# corbado

Source: https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/ciam/corbado/
Last updated: 2026-06-19
License: content by Start with Identity. Cite the source URL.

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## Overview

Corbado is a passkey specialist that layers onto an existing identity provider rather than replacing it. Founded in 2020 and based in Munich, it focuses on driving real-world [passkey](https://startwithidentity.com/standards/webauthn-fido2/) adoption: intelligent fallback, device and platform handling, and analytics, sitting alongside the system of record. EU data residency by default makes it attractive for European deployments.

## What it is good at

Passkey adoption is the specialty, and the value is in the hard parts: handling the messy reality of passkeys across devices, browsers, and platforms, with fallback logic and adoption analytics that a do-it-yourself implementation rarely gets right (see the [passkeys recipe](https://startwithidentity.com/recipes/add-passkeys-webauthn/)). Because it layers on top of your existing CIAM, you add passkeys without a risky migration of the system of record. European data residency and a privacy-conscious posture suit regulated EU buyers.

## Where it falls short

Like other passkey specialists, breadth is the trade-off. Corbado is not a full identity platform: authorization, broad federation, and governance are not the focus, and it relies on your existing IdP for the directory and lifecycle. Greenfield teams that want one vendor for the whole stack will need to pair it with a CIAM platform, which adds an integration to manage.

## Pricing

Usage-based with options aligned to passkey volume and deployment needs. Since it complements rather than replaces your IdP, weigh the combined cost with the [TCO calculator](https://startwithidentity.com/tools/tco-calculator/).

## Best for, and who should look elsewhere

Choose Corbado to add passkeys to an existing CIAM stack, especially with EU data residency needs. For a passkey-first product on greenfield consumer apps, compare [Passage by 1Password](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/ciam/passage/); for passwordless inside a fuller platform, see [Stytch](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/ciam/stytch/) and [Descope](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/ciam/descope/).

## Bottom line

A focused passkey-adoption layer for teams that want phishing-resistant login on top of an existing IdP, with strong EU data-residency credentials.