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Microsoft Entra External ID vs Microsoft Entra Verified ID comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 27, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
4.0
Organizations saved time and costs with Microsoft Entra External ID, despite varied productivity impacts and integration learning curves.
Sentiment score
5.5
Microsoft Entra Verified ID reduces onboarding time by 50%, decreases manual efforts, and enhances security for organizations using it.
It has led to cost savings as well as time savings because I can use a single solution for all applications.
Associate Director Automation at Dubai Holding
Companies can leverage it for setting up external identities without needing to develop their own solutions.
Lead Enterprise Architect at DigyCorp
In terms of return on investment, prior to using this product, our company managed our own mail server with all internal authentication happening on premises, resulting in a ROI in the thousands every year.
Network Security Administrator at a retailer with 51-200 employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
4.9
Microsoft Entra External ID support experiences are mixed, with praise for knowledgeable staff but concerns about continuity and accessibility.
Sentiment score
8.1
Microsoft Entra Verified ID support receives mixed reviews, with praise for quick responses but criticism for inconsistencies and documentation gaps.
Companies without a Microsoft license for Entra ID or Azure portal cannot add Azure AD B2C, creating logistical issues for some of my clients who are unable to evaluate the platform.
Consultant at Artifield
The support for business applications, infrastructure support, and Entra has been mostly positive with highly skilled technicians.
Sales Manager - Program Manger at Altitudo srl
The documentation is very thorough, reducing the need for support.
Cloud Security Consultant at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
I have logged a few tickets and they were very supportive, coming online to fix whatever issue there was.
IT Director at Interwood Mobel Pvt Ltd
On a scale from one to ten, I would rate customer service and technical support for Microsoft Entra Verified ID a ten because I've never had any issue with technical support or had anyone come back to me with a bad experience.
IT Associate & Customer Support Analyst at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Understanding how the product works and how the deployment is in our best interest ensures we do that right.
Senior System Engineer at Prescriptive Data Solutions
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.2
Microsoft Entra External ID offers scalability and flexibility but faces latency issues and lacks some authentication methods.
Sentiment score
7.3
Microsoft Entra Verified ID offers scalable, cloud-native solutions for high-volume credential management, supporting large user bases efficiently.
This is one of EID's weak points compared to Azure AD B2C, which offers customizable authentication options, including attribute and password combinations.
Consultant at Artifield
End-user workloads experience increased latency in a cloud environment compared to on-premises resources.
Director at iicon ltd
Microsoft Entra External ID is quite scalable, and I would rate its scalability between eight and nine out of ten.
Lead Enterprise Architect at DigyCorp
Microsoft Entra Verified ID scales pretty well with the growing needs of our organization.
IT Associate & Customer Support Analyst at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Microsoft Entra Verified ID has the potential to scale as far and wide as we probably need it to.
Senior System Engineer at Prescriptive Data Solutions
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
5.2
Microsoft Entra External ID is a stable SaaS, rated 8-10/10, with minimal downtime, reliable except for occasional external issues.
Sentiment score
8.9
Microsoft Entra Verified ID is praised for its exceptional stability and reliability, even during upgrades, despite onboarding challenges.
I'd rate the stability of the Microsoft Entra External ID as a 10.
Director of Technology at a hospitality company with 51-200 employees
The stability of this solution is very good.
Associate Director Automation at Dubai Holding
I have not encountered any stability issues with Microsoft Entra External ID.
Lead Enterprise Architect at DigyCorp
The stability and reliability of Microsoft Entra Verified ID is very stable, as we haven't had any issues so far.
IT Associate & Customer Support Analyst at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
I have not experienced any downtime, crashes, or performance issues with Microsoft Entra Verified ID.
Senior System Engineer at Prescriptive Data Solutions
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Entra External ID needs cost reduction, faster sync, better security, improved SSO, UI, integration, support, and pricing clarity.
Microsoft Entra Verified ID needs API, biometric, onboarding, and integration improvements, with better documentation, support, and pricing enhancements.
This is particularly challenging during enterprise agreement renewals, as it's difficult for customers to review costs leading to lengthy negotiations.
Sales Manager - Program Manger at Altitudo srl
Enhanced customizable login options and the ability to use attribute password logins are critical features that are required for Microsoft Entra External ID to gain dominance in the authentication market.
Consultant at Artifield
I would like to see a more detailed alert system that provides a summary of why alerts are generated, who is generating them, and the reasons behind it.
Cloud Security Consultant at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
There seems to be some difficulty with hybrid implementations, especially in a country like Pakistan where most are transitioning to cloud but not fully migrating, instead opting for hybrid solutions.
IT Director at Interwood Mobel Pvt Ltd
AI could be an area for continuous improvement or even pricing.
IT Manager at Calgary United Way
There is room for improvement in Microsoft Entra Verified ID, particularly in the integration with other platforms.
IT Associate & Customer Support Analyst at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Entra External ID pricing varies, cost-effective for some, expensive for others, challenging cloud transition impacts evaluation.
Microsoft Entra Verified ID is moderately priced, consumption-based, and requires planning to manage scaling costs and engineering integration.
Regarding pricing, the cost seems high for single sign-on, especially for external applications like Oracle.
Associate Director Automation at Dubai Holding
Microsoft's pricing is complex and difficult to fathom due to a range of different licensing options.
Director at iicon ltd
The cost can be a factor for Microsoft Entra External ID, but in general, it offers a scalable and efficient solution compared to deploying individual solutions.
Lead Enterprise Architect at DigyCorp
My experience with pricing, setup cost, or licensing was fine; it was an expected process.
Senior System Engineer at Prescriptive Data Solutions
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Entra External ID enhances security and efficiency by simplifying identity management and integration without on-premises infrastructure.
Microsoft Entra Verified ID enhances security, reduces costs, and improves efficiency with decentralized, passwordless, and privacy-preserving identity verification.
It is crucial for hybrid environments, especially for integrating existing on-site infrastructures with cloud-based Active Directory, such as in Office 365 implementations.
Director at iicon ltd
EID unifies workforce users with external business partners, which is a very strong feature.
Consultant at Artifield
The detailed monitoring and reporting in Microsoft Entra External ID support compliance efforts effectively.
Manager, Identity & Access Management at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
The importance of having the Microsoft Entra Verified ID being cloud-based is because we don't need to maintain the server.
IT Manager at Calgary United Way
Microsoft Entra Verified ID has helped reduce fraud or impersonation attacks.
IT Associate & Customer Support Analyst at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Microsoft Entra Verified ID has helped reduce fraud or impersonation attacks because if you are using a government-sanctioned ID, what is more secure than that?
Senior System Engineer at Prescriptive Data Solutions
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Entra External ID
Ranking in Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)
5th
Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite
16th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
5.7
Number of Reviews
17
Ranking in other categories
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (10th)
Microsoft Entra Verified ID
Ranking in Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)
8th
Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite
21st
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Entra External ID is 3.8%, down from 7.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Entra Verified ID is 4.1%, up from 3.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Entra External ID3.8%
Microsoft Entra Verified ID4.1%
Other92.1%
Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)
 

