Microsoft Active Directory vs Red Hat Single Sign On comparison

Microsoft Active Directory vs. Red Hat Single Sign On

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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

Microsoft Active Directory

Ranking in Single Sign-On (SSO)

8th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Active Directory Management (2nd)

Red Hat Single Sign On

Ranking in Single Sign-On (SSO)

15th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Single Sign-On (SSO) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Active Directory is 3.0%, down from 3.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Red Hat Single Sign On is 1.6%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Single Sign-On (SSO) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Active Directory	3.0%
Red Hat Single Sign On	1.6%
Other	95.4%

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Featured Reviews

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.

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Giovanni Baruzzi

Owner at Syntlogo GmbH

A stable and flexible solution with some basic capabilities

I set up Red Hat Single Sign-On in half an hour. I had to install a single sign-on solution for a customer. I reviewed a list of all available products, which were no more than fifty, and analyzed them. I chose it because it was convincing, modern, and based on technology from 2015. I put my trust in this product, and after nine years, I feel confident in my decision. Deploying this solution usually takes half an hour. You need an operating system running, then deploy the packages and prepare the interfaces. I rate the initial setup a ten out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution’s management capability is very good. The tool is also very scalable. You can add any number of users that you want to operate. Moreover, you can easily organize the solution."

"I've been working with Microsoft Active Directory for over 3 years, and we've had no problems."

"These Group Policies provide enhancement, helping to reduce administrative overhead and enhance productivity."

"I can use Active Directory to block a user's internet access and monitor how an employee is using the internet."

"I advise consideration of this solution. The overall product rating is ten out of ten."

"It's useful in bringing order to the system."

"I find the product makes it easier to enhance various tools with Microsoft Active Directory."

"The Solution's most important feature is that it can merge with a cloud-based active directory via Azure AD Connect."

More Microsoft Active Directory pros

"Red Hat SSO has a lot of very concise, well laid out documentation, which is available in the free edition as well."

"Good support for single sign-on protocols."

"I like that the solution is open source and you can use a commercial edition of it without any charge."

"Red Hat SSO integrates well with our other solutions. Using OIDC protocols and ITL integration, employees can authenticate with Red Hat SSO and access our microservices."

"The solution is flexible and has the same basic capabilities right out of the box. The most important feature of this product is that it is a Red double-sided product. One side is a well-known open-source project; the other is a Red Hat commercial product. The commercial product benefits from all the experience and contributions of the community, making it a very well-developed product."

"It is very easy to scale and use as you want."

"The product’s most valuable feature is its ability to assign only one password for the user at a false value."

Cons

"They should improve the solution's old computer cleanup tool."

"Sometimes support takes long to engage and resolve, extending over weeks or even months."

"The solution's price could be better."

"There are no reporting features."

"The product must provide remote password reset features."

"Short-term fixes are like band-aids."

"Typically, it depends on the customer's situation. If the customer operates in smaller locations where most PCs are in a common location, we usually aim to consolidate the directory infrastructure for easier maintenance. However, for distributed setups spanning multiple countries, configuring multiple sites becomes necessary and more intricate to handle. Our objective is to minimize the number of sites, simplifying operations for IT administrators and reducing errors. Mistakes in Active Directory can be costly for organizations, as disruptions can occur rapidly. Moreover, when it comes to hybrid single sign-on across various applications, Microsoft hasn't put forth significant effort. Single sign-on has become a challenge for many customers who utilize diverse solutions beyond Microsoft products. While implementing single sign-on is relatively straightforward in the Azure cloud, it's considerably more complex when dealing with the local Active Directory. This presents a big challenge for many of our customers."

"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."

More Microsoft Active Directory cons

"The product’s technical support services could be better."

"Security could be improved."

"They could provide more checks and balances to find out if there have been any security lapses, e.g., if somebody is trying to break into the system. Some other products have these detection mechanisms in case someone is trying to hack into the system or find out a user's passwords."

"Red Hat SSO's architecture could be updated."

"I think they could provide additional features in terms of users trying to manipulate the system with regard to security."

"Red Hat publishes much more and communicates its actions and plans. They could provide words, maps, and other resources."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Its price is reasonable."

"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."

"The version of Microsoft Active Directory I was using was expensive because it was used for large companies."

"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 pricing is not very expensive. I rate the pricing a five out of ten."

"The price of Microsoft Active Directory could improve. We pay annually for the solution."

"It's not overly expensive. It's considered a base function by Microsoft."

"Microsoft Active Directory is not an expensive solution."

More Microsoft Active Directory pricing and cost advice

"The license is around $8000 USD."

