CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Descope vs Nametag

Descope sells the Descope customer and agentic IAM platform, which uses visual workflows, SDKs, and APIs to create and customize identity journeys for customers, partners, AI agents, and MCP servers. Nametag sells identity verification that combines cryptography, biometrics and AI to verify the real person behind high-risk account actions. CISO Tribune files both under Customer identity and access management and Workforce IAM and SSO. This page sets the two records side by side: what each sells, where it is based, who owns and funds it, the customers it names and its recent news, each fact numbered to its source.

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  • Descope
  • Nametag
Descope vs Nametag: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
DescopeDescope sells the Descope customer and agentic IAM platform, which uses visual workflows, SDKs, and APIs to create and customize identity journeys for customers, partners, AI agents, and MCP servers.descope.comNametagNametag sells identity verification that combines cryptography, biometrics and AI to verify the real person behind high-risk account actions.getnametag.com
What it sells
  • Descope Flows[1][13]A visual, workflow-based identity journey builder.
  • Agentic Identity Hub[2][5][13]Identity infrastructure for AI agents and MCP servers.
  • SSO Setup Suite[13]A self-service wizard to configure SSO and SCIM.
  • Recruit[2][7]Verifies a candidate's identity at application, interview, and offer stages.
  • Onboard[3][4][7][8]Verifies a new hire's identity at device provisioning and credential issuance.
  • Helpdesk[4][5][6]Lets agents verify users from a turnkey console or inside an ITSM platform.
  • Self-Service Account Recovery[4]Redirects locked-out employees to a custom-branded self-service recovery page.
  • Agentic AI[12]Verifies the human behind an AI agent action before the action executes.
  • Step-up[10]Provides step-up authentication for high-risk scenarios.
Categories
Headquarters
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Founded
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
  • October 28, 2026Descope announced it was named to the 2026-27 Fortune Cyber 60 list in the early growth category, its fourth consecutive year on the list.[22]
  • September 30, 2026Descope announced Family Accounts, the first release in its relational identity framework for consumer companies.[23]
Not stated on its pages
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: listed, seen November 3, 2026[11]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: Not stated on its pages
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
From its own pages, Descope sells mainly to organizations that need identity for external users such as customers and partners. Descope says its platform helps meet B2B enterprise requirements across authentication, SSO, delegated admin, fine-grained access, and auditability. Descope addresses teams that build AI agents and MCP servers. Descope says its FedRAMP High environment serves US government and regulated customers.From its own pages, Nametag sells mainly to organisations that need to verify the identities of employees and customers and secure access to their accounts. Financial services is one industry Nametag addresses directly, with user flows and e-ID support for financial services users. Recruiters and hiring teams are served through candidate checks whose pass or fail decision is written back to the candidate record. Support agents are served through verification from a console or inside an ITSM platform. Customer support teams are addressed through solutions that protect customer accounts when customers contact support.
Last verified
October 7, 2026November 4, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Descope and Nametag are both filed under Customer identity and access management and Workforce IAM and SSO.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Descope's primary category is Customer identity and access management; Nametag's is Identity verification.
  • Descope is also filed under Passwordless authentication and authenticators and Non-human identity security. Nametag is also filed under AI model and agent security.
  • Descope lists Descope Flows, Agentic Identity Hub and SSO Setup Suite. Nametag lists Recruit, Onboard, Helpdesk, Self-Service Account Recovery, Agentic AI and 1 more.

What it sells: Descope

What Descope Flows does[1][13]
Descope Flows is a visual, workflow-based identity journey builder that keeps login flows out of application code. Descope says signup, login, MFA, SSO, and step-up can be added through a workflow interface. Authentication flows can be changed without touching the codebase.
What Agentic Identity Hub does[2][5][13]
The Agentic Identity Hub publishes the discovery metadata MCP clients use to locate the authorization server, hosts the token and authorization endpoints, and handles user authentication and consent. The Agentic Identity Hub supports Dynamic Client Registration (DCR) and Client ID Metadata Documents (CIMD). The Agentic Identity Hub provides a centralized view of every connected agent, the delegating user, and the tools and scopes they hold.

