numbers).
• Fingerprint/FaceID merely confirms that the user is enrolled on the device. 

Additionally, ADSelfService Plus has limited documentation, especially for processes like SSL configuration and the setup guidance is limited.

LastPass MFA

LastPass MFA is an add-on for LastPass Business that includes basic MFA capabilities. The MFA add-on includes contextual authentication policies, support for workstations and VPNs, and the ability to interface with other Identity Providers (IDPs). 

Why we like it:

LastPass offers highly detailed features for customizing the environment. When the browser plugin works, you can seamlessly sign in, add, and manage passwords.

The autofill option is quite useful, saving me time by automatically filling up login information across your devices. 

What needs improvement:

LastPass MFA would not protect vault data if compromised, alternatives like Bitwarden, 1Password, or NordPass keep protecting data warehouses with MFA after data breaches.

The solution lacks enterprise-scale features for managing departments within an organization, it would be more beneficial if users could assign access levels to specific groups (e.g., Finance, Creative, Marketing, and Interns) and manage passwords based on those levels through custom tags or rights. 

Additionally, it logs you out frequently, even when the “Keep me logged in for 30 days” option is enabled. 

1Password

1Password is a password manager that includes a browser extension and a desktop/mobile app. With 1Password you can manage your login credentials and other protected information.It offers password management land for both individuals and businesses. 

The solution also offers enterprise features such as extended access management (XAM) that help companies secure access across SaaS-centric hybrid work environments.

Pricing: 1Password’s basic Individual subscription costs $2.00 per month. The Families plan, which allows for up to five users, starts at $4.99 per month. 1Password also provides business plans: Teams and Business.

Why we like it:

1PasswordIt offers strong encryption for your data, if 1Password’s servers were breached, your passwords would remain safe. 1Password encrypts all data before it’s sent to their servers. This means the company cannot see your passwords, and in the unlikely event of a breach, your data would be useless without your master password.

The software supports security keys like YubiKey for two-factor authentication (2FA), adding an extra layer of protection. 

Additionally, it allows you to share passwords with non-users.

What needs improvement:

No phone support for personal plans, individual plans do not allow guest sharing.

Cisco Duo

Cisco Duo provides authentication for applications, services, and servers. It also supports remote desktop protocol (RDP), a secure network communication protocol offered by Microsoft, that allows users to execute remote operations on other computers.

Why we like it:

Cisco Duo offers strong endpoint validation. It ensures all endpoints interacting with the third-party security platforms (e.g. SOARs) are authenticated and meet compliance requirements (e.g., proper configuration, and up-to-date patches).

Its API Integrations enable unified communication across various tools (SIEMs, firewalls, threat intelligence feeds, EDR/XDR) to centralize alert ingestion and response actions.

What needs improvement:

Cisco Duo’s push-based MFA is convenient but susceptible to “MFA fatigue” attacks (e.g. It spams users with push requests until they approve).

Duo Mobile does not natively support app-specific biometric or password protection.

Apps like Aegis and other open-source authenticators cannot scan QR codes issued by Duo due to vendor lock-in.

Microsoft Entra ID

Microsoft Entra ID is a cloud-based identity and access management service that enables your employees to access external resources. It offers three licenses:

• Microsoft Entra ID (free): Offers user and group administration, on-premises directory synchronization, basic reports, self-service password reset for cloud users, and single sign-on to Azure, and other SaaS apps.
• Microsoft Entra ID P1: Enables your hybrid users to access both on-premises and cloud resources. It also supports administration features including dynamic membership groups and self-service group management.
• Microsoft Entra ID P2: Provides risk-based conditional access to your apps and critical company data and privileged identity management to help restrict, and monitor administrators.

Why we like it:

Microsoft Entra ID provides device-based MFA, this helps manage device identities for each asset and ensures robust control over who and what connects to the network. Full disk encryption through BitLocker secures data at rest, preventing unauthorized access even if a device is lost or stolen.

