Cisco Duo vs Yubico YubiKey comparison

Cisco and Yubico are both solutions in the Authentication Systems category. Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.8, while Yubico is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.0. Cisco holds a 5.3% mindshare in AS, compared to Yubico’s 5.0% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Yubico users who would recommend it.

Cisco Duo

Read 86 Cisco Duo reviews

6,543 Views
4,711 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Yubico YubiKey

Read 5 Yubico YubiKey reviews

3,377 Views
3,242 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Duo

Yubico YubiKey

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 28, 2025

Yubico YubiKey and Cisco Duo each offer unique security solutions. Cisco Duo is seen as a superior product due to its comprehensive features, making it worth the higher cost.

Features:YubiKey is valued for its strong physical security, ease of use, and seamless integration with various platforms. Cisco Duo shines with its multi-factor authentication capabilities, user management features, and robust analytics.

Room for Improvement:YubiKey could improve in supporting more authentication protocols, providing better mobile app support, and increasing versatility. Cisco Duo users recommend enhancements in biometric authentication, a reduction in false positives, and refining advanced security measures.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service:YubiKey users appreciate the straightforward deployment process and effective customer support. Cisco Duo users report that despite a more complex setup, the customer service effectively mitigates challenges.

Pricing and ROI:YubiKey users find the pricing budget-friendly with a solid return on investment. Cisco Duo, while more expensive, is perceived to deliver strong ROI through enhanced security features.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Duo vs. Yubico YubiKey Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo vs. Yubico YubiKey

December 2025

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Helped 879,927 peers since 2012

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

Ranking in Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

1st

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Single Sign-On (SSO) (3rd), Access Management (4th), ZTNA as a Service (5th), Cisco Security Portfolio (2nd)

Yubico YubiKey

Ranking in Authentication Systems

6th

Ranking in Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

3rd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Passwordless Authentication (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Authentication Systems category, the mindshare of Cisco Duo is 5.3%, down from 10.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Yubico YubiKey is 5.0%, down from 9.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Authentication Systems Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Duo	5.3%
Yubico YubiKey	5.0%
Other	89.7%

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.

Read full review

Kedar Mantri

Co-Founder at LBR Infosolutions

Robust authentication boosts security in restricted environments

Yubico YubiKey is highly valued for its anti-phishing feature, which prevents phishing of OTPs that are normally obtained through phones. The security features of Yubico YubiKey make it stand out among other MFA products in India, as it prevents anyone from accessing my password or PIN. Additionally, it supports receiving OTPs on phones.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It's easy to deploy. It's easy to manage. It's easy to integrate with other applications."

"Cisco Duo has made us more secure. We've managed to stop some threats with it and keep our users and devices safe."

"Multifactor authentication is the most valuable feature."

"All features of the solution are effective, particularly those involved in identifying vulnerabilities and updates."

"The features of Cisco Duo have benefited my organization because it's secure, provides a way of accessing the workspace, and it's easy to operate from mobile."

"The UI of Cisco Duo is easy to use, especially the web backend, and it's really intuitive and easy to set up."

"The single pane of glass management works very well. That feature is very important because we have a lot of admins who have to manage Duo, and it's much easier when it's a single pane of glass. That single pane is also great because it's easy to enroll new devices."

"It was a simple way of providing two-factor authentication for remote access when we hit the COVID pandemic. It was very easy and quick to get it going."

More Cisco Duo pros

"The solution is simple to use and we have installed it in our clients' endpoints. The tool is just plug-and-play for the end user. The end user can just put in the key to the security computer and log in without any hassle. The solution is efficient, user-friendly, and easy to use."

"The most valuable feature of Yubico YubiKey is security."

"YubiKey is a hardware security device with advanced security features."

"Yubico YubiKey is highly valued for its anti-phishing feature, which prevents phishing of OTPs that are normally obtained through phones."

"It's small and lightweight. Like a phone, it doesn't run out of battery. It also doesn't have to be unlocked. It doesn't break. Moreover, they're very durable and it's very convenient."

Cons

"Often, people do not receive expiration messages, and sometimes, for security reasons, accounts get disabled without notifying the end user, so they mistakenly think something has gone wrong when it really just needs to be re-enabled on the external system."

"The new smart license model doesn't always work. It's very complicated."

"It could be a little bit more intuitive when it comes to the sign-up process. I know they send out an email, but sometimes our users get a little confused. It could be an end-user problem, but Cisco could work on that a little."

