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AWS Directory Service vs Gluu Flex comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

AWS Directory Service
Ranking in Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
18th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Gluu Flex
Ranking in Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
31st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
Access Management (25th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) category, the mindshare of AWS Directory Service is 1.0%, down from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Gluu Flex is 0.9%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
AWS Directory Service1.0%
Gluu Flex0.9%
Other98.1%
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
 

Featured Reviews

Akram Zaki - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Specialist at FlairsTech
Hybrid directory service has streamlined global server access and supported reliable daily operations
Some features in AWS Directory Service are not automated and are not scriptable, so they require manual work. In today's world where everything is pretty much automated and scriptable using AI, this is a downside. The price is another concern. AWS is really expensive. They provide an awesome service in general, but it's still expensive, very expensive. AD Connector is an application which connects my own Active Directory to AWS Directory Service or AWS infrastructure. There is a bit of latency which is bound by the AD Connector availability. If the AD Connector is having issues, there is a bit of latency, but in general, it's way better than Microsoft Azure. Still, it could be better. The migration was a bit challenging and required intensive planning and migration time. That is always a hassle. No matter which cloud environment you're moving into, the migration is sensitive because you're generally moving from on-premise to a cloud environment, so there is downtime and there are unexpected issues and errors. It needs very careful planning before doing the migration itself. AWS Directory Service is lacking a few things which could be better. Single sign-on federation is missing. SCIM provisioning is not available. In my company, we use other services for SSO federation, SCIM provisioning, and authentication because of these gaps. I would like AWS Directory Service to enroll a multi-factor authentication method. I would like to have an SSO federation where users, if we're hosting applications in AWS, would not need to log in to each application. Single sign-on would log in the user to their account and from there they can open all their applications without requiring a login each time. One of the other cons in AWS is that directories cannot span multiple regions because it's a region-bound architecture. This requires several directories for multi-region deployment. This is the case on my end because my company has several branches all over the world, so it requires several deployments.
EV
Owner at Process2product
Facilitates improvement through feedback collection, quizzes, and event data generation
Gluu has a mobile app catering to field workers. Normal workers use the web app, a complete cloud-based solution. They log in on any device and access the system. Gluu filters and displays relevant information based on the user's role in the processes. Users can set it up to view as a viewer, worker, manager, or controller of the area. The front end offers different views but provides an easy dashboard for employees. On the dashboard, users can configure it to show tasks, related work instructions, and connected processes. It's very user-friendly, allowing end-users to understand their tasks and processes without needing in-depth knowledge.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We like the fact that it's got such great redundancy."
"I would rate AWS Directory Service nine out of ten."
"I like the manageability, as Activate Connect makes it easier to assign information and to manage the resources in the network."
"The most valuable feature of AWS Directory Service is cost-cutting features."
"AWS is very helpful and very useful for the infrastructure because that's how you can manage your Microsoft Office 365 user accounts with AWS-managed Microsoft Active Directory Services."
"AWS handles everything on the backend requiring minimal legwork from our team. We only require a dedicated database administrator while depending on Amazon for RDS."
"The most valuable feature is that because it's all in the cloud, you don't need to manage the infrastructure."
"The solution integrates well with other tools, particularly through single sign-on, allowing users to connect to various applications using just one password, including email."
"Gluu has a mobile app catering to field workers. Normal workers use the web app, a complete cloud-based solution. They log in on any device and access the system."
"Most of the features are related to banking within this particular IT industry. Security and the market are also important features."
 

Cons

"I've encountered challenges, particularly with Amazon WorkDocs, which is being deprecated. This has made it necessary to find an alternative document management solution that can handle editing, sharing, and workflow management for documents like Word files and PDFs."
"AWS is really expensive. They provide an awesome service in general, but it's still expensive, very expensive."
"The group policy can be improved."
"Our only complaint is that you cannot integrate your Exchange server. Or, if you are planning to install an Exchange server on your Amazon EC2 instance, then you need to configure Active Directory on EC2 instance. We would like for this limitation to be lifted."
"AWS Directory Service needs to improve processing."
"I'd like to see some additional features, similar to what Azure has."
"I would like to see better integration with other business solutions."
"AWS could improve the number of regions. Azure has passed them. The ned more consistency, as far as the Northeast is concerned."
"The tool integrates AI into the process modeling aspect. I believe this addition will significantly enhance usability. Additionally, it might be beneficial to have the capability to import content from other tools into this platform. Our platform follows its business process modeling notation standard, which differs from BPM. It uses a simpler notation, making it easier. The ability to import content from other tools could accommodate users accustomed to different standards."
"I would like to see features around federation, authentication, authorization, and AI APIs with a ChatGPT interface."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing depends because with AWS there are two types of directory objects: 30,000 and 500,000. It varies. AWS provides the pricing calculators so we can get an estimate from there as per the company requirement of how many users and objects that we need to create. So we can go to that portal, put in the data, and get the quotation. There are no extra licensing fees. It's all included."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"AWS' pricing is fair, and costs can be cut if you look carefully at when you're using it."
"We pay an annual subscription fee."
"The tool is cheaper compared to typical German products. I rate the product’s pricing a four out of ten."
"The price is reasonable."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
12%
Computer Software Company
11%
Performing Arts
9%
Government
9%
Insurance Company
43%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Construction Company
10%
Media Company
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise5
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AWS Directory Service?
The pricing is very good because it is low and there is no management cost. You do not need to hire any system administrator to manage your Active Directory.
What needs improvement with AWS Directory Service?
Some features in AWS Directory Service are not automated and are not scriptable, so they require manual work. In today's world where everything is pretty much automated and scriptable using AI, thi...
What advice do you have for others considering AWS Directory Service?
I would like AWS Directory Service to enroll a multi-factor authentication method. I would like to have an SSO federation where users, if we're hosting applications in AWS, would not need to log in...
Ask a question
Earn 20 points
 

Also Known As

AWS Managed Microsoft AD
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Expedia, Intuit, Royal Dutch Shell, Brooks Brothers
Dubai Municipality
Find out what your peers are saying about AWS Directory Service vs. Gluu Flex and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.