WordPress Login, SSO & Secure API Access — Why Gatey Stands Out vs. popular WP plugins & IdPs
If your WordPress needs modern login (social + enterprise SSO), static-site compatibility, and secure API calls with JWTs, you’ll quickly discover most plugins weren’t built for today’s cloud realities.
Gatey takes a different path: it acts as a front-end bridge to Amazon Cognito (your identity backend), so you get AWS-grade auth, 22 languages, and drag-and-drop blocks — even on statically exported sites.
Below: concise summaries of each plugin and IdP, then a practical comparison (install time, secret storage, static support, IdP coverage, secure API access with JWTs, and pricing based on MAU).
Quick Summaries
Gatey (WP Suite)
A no-code, drag-and-drop WordPress plugin that integrates with Amazon Cognito for login, signup, MFA, social & enterprise SSO.- Frontend bridge only: Cognito is the backend, Gatey provides the UI.
- Works on dynamic WP and statically generated frontends.
- 22 built-in languages, customizable via JSON.
- Secrets never live in WordPress — Cognito App Client without secret.
- IdP coverage: practically unlimited — any standards-compliant OIDC or SAML IdP, plus major social providers (Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon).
miniOrange (OAuth/OIDC & SAML plugins)
A large family of plugins enabling SSO with many IdPs (Azure AD, Okta, Keycloak, etc.).- Strengths: broad enterprise coverage, role/attribute mapping inside WP.
- Weaknesses: setup can take hours, secrets stored in WP DB.
- Static export not supported.
Nextend Social Login
A lightweight plugin for social logins (Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc.).- Strengths: extremely fast setup (10–15 min), customizable login buttons.
- Weaknesses: no enterprise IdP support, secrets stored in WP DB, no static support.
WP OAuth Server
Turns WordPress itself into an OAuth3/OIDC provider.- Strengths: useful if WP must issue tokens for other apps.
- Weaknesses: developer-centric setup, secrets stored in WP, not SSO “client” oriented.
Azure Active Directory (via plugins: WPO365, miniOrange)
- Strengths: integrates Office 365 / MS identity stack directly into WordPress.
- Weaknesses: setup complexity, secrets stored in WP, no static export.
- Use case: Microsoft-heavy enterprises.
Okta (via plugins, e.g. miniOrange)
- Strengths: enterprise IAM, adaptive MFA, compliance.
- Weaknesses: extra license costs, secrets stored in WP.
- Use case: enterprises with Okta identity backbone.
Keycloak (via OIDC/SAML plugins)
- Strengths: open-source, self-hosted IdP, full control.
- Weaknesses: ops overhead, secrets stored in WP, no static export.
- Use case: organizations needing self-hosted IAM.
Auth0 (via plugins, e.g. “Login by Auth0”)
- Strengths: developer-friendly IdP, excellent docs, social + enterprise SSO, rules/hooks for extensibility.
- Weaknesses: pricing for large MAUs, plugin still stores client IDs/secrets in WP DB.
- Use case: SaaS apps, startups needing fast time-to-market with enterprise features.
Secure API Access (JWT Access/ID Tokens)
With Cognito + Gatey, users authenticate through Cognito and receive JWT ID/Access tokens. Two secure API patterns emerge:- Custom APIs: Verify Cognito JWTs against the User Pool’s JWKs, authorize by scopes/claims.
- AWS APIs: Use Cognito Identity Pools to exchange tokens for temporary IAM credentials; call API Gateway/Lambda directly from the browser.
This means: no app secrets in WordPress, tokens managed by Cognito, and AWS handles validation and rotation.
