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Microsoft Entra ID vs One Identity Defender comparison

Microsoft and One Identity are both solutions in the Authentication Systems category. Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.7, while One Identity is ranked #15 with an average rating of 10.0. Microsoft holds a 15.3% mindshare in AS, compared to One Identity’s 0.8% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of One Identity users who would recommend it.
Microsoft Entra ID
Read 234 Microsoft Entra ID reviews
  • 25,521 Views
  • 7,912 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
One Identity Defender
Read 3 One Identity Defender reviews
  • 305 Views
  • 293 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 11, 2024

Microsoft Entra ID and One Identity Defender are both robust identity management solutions. Users appear more satisfied with the pricing and support of Microsoft Entra ID. Yet, One Identity Defender seems to excel in feature richness, making it potentially worth the higher expense.

What features are offered by Microsoft Entra ID in comparison to One Identity Defender?

Microsoft Entra ID is praised for its seamless integration with other Microsoft services, effective multi-factor authentication, and ease of use. One Identity Defender stands out for its extensive scalability, advanced security features, and superior customizability.

What areas of improvement can be found in Microsoft Entra ID in comparison to One Identity Defender?

Microsoft Entra ID users highlight concerns about limited customization options, occasional performance issues, and insufficient advanced features for complex environments. One Identity Defender users point out that its interface can be somewhat convoluted, documentation is lacking, and initial setup can be challenging.

How is the ease of deployment and customer service of Microsoft Entra ID in comparison to One Identity Defender?

Both products receive positive feedback for deployment, but Microsoft Entra ID is noted for quicker setup times due to its integration with existing Microsoft infrastructure. Customer service for Microsoft Entra ID is valued for responsiveness, while One Identity Defender’s support is praised for its in-depth technical assistance.

What setup costs and ROI can be seen with Microsoft Entra ID in comparison to One Identity Defender?

Microsoft Entra ID users find the product to be cost-effective with a good return on investment, especially for businesses already using Microsoft services. One Identity Defender, though more expensive, is considered worth the investment by users who need its advanced capabilities. Microsoft Entra ID appeals to those seeking cost efficiency, while One Identity Defender justifies its higher price with superior features.

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To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Entra ID vs. One Identity Defender Report (Updated: July 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Entra ID vs. One Identity Defender
July 2025
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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 Entra ID
Ranking in Authentication Systems
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
234
Ranking in other categories
Single Sign-On (SSO) (1st), Identity Management (IM) (2nd), Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (1st), Access Management (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (2nd)
One Identity Defender
Ranking in Authentication Systems
15th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Authentication Systems category, the mindshare of Microsoft Entra ID is 15.3%, down from 19.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of One Identity Defender is 0.8%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Authentication Systems
 

Featured Reviews

Bahram Piri - PeerSpot reviewer
Security focus and seamless implementation increase platform productivity
Microsoft Entra ID can be improved in many ways, and there's a big wish list.If we're focusing on security, something that I definitely expect is improvement in the UI and UX for frontline workers. This is important, especially for non-tech savvy individuals. It is something Microsoft Entra ID could do to improve for a wider audience. It's important to focus on the frontline workers since they are non-tech savvy individuals. They are not like those back-office engineering C-level employees who are constantly dealing with computers, and we need to build a specific user experience and user interface for them to handle this stuff. That's something I expect Microsoft to focus on more for Microsoft Entra ID.
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Maksym Tkachenko - PeerSpot reviewer
Good compatibility, responsive support, and a nice interface
The solution works very well. The initial setup is pretty easy. It is stable and pretty reliable in general. We find that the product scales very well.  Technical support is responsive. The interface is good.  It is compatible with other products.  It has everything we need right now. The login…
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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

"I would rate the solution as 9. It is a very good solution for unified management."
"Azure Active Directory features have helped improve our security posture. The remote working has been a massive help during the pandemic."
"Having access to Azure Active Directory on the cloud gives us speed and use of the latest technology. The application services are very good, such as GitHub."
"The scalability of the product is decent."
"The most valuable feature is the conditional access policies. This gives us the ability to restrict who can access which applications or the portal in specific ways."
"The most valuable feature is the factor identification. I find that it is natural integration, and it is just a natural step. I do not need to do anything else."
"The security features are great. They will report in advance to you in the case of suspicious activity."
"It has made our work easier in that it’s simplified everything for us."
More Microsoft Entra ID pros
"It's very fast, and it's easy to use because it's integrated with Active Directory."
"One Identity Defender has good network protection."
"We find that the product scales very well."
 

