Azure Firewall Manager vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection comparison

Azure Firewall Manager vs. Microsoft Entra ID Protection

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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

Azure Firewall Manager

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

27th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Firewall Security Management (12th)

Microsoft Entra ID Protection

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

9th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Identity Management (IM) (8th), Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Microsoft Security Suite category, the mindshare of Azure Firewall Manager is 0.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Entra ID Protection is 4.6%, up from 3.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Microsoft Security Suite

Featured Reviews

Rashedul Khan

Senior Software Engineer at cimsolutions

Security management has improved with centralized threat detection and automation

I have been using Azure actively in my company, engaging with various technologies such as Azure SQL Server, virtual machines, and other cloud-dependent development scenarios. To secure the environment, we sometimes utilize Azure Firewall Manager. We needed to manage different individual firewalls…

Read full review

Mahender Nirwan

Software developer at TAIGLE LLC

Access to other software is just one click away and suitable for big organizations

Currently, we have limited use of Microsoft AD. We only use it to see if user blocks are available. If they are, we unblock the account and get access accordingly. AD has paid access control features. We can add access control over AD. For example, for documentation, we use an Outline tool. It's open source, and we add our company's knowledge base to it. It's an alternative to Confluence. We don't want everyone to have access to all documentation. If I create documentation for my team, only my team should have access, not support or sales. We can add these scopes or access controls over AD. Once integrated, the person will get the appropriate access control features upon logging in. Role-based access control is a great feature of Active Directory.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Azure Firewall Manager centralizes network security management with a hub and spoke architecture."

"The solution is very easy to set up."

"The most valuable feature of Azure Firewall Manager is the testing and configuration."

"It is easy to install and does not require any plugins for your browser."

"The solution has improved our organization with its firewall."

"The tool's support is good."

"Azure Firewall Manager centralizes network security management with a hub and spoke architecture."

"We've integrated our other software with Microsoft, and we log into other software using Microsoft. That's very helpful."

"I use conditional access most of the time."

"For me, automatization is most valuable."

"The valuable features include multifactor authentication, accessory capabilities, and conditional access for specific applications."

"The deployment process is straightforward. It takes a few hours to complete."

"I find the most valuable feature to be conditional access. It allows for comprehensive security controls, network security, and application label security."

"These features ease the job of security analysts, providing a better vision of user activities and potential risks."

"The solution helps us with authentication."

More Microsoft Entra ID Protection pros

Cons

"There should be a simple one-click deployment for a firewall, rather than a set of setup instructions that include steps such as the DNS configuration, et cetera."

"The tool's security features need to improve. It needs also to include a monitoring system for logs. It is also complicated to find a query on the Azure firewall."

"We could do only one-way NAT-ing, where the traffic comes from outside to internal, to Azure, which is fine. However, when we actually do NAT-ed traffic to hit the firewall, that way is not working."

"The price is okay. This said, the solution is certainly expensive in comparison with other cloud services."

"The configuration and settings require substantial time for learning, particularly for new users."

"The solution can improve the integration with open-source tools."

"The configuration and settings require substantial time for learning, particularly for new users. Improvements in ease of configuration would benefit users significantly."

"Microsoft has not offered control over how they calculate high or low-risk scenarios."

"Azure AD could improve by enhancing the availability of specialized courses for security, such as NETSCOUT security or other relevant certifications. It would be beneficial to have specific courses for security, to provide in-depth knowledge and skills related to Azure AD. While there are micro-learning resources available for various concepts, many people in the IT industry may not have the time to go through all the courses to properly configure and utilize Azure Active Directory. Simplifying the implementation process and making it easier for individuals to join a company with Azure AD could also be considered areas for improvement."

"Identity labeling and sensitivity needs improvement."

"Microsoft has not offered control over how they calculate high or low-risk scenarios. While they mention if a low risk is found by Microsoft, the triggered policy isn't customizable."

"I rate the quality of support at four out of ten because of inefficiencies in the ticket handling process. Tickets often bounce from person to person, requiring the sharing of information multiple times."

"The product's initial setup phase is not easy."

"The recent CrowdStrike issue affected most systems."

