JumpCloud holds a narrow lead over Microsoft Entra Connect Sync for combining single sign-on with directory and device management. For basic setups under one hundred employees, Microsoft is the usual answer, while Okta leads for teams adding multi-factor authentication.
For a startup with fewer than 100 employees, I'd recommend Google Workspace if you already use Google, or JumpCloud if you want a dedicated SSO provider that's easy to grow with. If you use Microsoft 365, Microsoft Entra ID may be the simplest option because it integrates with your existing environment.
The key distinction is whether you want SSO for your employees to access company apps, or SSO for customers to log in to your own software. The recommendations below focus on employee SSO.
I need to set up single sign-on for my startup. Which platforms integrate easily with our existing email and productivity suite accounts?
We're a growing startup and need a simple solution for Single Sign-On (SSO) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to secure our apps. Where should I start?
Combines SSO, multi-factor authentication (MFA), user directory, and optional device management. It offers self-service purchasing and a 30-day trial, making it practical for a small team without a dedicated IT department.
Published SSO plan: $11/user/month billed annually, or $13 monthly.
2. Google Workspace — Easiest for Google-first teams
If your company already uses Gmail and Google Workspace, starting with its existing identity environment minimizes the number of systems you need to manage. Check your edition's support for the specific SSO features and third-party apps you need.
3. Microsoft Entra ID — Easiest for Microsoft 365 teams
A natural choice if your company already uses Microsoft 365. SSO is included in Entra ID plans, and P1 costs $7/user/month with annual billing when purchased separately. Some Microsoft 365 plans already include P1.
A strong choice when you need broad app integrations and expect identity management requirements to grow. Its Workforce Identity Starter plan lists SSO and MFA at $6/user/month, though you should verify the applicable minimums and contract terms.
For a startup with 10–99 employees and no dedicated identity engineer, I'd shortlist JumpCloud and your existing productivity-suite provider first. A provider that fits your current environment will usually be easier to deploy and maintain than adding a new identity platform.
Before choosing, verify that your plan supports SAML or OIDC SSO for your essential apps, MFA enforcement, and automatic account deprovisioning when employees leave.
One question that would help me give you a more definitive answer: Which setup does your startup currently use?
For a startup with under 100 employees, the "easiest" SSO provider depends on whether you mean securing employee access to third-party apps (Internal/Workforce SSO ) or adding a login button to your own product for customers (Customer Identity).
Assuming you mean Internal/Workforce SSO (managing how your team logs into Slack, Notion, Google Workspace, GitHub, etc.), the easiest options break down by your current tech stack:
Google Workspace (Built-in)
Best for: Startups already using Google for business email.
Why it's easiest: If your team already logs into Google Workspace, you essentially already have a basic IdP. You can enable SAML/SSO connections for external apps directly through the Google Admin console without deploying a separate service.
Setup effort: Minimal (minutes if apps support Google's pre-integrated catalog).
JumpCloud
Best for: Lean teams that need unified control over employee laptops (Mac/PC) and app access.
Why it's easiest: JumpCloud is an open directory platform designed specifically for SMBs and startups. It provides a clean, modern UI that doesn't require a dedicated enterprise IT specialist to configure, and they offer a free tier for your first 10 users.
Setup effort: Low (guided setup, highly rated for usability).
Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD)
Best for: Startups operating inside the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Why it's easiest: Like Google, if you already pay for Microsoft 365 business tiers, Entra ID is bundled in or easily upgradeable, avoiding a separate vendor relationship and invoice.
Setup effort: Moderate (administrative panel can feel dense, but tutorials are abundant).
Okta / Auth0
Best for: Startups anticipating rapid enterprise growth or needing heavy compliance standards (SOC 2, ISO 27001) out of the gate.
Why it's easiest: They are the gold standard with pre-built connectors for literally thousands of apps. However, they are overkill and more expensive/complex for a tiny team compared to using Google or JumpCloud.
Setup effort: Low-to-moderate, but higher administrative and cost overhead.
To help narrow down the absolute best fit, tell me:
Are you looking to secure internal employee logins or customer logins for your own app?
What email/productivity suite (Google Workspace or Microsoft 365) does your startup currently use?
For a startup, I’d shortlist Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, JumpCloud, and Google Cloud Identity. The right choice mainly depends on whether your existing email/productivity stack is Google or Microsoft.
Tool
Best fit
Key strength
Okta
Mixed SaaS stack
Vendor-neutral SSO + broad app integrations; starts at $6/user/month. www.okta.com
Microsoft Entra ID
Microsoft 365
Natural integration with Microsoft identities, apps, Conditional Access, and SCIM.
JumpCloud
Small IT teams
SSO + directory + device management; can synchronize Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 identities.
Google Cloud Identity
Google Workspace
Convenient if Google is already your identity/email backbone.
My practical rule: Google Workspace → Google/JumpCloud; Microsoft 365 → Entra; mixed SaaS/ecosystem → Okta.
