Why Avatier Costs Less Than ForgeRock (PingIdentity) for Complete IAM: A Comprehensive Analysis

Identity and access management (IAM) has become a critical investment for organizations of all sizes. However, the stark differences in pricing models, deployment costs, and total cost of ownership between leading vendors like Avatier and ForgeRock (now part of Ping Identity following their 2023 acquisition) can significantly impact your organization’s bottom line.

This analysis will demonstrate why Avatier consistently delivers greater value through its unified approach to identity management, container-based architecture, and customer-centric pricing model.

The Hidden Costs of ForgeRock’s Complex Licensing Model

ForgeRock’s pricing structure is notoriously complex, requiring multiple licenses for what should be core IAM functionality. According to KuppingerCole’s Leadership Compass, customers frequently cite ForgeRock’s “complicated and expensive licensing model” as a significant pain point.

The ForgeRock Identity Platform typically requires separate licenses for:

• Directory Services
• Access Management
• Identity Management
• Identity Governance
• Autonomous Identity (AI/ML capabilities)

Each component requires its own license, creating a patchwork approach to identity management that increases both initial investment and ongoing maintenance costs.

Avatier’s Unified Platform Approach: Simplicity Equals Savings

In contrast, Avatier’s Identity Management Suite offers a comprehensive, unified platform with a simplified licensing model. Avatier customers benefit from:

• Comprehensive inclusion of core IAM features: User provisioning, access governance, password management, and single sign-on are all included in the base platform.
• Predictable user-based pricing: Organizations pay based on active users rather than complex module combinations.
• No hidden module costs: Additional capabilities don’t require separate product purchases.

This unified approach eliminates the need to integrate disparate systems, resulting in both immediate cost savings and reduced long-term maintenance expenses.

Deployment Costs: Container Architecture vs. Traditional Installation

The deployment architecture of an IAM solution significantly impacts its total cost of ownership (TCO). ForgeRock’s traditional deployment model requires substantial infrastructure investments and specialized expertise.

ForgeRock’s Resource-Intensive Deployment

ForgeRock deployments typically involve:

• Extensive professional services engagements
• Dedicated server infrastructure
• Complex configuration requirements
• Specialized ForgeRock-certified administrators

A mid-sized deployment can require 6-8 months of professional services time, with costs commonly exceeding $200,000 for initial deployment alone, according to market analysis by Enterprise Strategy Group.

Avatier’s Revolutionary Container-Based Deployment

Avatier pioneered the Identity-as-a-Container (IDaaC) approach, fundamentally changing how identity management solutions are deployed and maintained. This container-based architecture provides:

• Rapid deployment: Typical implementation in weeks rather than months
• Minimal infrastructure requirements: Runs on existing container platforms
• Automated updates: Simplified maintenance with containerized updates
• Horizontal scalability: Efficient resource utilization as needs grow

The container architecture eliminates many of the specialized infrastructure requirements of traditional IAM deployments, translating to an average of 40-60% lower deployment costs compared to ForgeRock implementations.

Operational Efficiency: Self-Service vs. Administrative Overhead

The day-to-day operational costs of managing identities represent a substantial ongoing expense that is often overlooked during the purchasing process.

ForgeRock’s Administrative Burden

ForgeRock environments typically require:

• Specialized administrators with ForgeRock certification
• Complex workflow configuration and maintenance
• Manual intervention for many common identity tasks
• Separate administration interfaces for different components

These requirements translate to higher staffing costs, with ForgeRock administrators commanding premium salaries due to specialized skill requirements. According to Glassdoor data, ForgeRock-certified administrators earn 15-20% more than general IAM administrators.

Avatier’s Self-Service Efficiency

Avatier’s self-service capabilities dramatically reduce administrative overhead by:

• Empowering users to handle routine identity tasks themselves
• Providing intuitive interfaces that require minimal training
• Offering automation for repetitive administrative processes
• Unifying administration across all identity functions

Organizations implementing Avatier report an average 70% reduction in help desk tickets related to identity management, according to customer case studies. This operational efficiency translates directly to reduced staffing requirements and lower overall TCO.

Integration Costs: Connectors and Custom Development

Modern IAM solutions must integrate with diverse systems across an organization’s technology landscape. The approach to these integrations significantly impacts both initial and ongoing costs.

