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Microsoft Active Directory vs Thales SafeNet Trusted Access comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 18, 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

Microsoft Active Directory
Ranking in Single Sign-On (SSO)
9th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
47
Ranking in other categories
Active Directory Management (3rd)
Thales SafeNet Trusted Access
Ranking in Single Sign-On (SSO)
19th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (24th), Access Management (28th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Single Sign-On (SSO) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Active Directory is 2.7%, down from 3.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Thales SafeNet Trusted Access is 1.8%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Single Sign-On (SSO) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Active Directory2.7%
Thales SafeNet Trusted Access1.8%
Other95.5%
Single Sign-On (SSO)
 

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.
reviewer1719510 - PeerSpot reviewer
Regional Sales Manager at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Great validation and integrity features of the endpoint
Our primary use case of Safenet is for cybersecurity incidents, particularly for remote users.  I'm the customer sales leader and a key account manager and we are customers of Thales.  The validation and integrity features of the endpoint are great. Whether you're using a Mac OS or other operating…

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 technical support is good."
"I can control all the devices in my domain by just changing the group policies in one place."
"The product is very stable and flexible. You can also integrate the solution with other products like mail solutions."
"It is a scalable solution."
"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 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."
"These Group Policies provide enhancement, helping to reduce administrative overhead and enhance productivity."
"The solution is stable."
"The solution is simple to use."
"Right now, we only have a small use case for the product, however, it has performed well."
"I recommend this solution because it protects information."
"The interface is easy to use."
"The validation and integrity features of the endpoint are great."
 

Cons

"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."
"Microsoft Active Directory fails to provide MFA. MFA, which is also known as multi-factor authentication on top of the password and username, is what I would like to see in the product's future releases."
"Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services is very difficult for on-premises solutions, while for the cloud solution, it's very easy."
"I expect additional features like maximizing user flow, improving the branding of the UI, and enabling non-interactive login. Customizing the login page is limited to changing the background and logo, and adding terms and conditions during registration requires JavaScript."
"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."
"The security features could be improved."
"They should improve the solution's old computer cleanup tool."
"The scalability may not be there."
"I'd like to see more networking features, such as the ability to integrate network monitoring solutions and authenticate the app users."
"There's a dependency on Microsoft Azure."
"SafeNet's reporting and monitoring features could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"Microsoft Active Directory is not an expensive solution."
"The pricing is not very expensive. I rate the pricing a five out of ten."
"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."
"We purchase the license for the solution on a yearly basis."
"I rate the product’s pricing a five out of ten."
"The license is perpetual and the cost is minimal. If you purchase Microsoft Windows then Microsoft Active Directory comes with the package."
"It's not overly expensive. It's considered a base function by Microsoft."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Outsourcing Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Healthcare Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Construction Company
10%
Performing Arts
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business21
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise20
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...
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Also Known As

No data available
SafeNet Trusted Access, Gemalto SafeNet Trusted Access
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
IBM, Western Union, Vanderbilt University Medical Centre, Novartis, and AT&T.
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Active Directory vs. Thales SafeNet Trusted Access and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
915,287 professionals have used our research since 2012.