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IBM Security Verify Access vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

IBM Security Verify Access
Ranking in Identity Management (IM)
21st
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
Single Sign-On (SSO) (14th), Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (15th), Access Management (13th)
Microsoft Entra ID Protection
Ranking in Identity Management (IM)
8th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
20
Ranking in other categories
Microsoft Security Suite (9th), Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Identity Management (IM) category, the mindshare of IBM Security Verify Access is 1.3%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Entra ID Protection is 1.2%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Identity Management (IM) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Entra ID Protection1.2%
IBM Security Verify Access1.3%
Other97.5%
Identity Management (IM)
 

Featured Reviews

Ateeq Rehman - PeerSpot reviewer
Unit Head System Implementor at Allied Bank Limited
Has improved secure user access while managing development through multiple technologies
I have already explained this in my previous call; I don't handle financial terms and commercials. Pricing is generally managed by functional teams and management looking after licensing matters. In Pakistan, vendors such as Oracle and IBM manage account relationships with clients and have tailored pricing models, so I do not have sufficient insights into that aspect.IBM Security Verify Access installation process is not straightforward; it requires underlying specialized knowledge upon which the IBM products are based. The complexity and scalability of the architecture necessitate in-depth technical knowledge and understanding of the system. Thus, installation is not as simple as clicking through; it requires extensive configuration of the underlying application servers, such as IBM WebSphere, where these products are deployed and configured.
reviewer2133984 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. Security Analyst/Incident Response at a retailer with 5,001-10,000 employees
Conditional access provides detailed security customization
The best features of Microsoft Entra ID Protection are the conditional aspects, particularly the conditions that can be created. Microsoft Entra ID Protection has helped us because it gives us conditions that we can filter on or support, providing us more granularity. Microsoft Entra ID Protection allows blocking based on geolocation and similar parameters. The protections for handling identity threats in Microsoft Entra ID Protection, such as the automated remediation, are working effectively. With Microsoft Entra ID Protection, we are able to pivot off of particular alerts and stay abreast of them, which works to enhance our organization's security strategy. They definitely aid in threat detection with Microsoft Entra ID Protection.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Its stability and UI are most valuable."
"The tool provides a password vault, single sign-on, and multifactor authentication. It offers various authentication methods like fingerprint integration, one-time passwords, or tokens sent via email or SMS. This ensures secure access to your accounts by providing multiple authentication options."
"It's a good solution for identification and access management."
"IBM Security Verify Access, formerly known as ISAM, IBM Security Access Manager, now renamed to ISVA, integrates with central directory services for our organization and provides user management functionality."
"The solution has powerful authentification and authorization. It offers a good way to increase security."
"From the integration point of view, it supports SAML, OIDC, and OAuth. For legacy applications that don't have support for SAML and other new protocols, it provides single sign-on access to end-users. From the integration compatibility point of view, it is highly capable."
"I have found this solution to be really practical and when a user wants to log in, it is effortless and runs smooth."
"IBM Security Verify Access is providing a secure way of handling the user login journey, and secure user authentication is fully managed by ISAM or ISVA."
"As an end-user, I find the experience to be quite seamless. My main advantage is that I only need to manage one login and one two-factor authentication method to access all the necessary tools. I don't have to set up separate logins and authentication for each application."
"I recommend this product overall."
"Microsoft's support is commendable. Their response time is quick, and they handle inquiries effectively, ensuring ongoing support processes."
"For me, automatization is most valuable."
"The solution's technical support offers great assistance to users."
"The primary and most valuable aspect of Azure AD identity is its ability to function seamlessly on both on-premise and cloud infrastructure, eliminating the need for extensive updates. However, this dual solution can pose vulnerabilities that require substantial support and security measures in the on-premise environment. Despite the challenges, it is currently not feasible to completely abandon AD, especially for companies in the sales and energy sectors. The integration with Microsoft Defender is crucial for enhancing security, making identity and security the primary focus and purpose of Azure AD."
"Microsoft Entra ID Protection's features are suitable for all sizes of companies; it's a must-have product because traditionally Active Directory was used for identity and authentication on computers, and now with hybrid capabilities, every company of any size needs these features and tools."
"For me, automatization is most valuable."
 

