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Change Auditor for Active Directory vs Microsoft Active Directory comparison

Quest Software and Microsoft are both solutions in the Active Directory Management category. Quest Software is ranked #7 with an average rating of 9.0, while Microsoft is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.4. Quest Software holds a 6.8% mindshare in ADM, compared to Microsoft’s 6.2% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Quest Software users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.
Change Auditor for Active D...
Read 2 Change Auditor for Active Directory reviews
  • 824 Views
  • 775 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
Microsoft Active Directory
Read 47 Microsoft Active Directory reviews
  • 1,845 Views
  • 627 Comparison Views
97% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 23, 2025

Change Auditor for Active Directory and Microsoft Active Directory compete in the realm of directory services and monitoring. Change Auditor has the upper hand in security and compliance due to its intensive surveillance capabilities, whereas Microsoft Active Directory is favored for its comprehensive directory management features.

Features: Change Auditor is recognized for real-time change auditing, alerting, and robust auditing capabilities. Microsoft Active Directory is notable for authentication and authorization services, providing a foundational service for managing user accounts and policies.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Active Directory is known for its integration within Windows ecosystems and straightforward deployment supported by extensive resources. Change Auditor requires separate installation but is noted for its detailed customer support services.

Pricing and ROI: Change Auditor involves additional costs for its specialized features, deemed worth the investment for enhanced security. Microsoft Active Directory typically incurs lower initial costs as part of Windows Server environments, valued for substantial ROI through core directory services.

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To learn more, read our detailed Change Auditor for Active Directory vs. Microsoft Active Directory Report (Updated: January 2026).
Buyer's Guide
Change Auditor for Active Directory vs. Microsoft Active Directory
January 2026
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Helped 880,685 peers since 2012

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

Change Auditor for Active D...
Ranking in Active Directory Management
7th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Microsoft Active Directory
Ranking in Active Directory Management
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
47
Ranking in other categories
Single Sign-On (SSO) (9th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Active Directory Management category, the mindshare of Change Auditor for Active Directory is 6.8%, down from 7.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Active Directory is 6.2%, up from 4.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Active Directory Management Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Active Directory6.2%
Change Auditor for Active Directory6.8%
Other87.0%
Active Directory Management
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2794194 - PeerSpot reviewer
reviewer2794194
Sr Mgr Cyber Defense at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Auditing changes has become faster and now uncovers misconfigurations within minutes
The best features Change Auditor for Active Directory offers are that it's lightweight and easy to understand. You don't have to memorize event IDs since it's in English. What makes Change Auditor for Active Directory lightweight and easy to understand in my experience is that it doesn't require the events to record to the domain controllers. Therefore, I can focus just on the event types without having to turn up detailed logging on my DCs. Change Auditor for Active Directory has positively impacted my organization by helping us respond to audits very quickly to show that we had evidence of who was making the changes and match them up to the ticket request and who approved it. After implementing Change Auditor for Active Directory, it has allowed us to answer questions literally in minutes, whereas it would have taken us half a day to a day before.
Read full review
Eko Kurniawan - PeerSpot reviewer
Eko Kurniawan
IT Operations & Security at veris
Has simplified credential management and improved secure access control across departments
The features I find most useful in Microsoft Active Directory are especially for the Single Sign-On. This is very useful for users, particularly if they have plenty of applications, such as tablet applications. When they log in to their computer, the application will automatically log in with their credentials. They don't need to remember another user and password to log in to the application because it's already maintained with Microsoft Active Directory using Single Sign-On. To assess the impact of Microsoft Active Directory's centralized domain management on security protocols and access permissions, Microsoft Active Directory itself has constraints with security because when we have a solution such as SSO or Single Sign-On, which makes it easier for users to log in, some parts have security openings. When their computer is compromised with a threat, malware, or other cyber threats, it becomes easier to enter the application without login permission.
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

"The most valuable features are the ability to protect Active Directory accounts and groups, and the real-time notifications that help manage Active Directory more effectively."
"Change Auditor for Active Directory has positively impacted my organization by helping us respond to audits very quickly to show that we had evidence of who was making the changes and match them up to the ticket request and who approved it."
"Microsoft Active Directory is the most centralized tool for my organization, which has impacted us positively—we can reset passwords for all users at once, add anyone to any group, and check the members tab, making it really easy for us to troubleshoot end-user issues and beneficial for our information technology needs."
"It is an all-in-one solution for cybersecurity and is available at a very low price."
"One valuable feature is the centralized creation of IDs."
"Stability and performance are good. So far, we have not observed any major downtime or performance issues since we deployed it."
"It is easy to handle, and it gives a hundred percent results with the group policies."
"The most valuable features of Microsoft Active Directory are the management of user and group policies."
"The solution is stable."
"It is a stable solution."
More Microsoft Active Directory pros
 