"Red Hat Single Sign On is expensive."

"If you want support, that is when you use the paid version. There are different support categories that you can pay for, which provide different support levels. E.g., there is a quick response if you pay a higher amount, where the response time is within a few hours."

"It is a low cost product. This product can be used by non-profit organizations or universities, when they don't want to invest a lot of money."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

17%

Government

17%

Computer Software Company

12%

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	21
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	20

No data available

Questions from the Community

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...

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.

What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Active Directory?

Regarding Microsoft Active Directory's integration with third-party applications, it depends on the requirements. It's not always linked or combined with Microsoft Active Directory. In my experienc...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Red Hat Single Sign On?

I rate the product’s pricing a five out of ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive.

What needs improvement with Red Hat Single Sign On?

Red Hat publishes much more and communicates its actions and plans. They could provide words, maps, and other resources. Scalability could be improved, too. It could provide more documentation.

What is your primary use case for Red Hat Single Sign On?

Earlier, customers used to authenticate the user before they used the application. With the help of Single Sign On, the customer logs in and uses all of the customer's applications without authenti...

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Product Reports

Microsoft Active Directory

Download Microsoft Active Directory product report

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Download Red Hat Single Sign On product report

Also Known As

No data available

Red Hat Single Sign-On, Red Hat SSO, RH SSO, RH-SSO

Overview

Microsoft Active Directory enables centralized management of user identities and permissions, integrating seamlessly with cloud services via Azure AD Connect. Its support for hybrid environments makes it essential for businesses looking to manage authentication, authorization, and access control efficiently.

Active Directory offers a robust framework for network and identity management, focusing on scalability and ease of use. Its integration with Single Sign-On enhances user convenience by synchronizing login credentials across cloud and on-premises applications. While it efficiently manages security protocols, scalability, and third-party application integration, users note areas for improvement like better reporting capabilities, a modernized interface, improved synchronization between on-prem and cloud setups, and streamlined configurations.

What are the essential features of Microsoft Active Directory?

User-Friendliness: Designed for easy navigation and management.
Azure AD Connect: Seamless integration with cloud services.
Group Policy Management: Centralized control over user and device settings.
Single Sign-On: Unified credential management across applications.
Scalability: Supports growing business environments.

What benefits and ROI should users expect?

Centralized Management: Streamlines user and application administration.
Enhanced Security: Strong protocols for identity verification and access control.
Flexibility: Supports both on-premises and cloud environments effectively.
Operational Efficiency: Reduces complexity and minimizes administrative errors.

In industries like finance and healthcare, Active Directory is implemented to manage sensitive data access and user authentication across complex networks. Retailers rely on its scalability for managing vast customer and product datasets, while educational institutions utilize its centralized management features to efficiently administer student and faculty permissions across multiple applications and platforms.

Microsoft

Red Hat Single Sign On is an open-source platform offering fast, scalable, and customizable SSO solutions. It supports popular protocols and integrates with social logins and enterprise solutions to provide seamless authentication across applications.

Red Hat Single Sign On provides fast and flexible authentication, enhancing security across different applications. It supports standardized SSO protocols like OpenID Connect and integrates easily with multiple platforms. Its open-source nature, backed by Red Hat's commercial support, allows community contributions and adaptable capabilities. However, it could improve its integration with Windows products and enhance its security features, including detection mechanisms and audit reports. Scalability and documentation are key areas for development, and users seek advanced tracking for unauthorized access attempts.

What are the key features of Red Hat Single Sign On?

Open Source: Community-driven with extensive documentation and flexibility for customization.
SSO Protocol Support: Compatible with standard protocols like OpenID Connect for seamless integration.
Social Login Integration: Easily integrates with social platforms, enhancing user experience.
Scalable Design: Efficiently handles authentication across multiple clusters.
Commercial Support: Backed by Red Hat for professional support and reliability.

What benefits or ROI should be evaluated when considering Red Hat Single Sign On?

Enhanced Security: Streamlined processes reduce risk, ensuring secure access across applications.
Flexibility: Open-source nature offers adaptable functionality for diverse requirements.
Community Contributions: Benefits from continuous improvements and new features.
Cost-Effective: Transition from Keycloak to paid subscription offers robust capabilities.

Industries, especially those requiring robust security and scalability, implement Red Hat Single Sign On to manage authentication. It integrates with enterprise solutions and identity providers, streamlining login processes and reducing complexities. Organizations appreciate its adaptability when transitioning from Keycloak, experiencing enhanced application authentication and password security.

Red Hat

Microsoft Active Directory vs. Red Hat Single Sign On