Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Smallstep Certificates VS Azure Multi-Factor Authentication

Compare Smallstep Certificates VS Azure Multi-Factor Authentication and see what are their differences

Smallstep Certificates logo Smallstep Certificates

A private certificate authority (X.509 & SSH) & ACME server for secure automated certificate management, so you can use TLS everywhere & SSO for SSH.

Azure Multi-Factor Authentication logo Azure Multi-Factor Authentication

Azure Multi-Factor Authentication helps safeguard access to data and applications while meeting user demand for a simple sign-in process.
  • Smallstep Certificates Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-22
  • Azure Multi-Factor Authentication Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-19

Smallstep Certificates features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

Azure Multi-Factor Authentication features and specs

  • Enhanced Security
    Azure MFA adds an additional layer of security by requiring users to verify their identity through multiple methods, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
  • Flexible Authentication Options
    It supports various authentication methods such as phone calls, text messages, app notifications, and hardware tokens, providing flexibility for users.
  • Integration with Microsoft Services
    Seamless integration with other Microsoft services and Azure Active Directory ensures a cohesive security solution across different Microsoft platforms.
  • Compliance Support
    Helps organizations meet compliance requirements by providing an additional layer of security that is often mandated by regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, etc.
  • User-friendly
    Designed to be straightforward for end-users, reducing the friction typically associated with multi-factor authentication processes.
  • Conditional Access Policies
    Enables the configuration of conditional access policies to enforce MFA for specific scenarios, balancing security needs and user convenience.

Possible disadvantages of Azure Multi-Factor Authentication

  • Cost
    While some features are available for free, comprehensive usage of Azure MFA can incur additional costs depending on the Azure AD licensing model.
  • Setup Complexity
    Initial setup and configuration can be complex, especially for organizations without a dedicated IT team.
  • Reliance on Internet Connectivity
    Most verification methods require an internet connection, which can be a drawback in environments with unstable or unreliable internet access.
  • Potential User Resistance
    Some users may find the authentication process cumbersome or may resist changes to the login process, requiring additional user education and support.
  • Dependency on External Devices
    Authentication methods like text messages or app notifications depend on users having access to their mobile devices, which can be problematic if a device is lost or stolen.
  • Integration Challenges with Non-Microsoft Services
    While Azure MFA integrates well with Microsoft services, integration with third-party or non-Microsoft applications may require additional configuration and support.

Smallstep Certificates videos

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Azure Multi-Factor Authentication videos

How to register for Azure Multi-Factor Authentication

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Smallstep Certificates and Azure Multi-Factor Authentication)
Identity And Access Management
Web Development Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Two Factor Authentication
Password Management
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Smallstep Certificates should be more popular than Azure Multi-Factor Authentication. It has been mentiond 10 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Smallstep Certificates mentions (10)

  • A convert from Judaism to Catholicism goes to r/Catholicism to ask if it would be appropriate to pass down a century old Jewish prayer shawl to his son. Not everyone is welcoming.
    Just a little heads up https://smallstep.com/certificates/. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Looking for an open source certificate management solution.
    Step-ca: Not web based, but the CLI is pretty user friendly: https://smallstep.com/certificates/. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Using k8s-apiserver as AAA server for microservices?
    I was just looking at https://smallstep.com/certificates a few days ago. It looks like they have an operator that fits your description as well as example docs for setting up inter-microservice mtls. Source: about 2 years ago
  • What are SSH Certificate Authority solutions?
    In the quick search I learned about Ssh cert authority which looks very manual and also like a dead project Smallstep's step-ca who put together very nice article about how to begin certificate authority process Netflix' BLESS is AWS only Cashier which also looks quite ok. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Quickly prototyping and testing TLS services with valid certs
    If you want something a little fancier (I.e. Get automatic certs with all that ACME goodness) check out SmallStep. This is next on my list of homelab projects. Source: about 3 years ago
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Azure Multi-Factor Authentication mentions (2)

  • MFA for Outlook Online on cell phone
    This is the answer, more detail: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/authentication/concept-mfa-howitworks. Source: about 3 years ago
  • What do you do if you lost your phone with Microsoft Authenticator?
    Make sure that you back-up the active app-configuration, this way you have an easier way to recover; make sure you are allowed to verify using more than an authenticator, more here. Source: almost 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Smallstep Certificates and Azure Multi-Factor Authentication, you can also consider the following products

BastionXP - BastionXP Identity Based Infrastructure Access Platform is a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) / Certificate Authority (CA) that creates, signs and distributes SSH, SSL X.509 certificates to servers and users upon successful SSO login via OAuth or SAML

Google Authenticator - Google Authenticator is a multifactor app for mobile devices.

PKI.js - PKIjs is a pure JavaScript library implementing the formats that are used in PKI applications (signing, encryption, certificate requests, OCSP and TSP requests/responses). It is built on WebCrypto (Web Cryptography API) and requires no plug-ins.

Authy - Best rated Two-Factor Authentication smartphone app for consumers, simplest 2fa Rest API for developers and a strong authentication platform for the enterprise.

Smallstep SSH - Single Sign-on SSH

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.