Pro tip
Use Cognito Identity Pools for direct, signed calls from the browser to API Gateway or Lambda — no server proxy needed, and tokens/keys rotate automatically.Head-to-Head Comparison
| Aspect | Gatey (Cognito) | miniOrange | Nextend | WP OAuth Server | Azure AD plugin | Okta plugin | Keycloak plugin | Auth0 plugin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setup time | Minutes (drag-and-drop, Pool ID + Client ID). | Medium–High (hours for enterprise IdPs). | Very fast (10–15 min). | Medium–High (dev work). | Medium–High. | Medium–High. | Medium–High. | Medium–High. |
| Secrets storage | Not in WP (Cognito app w/o secret). | In WP DB. | In WP DB. | In WP DB. | In WP DB. | In WP DB. | In WP DB. | In WP DB. |
| Static export support | ✅ Yes, client-side JS. | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | ❌ No. |
| Multilingual UI | ✅ 22 built-in. | Limited, translatable. | Limited. | Basic. | Limited. | Limited. | Limited. | Limited. |
| IdP coverage | ✅ Virtually unlimited — any OIDC/SAML IdP + social providers. | Broad (direct plugins). | Social only. | WP as IdP. | Azure AD. | Okta. | Keycloak. | Auth0. |
| Secure API (JWTs) | ✅ First-class: Cognito ID/Access tokens, Identity Pools + IAM. | Possible; secrets in WP. | Not focus. | WP-issued tokens. | JWTs from Azure; heavier config. | JWTs from Okta. | JWTs from Keycloak. | JWTs from Auth0. |
| Best use cases | AWS stack, static WP, multilingual, secure APIs. | Multi-IdP enterprise SSO. | Quick blog/e-com social login. | WP as IdP. | Microsoft-centric enterprise. | Enterprise with Okta IAM. | Self-hosted IAM. | SaaS apps needing fast enterprise SSO. |
Warning
Most WordPress SSO plugins store client secrets in the WordPress database. Gatey keeps secrets out of WP by delegating auth entirely to Amazon Cognito.Pricing by MAU (Monthly Active Users, N. Virginia)
Gatey (WP Suite Pro + Cognito)
- Plugin license: $9.90/month flat.
- Cognito free tier:
- First 50,000 MAU (direct/social) free.
- First 50 federated (OIDC/SAML) MAU free.
- Beyond free tier:
- Direct/social: ~$0.0055/MAU (50k–100k), ~$0.0046/MAU (100k–1M), ~$0.00325/MAU (1M+).
- Federated (OIDC/SAML): ~$0.015/MAU above 50 free.
Auth0
- Free: up to 25k MAU with limited features.
- Essentials: ~$35/month up to 500 MAU.
- Professional: ~$240/month at ~1,000 MAU.
- Pricing climbs steeply at higher MAUs.
miniOrange
- Often per-user pricing: ~$1–3 per user/month.
- 500 MAU → $500–$1,500/month.
- 1,000 MAU → $1,000–$3,000/month.
- Can be higher for enterprise features.
Cost Snapshot
| MAU | Gatey (Cognito) | Auth0 | miniOrange |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–500 | $9.90/month (plugin) + $0 (Cognito free tier). | $35/month (Essentials). Free tier exists (25k MAU) but limited. | $500–$1,500/month. |
| 500–1,000 | Still $9.90/month + $0 (Cognito free up to 50k). | ~$240/month. | $1,000–$3,000/month. |
| 50k–100k | ~$275–$550/month (Cognito at $0.0055/MAU). | Enterprise pricing. | $50k–$300k/month range. |
| 100k–1M | ~$460–$4,600/month (Cognito at $0.0046/MAU). | Enterprise pricing. | Extremely high unless discounts. |
Bottom Line
- Gatey + Cognito: unmatched in static-site compatibility, no secrets in WP, multilingual UI, virtually unlimited IdP federation, and built-in secure API flows. Cost-effective at small scale (flat plugin + generous Cognito free tier), and predictable linear scaling beyond 50k MAU.
- miniOrange: broad multi-IdP coverage inside WP, but higher setup time, secrets in WP, and steep per-user pricing.
- Auth0, Okta, Azure AD, Keycloak: strong IdPs with WP plugins, but secrets stored in WP, no static export, and costs increase significantly with MAU.
- Nextend: best for lightweight social login.
- WP OAuth Server: niche case where WordPress itself must act as an IdP.