If your startup is already using a productivity and email suite like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 , you might not actually need a heavy third-party tool right away. Both ecosystems double as identity providers (IdPs) and include native single sign-on (SSO) capabilities.
The best options for a startup depend on whether you want to stretch your current stack or layer on a dedicated directory and device manager.
1. The Built-In Approach (Best for Tight Budgets)
Google Workspace (Built-in SSO / Cloud Identity): If you use Google for email, your user directory is already there. Higher tiers (and Google Cloud Identity) let you configure SAML and OIDC integrations so employees can log into third-party apps (like GitHub, Slack, or Notion) using their corporate @yourcompany.com Google credentials.
Pros: Free or already included in your existing per-user subscription; zero extra infrastructure to manage.
Cons: Lacks advanced device management or granular conditional access unless you upgrade to pricier enterprise tiers.
For a growing startup, setting up SSO and MFA depends slightly on whether you are securing internal tools/employee access or building authentication for customers inside your product.
The top options on the market are categorized below by your primary use case to help you get started quickly:
1. If you are securing Internal Access (Employee apps, Google Workspace, AWS, GitHub)
JumpCloud: Great for lean startups. It acts as a directory, handles device management (macOS/Windows), and provides robust SSO and MFA without heavy enterprise bloat.
Google Workspace / Microsoft Entra ID: If you already live inside Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, you might already have basic identity controls. You can enforce Google/Microsoft-based SSO and mandatory MFA for free or cheap before buying a separate standalone tool.
Okta: The gold standard for enterprise, but often overkill (and pricier) for early-stage startups. Save this for when you land enterprise clients demanding Okta integration.
2. If you are securing Customer Logins (For B2B/B2C SaaS apps you are building)
Auth0 by Okta: The industry heavyweight for developer-focused customer identity. Extremely reliable, handles complex social logins, enterprise SAML/SSO, and MFA out of the box.
Clerk or WorkOS: Extremely fast-growing modern alternatives specifically built for modern web stacks. WorkOS is exceptional if you need to quickly add Enterprise SSO (SAML) to close B2B deals, while Clerk offers an incredible drop-in developer experience for user management.
Your Action Plan
Define the scope: Are you trying to stop employees from getting phished, or do you need to offer SAML/SSO to enterprise customers using your software?
Audit what you have: Check if your current workspace provider (like Google or Microsoft) already handles baseline MFA.
Pick a developer-first tool (like Auth0 or WorkOS) if it's for your product, or an open directory/IT tool (like JumpCloud) if it's for your team.
To help narrow this down, tell me:
Is this for internal employee access or customer-facing app logins?
What is your tech stack or current workspace provider (e.g., Google Workspace, AWS, Next.js, Python)?
For a growing startup, I’d start by buying rather than building your own identity system. The core architecture is:
Your apps → Identity Provider (IdP) → SSO + MFA
The IdP handles login, MFA, session management, password policies, and—when needed—federation with customers’ identity systems.
1. Decide what kind of SSO you actually need
There are two common scenarios:
Workforce SSO: Your employees sign into Slack, GitHub, AWS, internal apps, etc. Look at Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, or similar workforce identity platforms.
Customer/application SSO: Your customers sign into your SaaS product. Look at Auth0/Okta Customer Identity, WorkOS, Clerk, or similar developer-focused CIAM platforms.
For a 50-person startup, I’d look at WorkOS first if you mean SSO for customers using your SaaS product. It’s developer-focused, supports SAML/OIDC and SCIM, and has a generous user-management tier; enterprise SSO is priced per connection.
Other good fits:
Clerk — very easy setup, especially for React/Next.js apps.
Auth0 — broader authentication platform if you need consumer + enterprise login together.
Okta — better if you mean SSO for your own 50 employees' internal apps, rather than SSO into your product.
If you tell me whether this is employee SSO or customer-facing SSO, I can narrow it to 2–3 choices.
For a startup with around 50 users, the best SSO provider depends on whether you mean securing your internal team's access to SaaS tools (like Slack, GitHub, Google Workspace) or adding customer-facing SSO to a product you are building.
Assuming you mean internal IT/workspace access for your 50 employees, here are the top, easy-to-set-up options:
Google Workspace (if you already use it): If your team already uses Google for email and docs, you actually already have a lightweight identity provider. You can use Google's built-in SAML/OIDC integrations to add SSO to most modern SaaS apps (GitHub, Slack, Notion, etc.) for zero extra cost. It takes minutes to configure, though it lacks advanced automated user provisioning (SCIM) on lower tiers.
JumpCloud: This is often the sweet spot for startups. It’s an open directory platform that acts as an easy cloud-based directory, device manager (Mac/PC), and SSO provider rolled into one. It’s very intuitive, handles roughly 50 users smoothly, and lets you manage both machine logins and app access without enterprise-level bloat.
Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD): If your startup leans heavily into the Microsoft ecosystem (Office 365, Windows laptops), Entra ID is a natural fit. It’s robust, scales effortlessly if you grow past 50, and has native integrations with practically every major business software on the market.
Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD): If you are a Microsoft shop running Microsoft 365 (Business Premium or higher), you already have access to Entra ID. It provides robust enterprise-grade SSO, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and conditional access policies out of the box.
Pros: Deeply integrated with Windows, Office apps, and thousands of cloud services.
Cons: Can feel heavy and complex to configure if your team is largely non-Windows or Mac-first.
2. The Dedicated Directory & Device Management Approach (Best for Mixed-OS / Scaling Startups)
JumpCloud: A cloud directory platform that acts as an independent command center. It syncs seamlessly with Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 identities, but extends control past web app SSO into cross-OS device management (Mac, Windows, Linux) and MDM.
Pros: Highly rated for startups, lets you manage device policies and local user accounts alongside SAML/OIDC app SSO, and has a generous free tier for small teams (first 10 devices/users free).
Cons: More than you need if you only want web app login and don't care about managing laptop settings.
3. The Gold Standard Enterprise Scaling Approach (Best for Heavy Compliance / SOC 2)
Okta (Workforce Identity Cloud): The independent market leader for identity management. It plugs cleanly into Google or Microsoft as the upstream directory and connects to literally thousands of pre-integrated apps.
Pros: Inevitably required anyway when enterprise customers demand SAML/SSO or you need strict SOC 2 compliance and automated user lifecycle provisioning (SCIM).
Cons: Pricier per user than native options, and setup is overkill for a very early-stage team.
Recommendation at a Glance
If you have fewer than 15-20 people and use Google/Microsoft: Stick to your native provider's built-in SSO capabilities. It costs $0 extra and removes password fatigue immediately.
If you are managing company laptops and need lightweight IT controls: Go with JumpCloud to sync your email identities with device-level security.
If you are actively chasing enterprise clients or a SOC 2 audit: Invest early in Okta so you don't have to migrate your identity stack later.
To help narrow this down, tell me:
Which email/productivity suite are you currently on (Google Workspace or Microsoft 365)?
Do you need to manage company laptops/devices , or just web application logins?
If you're primarily securing your own employees and internal apps, start with a workforce IdP. If you're building a SaaS product where your customers need to authenticate, the second category is usually the better fit.
2. Require MFA, preferably phishing-resistant MFA
At minimum, support an authenticator such as an authenticator app or security key. For higher-security environments, prioritize passkeys/WebAuthn/FIDO2, which provide phishing resistance. NIST's current Digital Identity Guidelines specifically distinguish phishing-resistant cryptographic authentication from manually entered OTP codes.
A sensible startup policy is:
MFA required for employees.
Passkeys/security keys encouraged or required for administrators.
Recovery codes and a well-controlled account-recovery process.
Avoid relying exclusively on SMS for MFA.
Require reauthentication for particularly sensitive actions.
3. Use standard protocols
For your applications, favor:
OpenID Connect (OIDC) for modern application authentication.
SAML 2.0 when integrating with enterprise customers' existing identity providers.
SCIM later if you need automated user provisioning/deprovisioning.
Don't implement the cryptography or authentication protocol yourself. Let the identity provider's SDK and standards handle it.
4. A practical startup rollout
I'd implement it in roughly this order:
Choose one IdP and make it the source of truth for employee identities.
Turn on MFA for everyone, starting with administrators.
Integrate your highest-risk applications first.
Put your own apps behind OIDC.
Establish joiner/mover/leaver processes—especially automatic disabling when someone leaves.
Add logging and alerts for suspicious authentication activity.
Once enterprise customers request it, add SAML SSO and SCIM.
For example, Microsoft documents Conditional Access as a way to deploy and tailor MFA policies across applications.
What I'd evaluate before choosing a vendor
Don't just compare the headline price. Check:
Capability
Why it matters
OIDC
Easy integration with your apps
SAML
Enterprise customer compatibility
MFA/passkeys
Strong authentication
SCIM
Automated provisioning
Admin roles
Prevent identity-admin takeover
Audit logs
Security investigations/compliance
APIs/SDKs
Automation and developer experience
Custom domains
Professional customer login
Multiple IdPs
Important for B2B SaaS
Account recovery
Often overlooked security risk
Pricing at scale
Avoid unpleasant growth surprises
If you tell me whether you're securing your employees' internal tools or adding SSO/MFA to a SaaS product for your customers, I can narrow this down to a few concrete architectures and vendors.
Okta (Workforce Identity Cloud): The industry standard for IAM. While Okta can get expensive and feature-heavy as you scale, it is undeniably straightforward to hook up to external apps via their massive integration network. However, for a 50-person startup, it might be slightly overkill compared to JumpCloud or Google.
(Note: If you are looking to build customer-facing login/SSO for a B2B SaaS product you are coding rather than internal tools, look into Auth0 by Okta or WorkOS , which make developer-side enterprise SSO trivial to implement.)
To help narrow this down, let me know:
Are you trying to secure internal employee access to apps, or add SSO for customers using your product?
What directory/email system (Google Workspace or Microsoft 365) are you currently running on?