Cons

"Areas that could be improved include having more management capabilities with command-line scripts and more flexibility in general."
"Change Auditor for Active Directory could be improved if the client were more flexible when installed, so if I upgrade the server, I wouldn't have to replace the clients at the same time."
"The solution's price could be better."
"In the solution, assigning permissions is complex, making it difficult to grant them at a granular level or to multiple users without templates or alternative tools."
"Sometimes support takes long to engage and resolve, extending over weeks or even months."
"Sometimes, it can be overly complicated, and when you apply Group Policy in an Active Directory environment, sometimes those settings apply and sometimes they don't."
"There is room for improvement in the support."
"They should improve the solution's old computer cleanup tool."
"It's not the tendency of Microsoft to use a standard, but to modify it to their needs. This is catastrophic if you have to integrate other applications that use the same standard."
"There has been a change in the layout of the user information. Previously, I had to go to properties to view the information, but now it is displayed directly below the search results. It takes some time to get used to."
More Microsoft Active Directory cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"I'm unsure about the cost of the solution, as I was never involved in that aspect. However, I don't think it would be expensive. It might be average, around four or five out of ten."
"The solution is based on a licensing model."
"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a four out of ten."
"The version of Microsoft Active Directory I was using was expensive because it was used for large companies."
"The license is perpetual and the cost is minimal. If you purchase Microsoft Windows then Microsoft Active Directory comes with the package."
"The license per user can probably be reduced."
"We purchase the license for the solution on a yearly basis."
"Active Directory is built-in into Microsoft Windows 10. I'm not an administrator and would not be involved in purchasing decisions for new versions of the software. I have only used the client portion of it, I do not know if there is a cost to using the solution."
More Microsoft Active Directory pricing and cost advice
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Active Directory Management solutions are best for your needs.
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880,685 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
15%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Insurance Company
8%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business20
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise20
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Quest Change Auditor for Active Directory?
The price can vary based on the components purchased and the needs and budget of the organization. It is considered a bit pricey, especially for smaller companies.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Quest Change Auditor for Active Directory?
Areas that could be improved include having more management capabilities with command-line scripts and more flexibility in general. Often this type of tool could benefit from better scripting capab...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Quest Change Auditor for Active Directory?
The primary use case is to manage human errors, like protecting identities from being modified by the software, and to audit security. This includes monitoring high-privilege accounts and having th...
See all answers
What do you like most about Microsoft Active Directory?
The solution is easy to install and has good reliability.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Microsoft Active Directory?
The best way to protect this is to use Microsoft Defender. For Microsoft support for Microsoft Active Directory, I would rate it as eight. If I give it 10, it would be too perfect. Eight is fair. M...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Active Directory?
My main use cases for Microsoft Active Directory are to manage user access and credentials.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Compared 14% of the time
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Compared 9% of the time
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Compared 4% of the time
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Compared 16% of the time
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Compared 11% of the time
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Compared 10% of the time
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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Active Directory Management
December 2025
Change Auditor for Active Directory reportDownload Change Auditor for Active Directory product report
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Active Directory
January 2026
Microsoft Active Directory reportDownload Microsoft Active Directory product report
 

Overview

Change Auditor for Active Directory provides advanced monitoring for modifications in Active Directory, offering real-time insights to enhance security and compliance without impacting system performance.

Integrating seamlessly with existing IT infrastructure, Change Auditor allows organizations to monitor, analyze, and report on changes within Active Directory. It provides detailed visibility into user activities and configuration modifications, enabling IT professionals to quickly identify potential security threats and unusual activity patterns. This tool aids in ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, minimizing downtime, and improving operational efficiency through precise tracking and alerting capabilities.

What are its most important features?
  • Real-Time Alerts: Provides instant notifications for critical changes, allowing timely response to potential threats.
  • Comprehensive Auditing: Tracks all modifications in Active Directory, offering detailed reports for analysis and compliance.
  • User Activity Monitoring: Observes user behaviors and correlates activities for better security management.
  • Automated Reports: Generates scheduled reports to assist in compliance and audits easily.
What benefits or ROI should users consider?
  • Enhanced Security: Quickly identify and respond to unauthorized changes, reducing security risks.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Simplifies adherence to compliance standards with detailed auditing and reporting tools.
  • Operational Efficiency: Saves time through automation of auditing processes and reduces manual tracking efforts.
  • Reduced Downtime: Swift identification of issues enables faster resolution, minimizing disruptions in service.

In industries like finance and healthcare, Change Auditor significantly impacts risk management by safeguarding sensitive information and aligning with audit requirements. Its robust monitoring capabilities are essential for maintaining the integrity and security of critical data within heavily regulated sectors.

Quest Software

Active Directory stores information about objects on the network and makes this information easy for administrators and users to find and use. Active Directory uses a structured data store as the basis for a logical, hierarchical organization of directory information.

This data store, also known as the directory, contains information about Active Directory objects. These objects typically include shared resources such as servers, volumes, printers, and the network user and computer accounts.

Security is integrated with Active Directory through logon authentication and access control to objects in the directory. With a single network logon, administrators can manage directory data and organization throughout their network, and authorized network users can access resources anywhere on the network. Policy-based administration eases the management of even the most complex network.

Microsoft
 

Sample Customers

American Airlines, Bank of America, BARCLAYS, ebay, Ford, intel, MARS, MERCK, Microsoft, UBER, VISA
Information Not Available
Buyer's Guide
Change Auditor for Active Directory vs. Microsoft Active Directory
January 2026
Free Report: Change Auditor for Active Directory vs. Microsoft Active Directory
Find out what your peers are saying about Change Auditor for Active Directory vs. Microsoft Active Directory and other solutions. Updated: January 2026.
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