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Microsoft Active Directory vs Tenable Identity Exposure 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

Microsoft Active Directory
Ranking in Active Directory Management
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
47
Ranking in other categories
Single Sign-On (SSO) (9th)
Tenable Identity Exposure
Ranking in Active Directory Management
10th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.0
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) (21st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Active Directory Management category, the mindshare of Microsoft Active Directory is 6.2%, up from 4.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tenable Identity Exposure is 4.6%, down from 8.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Active Directory Management Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Active Directory6.2%
Tenable Identity Exposure4.6%
Other89.2%
Active Directory Management
 

Featured Reviews

Eko Kurniawan - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Alexandru Cioruta - PeerSpot reviewer
Global Cybersecurity Presales Domain Lead Architect at Eviden France
An easy-to-implement solution that provides good reporting features and protects users’ AD infrastructure
We use Tenable Identity Exposure for our customers who have legacy AD still in use to see any exposure and protect their AD infrastructure as much as possible The solution is easy to implement, and its reporting is great. From the start, you get to see the exposure of your AD. So, it doesn't need…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is easy to install and has good reliability."
"We can also have separate domain controllers in different Active Directory sites based on their location."
"Active Directory plays a focal point in security management, encompassing aspects like credential management, lifecycle, dynamic provisioning, and the network infrastructure of customers."
"The most valuable feature is the configured appliance system in Hypervisor."
"One advantage of Active Directory is that you can sync it with Microsoft Office 365, so you can manage on-premise and cloud operations, which can have different requirements. The flexibility of a hybrid management solution is valuable."
"The solution's technical support is good."
"Audit, authentication and authorization are the best features."
"It's useful in bringing order to the system."
"The solution is easy to implement, and its reporting is great."
 

Cons

"They should improve the solution's old computer cleanup tool."
"The interface for logs should be user-friendly and allow for enhanced filtering to drill down to incidents."
"There is room for improvement in the support."
"There has been a change in the layout of the user information. Previously, I had to go to properties to view the information, but now it is displayed directly below the search results. It takes some time to get used to."
"The solution needs to be simplified to navigate."
"There are no reporting features."
"Perhaps the synchronization could be simpler and more controllable. There are some features that need improvements in terms of ease of use and frequency of updates."
"If Microsoft is going to add anything to the on-prem solution, it should be an updated GUI."
"Tenable Identity Exposure is more expensive than Defender for Identity."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's not overly expensive. It's considered a base function by Microsoft."
"The pricing is not very expensive. I rate the pricing a five out of ten."
"The product's premium support services are expensive."
"The solution is based on a licensing model."
"Its price is reasonable."
"Microsoft Active Directory is not an expensive solution."
"We purchase the license for the solution on a yearly basis."
"I'm unsure about the cost of the solution, as I was never involved in that aspect. However, I don't think it would be expensive. It might be average, around four or five out of ten."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Healthcare Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
11%
University
9%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business20
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise20
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Active Directory?
The solution is easy to install and has good reliability.
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.
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Also Known As

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Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about One Identity, Microsoft, Netwrix and others in Active Directory Management. Updated: December 2025.
880,745 professionals have used our research since 2012.