Featured Reviews

FS
Consultant at Artifield
Offers strong identity unification but needs better customization
Microsoft Entra External ID can be improved with additional features, specifically customizable flexibility and a customizable user interface for the login dialog. Currently, the login dialog has very limited customization options, which only include font styles, colors, text messages, or brand icons. Last month, Entra ID introduced some customizable features in their login dialog, but this does not apply to Microsoft Entra External ID, indicating a significant gap between the two. In theory, Entra External ID can support many external identity providers where custom login dialogs could be integrated, potentially via SSO feature coordination, although I have not yet confirmed this. Hence, enhanced customizable login options and the ability to use attribute password logins are critical features that are required for Microsoft Entra External ID to gain dominance in the authentication market.
MuhammadWaqar - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Director at Interwood Mobel Pvt Ltd
Supports user management and authentication but needs simpler hybrid integration for broader adoption
I believe there should be an easy provision for the on-premises and for the hybrid environment in Microsoft Entra Verified ID, as there seems to be some difficulty with hybrid implementations, especially in a country like Pakistan where most are transitioning to cloud but not fully migrating, instead opting for hybrid solutions. An ease for hybrid integration would greatly help the technical teams. I believe the policy implementation is a little bit complex on the Microsoft side; there should be a simpler way to implement policies, utilizing standardized templates for compliance, such as industry-specific templates for the service industry, which would be helpful for HIPAA and other compliances.
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909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Outsourcing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Construction Company
8%
Outsourcing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise6
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise4
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Entra External ID?
Microsoft is flexible in the pricing for the product, so I cannot say that it is expensive, but definitely they are flexible in the price lists and their ways of doing payments.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Entra External ID?
Not really at the moment, but perhaps when we go deeper into using Microsoft Entra External ID, we may experience some things we may not prefer. However, up to now, we have not encountered anything...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Entra External ID?
When I say identity, I mean Microsoft Entra External ID. We have been using Microsoft Entra External ID since the beginning of 2022. I am using it as a client. The purposes for using Microsoft Entr...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Entra Verified ID?
It is hard for me to say how Microsoft Entra Verified ID can be improved. I really do not know the extent of how that can benefit everything. I am trying to learn that here at the Ignite conference.
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Entra Verified ID?
My main use cases for Microsoft Entra Verified ID are verifying the end user saying who they are and being able to back that up with government-issued proof.
What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Entra Verified ID?
My organization has not implemented the Face Check feature yet; we are using YubiKeys. My organization's trust in digital interactions really has not changed since implementing Microsoft Entra Veri...
 

Also Known As

Azure Active Directory External Identities
No data available
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Entra External ID vs. Microsoft Entra Verified ID and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.