Budget Predictability: Comparing Avatier and ForgeRock (PingIdentity) Pricing Models

Identity and access management (IAM) solutions represent a significant investment. For CISOs, IT leaders, and security professionals, understanding the total cost of ownership (TCO) and achieving budget predictability has become as crucial as the technical capabilities of the IAM platform itself. This article compares Avatier’s transparent pricing approach with ForgeRock’s model (now part of PingIdentity following their 2023 acquisition) to help decision-makers understand the financial implications of their IAM investment.

The Challenge of IAM Budget Predictability

According to Gartner, enterprises typically underestimate IAM implementation costs by 30-40%, creating significant budget overruns and reducing expected ROI. The complexity of modern identity solutions often leads to unexpected costs that weren’t factored into initial projections.

A recent survey by Enterprise Strategy Group found that 67% of organizations experienced unexpected costs during IAM implementations, with nearly half citing licensing complexity as a primary factor. This unpredictability creates challenges for annual budget planning and long-term technology roadmaps.

Avatier’s Approach to Transparent Pricing

Avatier’s pricing philosophy centers on simplicity, transparency, and customer-friendly terms that eliminate surprises and hidden costs. This approach provides several advantages for organizations seeking budget stability.

User-Based Licensing with Unlimited Applications

Unlike competitors that charge per application or connector, Avatier’s Identity Anywhere Lifecycle Management offers a straightforward user-based licensing model. Whether you’re integrating with 5 applications or 500, the price remains consistent based on your user count. This eliminates the “connector tax” that often appears with other vendors, where each new business application integration incurs additional costs.

For organizations undergoing digital transformation or expanding their application landscape, this approach removes the financial penalty for growth. You can add new applications without worrying about licensing implications.

All-Inclusive Feature Sets

Avatier delivers comprehensive IAM capabilities without feature-based pricing tiers or modules that require additional purchases. Core functionality including:

• Self-service identity management
• Password management with AI-assisted reset
• Access governance and certification
• Workflow automation
• Multi-factor authentication
• Single sign-on

All these features are included in the base license, eliminating the “upgrade to enterprise tier” conversations that often accompany expanding security requirements.

Predictable Growth Scaling

As organizations grow, their identity management needs expand. Avatier’s licensing model scales predictably with user count, allowing for accurate forecasting of future costs. This contrasts with complex tier systems that can result in significant price jumps when crossing arbitrary thresholds.

ForgeRock’s (PingIdentity) Approach to Pricing

ForgeRock, now part of PingIdentity following acquisition, has historically used a more complex pricing structure that can create budget unpredictability.

Identity Tree Structure Pricing

ForgeRock traditionally based its pricing on “identity trees” and authentication journeys, a technical approach to licensing that creates complexity in forecasting costs. As organizations add authentication scenarios or create more sophisticated identity verification workflows, costs can increase in ways that weren’t initially anticipated.

Connector and Module-Based Additions

ForgeRock typically charges separately for different capabilities and connectors. This approach creates a situation where adding functionality or integrating additional business applications can trigger new licensing costs. This model makes it challenging to predict total costs when planning future integrations or expanding identity capabilities.

Professional Services Requirements

Implementation complexity with ForgeRock often necessitates significant professional services investment. According to industry analysts, ForgeRock implementations typically require 2-3 times more professional services hours than more streamlined solutions, creating additional budget considerations beyond the core licensing costs.

Real-World Cost Comparison Scenarios

Scenario 1: Mid-Size Enterprise (5,000 Users)

A mid-size enterprise with 5,000 users implementing core IAM functionality (user provisioning, SSO, password management, and basic governance) across 50 applications would experience significantly different cost structures between vendors:

Avatier Approach:

• Straightforward per-user licensing covering all applications
• No additional connector fees for 50 applications
• All core IAM functionality included
• Minimal professional services due to intuitive implementation

ForgeRock (PingIdentity) Approach:

• Base platform licensing
• Additional costs for application connectors
• Separate modules for advanced functionality
• Higher implementation services requirements

The difference in first-year implementation costs can exceed 35%, with even greater disparities in years 2-3 as the application landscape expands.

Scenario 2: Growing Enterprise Adding Applications

For organizations undergoing digital transformation, the financial impact of adding applications becomes critically important. Consider a company that initially connects 20 applications but expands to 75 applications over three years:

Avatier Approach:

• No additional licensing costs for new application connections
• Predictable costs based solely on user count changes
• Self-service implementation for new connectors

ForgeRock (PingIdentity) Approach:

• Additional connector licensing for each new application
• Potential additional professional services for complex integrations
• Possible tier upgrades as complexity increases

The budget impact over three years could show a variance of 40-60% in total cost of ownership.