"It already integrates with lots of products, but it can integrate with more products. There should be easy integration with Cisco products because sometimes, it can be quite complicated."

"We first deployed Duo Security for our company with the VPN, and afterward, about a year later, we implemented it for a customer of ours where we offered infrastructure as a service. When I tried to establish a VPN connection through Duo Security, it did not function well on that version, which was the latest one at the time. So, I had to make a copy of the machine and then implement Duo Security with the VPN because it did not function well with the newer version."

"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."

"Duo Security should better organize its tile feature to organize applications better."

"Cisco can further enhance the integrations, as they possess exceptional integrations with various providers' products and feature sets."

More Cisco Duo cons

"Yubico YubiKey is inconvient. No one likes the idea of having to put a USB device into the system, having to remember to take it out, and having passwords. It may be very good for security but it is not great for people to use."

"Currently, an area where the product lacks is in addressing service needs."

"Yubico YubiKey could be improved by allowing for centralized administration, which is not currently available in India."

"It's a hardware device, so it isn't cost-effective to use for all your accounts. You might have a hard time getting budget approval. It's better to take a strategic approach and use it only for critical accounts. You can use other forms of authentication for the rest."

"It would be better if the product can come up with a serial number for the keys. It would be nice if they had a numbering system as a configuration identity that would help the IT and technical teams to identify the keys because they look all the same. It would be more like putting a tag on them."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It falls in line with everything else."

"The licensing is very good because it does not cost a lot of money. It's affordable for all-sized customers, including enterprises. There is an additional cost for premium support."

"My experience with pricing, setup costs, and licensing has been good, with no issues. I am pleased that the prices remained stable after Cisco acquired the solution."

"Their pricing model is a little bit weird. Currently, there is no price advantage in signing up for yearly contracts. There are no additional costs to the standard licensing costs."

"I believe the licensing model is excellent as it offers flexibility to our customers, allowing them to adopt a crawl, walk, or run approach."

"Cisco's licensing is always a bit complicated to understand, but the price is fair. It could be more expensive than others, but the way they integrate everything, it has a fair price."

"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."

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

More Cisco Duo pricing and cost advice

"We paid 100 bucks for one Yubikey."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

Financial Services Firm

Government

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	31
Midsize Enterprise	18
Large Enterprise	39

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 do you like most about Duo Security?

They are users who, as mentioned before, utilize RDPAP and MDPAP. It includes functionalities related to finance, specifically in single sign-on.

See all answers

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

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing reveals that one of the most powerful features is the licensing model and the price. According to the pricing, it is really fantastic to get th...

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What needs improvement with Yubico YubiKey?

Yubico YubiKey could be improved by allowing for centralized administration, which is not currently available in India. In India, administrators typically have control over all security devices, bu...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Yubico YubiKey?

I primarily use Yubico YubiKey ( /products/yubico-yubikey-reviews ) for authentication in environments such as Active Directory, cloud administration, trading room, and dealing room where phones ar...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Yubico YubiKey?

From an individual perspective, no improvements are required for Yubico YubiKey. However, at a corporate or enterprise level, a central control mechanism is necessary, which is currently lacking in...

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Entra ID vs Cisco Duo

Compared 9% of the time

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Cisco Duo

Compared 9% of the time

Fortinet FortiToken vs Cisco Duo

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs Cisco Duo

Compared 5% of the time

RSA SecurID vs Cisco Duo

Compared 4% of the time

More Cisco Duo Competitors

RSA SecurID vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 34% of the time

Fortinet FortiToken vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 11% of the time

Thales Authenticators vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 9% of the time

OneSpan DIGIPASS vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 6% of the time

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 6% of the time

More Yubico YubiKey Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo

January 2026

Download Cisco Duo product report

Buyer's Guide

Authentication Systems

January 2026

Download Yubico YubiKey product report

Also Known As

Duo Security

YubiKey

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

The YubiKey works with hundreds of enterprise, developer and consumer applications, out-of-the-box and with no client software. Combined with leading password managers, social login and enterprise single sign on systems the YubiKey enables secure access to millions of online services.

Yubico

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Google Inc., Salesforce, Novartis, Facebook, GitHub, CERN, Duke University, Code Enigma, Luther Burbank High School, ZorgSaam, Agfa, Santa Clara County Fire Department, Dyson Ltd, Portugal Telecom, Boral, Canonical Ltd

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo vs. Yubico YubiKey

December 2025

Free Report: Cisco Duo vs. Yubico YubiKey

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Duo vs. Yubico YubiKey and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

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