What it sells: Nametag

What Recruit does[2][7]
Recruit integrates natively with Workday Recruiting and Greenhouse. In Workday, verification triggers automatically as a candidate advances stages. Nametag writes a pass or fail decision back to the candidate record.
What Onboard does[3][4][7][8]
Onboard is built specifically to combat North Korean IT worker schemes and other hiring fraud, ensuring only verified hires can set up new devices or obtain directory credentials. Onboard supports 11,000+ document types, omni-channel verification across voice, chat, and email, and native iOS and Android apps.
What Helpdesk does[4][5][6]
Helpdesk integrates with ServiceNow and Zendesk, sending verification requests and showing results directly inside those existing workflows. Nametag's patented technologies match the user's live selfie to their government-issued photo ID.
What Self-Service Account Recovery does[4]
Nametag connects to identity providers, then redirects locked-out employees to a custom-branded self-service recovery page. Once verified, self-service users can reset their own passwords and MFA tokens based on customizable group-based permissioning.
What Agentic AI does[12]
When an AI agent attempts a sensitive task, Nametag confirms a specific verified person authorized it, and creates a cryptographic record of that authorization at that moment. Agentic AI is currently integrated with Okta, which enforces authentication policies requiring Nametag verification in defined AI scenarios.
What Step-up does[10]
Step-up is available as an External Authentication Method for Okta, Microsoft Entra, and Cloudflare, and can be embedded directly into ServiceNow and Zendesk support workflows. Nametag's mobile SDK lets organisations build custom, secure step-up authentication flows directly inside their own mobile app.

Questions about Descope and Nametag

What do Descope and Nametag sell?
Descope sells Descope Flows, Agentic Identity Hub and SSO Setup Suite. Nametag sells Recruit, Onboard, Helpdesk, Self-Service Account Recovery, Agentic AI and 1 more.
Are Descope and Nametag in the same category?
They share Customer identity and access management and Workforce IAM and SSO. Descope's primary category is Customer identity and access management and Nametag's is Identity verification.
Who are Descope and Nametag sold to?
From its own pages, Descope sells mainly to organizations that need identity for external users such as customers and partners. From its own pages, Nametag sells mainly to organisations that need to verify the identities of employees and customers and secure access to their accounts.
What have Descope and Nametag announced recently?
October 28, 2026: Descope announced it was named to the 2026-27 Fortune Cyber 60 list in the early growth category, its fourth consecutive year on the list.

About Descope

Descope sells the Descope customer and agentic IAM platform, which uses visual workflows, SDKs, and APIs to create and customize identity journeys for customers, partners, AI agents, and MCP servers. Descope says the platform is meant to reduce user friction, prevent account takeover, and give a 360 degree view of customer and agentic identities. Descope says it is powering auth for 1000s of organizations from startups to the Fortune 500. Descope describes itself as a flexible drag & drop customer and agentic identity platform that helps organizations add authentication, authorization, and identity management to their apps, AI agents, and MCP servers. Descope says customers use it for passwordless authentication, SSO, identity federation, strong MFA, fraud prevention, and agentic identity.[1][2][3][12]

Descope says signup, login, MFA, SSO, and step-up can be added with a flexible and easy to use workflow interface. Descope says the frontend experience and backend logic are governed from one workflow. Descope says changes can be made to authentication flows without touching the codebase. Descope Flows is a visual, workflow-based identity journey builder that keeps login flows out of application code. Descope says journeys can be changed without redeploying an app or tinkering with its codebase. Descope lets developers choose no-code workflows, SDKs / APIs, and everything in between.[1][3][13]

Descope says identities can be managed, merged, and synced across the user journey. Descope says granular access control capabilities (RBAC, ReBAC, ABAC) can be added to an app. Descope says end users can manage profiles, users, roles, access keys, audits, and SSO configuration on their own. On security, Descope says strong passwordless authentication reduces the likelihood of phishing and credential stuffing attacks. Descope says MFA can be enforced only for risky logins using native and third-party risk signals. Descope says step-up authentication can be added before sensitive in-app actions. Descope says strong MFA and native and third-party risk signals are used to stop fraud, bots, stuffing, and hijacking attacks.[3][4]

Descope says passwordless auth, A/B testing, and anonymous user tracking can improve onboarding and boost conversions. Descope says its platform helps meet B2B enterprise requirements across authentication, SSO, delegated admin, fine-grained access, and auditability. Descope says tenant-aware IAM can span web, mobile, partner, and third-party apps while connecting with any number of identity providers. Descope describes orchestration across 50+ third-party tools, with just-in-time provisioning and data syncs. Descope says identities across multiple apps and identity providers can be unified in real-time to achieve a 360 customer view. Descope says teams can go passwordless without changing their primary IdP by using OIDC federated authentication.[3][5]