Additionally, Entra ID integrates smoothly with Office 365 tools, making account creation and monitoring straightforward and efficient,

What needs improvement:

Microsoft Entra ID provides basic MFA enforcement but relies on Microsoft’s risk-based decision-making for prompts, which can miss certain edge cases (e.g., logging in from a new device or unusual location without triggering MFA).

There are challenges with per-user MFA, enabling MFA per user is cumbersome and prone to human error during onboarding or maintenance. This method also lacks centralized logging and policy management.

Google Authenticator

Google Authenticator is a software-based authenticator app created by Google that provides two-factor authentication (2FA) services via time-based one-time password (TOTP) and HMAC-based one-time password (HOTP) methods. 

Why we like it:

Google Authenticator offers extensive compatibility, it supports many services, including Google, Facebook, Amazon, Dropbox, and other applications that use two-factor authentication (2FA). 

Google Authenticator’s cloud backup feature allows you to restore your codes across different devices. That implies that if your phone is lost, damaged, or wiped, your 2FA data can be saved.

It offers an intuitive design for daily users, making it easy for users to navigate and manage their 2FA codes. Additionally, you can seamlessly transfer 2FA codes from one device to another, reducing the hassle of manual setup.

What needs improvement:

There are no account security features Google Authenticator does not support security features like PINs, biometric locks, or encryption for stored codes.

RSA SecurID

RSA SecureID is best suited for enterprise teams seeking granular authentication features and policies. It is an excellent choice for enterprises that need to comply with rules, such as healthcare, finance, and government.

SecureID is offered as part of RSA’s Unified Identity Platform, which combines intelligence, authentication, governance, and lifecycle management in a single platform.

Why we like it:

RSA SecureID provides strong risk-based authentication, which enables users to dynamically adjust security levels based on user behavior, providing more optimized access control.

It has extensive application coverage, supporting more than 500 cloud and on-prem applications, along with custom internal apps.

What needs improvement:

The solution uses physical tokens, which poses a risk: if tokens get lost users could lose access to their devices.

Offline code storage is not available and the mobile app requires a smartphone with internet or cellular service, limiting access in certain situations. 

IBM Verify

IBM  Verify is an ideal solution for organizations that are progressively moving to cloud IAM and need enterprise-level deployments.

Why we like it:

IBM  Verify supports multi-factor authentication (MFA) with several methods such as push notifications, QR codes, and mobile app authentication, providing an extra layer of security. It also provides templates for consent management, aiding compliance with data privacy regulations like GDPR.

What needs improvement:

The setup and configuration process is time-consuming and requires a technical background.

NordPass Business 

NordPass is a relatively new password management solution that includes capabilities such as password sharing, browser autofill, and user administration. NordPass Business offers a business plan for enterprises, starting with five users. This plan includes greater scalability and extra group administration tools like Data Breach Scanner and Password Health.

Why we like it:

Managing permissions from the admin panel is straightforward. The app is reliable and it does not break down. Its new feature that allows users to use two-factor authentication codes for shared accounts is useful. 

What needs improvement:

If a user deletes a password, it is just gone. No recovery, such as when a user is deleted. The log will tell you what password is deleted if there’s only one, but if they bulk delete, it will only tell you how many. Moreover, password ownership can’t be changed. Nobody but the owner can delete a password.

Okta Adaptive MFA

Okta Adaptive MFA enables IT decision-makers to create contextual access policies that need step-up authentication or prohibit access based on facts about users, and devices. For example, if a U.S.-based user demands access from another country, Okta Adaptive MFA will request extra verification.

Why we like it:

Okta Adaptive MFA supports multiple authentication factors such as Okta FastPass, Fido2 WebAuthn keys, smart cards, security questions, SMS, voice & email OTPs, a mobile app, and biometrics. 

Furthermore, Okta’s access gateway allows seamless integration with both on-premises and cloud-based applications. This enables centralizing access management across hybrid environments.

What needs improvement:

It is difficult to check passwords for applications integrated with Okta.

Okta Adaptive MFA does not provide detailed documentation, particularly for more complex setups like conditional access policies or integrating MFA with various apps. 

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