RoleUp or Single Sign-On. Which is Best for WordPress Sites?
RoleUp offers a WordPress service that is very similar to Single Sign-On (SSO).
Both RoleUp and Single Sign-On are tools that you can use to manage user logins on WordPress sites.
In this post we’ll explain the key differences between the two approaches. How does RoleUp differ from Single Sign-On?
We’ve provided a table which displays some detailed points of comparison. We further explain the key points in more detail below.
| Features | RoleUp | Single Sign-On |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per user | Low | High |
| Separate accounts for each site (more secure) | Yes | No |
| Independent. No requirements to use 3rd-party services | Yes | No |
| Hassle-free integration | Yes | No |
| Easily add admins to sites | Yes | Yes |
| Free of impacts from firewalls and ad-blockers | Yes | No |
| Privacy-first approach | Yes | No |
| Easily remove admins from sites | Yes | Yes |
| View all sites available to each admin | Yes | No |
| Assign users to different roles on different sites | Yes | No |
| One-click setup and configuration | Yes | No |
RoleUp or Single Sign-on: Required 3rd Party Services
The central idea behind Single Sign-On is that you are locked into a larger ecosystem. Large organizations often require you to use Salesforce, Google, Facebook, MiniOrange, Microsoft Office 365, OneLogin, Azure, or Okta for all their login systems. In this situation, it can make sense to use the same login system for your WordPress site also. Every time you log into WordPress, you will be forced to authenticate with that central, monolithic system.
RoleUp does not require an integration with all your other systems. You can use RoleUp as a WordPress-specific solution. And when you log into a site that is managed by RoleUp, you aren’t forced to authenticate via our app. RoleUp works with the native features of WordPress. RoleUp creates separate accounts for each site, and you log in directly to each site.
One big advantage of this approach is that you don’t run into problems with those 3rd party services. Many of these services have privacy issues and GDPR problems. Many of these services are blocked by firewalls or ad-blockers. With RoleUp, you skip all of those issues because all you need is RoleUp’s lightweight app and the core features of your WordPress sites.
RoleUp or Single Sign-on: Integration With WordPress
Most Single Sign-On services require you to use LDAP, SAML, SCIM, or another complex identity provider configuration. These are confusing protocols that require you to spend a long time configuring all the required settings.
In contrast, the RoleUp integration uses application passwords, which are part of the WordPress core. All you need to do is log into your WordPress site and approve the integration. RoleUp is a smoother and simpler alternative for WordPress Single Sign-On.
RoleUp or Single Sign-on: Onboarding and Offboarding WordPress Users
When it comes down to the key issue of “Can this solution help me manage users on my WordPress sites?”, the answer is “Yes” for both RoleUp and Single Sign-On.
SSO may be the best approach if your organization is already committed to a single provider. For example, if your company uses Google for email, documentation, meetings and more, then you may want to use Google for authentication also.
However, if you’re not locked in to a single vendor, give RoleUp a try. You’ll find it to be easier, better with privacy, and more affordable. RoleUp can help you manage users across all your WordPress sites. It’s the evolved and improved alternative to SSO!
Even some organizations that have a SSO vendor will choose RoleUp to avoid the headaches of using the main service. We’ve talked with universities who use WordPress Single Sign-on and for their IT department, it’s fast and easy to use RoleUp to manage users. The cost and technical overhead of RoleUp is minimal when compared their main authentication service.