Microsoft Entra ID vs Thales Authenticators comparison

Microsoft and Thales Cloud Security are both solutions in the Authentication Systems category. Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.7, while Thales Cloud Security is ranked #14 with an average rating of 8.0. Microsoft holds a 15.3% mindshare in AS, compared to Thales Cloud Security’s 2.4% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Thales Cloud Security 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

Thales Authenticators

Read 6 Thales Authenticators reviews

1,215 Views
1,008 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Entra ID

Thales Authenticators

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 11, 2024

Thales Authenticators and Microsoft Entra ID compete in the authentication space. Microsoft Entra ID seems to have the upper hand due to its extensive features, seamless integration, and broader support despite higher costs.

What features are offered by Thales Authenticators in comparison to Microsoft Entra ID?

Thales Authenticators offer robust security measures, ease of use, and a feature-rich environment. Microsoft Entra ID presents advanced integration capabilities, extensive compatibility with various platforms, and a broader feature set appealing to users.

What areas of improvement can be found in Thales Authenticators in comparison to Microsoft Entra ID?

Thales Authenticators need enhanced customer support, more flexible deployment options, and better support for diverse environments. Microsoft Entra ID requires a less complex system, more intuitive setup procedures, and easier navigation for users.

How is the ease of deployment and customer service of Thales Authenticators in comparison to Microsoft Entra ID?

Thales Authenticators are noted for an easy deployment process but have mixed reviews on customer service. Microsoft Entra ID offers a more complex deployment experience but superior customer service support, presenting different challenges with better support from Microsoft.

What setup costs and ROI can be seen with Thales Authenticators in comparison to Microsoft Entra ID?

Thales Authenticators have moderate pricing with a good return on investment. Microsoft Entra ID is more expensive but provides higher perceived value due to its features and support, justifying the extra cost for many users.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Entra ID vs. Thales Authenticators Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID vs. Thales Authenticators

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)

Thales Authenticators

Ranking in Authentication Systems

14th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

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 Thales Authenticators is 2.4%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Authentication Systems

Featured Reviews

Bahram Piri

Chief Executive Officer & Founder at IDmelon Technologies

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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Gustavo Merighi

Automation and Telecommunications Analyst at Grupo Energisa

Has an easy-to-use management interface and a straightforward initial setup process

Our primary use cases include multifactor authentication for VPN connections and access to security tools like jump servers and firewalls. We also use it to enhance security measures in an enterprise environment The most valuable feature is the YAML 2.0 integration. It has an easy-to-use…

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature is the authentication platform."

"I primarily use this solution for hybrid deployment, security, securing resources and for integration purposes. In terms of security, we have been using the B2B/B2C hybrid integration with the certificate authentication."

"The solution adds an extra layer of security."

"Delegated permissions and federated credentials are valuable features of Entra ID."

"It has been stable, and we haven't had any issues since we started to use it."

"It's very user-friendly for users."

"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."

"It offers good Microsoft integration capabilities."

More Microsoft Entra ID pros

"We use this solution to log into virtual machines like VMware and VMware Horizon."

"Scalable and stable."

"The technical support services are good."

"The most valuable feature of SafeNet Authentication Manager is authentication."

"I like how the solution allows me to support different types of hardware tokens and integrate with OTP."

"One valuable feature is Thales' ability to provide off-site tokens."

Cons

"Rule management and permissions need improvements."

"I would like to see some additional attributes for user objects in Microsoft Entra, especially for tasks such as users and account validation, including guest users and guest accounts."

"Microsoft's technical support has shortcomings where improvements are required."

"The security policy of Azure Active Directory should be based on a matrix so that we can easily visualize which users have access to what."

"Allowing for more customization would be very useful. There is a limited metadata capability. When you look at a user, there are only six pieces of information you can see, but organizations are way more complex, so having that metadata available and being able to use that for dynamic user groups and other policies would be very helpful."

"The cost is one area that needs improvement."

"Better deployment management and visibility functionality would be helpful."

"Documentation I think is always the worst part with what Azure's doing right now across the board."

More Microsoft Entra ID cons

"The problem with SafeNet is that it's not integrated with Microsoft 365."

"The stability could improve."

"The solution should allow for support of multi-tenant architecture."

"We faced issues due to slow ticket responses, which improved over time."

"The product could be improved by adding more features for sending tokens via SMS or phone calls."

"Lacks integration with other platforms."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is costly."

"The licensing is really not clear unless you are a premium client."

"For a small business buying individual licenses, it is an affordable solution."

"We got a good deal. If you get rid of all the products providing features that Azure Suite can provide, then it makes sense cost-wise."

"Licensing fees are paid monthly."

"Everything needs to be considered for the requirements and if it is within the budget, then you can come up with a solution, whether it is SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS."

"Licensing costs for Microsoft Entra ID remain a concern, especially with the price increases in 2023."

"The licensing model is straightforward. I don't think there are any issues with the E3 license or E5 license."

More Microsoft Entra ID pricing and cost advice

"There is an annual licensing fee."

"Thales is more expensive than its competitors."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Educational Organization

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

13%

Government

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

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...

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What needs improvement with Thales Authenticators?

Currently, the solution fulfills our requirements. We are very satisfied with its features, and do not have any specific ideas for improvement right now. Perhaps, in the future, three-factor authen...

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What is your primary use case for Thales Authenticators?

Our employees, whether working on-site or remotely, use Thales Authenticators for two-factor authentication to log in to their laptops or PCs. This is our primary use case.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Thales Authenticators?

From our past years of experience, the solution is very smooth, and we have had a good experience with it. We would definitely recommend Thales to others for its reliability and features. I'd rate ...

See all answers

Comparisons

Google Cloud Identity vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 11% of the time

Microsoft Intune vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 9% of the time

Okta Workforce Identity vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 6% of the time

Auth0 vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 5% of the time

Amazon Cognito vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 5% of the time

More Microsoft Entra ID Competitors

Yubico YubiKey vs Thales Authenticators

Compared 23% of the time

Utimaco SecurityServer vs Thales Authenticators

Compared 23% of the time

Atalla Hardware Security Module vs Thales Authenticators

Compared 9% of the time

RSA SecurID vs Thales Authenticators

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Duo vs Thales Authenticators

Compared 7% of the time

More Thales Authenticators Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID

June 2025

Download Microsoft Entra ID product report

Buyer's Guide

Authentication Systems

June 2025

Download Thales Authenticators product report

Also Known As

Azure AD, Azure Active Directory, Azure Active Directory, Microsoft Authenticator

Gemalto Ezio, Ezio, Gemalto Authenticators, SafeNet Authentication Manager

Interactive Demo

Microsoft

Demo not available

Thales Cloud Security

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

Offering the broadest range of authentication methods and form factors, Thales allows customers to address numerous use cases, assurance levels, and threat vectors with unified, centrally managed policies—managed from one authentication back end delivered in the cloud or on premise.

Thales Cloud Security

Sample Customers

Microsoft Entre ID is trusted by companies of all sizes and industries including Walmart, Zscaler, Uniper, Amtrak, monday.com, and more.

Standard Chartered Bank (SCB)

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID vs. Thales Authenticators

July 2025

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