Microsoft Active Directory vs SolarWinds Access Rights Manager comparison

Microsoft Active Directory vs. SolarWinds Access Rights Manager

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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 Active Directory Management

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Single Sign-On (SSO) (9th)

SolarWinds Access Rights Ma...

Ranking in Active Directory Management

10th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Active Directory Management category, the mindshare of Microsoft Active Directory is 6.6%, up from 5.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Access Rights Manager is 4.0%, down from 6.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Active Directory Management Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Active Directory	6.6%
SolarWinds Access Rights Manager	4.0%
Other	89.4%

Active Directory Management

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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Rafal-Stas

CEO at Greeneris Sp. z o.o.

Has good pricing options and is easy to manage and deploy

It's pretty easy to manage, and quite easy to deploy. It's easy to understand to work, and customers also tell us that there are a lot of options even too many sometimes for them. Sometimes the product is even too big for them at the beginning. The product also has a good payload with pricing. That's why the customers choose this solution. The price and the quality and options have a good ratio.

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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

"One valuable feature is the centralized creation of IDs."

"Technical support is helpful."

"The user interface of the product is very easy to use."

"We use the tool for FSMO, policies, and customized user registrations."

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

"It is very user-friendly."

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

"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is an easy-to-use tool."

More Microsoft Active Directory pros

"The solution can be used to audit the whole on-premises environment, including Active Directory, file servers, and other Microsoft services."

"It's pretty easy to manage, and quite easy to deploy."

Cons

"I would like to see more integration with cloud-based applications. This would make it easier to manage users and devices across multiple platforms."

"There is room for improvement in the support."

"Active Directory's user experience is a little dated. Group policy management should be more customizable."

"The interface hasn't changed much over the years. It's suitable for my tastes, but that doesn't mean everybody likes it."

"Microsoft Active Directory restricts most of the features our company's employees want to use since they are involved in research and development activities."

"I would like to see improvements in the solution’s security filtering feature. It can include machines and filter some users. There is no option to exclude a particular user or system."

"The scalability of the solution needs improvement."

"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."

More Microsoft Active Directory cons

"Configuring the solution with online services, like Microsoft Exchange Online, is difficult."

"The GUI could be improved because this GUI was invented ten years ago, and now we have a modern user interface. This GUI is a bit older than expected in this market."

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"We purchase the license for the solution on a yearly basis."

"Microsoft Active Directory is not an expensive solution."

"The product's premium support services are expensive."

"I rate the product’s pricing a five out of ten."

"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."

"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."

"Its price is reasonable."

More Microsoft Active Directory pricing and cost advice

"The pricing of the solution is fine. I rate the pricing a five out of ten."

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884,976 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Healthcare Company

Retailer

Performing Arts

Educational Organization

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	20
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 needs improvement with SolarWinds Access Rights Manager?

First configuration may be difficult if you didn't deep dive into documentation. I recommend contacting some partners to help you deploy it in your environment.

What is your primary use case for SolarWinds Access Rights Manager?

As an certified expert I'm deploying this solution on my test environment and provide live demo's for our clients. Mainly Solarwinds ARM is used to simplify work for administration by introducing m...

What advice do you have for others considering SolarWinds Access Rights Manager?

Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten. Nothing is perfect :D

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Product Reports

Microsoft Active Directory

Download Microsoft Active Directory product report

Active Directory Management

Download SolarWinds Access Rights Manager product report

Also Known As

No data available

SolarWinds ARM

Overview

Active Directory stores information about objects on the network and makes this information easy for administrators and users to find and use. Active Directory uses a structured data store as the basis for a logical, hierarchical organization of directory information.

This data store, also known as the directory, contains information about Active Directory objects. These objects typically include shared resources such as servers, volumes, printers, and the network user and computer accounts.

Security is integrated with Active Directory through logon authentication and access control to objects in the directory. With a single network logon, administrators can manage directory data and organization throughout their network, and authorized network users can access resources anywhere on the network. Policy-based administration eases the management of even the most complex network.

Microsoft

SolarWinds Access Rights Manager enhances data security with efficient management of user access rights, ensuring compliance with regulations.

SolarWinds Access Rights Manager is designed to simplify the management of user access rights. It assists IT departments in maintaining compliance by providing clear insights into who has access to what. The tool supports easy auditing and reporting processes.

What are the key features of SolarWinds Access Rights Manager?

Access Management: Streamlines the process of controlling user permissions.
Compliance Reporting: Automates report generation to meet regulatory standards.
Audit Trails: Records access changes for review and analysis.
Role-based Access Control: Allows easier assignment of permissions based on roles.
Real-time Alerts: Immediate notifications for unauthorized access attempts.

What benefits should users expect?

Improved Security: Proactively prevents unauthorized access to sensitive data.
Regulatory Compliance: Helps meet industry's regulatory requirements efficiently.
Increased Efficiency: Reduces time and effort in managing access rights manually.
Cost Savings: Lowers operational expenses through automated processes.

In finance sectors, SolarWinds Access Rights Manager ensures secure handling of client data by enabling granular access control and comprehensive audit capabilities. In healthcare, it helps maintain confidentially of patient records following strict compliance guidelines.

SolarWinds

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Accenture, Emerson, Lockheed Martin, Nielsen, NTT

Microsoft Active Directory vs. SolarWinds Access Rights Manager