ForgeRock’s Integration Challenges

ForgeRock customers frequently encounter:

• Limited out-of-the-box connectors requiring extensive customization
• Proprietary integration frameworks requiring specialized knowledge
• Significant professional services requirements for custom integrations
• Complex upgrade paths when integrated applications change

These limitations often result in customers spending 30-40% of their total IAM budget on integration-related costs, according to Gartner research.

Avatier’s Extensive Connector Library

Avatier dramatically reduces integration costs through:

• Over 500 pre-built application connectors ready for immediate use
• Standardized integration framework for custom connections
• Self-service connector configuration with minimal coding
• Automated connector updates with container-based deployment

This comprehensive connector strategy eliminates much of the custom development typically required with ForgeRock implementations, reducing integration costs by an average of 60% according to customer data.

Compliance and Governance: Built-In vs. Add-On

Regulatory compliance requirements continue to expand, making governance capabilities an increasingly critical component of IAM solutions.

ForgeRock’s Governance Premium

ForgeRock treats comprehensive governance as a premium add-on:

• Core ForgeRock Identity Management lacks robust governance capabilities
• ForgeRock Governance requires additional licensing and infrastructure
• Autonomous Identity (their AI/ML solution) is a separately licensed product
• Integration between governance and core IAM requires additional configuration

This tiered approach forces organizations to choose between comprehensive governance and budget constraints, often resulting in compliance gaps or unexpected cost overruns.

Avatier’s Integrated Access Governance

Avatier’s Access Governance is fully integrated into the core platform:

• Complete certification campaigns included in base licensing
• Risk analytics and separation of duties enforcement built-in
• AI-driven anomaly detection without additional modules
• Automated compliance reporting across all identity functions

By including comprehensive governance in its core platform, Avatier eliminates the “compliance tax” that ForgeRock customers often face, reducing compliance-related IAM costs by an estimated 30-40%.

Long-Term Value: Innovation Without Penalty

The long-term value of an IAM solution depends on how vendors approach innovation and platform evolution.

ForgeRock’s Innovation Premium

ForgeRock’s approach to innovation often includes:

• New capabilities introduced as separately licensed products
• Major version upgrades requiring significant professional services
• Innovation concentrated in premium-tier offerings
• Complex migration paths between versions

This approach creates an “innovation tax” where customers must continually increase their investment to access new capabilities.

Avatier’s Continuous Innovation Model

Avatier’s container-based architecture fundamentally changes how innovations are delivered:

• New capabilities included in existing subscriptions
• Containerized updates with minimal disruption
• Consistent innovation across all deployment tiers
• Automated upgrade paths requiring minimal intervention

This approach ensures customers benefit from continuous innovation without facing unexpected cost increases or disruptive upgrade cycles.

Real-World Cost Comparison

When comparing real-world implementations for a mid-sized enterprise (5,000 employees), the cost differences become clear:

Cost Category	ForgeRock	Avatier	Savings
Initial Licensing	$350,000-$500,000	$200,000-$300,000	40%
Implementation	$150,000-$250,000	$50,000-$100,000	60%
Annual Maintenance	$70,000-$100,000	$40,000-$60,000	45%
Administrative FTE	2-3 specialists	0.5-1 general admin	70%
3-Year TCO	$950,000-$1,400,000	$400,000-$650,000	55%

These figures align with industry analysis showing that ForgeRock implementations typically cost 40-60% more than comparable Avatier deployments over a three-year period.

Conclusion: Value Through Simplicity

While ForgeRock offers a capable identity platform, their complex licensing model, resource-intensive deployment requirements, and module-based approach to innovation create significant cost premiums that many organizations struggle to justify.

Avatier’s unified approach to identity management delivers comprehensive capabilities without the complexity and hidden costs associated with ForgeRock. By combining container-based deployment, extensive self-service capabilities, and a comprehensive connector library, Avatier provides enterprise-grade identity management at a significantly lower total cost of ownership.

For organizations seeking to maximize their identity management investment, Avatier consistently delivers greater value through simplicity, automation, and customer-centric innovation – proving that comprehensive identity management doesn’t need to come with an enterprise-sized price tag.

When evaluating IAM solutions, looking beyond initial licensing to consider the total cost of ownership reveals why more organizations are choosing Avatier over ForgeRock for complete identity and access management.

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