Prefactor vs. The Field: Choosing the Right Authentication for Your AI & Automation Agents
Jun 3, 2025
4 mins
Matt (Co-Founder and CEO)
In today's B2B SaaS landscape, the conversation around identity has dramatically shifted. It's no longer enough to just authenticate humans; the explosive growth of APIs, bots, and AI agents demands a robust, secure, and scalable way to manage non-human identities (NHI). This presents a critical new problem that traditional, human-centric authentication systems are simply not built to handle.
Comparison Table: Prefactor vs. Common Alternatives
Feature / Area | Traditional Auth Providers(Auth0, Cognito, Okta) | Custom-Built / DIY Solutions | Authorization-Specific Tools(Permify, Cerbos) | Prefactor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Primary Focus | Human Users (Login, MFA) | Bespoke needs (AuthN, AuthZ, Audit) | Fine-grained Authorization (AuthZ) | All Digital Entities: Humans, APIs, Bots, AI Agents |
Agent Auth (NHI) | M2M, API Keys (afterthought) | Highly customizable | Policy enforcement (AuthZ) after AuthN | Native Identity Fabric for NHI |
Core Architecture | Human-centric; rigid for NHI scale | Fragmented, legacy-prone | AuthZ only; no AuthN or Audit | AI & Automation-First Architecture |
Developer Control | GUI-driven, limited customization | High (but expensive to maintain) | High — but limited to AuthZ | Code-Native Control: DSL for customization |
Cost Implications | MAU pricing; costly B2B/NHI workarounds | 2+ FTE Engineers; high ongoing cost | Adds siloed platform costs | Eliminates bespoke builds; reduces waste |
Security / Compliance | Gaps in NHI audit/compliance | Often lacks unified audit/logging | Focused on AuthZ only; weak audit controls | Unified Authn, Authz, Audit in one platform |
Key Weakness | Not built for NHI scale; 78% API breach rate | High maintenance and security debt | Identity fragmentation; lacks holistic view | (Blank — no major weakness) |
1. Traditional Authentication Providers
Examples: Auth0, AWS Cognito, Okta
These are the go-to tools for human login, multi-factor authentication, and enterprise-ready user management.
How they handle agents:
M2M (machine-to-machine) flows, client credentials, API keys — often bolted-on afterthoughts.
Challenges:
Human-Centric by Design: Struggle with the scale and nature of non-human identity needs.
High Friction for Complex Use Cases: Custom features often require awkward, expensive workarounds.
Security Blind Spots: 78% of organizations experienced API breaches in 2024 — a direct result of under-authenticated NHI environments.
Where Prefactor Wins:
Built as a Native Identity Fabric: Humans, bots, APIs, and AI agents are treated as first-class citizens.
2. Custom-Built / DIY Solutions
SaaS companies often roll their own identity systems due to frustration with off-the-shelf tools.
How they handle agents:
Unlimited customization potential, but execution and maintenance vary widely.
Challenges:
Massive Engineering Cost: Often ~$400k+ to build, with ongoing cost of 2 senior FTEs per year.
Security & Audit Risks: Inconsistent logging, weak compliance posture.
Opportunity Cost: Pulls engineers away from your core product.
Where Prefactor Wins:
Code-Native Control through our DSL — precise customization without the developer drag or maintenance burden of custom solutions.
3. Authorization-Specific Tools
Examples: Cerbos, Permify, Permit.io
These focus on the hardest part of access control: granular authorization.
How they handle agents:
Policies can apply to any authenticated actor, human or not.
Challenges:
Still Fragmented: Requires pairing with separate AuthN and audit tools.
No Unified Governance: Disconnected systems create blind spots, poor traceability, and compliance gaps.
Where Prefactor Wins:
Offers Unified Governance: AuthN + AuthZ + Audit in one system, with full observability across every access event — human or not.
Prefactor: Built for Tomorrow’s Intelligent Applications
We’re facing a new identity crisis driven by:
Explosive growth of agents, APIs, and bots.
Siloed legacy systems failing to keep up.
Rising security expectations and breach risks.
Prefactor’s answer:
A code-native identity platform for all digital actors — built for scale, automation, and the AI-driven future.
Secure, auditable, and deeply customizable — without the engineering tax of DIY.