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Active Roles by One Identity vs ManageEngine ADManager Plus comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 20, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
6.8
Active Roles automates tasks, reducing workload and errors, increasing provisioning speed, and enhancing audit readiness, focus, and productivity.
Sentiment score
5.5
ManageEngine ADManager Plus boosted ROI by 90%, increased task efficiency, and cut ownership costs with focused training and fewer engineers.
One Identity Active Roles provides excellent reporting and auditing functionality, allowing administrators to track permissions, actions, and responsibilities effectively.
solution architect/ engineer at APEX.IT Sp. z o.o.
Automation has really reduced the time spent on user provisioning, access management, or access changes by around 40 to 60 percent, which has significantly improved team productivity.
Technical Specialist at VDA Infosolutions Pvt. Ltd.
User onboarding time reduced by around seventy to eighty percent, from thirty to forty-five minutes to under ten minutes.
Senior Business Development Associate at DigitalTrack Solutions ind pvt ltd
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.8
Customers value One Identity Active Roles support for expertise but note slow response times for complex issues. Ratings: 7-9.
Sentiment score
7.2
ManageEngine ADManager Plus support is generally praised but needs consistency, with some users suggesting a ticketing system.
They are ready to provide support at any time.
Technical Specialist at VDA Infosolutions Pvt. Ltd.
The support team is knowledgeable about the product and AD environments.
Cybersecurity Analyst at DigitalTrack Solutions Private Limited
Support is usually responsive for critical issues and provides solid practical guidance for AD workflow problems.
Cyber Security Analyst at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees
Technical support from ManageEngine is very satisfactory.
Junior System Engineer at Corporate Projukti Limited
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
One Identity Active Roles excels in scalability, performance, and centralized management for complex, expanding, on-premises, and hybrid environments.
Sentiment score
7.1
ManageEngine ADManager Plus is praised for scalability and adaptability, though it faces integration challenges outside Microsoft environments.
One Identity Active Roles works well in hybrid environments, handling both on-premises and cloud identities from a single platform.
Senior Business Development Associate at DigitalTrack Solutions ind pvt ltd
It is commonly used in medium to large organizations managing complex Microsoft Active Directory and hybrid identity environments.
Professional Services Consultant at Check Point Software
The platform can scale without needing a complete redesign.
Senior Technical Support Executive at digital track
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.3
Active Roles by One Identity is stable and reliable, excelling in enterprise environments with minimal downtime and strong performance.
Sentiment score
7.7
ADManager Plus is praised for reliability and stability, with minor challenges in multi-user setups and compatibility checks.
Overall, One Identity Active Roles has proven to be a stable, reliable, and well-suited solution for managing Active Directory at scale.
Senior Business Development Executive at Digitaltrack
Overall, I consider One Identity Active Roles to be a stable solution, suitable for enterprise-grade environments.
Sr.Technical Support Executive at Digitaltrack Solution Private Limited
Consistently performing for daily operations like automation and user management without major downtime reported.
Desktop Support at DigitalTrack Solutions Private Limited
 

Room For Improvement

Active Roles can improve by modernizing the UI, simplifying setup, enhancing cloud integration, and streamlining third-party system integration.
ADManager Plus requires UI improvements, better integration, and enhanced features for efficiency, stability, and responsiveness in large directories.
The current REST API feels like an afterthought, and my developers want the ability to operate through CI/CD pipelines instead of logging into the GUI.
Identity and Access Management Specialist at a university with 10,001+ employees
Improving documentation and providing more guided implementation resources would help organizations accelerate deployment and reduce dependency on external support.
Sr.Technical Support Executive at Digitaltrack Solution Private Limited
Stronger, more seamless integration with cloud and hybrid environments like Azure AD, along with enhanced real-time reporting dashboards and easier troubleshooting tools, would help in faster issue resolution and a better overall administration experience.
Senior System Administrator at 3i Infotech
Upgrading from recent to the latest versions is quite complex and time-consuming.
Junior System Engineer at Corporate Projukti Limited
There are always possibilities for improvements in the initial setup of ManageEngine ADManager Plus.
Network Administrator at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
 

Setup Cost

Active Roles by One Identity offers high upfront costs but delivers long-term value through automation, efficiency, and cost savings.
Enterprise users debate ADManager Plus pricing's value, with mixed views on cost justification, affordability, and potential discounts.
It is quite expensive, costing more than 50 euros per identity.
solution architect/ engineer at APEX.IT Sp. z o.o.
I think our total was in the seven-figure range for a couple of years of service.
Director, Identity & M365 Engineering at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
The initial investment includes licensing, infrastructure setup, and implementation effort, with licensing typically based on the number of managed users or accounts, which can increase costs in large environments.
Sr.Technical Support Executive at Digitaltrack Solution Private Limited
The solution is perceived as cheap, and the licensing is annual.
Junior System Engineer at Corporate Projukti Limited
 

