privacyIDEA
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) software
Identity management software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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€165 per month
Free Trial unavailable
Free version
Small
Medium
Large
- Public sector and nonprofit organizations
- Professional services (engineering, legal, consulting, etc.)
- Manufacturing
What is privacyIDEA
privacyIDEA is an open-source multi-factor authentication (MFA) and two-factor authentication (2FA) platform used to add strong authentication to VPNs, web applications, remote access, and enterprise logins. It provides a central policy engine and token management for multiple second-factor methods, typically integrated via RADIUS, SAML2, LDAP/AD, and REST APIs. It is commonly deployed by IT and security teams that need self-hosted control over authentication flows and token lifecycle management. The product is often used in environments that want to avoid vendor lock-in and customize authentication policies and integrations.
Broad integration options
privacyIDEA supports common enterprise integration patterns such as RADIUS and SAML2, and it also exposes APIs for custom application integration. This makes it suitable for protecting VPN gateways, web portals, and legacy systems that already rely on RADIUS-based authentication. The integration approach fits heterogeneous environments where multiple access paths need consistent MFA policy enforcement.
Flexible token and policy control
The platform manages multiple token types and allows administrators to define authentication policies centrally. It supports typical operational needs such as token enrollment, assignment, revocation, and recovery workflows. This policy-driven design helps standardize MFA behavior across different applications without requiring each application to implement its own MFA logic.
Self-hosted open-source deployment
As an open-source solution, privacyIDEA can be deployed on-premises or in a customer-controlled cloud environment. This can be important for organizations with data residency requirements or strict control over authentication infrastructure. The open architecture also enables deeper customization than many packaged, vendor-hosted offerings.
Higher operational responsibility
Self-hosting typically requires internal resources for installation, upgrades, backups, monitoring, and high availability design. Organizations must plan for secure key management and operational processes around token lifecycle and incident response. Teams without dedicated IAM/MFA expertise may find ongoing administration more demanding than managed services.
Limited native CIAM breadth
While it can integrate with identity stores and federation protocols, privacyIDEA is primarily an MFA/policy layer rather than a full customer identity and access management suite. Capabilities such as customer registration, progressive profiling, consent management, and advanced customer journey orchestration may require additional products. This can increase integration work when the goal is end-to-end CIAM rather than MFA augmentation.
User experience varies by method
End-user experience depends on the chosen token types and the quality of each integration (for example, RADIUS prompts versus modern web-based flows). Some deployments may require additional configuration to achieve consistent enrollment and recovery experiences across applications. Organizations seeking highly uniform, turnkey UX across channels may need extra design and implementation effort.
Plan & Pricing
privacyIDEA Enterprise Edition (NetKnights)
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business | 165 € per month | 8×5 support (Mo–Fr 9am–5pm CET), response time 8h, 1 productive installation, 1–500 users included, Request Quote |
| Enterprise | 556 € per month | 8×5 support (Mo–Fr 9am–5pm CET), response time 4h, 1 productive installation, 1–5000 users (or more) included, telephone support, Request Quote |
| Provider | 2275 € per month | 12×5 support (Mo–Fr 8am–8pm CET), response time 4h, unlimited installations in your datacenter, all users included, telephone support, consulting days, HSM, SCIM resolver, Request Quote |
privacyIDEA Credential Provider (add-on)
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business | 133 € per month | 8×5 support, response time 8h, installation in one domain/forest, 500 users included, Request Quote |
| Enterprise | 283 € per month | 8×5 support, response time 4h, installation in one domain/forest, 5000 users included, Request Quote |
| Provider | 1492 € per month | 12×5 support, response time 4h, up to 10 domains/forests, all users included, Request Quote |
privacyIDEA LDAP Proxy (add-on)
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business | 133 € per month | 8×5 support, response time 8h, one installation, 5000 users included (page lists 5000 for small business), Request Quote |
| Enterprise | 283 € per month | 8×5 support, response time 4h, one installation, 5000 users included, Request Quote |
| Provider | 1492 € per month | 12×5 support, response time 4h, up to 10 installations in your datacenter, all users included, Request Quote |