"The solution is not optimized to work with Mac devices on a granular level. They work seamlessly with Windows but have a lot to improve to work with Mac devices. It also needs to improve stability and scalability."

More Microsoft Entra ID Protection cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is certainly expensive in comparison with other cloud services."

"The price of the solution is reasonable but it is reasonable for the features."

"The product cost is on the expensive side."

"The price of Azure AD is not expensive."

"Azure Active Directory Identity Protection is not very expensive."

"The pricing is competitive in the SMA segment and runs $5-$6 per user."

"From one to ten, if one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the tool a seven out of ten."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

21%

Computer Software Company

18%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Azure Firewall Manager?

The most valuable feature of Azure Firewall Manager is the testing and configuration.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Firewall Manager?

The pricing for Azure Firewall Manager seems okay compared to its good features. Although extra expenses are incurred for additional services, these are not directly related to the firewall, and th...

What needs improvement with Azure Firewall Manager?

The configuration and settings require substantial time for learning, particularly for new users. Improvements in ease of configuration would benefit users significantly.

What do you like most about Azure Active Directory Identity Protection?

I use conditional access most of the time.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Active Directory Identity Protection?

The pricing for Microsoft Entra ID protection is not expensive. It varies based on the company's size and quality.

What needs improvement with Azure Active Directory Identity Protection?

I have set up my Active Directory locally for the same domain. However, Entra ID lacks a function to synchronize from the cloud to the local directory. This is a significant issue since there is no...

Azure Firewall vs Azure Firewall Manager

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Microsoft Defender for Identity vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection

Compared 45% of the time

BloodHound Enterprise vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection

Compared 10% of the time

Semperis Directory Services Protector vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection

Compared 9% of the time

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection

Compared 8% of the time

Silverfort vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection

Compared 5% of the time

More Microsoft Entra ID Protection Competitors

Product Reports

Firewall Security Management

Download Azure Firewall Manager product report

Microsoft Entra ID Protection

Download Microsoft Entra ID Protection product report

Also Known As

No data available

Azure Active Directory Identity Protection, Azure AD Identity Protection

Overview

Azure Firewall Manager is a security management service that provides central security policy and route management for cloud-based security perimeters.

To learn more about our solution, ask questions, and share feedback, join our Microsoft Security, Compliance and Identity Community.

Microsoft

Microsoft Entra ID Protection enhances security with advanced identity controls and seamless integration across environments. It ensures robust protection via multifactor authentication and single sign-on capabilities, safeguarding enterprises' sensitive information efficiently.

Microsoft Entra ID Protection offers comprehensive identity management and privileged access management features, making it critical for businesses transitioning to hybrid models or cloud solutions. Utilizing multifactor authentication, single sign-on, and security policy creation, it excels in securing access across both on-premise and cloud platforms. By integrating with Microsoft Defender, it enhances security measures. While it is highly effective, areas for improvement include identity labeling, password management, and more straightforward third-party integrations. Expanding access to Mac devices and simplification of the licensing model are also areas to be addressed for improved scalability.

What are the key features of Microsoft Entra ID Protection?

Granular Identity and Access Control: Tailor access permissions to enhance security measures.
Robust Authentication: Implement multifactor authentication for superior identity verification.
Seamless Management: Manage identities across on-premise and cloud environments effortlessly.
Conditional Access Policies: Enforce specific access rules based on predetermined conditions.

Why should users value Microsoft Entra ID Protection in their evaluations?

Operational Efficiency: Simplifies identity management with single sign-on.
Extensive Security Capabilities: Provides comprehensive protection for sensitive data.
Enterprise Focused: Tailored for use in complex organizational structures and transitions.
Integration Capability: Works closely with Microsoft Defender to enhance security measures.

In industries such as finance and healthcare, entities leverage Microsoft Entra ID Protection to maintain stringent access controls, optimize privileged access management, and facilitate smooth transitions to cloud environments. They utilize its integration with Azure AD to ensure comprehensive identity protection while aligning to compliance requirements specific to their fields.

Microsoft

Azure Firewall Manager vs. Microsoft Entra ID Protection