Valuable Features

Active Roles by One Identity enhances automation and security in Active Directory operations through robust management and auditing features.
ManageEngine ADManager Plus simplifies AD management with robust features and automation, enhancing usability and efficiency for teams.
It's improved our security posture. It has limited access to our crown jewels, where all our identities lie within Active Directory.
IAM Specialist
It helps in removing custom Active Directory delegation, which enhances security by eliminating unnecessary privileges, addressing identity-based breaches by reducing the number of Active Directory delegations.
Head of Global Digital Identity Services at a hospitality company with 10,001+ employees
Dynamic groups are also one of the best features, eliminating the need to add or manage members manually.
Technical Specialist at LSEG
The software is fast, secure, and enables me to manage everything in one place.
Junior System Engineer at Corporate Projukti Limited
Reporting is the most valuable feature of ManageEngine ADManager Plus and is highly usable.
Network Administrator at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Active Roles by One Identity
Ranking in Active Directory Management
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
90
Ranking in other categories
User Provisioning Software (3rd), Non-Human Identity Management (NHIM) (1st)
ManageEngine ADManager Plus
Ranking in Active Directory Management
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Active Directory Management category, the mindshare of Active Roles by One Identity is 12.3%, up from 6.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ManageEngine ADManager Plus is 9.8%, down from 15.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Active Directory Management Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
One Identity Active Roles12.3%
ManageEngine ADManager Plus9.8%
Other77.9%
Active Directory Management
 

Featured Reviews

Varun Mehra - PeerSpot reviewer
collaboration support engineer at a retailer with 11-50 employees
Automation has transformed onboarding and access control and now streamlines daily governance
While One Identity Active Roles is a strong identity and access management solution overall, there are a few areas where it could improve. One challenge we experienced was the initial setup and configuration complexity. Deploying workflows, policies, and delegation models require careful planning and a good understanding of the Active Directory environment. For organizations without experienced administrators, the learning curve can feel quite steep in the beginning. The user interface could also be more modern and intuitive. Some administrative tasks require navigating through multiple menus and the overall experience could be simplified for faster day-to-day management. Another area for improvement is reporting and customization. While the auditing features are good, creating highly customized reports sometimes requires additional efforts or scripting knowledge. More built-in reporting templates and easier dashboard customization would be helpful. We have also noticed that troubleshooting workflows or synchronization issues can occasionally take time because the logs can be very detailed and technical. Better diagnostic tools and simpler error explanations would improve the operational experience. That said, once the platform is properly configured and maintained, it performs reliably and delivers strong automation, delegation, and governance capabilities. One additional area where One Identity Active Roles could improve is cloud integration and hybrid environment management. While it works well with Active Directory and the Microsoft environment, organizations moving heavily towards cloud-first infrastructure may want even deeper and more seamless integration with modern SaaS platforms and identity providers. Performance optimization in large environments could be improved. In very large enterprise deployments with complex workflows and multiple managed domains, some administrative actions and synchronization tasks can occasionally feel slower than expected. Another point is documentation and onboarding resources. The product is feature-rich, but some advanced configurations require going through extensive documentation. More practical examples, guided setup wizards, and easier to follow best practice guides would help new administrators adopt the platform faster. Overall, the core functionality is solid, and most of the pain points are related more to usability, complexity, and modernization rather than the reliability. One additional improvement I would mention is around integration flexibility with third-party ITSM and DevOps tools. While the platform integrates well within Microsoft-centric environments, broader out-of-the-box integration and simpler API workflows for non-Microsoft ecosystems would make deployment and automation easier for organizations using diverse infrastructure. Another area is upgrade and migration simplicity. In enterprise environments, version upgrades and environment migration sometimes require careful planning and testing. Streamlining that process with more automated compatibility checks and migration assistance would reduce operational overhead.
AliImran - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Administrator at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
Reporting features have supported regular user management while some automation capabilities remain unused
While the features in ManageEngine ADManager Plus are very good, not all features are necessary for every organization. Automation is a strong feature within the product but is not currently required due to the organization's environment and needs. There are always possibilities for improvements in the initial setup of ManageEngine ADManager Plus.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Outsourcing Company
24%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Outsourcing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business96
Midsize Enterprise14
Large Enterprise44
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise3
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for One Identity Active Roles?
I wasn't directly involved in the pricing or licensing decisions, so I cannot comment on the exact cost. For our operations, I believe the investment was considered worthwhile because the product r...
What needs improvement with One Identity Active Roles?
I think One Identity Active Roles is a mature and reliable solution, but there are a few areas where it could be improved. The biggest one is the management interface, which feels dated compared to...
What is your primary use case for One Identity Active Roles?
Our main use case for One Identity Active Roles is to simplify and standardize Active Directory administration across multiple business units while reducing the amount of manual work handled by our...
What needs improvement with ManageEngine ADManager Plus?
While the features in ManageEngine ADManager Plus are very good, not all features are necessary for every organization. Automation is a strong feature within the product but is not currently requir...
What is your primary use case for ManageEngine ADManager Plus?
ManageEngine ADManager Plus is used for multiple tasks, especially for reporting purposes that cannot typically be obtained from Active Directory or present difficulties requiring additional expert...
 

Also Known As

Quest Active Roles
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

City of Frankfurt, Moore Public Schools, George Washington University, Transavia Airlines, Howard County, MD. See all stories at OneIdentity.com/casestudies
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Active Roles by One Identity vs. ManageEngine ADManager Plus and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
904,973 professionals have used our research since 2012.