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AWS Directory Service vs Okta Platform comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 15, 2025

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)
17th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Okta Platform
Ranking in Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
87
Ranking in other categories
Single Sign-On (SSO) (2nd), Authentication Systems (6th), Privileged Access Management (PAM) (4th), Access Management (2nd), ZTNA as a Service (6th), Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) (1st), AI IT Support (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2025, in the Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) category, the mindshare of AWS Directory Service is 1.2%, down from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Okta Platform is 8.2%, down from 14.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Okta Workforce Identity8.2%
AWS Directory Service1.2%
Other90.6%
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
 

Featured Reviews

MM
Lead AWS Data Engineer at Fission Labs
Centralized data repository integration supports data governance and improves security
AWS Directory Service offers important features for accessing different data modules through Cognito and web browsers. It supports data warehousing and analytics services for building a secure data lake for data ingestion, processing, governance, storage, and management activities. Its close integration with other AWS services and support for network protocols enhances its value.
SumitMundik - PeerSpot reviewer
Lead Admin Systems at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Authentication process improves security with quick and intuitive user interface
The best feature is the speed and execution of Okta Workforce Identity. The moment you click on single sign-on, you immediately get the notification on your mobile phone, then you do the authentication and within a second you get authenticated. The entire customer experience is very good. The user interface is pretty simple, straightforward, and really good. Multi-factor authentication in Okta Workforce Identity is very useful so people who do not have access or are trying to access using just a user ID and password will be completely blocked because of this two-factor authentication. You will get the code, and as your device is authorized in the system, only that device can be used for the authentication purpose. A third person trying to access or hack your data will not be able to do that anymore. Additionally, you don't have to remember your passwords going forward. Previously, every 60 days or 90 days, passwords kept changing. With the two-factor authentication or single sign-on option in Okta Workforce Identity, you don't have to remember it anymore or write down passwords in plain text. If something goes wrong, we have the IAM team which can unlock your account immediately if you have issues.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature of AWS Directory Service is cost-cutting features."
"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."
"AWS Directory Service is secure."
"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."
"The AD Connector is very good and easy to implement."
"I would rate AWS Directory Service nine out of ten."
"We can provide specific access to people based on what they need from our accounts."
"I like the manageability. Activate Connect makes it easier to assign information and to manage the resources in the network."
"We can automate the process of adding users to Okta if they are activated in Active Directory, or if they are added to the database of applications or Active Directory in the last couple of days."
"The most valuable features are ease of operation and visibility."
"We primarily use it to manage the community onboarding and offboarding of users, and it's quite a simple solution for that."
"We face no challenges in integrating the product with our legacy systems."
"It's reliable and it does what it is advertised to do."
"Valuable features include UD, SSO functionality, MFA and Adaptive MFA functionality, ability to link multiple Directory databases with UD."
"It is very seamless."
"It is flexible and easy to install."
 

Cons

"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."
"Currently, there is no option to integrate our on-premises Cisco AWS Directory Service, requiring some manual configuration. If AWS Active Directory Service provided additional domain controller functionalities, like other on-premises Active Directory, it would be very helpful."
"The group policy can be improved."
"AWS could improve the number of regions. Azure has passed them. The ned more consistency, as far as the Northeast is concerned."
"Currently, there is no option to integrate our on-premises Cisco AWS Directory Service, requiring some manual configuration."
"I would like to grant partial access to a table contained in a database without having to provide full access to the whole database."
"To get CloudWatch to monitor your memory and storage, you have to do some configuration within your server, which sometimes results in errors."
"AWS Directory Service needs to improve processing."
"Okta Customer Identity analytics and reporting tools do not help much to improve customer engagement strategies."
"The solution's user interface needs to be improved and made easy."
"I would like to see the provisioning simplified."
"We faced some challenges during the Okta Identity Workforce deployment. Integrating with AWS and other cloud services posed some limitations with federated options. For instance, features like automatic user addition from AWS to the tool were missing, requiring manual intervention. The API is limited compared to the manual configuration possible through the UI."
"The high cost of the product is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"Application updates are lacking. Customer support needs to be improved."
"Some limitations in scalability. Each application we work with can be completely different, resulting in highly variable implementation processes."
"UD attribute mapping, Okta group rules, and dynamic usage could use improvement. It also needs more in-depth functionality and features to integrate with RADIUS solutions."
 

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."
"We pay an annual subscription fee."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"AWS' pricing is fair, and costs can be cut if you look carefully at when you're using it."
"The price of Okta Workforce Identity is competitively priced. We pay annually for the use of the solution."
"The licensing is per user per month and includes full technical support."
"Price-wise, Okta Workforce Identity is a cheap solution. The overall cost depends on the license since you can negotiate with Okta or any of Okta's partners only if you opt for many licenses."
"It is costly for large companies."
"The solution’s pricing needs to be reasonable. You are dealing with a lot of components and the pricing is component-based."
"The solution is not the cheapest but not the most expensive. They are in the middle rating."
"Okta Customer Identity is not an expensive solution."
"This is an expensive solution but the security makes it worthwhile."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Performing Arts
11%
Government
10%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business35
Midsize Enterprise21
Large Enterprise44
 

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?
Accessing the data needs improvement. Additionally, integration and compatibility with other AWS ( /products/amazon-aws-reviews ) services, network open LDAP, support for on-premise and cloud envir...
What advice do you have for others considering AWS Directory Service?
I would rate AWS Directory Service nine out of ten. Users need to be aware of how the system works locally to adapt easily to the integration and setup.
What do you like most about Okta Workforce Identity?
Okta has introduced the Universal Directory. It has custom attribute capability and user permissions to read/write on their profiles or hide them. Profile sources and identity profile sourcing are ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Okta Workforce Identity?
Pricing for Okta is reasonably not that much, however, I don't have access to the commercial aspect.
What needs improvement with Okta Workforce Identity?
Currently, in Okta Workforce Identity we get the two-digit authentication code. Instead of getting the two-digit authentication code, if we had an option to do fingerprint verification, that would ...
 

Also Known As

AWS Managed Microsoft AD
Okta Customer Identity, Workforce Identity
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Expedia, Intuit, Royal Dutch Shell, Brooks Brothers
FedEx, Zoom, Takeda, Lululemon Athletica, GrunHub, jetBlue, McKensson, Bain & Company, Engie, Peloton, Sonos, T-Mobile, Hewlett Packard, MGM Resorts, Ally Financial, Priceline, Albertsons, Itercom, Classy, FICO, Kensho, Live Nation, Drata, Rotary, and others.
Find out what your peers are saying about AWS Directory Service vs. Okta Platform and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,259 professionals have used our research since 2012.