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AWS Directory Service vs Tenable Cloud Security comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 2, 2024

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)
16th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Tenable Cloud Security
Ranking in Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
12th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP) (12th), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) (19th), Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) (14th), Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) category, the mindshare of AWS Directory Service is 1.5%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tenable Cloud Security is 0.8%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
 

Featured Reviews

MassimilianoCollavo - PeerSpot reviewer
Integrates well with other tools, particularly through single sign-on
I've been working with AWS Directory Service as part of a broader solution for moving our infrastructure to a hybrid cloud model. Initially, the goal was to replicate our on-premises server to the cloud and then eventually shut down the on-premises server entirely. My work with AWS Directory Service is focused on migrating to the cloud and finding a suitable document management system that allows for online editing, document sharing, and workflow management. I rate it an eight out of ten.
Antonio Scola - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers reliable security support and encourages a safe migration to cloud environments while there is room for better reseller collaboration
I really don't know to tell the truth because we sell many solutions and don't sell exclusively Tenable, so I'm not in a condition to give a precise definition of what could be improved. My perception is this: when customer A needs Tenable Cloud Security, we introduce and demonstrate it. They POC, they appreciate it. The solution serves in such use cases ABC. I am very pragmatic and straightforward - as long as they use or want the solution, I am interested. If they don't, my question is what are the main objections? They may discuss pricing, or they may say they thought the solution had certain technical capabilities that they could not find.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The pricing is very good because it is low and there is no management cost."
"I like the manageability. Activate Connect makes it easier to assign information and to manage the resources in the network."
"We can provide specific access to people based on what they need from our accounts."
"We like the fact that it's got such great redundancy."
"Two-step authentication is very useful and important."
"I would rate AWS Directory Service nine out of ten."
"Provides good performance and availability."
"The most valuable feature of AWS Directory Service is cost-cutting features."
"The solution’s vulnerability management feature has helped us identify and mitigate risks well."
"Tenable Cloud Security excels in vulnerability detection, one of its strongest features. Another valuable feature is software composition analysis, which highlights and automates the detection of security flaws. Additionally, their knowledge base is excellent; if anything goes wrong, they provide clear guidance on what needs to be done to address specific vulnerabilities."
"If you have multi-cloud tenancy using AWS and Azure, you can have a single dashboard where you can onboard all the cloud infrastructure and have visibility into it."
"The key benefit lies in having the largest and most up-to-date database. When it comes to using any Tenable product, it excels in finding vulnerabilities and providing analytics."
"The product's visibility and remediation work fine for me."
"The analytical and reporting capabilities are pretty straightforward and show every transaction and major attempt to attack the application in the cloud."
"The tool alerts us on depreciating performance or deficiencies of our web application. It helps us react on time."
"The product's deployment phase is easy."
 

Cons

"Some of the security protocols are difficult to understand."
"The solution lacks certain features."
"Currently, there is no option to integrate our on-premises Cisco AWS Directory Service, requiring some manual configuration."
"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. If AWS Active Directory Service provided additional domain controller functionalities, like other on-premises Active Directory, it would be very helpful."
"We had a problem with the schema uploading and setting up the directory when we are migrating our users from on-premises to cloud infrastructure."
"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."
"The group policy can be improved."
"I have faced several bug incidents with the solution"
"I didn't find anything that wasn't useful or needed to be added."
"I do think there might be room for more integrations. This could allow for further customization and flexibility, essentially offering different functionality options to accommodate various budgets."
"Tenable needs to offer a patch-based solution since it is an area where the tool lacks a bit."
"Due to its robust nature, the platform's adoption can be overwhelming initially. However, once organizations start using it, they tend to get used to it. I haven't had much direct interaction with the support team, but some partners have reported a desire for better support for the product."
"Ermetic needs to improve its security scanning. I would like to see more dynamic graphical forms."
"If Tenable Cloud Security offers a complete Cnapp solution with CWP, CIEM, and Waap security, it will be able to compete with other competitors."
"The product must provide more features."
 

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 tool's price is good compared to other brands. The tool's subscription is for a year."
"There is a need to opt for a subscription-based pricing model to use Tenable Cloud Security. I rate the product price an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."
"The tool's pricing is fair."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
Healthcare Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Government
11%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about AWS Directory Service?
The most valuable feature of AWS Directory Service is cost-cutting features.
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 do you like most about Tenable Cloud Security?
The solution’s vulnerability management feature has helped us identify and mitigate risks well.
What needs improvement with Tenable Cloud Security?
Another team uses the tool. Tenable acquired Ermetic. I think Tenable has features, stays up to date, and upgrades every few months. I am not sure of the tool's use case, as another team uses it. I...
What is your primary use case for Tenable Cloud Security?
Right now, I use Tenable as CNAPP, and it is good for the product as it offers enhanced security to users. We did use the tool on the cloud. I am not sure if some models, like CIEM, are available a...
 

Also Known As

AWS Managed Microsoft AD
Ermetic, Ermetic Identity Governance for AWS
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Expedia, Intuit, Royal Dutch Shell, Brooks Brothers
Tyler Technologies, Bilfinger, BarkBox, MongoDB, airSlate, Adama, Latch, Cloudinary, Riskified, AppsFlyer, IntelyCare, Aidoc, 42Dot, and more.
Find out what your peers are saying about AWS Directory Service vs. Tenable Cloud Security and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
857,585 professionals have used our research since 2012.