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Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Microsoft Identity Manager comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 1, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
5.1
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator improved security and compliance, yet financial gains are hard to quantify with some citing reduced costs.
Sentiment score
5.1
Microsoft Identity Manager improves security and efficiency, offering up to 20% time savings and simplifying training with standardization.
It enhances security by ensuring only the right person can access systems, even if their login credentials are compromised.
Senior Network and Security Engineer at Symbol Technologies PLC
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.8
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator offers generally responsive support with some variance in effectiveness based on complexity and local availability.
Sentiment score
7.2
Microsoft Identity Manager's customer service is reliable, with thorough engagement but varying response speed and documentation quality. Ratings average 7-9/10.
The technical support team is proficient and has all necessary resources to support all types of requirements.
Assistant Manager-Networks at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Customer service and support are excellent.
Senior Network and Security Engineer at Symbol Technologies PLC
At times, some technical staff lack knowledge, which delays issue resolution.
DevOps Engineer at YASH Technologies
It is important to get to the right engineer quickly, but the process sometimes involves multiple levels before reaching the best support.
Consultant at IOM - UN Migration
I rate the technical support nine out of ten.
CISO at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
The technical support is of good quality
Senior SOC Developer at XVE Security
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.8
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator offers scalable user capacity and integrates well, though minor manual adjustments may be needed.
Sentiment score
6.8
Microsoft Identity Manager is ideal for enterprises, not small businesses, with scalability issues for many users; consider Azure AD.
I find Fortinet FortiAuthenticator to be highly scalable, and I would rate it an eight out of ten for scalability.
Senior Network and Security Engineer at Symbol Technologies PLC
The scalability of FortiAuthenticator is good, and I would rate it an eight on a scale of one to ten.
IT Manager at PTECH
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator should be sufficiently scalable.
Network Engineer at Coop Money
In terms of scalability, Microsoft Identity Manager allows management of up to 400,000 objects with a standard configuration.
Consultant at IOM - UN Migration
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.4
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is generally stable, though hardware defects and syncing issues affect performance in high-volume environments.
Sentiment score
7.6
Microsoft Identity Manager is highly stable and reliable, with users rating its performance between eight to nine out of ten.
It remains stable even when the number of concurrent users increases.
Senior Network and Security Engineer at Symbol Technologies PLC
Not all conditions can be satisfied at all times, leading to some employee or user accounts experiencing deviations and syncing issues.
Consultant at IOM - UN Migration
 

Room For Improvement

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator needs improved usability, integration, support, affordability, customization, and stability for better user authentication efficiency.
Microsoft Identity Manager struggles with connectivity, integration, and support, needing better interfaces, documentation, and Azure Active Directory integration.
For example, authentication for wireless users expires after 24 hours, requiring re-authentication daily.
Head of computer systems at Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology(IIST)
I recommend Fortinet make its images migratable between environments.
Senior Network and Security Engineer at Symbol Technologies PLC
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator could benefit from some artificial intelligence functionality.
Assistant Manager-Networks at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Very often customers require real-time or almost real-time updates, and this feature is missing in Microsoft Identity Manager.
System Engineer 2 at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
The current policy management features are limited, and custom, flexible policies would be ideal.
Senior SOC Developer at XVE Security
While the initial setup of Microsoft Identity Manager is not completely complex, migrating or upgrading to a new version can be complex and requires multiple backups to ensure it goes smoothly.
Consultant at IOM - UN Migration
 

Setup Cost

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is praised for its affordable, straightforward user-based pricing, especially compared to Cisco solutions.
Microsoft Identity Manager is cost-effective when bundled with premium licenses, despite mixed reviews on its pricing and value.
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is not overly expensive compared to other Fortinet subscriptions.
Senior Network and Security Engineer at Symbol Technologies PLC
Microsoft's licenses are bundled, allowing access to multiple services, which is beneficial.
CISO at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
The pricing of Microsoft Identity Manager is expensive.
Senior SOC Developer at XVE Security
Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing of Microsoft Identity Manager, it has a couple of cloud connectors that can sync directly with the O365 admin center, which is good enough.
Consultant at IOM - UN Migration
 

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator offers easy setup, cost-effectiveness, strong integration, detailed logging, and flexible two-factor authentication options.
Microsoft Identity Manager enhances security with Single Sign-On and integrates seamlessly with Office 365 and Active Directory.
The integration with FortiToken is outstanding, adding a layer of security for authentication.
Senior Network and Security Engineer at Symbol Technologies PLC
This logging capability allows for providing access to more admin users while ensuring security is not compromised and all users can be monitored.
Assistant Manager-Networks at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
We use multi-factor authentication for enhancing security.
DevOps Engineer at YASH Technologies
The best features of Microsoft Identity Manager are its 100% compatibility with Active Directory.
Consultant at IOM - UN Migration
It is more efficient, much quicker, and does not cost as much.
System Engineer 2 at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
These features have been impactful in improving our security and compliance.
Senior SOC Developer at XVE Security
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator
Ranking in Identity Management (IM)
10th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
63
Ranking in other categories
Single Sign-On (SSO) (7th), Authentication Systems (3rd), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) (2nd)
Microsoft Identity Manager
Ranking in Identity Management (IM)
11th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Identity Management (IM) category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is 2.0%, down from 3.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Identity Manager is 2.3%, down from 4.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Identity Management (IM) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator2.0%
Microsoft Identity Manager2.3%
Other95.7%
Identity Management (IM)
 

Featured Reviews

Sachin Vinay - PeerSpot reviewer
Assistant Manager-Networks at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Supports secure remote authentication and provides comprehensive user activity tracking
The most important feature is the security capability because it provides a substantial amount of security for admin-related activities. Fortinet FortiAuthenticator can be used from anywhere in the world, and the authenticator services function globally. This global accessibility is one of the critical advantages, particularly since admin features are critical and security is a real concern. With Fortinet FortiAuthenticator, secure usage of firewall services and related functions is achieved. A complete log of all users who access the authenticator setup is maintained. Monthly logs are reviewed to check for any unnoticed activities. Each authenticated user's complete activity history is recorded. This logging capability allows for providing access to more admin users while ensuring security is not compromised and all users can be monitored.
RameshKumar9 - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant at IOM - UN Migration
Supports reliable identity management and custom policy design
Microsoft Identity Manager can be improved by integrating it with Entra ID as a SaaS application or by having a cloud-based connector, as it is currently limited to on-prem scenarios, and a combination of both would be a great solution compared to competitors such as SailPoint or One Identity Manager. While the initial setup of Microsoft Identity Manager is not completely complex, migrating or upgrading to a new version can be complex and requires multiple backups to ensure it goes smoothly.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Government
7%
Government
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business38
Midsize Enterprise18
Large Enterprise11
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business13
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise11
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiAuthenticator?
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator could benefit from some artificial intelligence functionality and resolution of some glitches that may exist.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Identity Manager?
Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing of Microsoft Identity Manager, it has a couple of cloud connectors that can sync directly with the O365 admin center, which is good enough, but Entra I...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Identity Manager?
Microsoft Identity Manager could be improved in several areas. The solution uses a batching process that executes at scheduled times, which differs from other vendor solutions. It is missing capabi...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Identity Manager?
Microsoft Identity Manager is used primarily in the retail business. The implementation is enterprise-level within a national company, specifically at JCPenney, which is a large organization.
 

Also Known As

FortiAuthenticator
MIM, Forefront Identity Manager, FIM, MS Identity Manager
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Whole Foods Market
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs. Microsoft Identity Manager and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
885,286 professionals have used our research since 2012.