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Gluu Flex vs Microsoft Entra External ID comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

Gluu Flex
Ranking in Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
13th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
Access Management (13th)
Microsoft Entra External ID
Ranking in Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
8th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.5
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) (4th), Microsoft Security Suite (21st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) category, the mindshare of Gluu Flex is 1.1%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Entra External ID is 2.4%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Entra External ID2.4%
Gluu Flex1.1%
Other96.5%
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
 

Featured Reviews

EV
Facilitates improvement through feedback collection, quizzes, and event data generation
Gluu has a mobile app catering to field workers. Normal workers use the web app, a complete cloud-based solution. They log in on any device and access the system. Gluu filters and displays relevant information based on the user's role in the processes. Users can set it up to view as a viewer, worker, manager, or controller of the area. The front end offers different views but provides an easy dashboard for employees. On the dashboard, users can configure it to show tasks, related work instructions, and connected processes. It's very user-friendly, allowing end-users to understand their tasks and processes without needing in-depth knowledge.
Suresh Kumar Subramaniyan - PeerSpot reviewer
Has supported secure access but still lacks full coverage for external identity challenges
The user experience is acceptable, but Microsoft Entra External ID is not a full-fledged IGA solution. We use different products for complete Identity Governance Administration. Microsoft Entra External ID is suitable for small-scale enterprises implementing identity lifecycle management since most have Active Directory. However, there are several challenges. The out-of-the-box connector has limited features for applications, requiring us to build scheme connectors. While small-scale enterprises can benefit from Microsoft Entra External ID's Identity Governance solution, large-scale enterprises might need different tools from leading market vendors such as SailPoint or Saviynt. Customers face particular challenges with contractor and B2B accounts. Microsoft Entra External ID isn't a complete cloud-based account solution, as it must handle internal employees and collaborate with internal Active Directory. There are delays in the identity lifecycle process, especially for contract partners during onboarding and off-boarding. This might be due to back-end syncing with Active Directory. B2B account removal and provisioning take considerable time. Access governance, particularly access certification for guest users, is time-consuming. Multi-factor authentication enforcement also presents challenges for external users.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Gluu has a mobile app catering to field workers. Normal workers use the web app, a complete cloud-based solution. They log in on any device and access the system."
"Most of the features are related to banking within this particular IT industry. Security and the market are also important features."
"When it comes to Microsoft Entra External ID, Microsoft itself is the best distributor."
"The most valuable feature for me is the firewall capabilities."
"The fact that it is quite integrated into the entire Microsoft environment makes it quite easy to use."
"The fact that it is quite integrated into the entire Microsoft environment makes it quite easy to use."
"The experience has been rather good; there are other possibilities, but we made the choice to go with Microsoft, and we have a good experience with that."
"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."
"The most valuable feature for me is the firewall capabilities."
"The positive impact of Microsoft Entra External ID on my organization is that it enhances ease of use for the administrative side."
 

Cons

"I would like to see features around federation, authentication, authorization, and AI APIs with a ChatGPT interface."
"The tool integrates AI into the process modeling aspect. I believe this addition will significantly enhance usability. Additionally, it might be beneficial to have the capability to import content from other tools into this platform. Our platform follows its business process modeling notation standard, which differs from BPM. It uses a simpler notation, making it easier. The ability to import content from other tools could accommodate users accustomed to different standards."
"The problem with Microsoft products is that they often cater to enterprise-level needs, which can be too costly for medium-sized businesses."
"I would like to see faster synchronization."
"A common concern among the customers I visit is the unpredictability of Microsoft's costs at every renewal. This is really bothersome for the customer, and I would say it is the worst element I have seen in these years."
"The authentication methods available are very limited, and this presents a weak point."
"Technical support needs improvement."
"I generally find Microsoft solutions expensive, especially in specific offerings."
"Single sign-on for external applications such as Oracle could be improved to be a little bit cheaper."
"The only problem that you might face with Microsoft now is their complex licensing model."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is reasonable."
"The tool is cheaper compared to typical German products. I rate the product’s pricing a four out of ten."
"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
Insurance Company
47%
Government
14%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Media Company
6%
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise6
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Gluu?
Gluu has a mobile app catering to field workers. Normal workers use the web app, a complete cloud-based solution. They log in on any device and access the system.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Gluu?
The tool is cheaper compared to typical German products. I rate the product’s pricing a four out of ten. The cost depends on the model you choose. If you go bigger, like a thousand or more users, t...
What needs improvement with Gluu?
The tool integrates AI into the process modeling aspect. I believe this addition will significantly enhance usability. Additionally, it might be beneficial to have the capability to import content ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Entra External ID?
The only problem that you might face with Microsoft now is their complex licensing model.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Entra External ID?
For the last four or five years, I have been in an IT manager function, focusing on making things happen and having technical persons execute tasks. In the last three months, I have transitioned to...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Entra External ID?
I am looking for a new solution and investigating existing products. We are already working with Microsoft Intune and SOTI. I have been working in the past with a Kaseya product, specifically Datto...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Azure Active Directory External Identities
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Dubai Municipality
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Gluu Flex vs. Microsoft Entra External ID and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
869,202 professionals have used our research since 2012.