Descope says MCP servers and AI agents can be built with standards-based identity infrastructure: auth, consent, credential management, and more. The Agentic Identity Hub publishes the discovery metadata MCP clients use to locate the authorization server, hosts the token and authorization endpoints, and handles user authentication and consent. The Agentic Identity Hub supports Dynamic Client Registration (DCR) and Client ID Metadata Documents (CIMD). The Agentic Identity Hub provides a centralized view of every connected agent, the delegating user, and the tools and scopes they hold. The SSO Setup Suite is a self-service wizard that enterprise teams can use to configure SSO and SCIM for their own identity providers.[2][3][6][13]

Descope is a FedRAMP High Authorized customer and agentic identity platform that lets organizations serve US government and regulated customers. Descope says customer and agentic identity are covered under a single FedRAMP High authorization. Descope says a typical FedRAMP environment goes live in about 6 to 8 weeks. Descope says data can be kept in a US Gov region, encrypted in transit and at rest.[9]

Descope customer stories show how the platform is used. Navan went live with magic links in four days with Descope. Reco chose Descope to manage enterprise-grade authentication without direct developer intervention. Collectors rolled out Descope across three use cases: admin SSO, consumer brand authentication, and partner federation. WisdomAI joined Descope's startup program in 2023 and now uses the platform for all customer and agentic identity management. Descope acts as the OAuth 2.1 authorization server for the Token Security MCP server. Linktree uses Descope's Outbound Apps to manage the token lifecycle for connections to third-party applications.[12][13][15][16][17][18]

Descope documentation describes security and configuration features. In Descope, refresh token rotation is automatically handled as part of the OAuth 2.0 flow. Descope has automatic reuse detection built in to invalidate refresh tokens if an older refresh token is used to refresh the session token. A Descope project snapshot is a portable export of the Descope project configuration. Descope project snapshots can back up settings, promote changes across environments, or track configuration in source control.[1][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][15][19][20][21]

Descope on the record

Sources

Descope full record

  1. [1]descope.comDescope · descope.com · undated page, accessed October 7, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Crn stellar startups 2025Descope · descope.com · published November 10, 2025 · Tier A
  3. [3]Descope | Customer and Agentic Identity PlatformDescope · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Sign up for Descope | Product HuntDescope · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Descope | No / low code CIAM platformDescope · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Pricing | DescopeDescope · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Our company | DescopeDescope · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Security and Privacy with DescopeDescope · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Security and Compliance | DescopeDescope · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]GradRight Customer Story | DescopeDescope · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Descope Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features - G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier C
  12. [12]WisdomAI Customer Story | DescopeDescope · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Token Security Customer Story | DescopeDescope · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]FedRAMP High Authorized Identity Platform | DescopeDescope · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Navan Customer Story | DescopeDescope · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Reco Customer Story | DescopeDescope · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]Collectors Customer Story | DescopeDescope · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  18. [18]Linktree Customer Story | DescopeDescope · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  19. [19]Refresh Token Rotation | Descope DocumentationDescope · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  20. [20]Project Snapshot | Descope DocumentationDescope · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  21. [21]Owens & Minor Customer Story | DescopeDescope · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  22. [22]Descope Named to Fortune Cyber 60 List for Fourth Consecutive YearDescope · published October 28, 2026 · Tier A
  23. [23]Descope Launches Family Accounts to Model Relational IdentityDescope · published September 30, 2026 · Tier A

Nametag full record

  1. [1]getnametag.comNametag · getnametag.com · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]PressNametag · getnametag.com · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Nametag - Identity Verification and Account ProtectionNametag · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]About Us - NametagNametag · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Security FAQ | Nametag Legal CenterNametag · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Helpdesk Verification and Impersonation Defense - NametagNametag · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Candidate Verification - NametagNametag · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Secure Employee Onboarding - NametagNametag · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Self-Service Account Recovery - NametagNametag · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) - NametagNametag · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Customer Verification Solutions - NametagNametag · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Agentic AI Security with Verified Human Signatures - NametagNametag · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Identity Verification Solutions for Financial Services - NametagNametag · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A

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