Cons

"The deadlines for this feature were set for March, and that has already passed without deployment. We commented that we are still waiting for that, and they commented that they would update us when it is finished, but we haven't received any update about it."
"The solution can improve the educational portion because it is an administration cost."
"The initial setup was complex."
"Its integration with open-source applications can be improved. I know that they are working on open-source authentication methods for integration with open-source applications, but they can make it more open."
"It could be better if a simple member could understand more easily the prices of the products and packages offered by Microsoft."
"Transitioning to the cloud is very difficult. They need the training to make it easier."
"Customers want to know exactly where they are spending their money, allowing them to assess and potentially save money in those specific areas."
"There is a lot of room for improvement in terms of its integration with the local Active Directory. There are some gaps in terms of the local Active Directory through which Microsoft is syncing our environment from our data center. There should be the availability of custom attributes on Azure Active Directory. In addition, there should be the availability of security groups and distribution groups that are residing on the local Active Directory. Currently, they are not replicated on Azure Active Directory by default."
More Microsoft Entra ID cons
"The login capabilities could be better."
"We have some clients that are wanting to protect their Apache web servers with One Identity Defender but all the research I have done says cannot be done. It can only be oriented to an IIS server. One Identity Defender should have more integration with more types of web servers."
"Maybe it could provide support for more web applications. It seems more focused on IIS web applications."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution has three types of tiers: E1 has very basic features. You get limited stuff in E2 and cannot have Office 360 associated with it. E3 is on the costly side and has all the features."
"It is in line. Because we are so early, we have not had to come back on a cycle where we are having to negotiate again."
"We are working with the Premium P2 licenses, which are reasonable. If you invest in the on-premises environment setup, then it costs so much. However, on-prem AD gives you the ability to manage your organization in a very organized manner, where you can create a group policy."
"Most features of Entra ID are part of Microsoft's ecosystem and included in Microsoft 365 bundles, which means there are no additional costs associated with pricing and licensing."
"It is costly."
"Licensing is easy."
"MFA and P2 licenses for two Azures for fully-enabled scenarios and features cost a lot of money. This is where Okta is trying to get the prices down."
"We make sure that we only enable the licenses that are needed for the users, rather than enabling licenses in a blanket fashion."
More Microsoft Entra ID pricing and cost advice
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Educational Organization
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Non Profit
11%
Retailer
11%
Government
11%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

How does Duo Security compare with Microsoft Authenticator?
We switched to Duo Security for identity verification. We’d been using a competitor but got the chance to evaluate Duo for 30 days, and we could not be happier. Duo Security is easy to configure a...
See all answers
What do you like most about Azure Active Directory?
It is very simple. The Active Directory functions are very easy for us. Its integration with anything is very easy. We can easily do third-party multifactor authentication.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Active Directory?
Our experience with the pricing, setup costs, and licensing of Microsoft Entra ID involves leveraging Microsoft 365 E5 licensing, so it's included. Being included in Microsoft licensing makes it mu...
See all answers
What do you like most about One Identity Defender?
It's very fast, and it's easy to use because it's integrated with Active Directory.
See all answers
What needs improvement with One Identity Defender?
Maybe it could provide support for more web applications. It would be useful to focus on other web applications. For example, if an application needs to be installed on an iOS server and it's not, ...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for One Identity Defender?
Our primary use cases include functions such as role-based access control, user registration, and integration with other systems. We use it to improve the security of our web applications. Addition...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Compared 6% of the time
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Auth0 vs Microsoft Entra ID
Compared 5% of the time
Amazon Cognito vs Microsoft Entra ID Logo
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Compared 5% of the time
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Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs One Identity Defender Logo
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs One Identity Defender
Compared 49% of the time
More One Identity Defender Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Entra ID
June 2025
Microsoft Entra ID reportDownload Microsoft Entra ID product report
Buyer's Guide
Authentication Systems
June 2025
One Identity Defender reportDownload One Identity Defender product report
 

Also Known As

Azure AD, Azure Active Directory, Azure Active Directory, Microsoft Authenticator
No data available
 

Interactive Demo

Microsoft
Demo not available
One Identity
 

Overview

Microsoft Entra ID is used for extending on-premises Active Directory to the cloud, managing application access, enabling multi-factor authentication, and single sign-on. It facilitates policy enforcement and secure access, ensuring centralized identity management across cloud and on-premises resources.

Organizations utilize Microsoft Entra ID for robust user and group management, identity synchronization, and conditional access. Its seamless integration with third-party apps, scalability, and support for remote work make it a preferred choice. The admin center streamlines identity and access tasks, enhancing efficiency and security with features like privileged identity management and audit logs.

What are the key features of Microsoft Entra ID?
  • Single Sign-On: Simplifies user access to multiple applications with one login.
  • Multifactor Authentication: Enhances security by requiring additional verification.
  • Conditional Access: Establishes policies that determine how users' access cloud apps.
  • Integration: Easily integrates with various third-party applications.
  • User Identity Protection: Safeguards user identities from threats.
  • Privileged Identity Management: Manages elevated access to sensitive resources.
  • Audit Logs: Provides thorough activity logs for oversight and compliance.
What benefits should users look for in Microsoft Entra ID reviews?
  • Enhanced Security: Offers strong multifactor authentication and identity protection.
  • Administrative Efficiency: Simplifies identity and access management tasks.
  • Scalability: Supports growing user bases and remote work environments.
  • Integration Capabilities: Compatible with numerous third-party applications.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Makes managing user identities straightforward.

Microsoft Entra ID implementation varies across industries. Tech firms leverage it for secure, scalable access management, while healthcare organizations utilize its identity protection features to safeguard patient data. Educational institutions adopt Entra ID for streamlined user management and policy enforcement, ensuring secure access for students and staff across on-premises and cloud resources.

Microsoft

Defender enhances security by requiring two-factor authentication to gain access to your network resources. Defender uses your current identity store within Microsoft Active Directory (AD) to enable two-factor authentication.

One Identity
 

Sample Customers

Microsoft Entre ID is trusted by companies of all sizes and industries including Walmart, Zscaler, Uniper, Amtrak, monday.com, and more.
Bakersfield Police Department, Village of Westmont, Illinois
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Entra ID vs. One Identity Defender
July 2025
Free Report: Microsoft Entra ID vs. One Identity Defender
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