Hidden Cost Factors to Consider

Beyond the explicit pricing differences, several other cost factors should influence decision-making:

Implementation Time and Resources

According to a recent Forrester Research study, IAM implementations that leverage simplified architectures and containerization (like Avatier’s Identity-as-a-Container) deploy 60% faster than traditional solutions. This translates directly to lower implementation costs and faster time to value.

ForgeRock implementations typically require specialized expertise and longer deployment timelines, increasing both direct costs and opportunity costs from delayed security improvements.

Ongoing Administration Overhead

The operational efficiency of your IAM solution directly impacts long-term costs. Solutions requiring dedicated specialists or larger teams increase the true cost of ownership beyond licensing.

Avatier’s self-service approach and intuitive administration reduce operational overhead by an average of 30% compared to more complex solutions, according to customer case studies. This translates to significant cost savings in years 2-5 of ownership.

Upgrade and Maintenance Costs

ForgeRock’s architecture has historically required more intensive upgrade processes, creating additional costs and potential service disruptions. Avatier’s containerized approach simplifies upgrades and reduces ongoing maintenance requirements.

Compliance and Security Cost Considerations

Identity management plays a crucial role in regulatory compliance. The right solution can streamline compliance efforts, while a poorly chosen system can increase audit costs and complexity.

Avatier’s compliance-focused capabilities are designed to address specific regulatory requirements like NIST 800-53, HIPAA, SOX, and GDPR through purpose-built controls and reporting. This comprehensive compliance approach reduces the need for additional compliance tools or customization.

Organizations in highly regulated industries report compliance audit preparation time reductions of 40-50% with comprehensive IAM solutions like Avatier, directly impacting the ROI calculation beyond basic licensing costs.

Negotiation Leverage and Long-Term Partnership

Beyond the published pricing models, the vendor relationship and negotiation approach can significantly impact your total cost of ownership:

Avatier’s Customer-Centric Approach

Avatier emphasizes long-term partnership over transactional sales, focusing on customer success metrics rather than maximizing initial deal size. This approach typically results in:

• More flexible contract terms
• Predictable renewal structures
• Partnership-based negotiation rather than adversarial pricing tactics
• Implementation success guarantees

Enterprise Vendor Dynamics

Large identity vendors like ForgeRock (PingIdentity) often operate with more rigid pricing structures and high-pressure sales tactics. Their acquisition history has sometimes led to licensing model changes that disadvantage existing customers.

Making the Right Financial Decision for Your Organization

When evaluating Avatier versus ForgeRock (PingIdentity) from a budget predictability perspective, consider these key decision criteria:

Total Cost of Ownership Analysis

Look beyond the initial licensing costs to include:

• Implementation expenses (internal and external)
• Training requirements
• Ongoing administration time
• Upgrade and maintenance costs
• Compliance automation value
• Application integration costs as you grow

Budget Predictability Assessment

Evaluate how well each solution allows you to forecast costs as your:

• User count changes
• Application landscape expands
• Compliance requirements evolve
• Security capabilities mature

Value Realization Timeline

Consider how quickly each solution delivers measurable security and efficiency improvements:

• Implementation timeline to first value
• Full deployment timeline
• User adoption curve
• Self-service efficiency gains

Conclusion: The Financial Advantage of Transparent Pricing

While both Avatier and ForgeRock (PingIdentity) deliver enterprise-grade identity and access management capabilities, their divergent approaches to pricing create significantly different budget impacts and financial predictability profiles.

Avatier’s transparent, user-based pricing model with unlimited applications offers clearer budget forecasting and often lower total costs, particularly for growing organizations. The elimination of connector fees, module-based pricing, and complex tier structures allows organizations to expand their security capabilities without unexpected budget implications.

ForgeRock (PingIdentity)’s more complex approach creates challenges in accurately forecasting total costs, especially as organizations expand their application landscape or deploy more sophisticated identity verification workflows.

For CISOs, IT leaders, and security professionals operating in resource-constrained environments, Avatier’s predictable pricing approach delivers both stronger budget control and fewer unwelcome financial surprises. This transparency allows security leaders to focus on capability deployment rather than constant budget recalibration.

When evaluating identity management solutions, look beyond feature comparisons to understand the complete financial impact of your decision. The right choice delivers both the security capabilities you need and the budget predictability your organization requires.

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