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 5.0% mindshare in AS, compared to Yubico’s 4.6% 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 91 Cisco Duo reviews

7,041 Views
4,858 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Yubico YubiKey

Read 5 Yubico YubiKey reviews

3,424 Views
3,253 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: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo vs. Yubico YubiKey

January 2026

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Helped 881,757 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

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Single Sign-On (SSO) (3rd), Access Management (4th), ZTNA as a Service (4th), 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 February 2026, in the Authentication Systems category, the mindshare of Cisco Duo is 5.0%, down from 10.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Yubico YubiKey is 4.6%, down from 9.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Authentication Systems Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Duo	5.0%
Yubico YubiKey	4.6%
Other	90.4%

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

"Documentation is the most valuable feature, and if you ever have to reach out to them with a question, their support is also fantastic."

"The most appealing feature of Cisco Duo is the phone notification system that simply pops up on your phone."

"The most valuable feature of Duo Security is the ability for the user to easily approve access. The application prompts the user, and they can see the location and the IP address. This makes it easy for the user to approve it and go through the process of logging in to the VPN."

"Cisco Duo has provided substantial value, primarily in saved time, but also in low cost because administrators do not have a significant workload with Cisco Duo."

"We get fewer threats to remediate due to the two-factor authentication, which does not allow as many threats through."

"The feature of Cisco Duo that I value the most is that it's easy to use; it monitors all our devices to ensure everything is updated before we're given access to those applications."

"The Verified Duo Push feature is valuable. It gives an extra level of security beyond just the regular push."

"Cisco Duo helps minimize the risk of attack vectors and prevents unauthorized access to our data since it's tied with multi-factor authentication, which helps block threats."

More Cisco Duo pros

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

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

"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."

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

"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."

Cons

"Smart Licensing needs improvement. It's terrible. We have problems with it every year and we need to involve support to fix it."

"Cisco Duo could be improved if there were a way to make two-factor authentication quicker."

"Cisco Duo can be improved with better ways to set users up. Currently, we might not be doing it perfectly as we're having them email in phone numbers to get them set up with Duo Mobile."

"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."

"More automation and device insights would be helpful in achieving a seamless single pane of glass. Having the additional capability to streamline processes would also make things better."

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

"Technical support could be improved. I don't think all support should have to go through an agreement."

"An AI support robot or bot that provides direct answers to questions without requiring the search for facts or documents to find solutions would be an improvement."

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."

"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."

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

"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."

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

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is affordable for what's coming to the table with it, but in this day and age, the cost is looked at under a microscope, and companies need to very finely define what is needed versus what is critical. In some cases, it might not be cost-effective for a company to have it. In a lot of other cases, it is the cost of doing business."

"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."

"I haven't seen any information on the pricing in four years, so I can't comment on that."

"Duo Security's pricing is good, fair, and very comparable to today's market."

"From a reseller perspective, it's still challenging to explain the whole license strategy to a client, so we really have to be ahead of that for all the true forward conversations."

"Our licensing fee is currently on an annual basis."

"Cisco has the most expensive products because market leaders tend to charge a lot."

"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."

More Cisco Duo pricing and cost advice

"We paid 100 bucks for one Yubikey."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Government

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	34
Midsize Enterprise	20
Large Enterprise	41

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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Duo Security?

The pricing of Cisco Duo is quite reasonable compared to other products.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Duo Security?

One downside of Cisco Duo is the expense, as there are clients that can afford only the basic package, which does not include Geo-fencing, leaving them unable to pay for the more expensive level, w...

See all answers

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

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Cisco Duo

Compared 7% of the time

Microsoft Entra ID vs Cisco Duo

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiToken vs Cisco Duo

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs Cisco Duo

Compared 4% of the time

RSA SecurID vs Cisco Duo

Compared 4% of the time

More Cisco Duo Competitors

RSA SecurID vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 29% of the time

Fortinet FortiToken vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 10% of the time

Thales Authenticators vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 8% of the time

Microsoft Entra ID vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 6% of the time

Symantec VIP Access Manager vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 5% of the time

More Yubico YubiKey Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo

February 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

January 2026

Free Report: Cisco Duo vs. Yubico YubiKey

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Duo vs. Yubico YubiKey and other solutions. Updated: January 2026.

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See our list of best Authentication Systems vendors and best Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) vendors.

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