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CyberArk Identity vs Microsoft Entra External ID comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 27, 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

CyberArk Identity
Ranking in Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
Authentication Systems (8th), Identity Management (IM) (11th), Authorization Software (3rd), Enterprise Password Managers (8th), User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) (9th), Access Management (6th), Active Directory Management (9th), Cloud Resource Access Management (2nd)
Microsoft Entra External ID
Ranking in Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)
7th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (13th), Microsoft Security Suite (26th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) category, the mindshare of CyberArk Identity is 3.8%, up from 3.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Entra External ID is 7.7%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)
 

Featured Reviews

Julio Montero - PeerSpot reviewer
Access management system provides strong security and effortless user authentication
The solution can be deployed on cloud or on-premises. CyberArk is more on the cloud than on local hardware. The deployment is initially quite difficult. That said, when you are doing the implementation of CyberArk, there are so many tutorials that make the learning process very easy. The only complaint could be the language barrier. It's difficult if you don't have a very good level of English. Otherwise, it is very easy. You can have it set up within three months without much difficulty. It's hard to get started, however, once you get going, it gets easier. A full deployment takes half a year or less. There is some maintenance necessary. A company is constantly hiring and letting go of employees. The access is always changing, so access must always be adjusted. Or, if we need another law of filter, we would need to add those, or even take them away. That's another aspect of maintenance.
Corrado Vigano - PeerSpot reviewer
Solution integrates well with existing systems while being easy to use
The fact that it is quite integrated into the entire Microsoft environment makes it quite easy to use. Furthermore, Microsoft's reliability in providing a clear roadmap for the solution is very important, especially at a time when cybersecurity is a risk in every company. The solution is easy to reuse and not difficult to find expertise for in the market because it is widespread. It is gaining attention even from partners and from the market on the offering side. This serves as a good starting point for customers who can develop internal competence on the solution. Additionally, the presence of reliable partners who know the solution and can provide internal knowledge is the best aspect for them.

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 CyberArk Identity is the adaptive interface."
"It has machine learning and can help clients to learn the environment and understand what is happening."
"Overall, I would rate CyberArk Identity a nine out of ten."
"CyberArk Identity is a mature product."
"I had one machine that I could not use due to an invalid token. They resolved the problem immediately after I reported it, on the same day, within one hour. It is a very good experience."
"What I like most about CyberArk Identity is the model that is in place."
"The tool helps with authentication. It acts as an MFA for any kind of privileged access that occurs in our organization."
"The user identification is simplified, and managing user privileges, whether adding or revoking them, is also quite straightforward when utilizing CyberArk SaaS."
"The most valuable feature for me is the firewall capabilities."
"The single sign-on access is the most useful feature we use."
"Microsoft Entra External ID is more secure, offering a secure environment."
"The fact that it is quite integrated into the entire Microsoft environment makes it quite easy to use."
"It's quite easy to manage and monitor."
"The fact that it is quite integrated into the entire Microsoft environment makes it quite easy to use."
"It's similar to using a Microsoft account to create accounts on other websites. We are also using Microsoft Entra to monitor which applications our guests are using. This allows us to filter, block, or adjust permissions for these applications as needed for our collaborators."
"The most beneficial feature for us is the ease of setup. With about five clicks, we can generate unique IDs and keys and set up in less than 30 minutes. We can also generate these for multiple years simultaneously, which is convenient."
 

Cons

"The user interface could be improved."
"More integrations would be better."
"There are some issues with CyberArk Identity. Sometimes, I have encountered glitches or bugs, which increased downtime."
"The solution's difficulty in gaining skill sets should be improved because it's a vertical product."
"Integration or deployment is extremely difficult for CyberArk Identity."
"The product is not cheap, especially if you opt for an on-premise deployment requiring a complex server infrastructure. On the other hand, choosing the software as a service version simplifies infrastructure requirements but necessitates being online all the time."
"When you translate the page from one language to another, it can be a difficult process. The translation isn't always good, and it may have a completely different name. I've noticed this in the English to Spanish translation."
"The tool has issues with the third-party SMS gateway. The solution has its own SMS gateway. Integration support is a challenge when we don’t use their SMS gateway. The tool also needs to improve its scalability."
"Microsoft's pricing is complex and difficult to fathom due to a range of different licensing options."
"I generally find Microsoft solutions expensive, especially in specific offerings."
"The quality of Microsoft customer support varies. With an enterprise contract, good resources are usually provided, especially in regions like Saudi Arabia or UAE. However, we have faced challenges with support quality, especially in some subcontinent areas where the resources might not be as experienced."
"Single sign-on for external applications such as Oracle could be improved to be a little bit cheaper."
"The cost is very high."
"I would like to see faster synchronization."
"The problem with Microsoft products is that they often cater to enterprise-level needs, which can be too costly for medium-sized businesses."
"Technical support needs improvement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing of CyberArk Identity is competitive."
"We find that the pricing and licensing of this solution is adequate, as compared to the other competitors in the market."
"The pricing point is very good. I compared it with other products, and it does not require a heavy investment."
"In terms of pricing, BeyondTrust and CyberArk tend to be more expensive, with CyberArk receiving an eight out of ten, in this regard."
"Their pricing is obviously a lot higher than many vendors in the marketplace but their service is also unmatched."
"There could be some additional costs apart from the licensing costs of the solution when you want to develop connectors in CyberArk Identity."
"There is an initial license and then there is a subscription needed."
"I would rate the tool’s pricing a seven out of ten. The product’s pricing is expensive and is on a yearly basis. You will need to pay around 10,000 GBP for 500 users."
"We don't pay separately for Microsoft Entra External ID as it's part of our Microsoft Exchange subscription."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Healthcare Company
6%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about CyberArk Identity?
The integration capabilities, ability to integrate CyberArk into the overall IBB strategy of our current clients.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for CyberArk Identity?
The pricing point is very good. I compared it with other products, and it does not require a heavy investment.
What needs improvement with CyberArk Identity?
It does not have global market penetration, and sometimes, there are support issues. CyberArk Identity can definitely improve on the IAM rules when I create them. The stability can also be better.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Entra External ID?
The cost can be a factor for Microsoft Entra External ID, but in general, it offers a scalable and efficient solution compared to deploying individual solutions.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Entra External ID?
Some areas where Microsoft Entra External ID could improve include cost and enhanced security for integration with federated logins like LinkedIn and Gmail.
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Entra External ID?
I am working on a project for a university where we are trying to create a digital twin of a coral reef restoration project in Saudi Arabia. This involves using a big data platform and developing a...
 

Also Known As

Idaptive
Azure Active Directory External Identities
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

MLB, Citi, Pfizer, SulAmerica, GE Capital, Shiseido
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about CyberArk Identity vs. Microsoft Entra External ID and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.