Single Sign-On (SSO) is an authentication method that allows users to log in to multiple applications with a single set of credentials, improving security and user experience.
SSO reduces password fatigue and improves security by centralizing authentication through identity providers like Okta, Azure AD, or Google Workspace. For businesses evaluating SaaS tools, SSO support is often a requirement for enterprise plans and helps IT teams manage access across dozens of applications.
Without SSO, employees juggle dozens of passwords, often reusing weak ones. SSO reduces the attack surface and simplifies offboarding — when someone leaves, one account deactivation locks them out of everything.
A company with 200 employees uses Google Workspace SSO. When a new hire starts, IT enables their Google account, and they instantly have access to Slack, Notion, Jira, and 15 other tools — no separate passwords needed.
SSO isn't just a convenience feature. It's a security measure. By centralizing authentication, IT can instantly revoke access to all connected apps when someone leaves the company.
Watch out for the "SSO tax" — many SaaS tools only offer SSO on expensive enterprise plans. Factor this into your cost comparison when evaluating tools for teams over 50 people.
Single Sign-On (SSO) falls under the SaaS category.
These tools put single sign-on into practice. Compare features, pricing, and ratings:
A software distribution model where applications are hosted in the cloud and accessed via the internet on a subscription basis, eliminating the need for local installation.
A software architecture where a single instance serves multiple customers (tenants), each with isolated data but sharing the same infrastructure.
A set of protocols and tools that allows different software applications to communicate with each other, enabling integrations and data exchange.
Now that you understand Single Sign-On, explore the best tools in this category.