Cons

"They can improve the single sign-on configuration for OIDC and OAuth. That is not very mature in this product, and they can improve it in this particular area. OIDC is a third-party integration that we do with the cloud platforms, and OAuth is an authorization mechanism for allowing a user having an account with Google or any other provider to access an application. Organizations these days are looking for just-in-time provisioning use cases, but IBM Security Access Manager is not very mature for such use cases. There are only a few applications that can be integrated, and this is where this product is lagging. However, in terms of configuration and single sign-on mechanisms, it is a great product."
"The user interface needs to be simplified, it's complex and not user-friendly."
"The user interface for users and administrators could be improved to make it easier. Automating some functions could also be beneficial."
"There are a lot of areas that can be improved, but the main area is the lack of customization. You cannot easily customize anything in the product. It is not easy to tweak the functionality. It is challenging to change the out-of-the-box functionality."
"IBM Security Verify Access installation process is not straightforward; it requires underlying specialized knowledge upon which the IBM products are based."
"Configuration could be simplified for the end-user."
"The solution could be classified as a hilt system. There are a lot of resources being used and it is suitable for very large enterprises or the public sector."
"IBM Security Verify Access installation process is not straightforward; it requires underlying specialized knowledge upon which the IBM products are based."
"Entra ID lacks a function to synchronize from the cloud to the local directory. This is a significant issue since there is no write-back feature from the cloud to local, which would allow me to use my own credentials from the cloud tenant securely."
"The platform's pricing and scalability need improvement."
"The recent CrowdStrike issue affected most systems."
"Support or customer service with Microsoft Entra ID Protection can be challenging because you can get lost in the queue. You can open up a case, but sometimes it can be an hour or even a day between communications."
"Identity protection and trust issues, particularly in hybrid environments, could be addressed better with Microsoft Entra ID Protection. This would aid connectivity concerns."
"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."
"The pricing could be improved."
"Integrating some notifications, not necessarily all, but at least for important events or alerts, would be beneficial as it would function as a team solution or something similar."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is not expensive. It depends on the number of users."
"The license and costs depend on the amount range of users you have. For just approximately 2,000 users, the price is practical and fair. However, when you have 20,000 users, it starts to become really expensive, and the discount per user is not attractive enough to go ahead and purchase."
"It costs about 300K AED for a year. Its pricing is a bit on the higher end, but in comparison to other products in the market, its price is still better. There are lots of other products that are very costly."
"The pricing is competitive in the SMA segment and runs $5-$6 per user."
"Azure Active Directory Identity Protection is not very expensive."
"The product cost is on the expensive side."
"From one to ten, if one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the tool a seven out of ten."
"The price of Azure AD is not expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Insurance Company
13%
Government
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise5
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise4
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Security Access Manager?
The tool provides a password vault, single sign-on, and multifactor authentication. It offers various authentication methods like fingerprint integration, one-time passwords, or tokens sent via ema...
What needs improvement with IBM Security Access Manager?
I have already explained this in my previous call; I don't handle financial terms and commercials. Pricing is generally managed by functional teams and management looking after licensing matters. I...
What is your primary use case for IBM Security Access Manager?
We are still using the IBM BPM platform to automate the processes for our organization.I generally use Microsoft Project for project planning and schedule management, especially in relation to Orac...
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?
We explore the possibilities to use Purview to control our applications, though not very deeply as it's not very helpful at this moment.For us, the most important problem is access; we need an easy...
What is your primary use case for Azure Active Directory Identity Protection?
We are still deep involved in the use of Microsoft technology for databases and business intelligence, and in the last three years with Power Apps and Power Automate, all that means Azure services,...
 

Also Known As

IBM Security Verify Access (SVA), IBM Security Access Manager, ISAM
Azure Active Directory Identity Protection, Azure AD Identity Protection
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

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Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Security Verify Access vs. Microsoft Entra ID Protection and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
880,745 professionals have used our research since 2012.