Microsoft Entra ID vs Symantec VIP Access Manager comparison

Microsoft Entra ID vs. Symantec VIP Access Manager

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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

Ranking in Access Management

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), Microsoft Security Suite (2nd)

Symantec VIP Access Manager

Ranking in Authentication Systems

16th

Ranking in Access Management

17th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Authentication Systems category, the mindshare of Microsoft Entra ID is 15.7%, down from 20.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec VIP Access Manager is 1.7%, down from 2.5% 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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Berk Onur

Presales Consultant at Cyberwise

With its mobile application, this tool offers a convenient and user-friendly experience to its users

To improve the tool, I think that the solution should consider integrations with other cybersecurity and IT technologies, such as Privileged Access Management and Site Integration. Additionally, the implementation of second-factor authentication via Symantec VIP Access Manager, CyberArk, and Delinea, among other technologies, could be best for the product. While the existing technology is okay, improving the integration capabilities for Symantec VIP Access Manager would benefit the product. I would like to see the solution meet the integration needs at our company. While many cybersecurity solutions can function independently, they often lack integration with our systems due to missed integration points. Improving the solution's integration feature would be beneficial.

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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

"Many of its features are valuable, including: facilitating application authentication, privileged access management, processes for attestation, and access reviews."

"The best feature of Microsoft Entra ID is that it provides more granular control over user identities."

"Using [Azure AD's] passwordless technology, you're not even using a password anymore. You're basically just creating a logon request without actually sending or typing or storing the password. This is awesome for any user, regardless of whether you're a factory worker or a CFO. It's secure and super-simple."

"We have a complex scenario with several applications, and we're trying to achieve SSO for most of our applications, but some of our legacy applications don't support SSO or modern protocols. Our core applications are ready for SSO or to be federated. We've centralized our authentication process using Entra ID, so we can collect sign-offs from the users and filter using conditional access."

"We can centralize and manage everything much more effectively with this tool."

"It is pretty good in terms of stability."

"For some applications, it's not only working for authentication but it's also being used to apply roles for users. From the management perspective, it's much better to have this because in the past we constantly needed to go into the console of the different solutions and create or delete users or modify their roles and permissions. Now, with Azure Active Directory, we can do that from a single point. That makes our management model much easier."

"Microsoft Entra ID has helped us defend against token theft and nation-state attacks."

More Microsoft Entra ID pros

"Other than it provides us with remote access, so it's fairly easy to install, fairly easy to set up, and provides us the ability to get into our corporate environment."

"In this version 9.1, lots of changes are done for the dashboard, User Store etc."

"The VPN we are using is good and working quite well."

"Cloud-based service and management."

"It offers more platform support, like Apple, Android, and Microsoft."

"The two-factor authentication is most definitely valuable and moves us closer to being able to check off those important boxes for compliance."

"It's a good tool. It's pretty straightforward."

"The product is useful for providing user access from an in-built office server as we follow the work-from-home model."

More Symantec VIP Access Manager pros

Cons

"Microsoft needs to add a single setup, so whenever resources join the company or are leaving the company, all of the changes can be made with a single click."

"The cost is one area that needs improvement."

"If your organization requires additional security then the subscription will be more expensive."

"The monitoring dashboard could be a bit better."

"Whatever business requirements we needed in the past three years, users were created, with the name of the user and they were not connected with the Active Directory. We were trying to in house in three years and with directory, but we were not able to achieve it."

"Azure Active Directory could benefit by adding the capability for identity life cycle for the on-premise solution. For example, an HR solution, which is built on-premise or, in general, better on-premise capable solutions."

"Some of the features that they offer, e.g., customized emails, are not available with B2C. You are stuck with whatever email template they give you, and it is not the best user experience. For B2C, that is a bit of a negative thing."

"There are areas for improvement, particularly when moving between tenants. If we create a new tenant and try to set it up under the same organization, it becomes extremely difficult. A recent incident we dealt with took four months to resolve with a seven-day deadline, which was quite frustrating."

More Microsoft Entra ID cons

"In the next release, I would like the ability to work offline with remote access."

"It is challenging to use when installing a new version."

"It gets out of sync with Active Directory or whatever it might be, whatever the authentication piece is on Active Directory, and they just reset it on the backend. I never have to contact the vendor."

"If they had dashboards or a report for managers or executives, then it would allow them to see the status and have it make sense to them."

"The User Store synchronization part needs to improve. Also, the logs, reports, and dashboard can be improved."

"Every time that I have a new phone or computer, it takes a little longer to deploy it."

"The gateway server is a RADIUS server, but it lacks the functionality of returning RADIUS attributes other than those that are required for the gateway to authenticate the users."

"Maybe Symantec could consider providing a step-by-step guide for first-time users."

More Symantec VIP Access Manager cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I feel Microsoft is very costly compared to other products. That is also what management is thinking. But when we consider security and support, Microsoft is better than any other product."

"The product's price is in the midrange."

"It can be a bit expensive for organizations, but they do have different pricing models. Their free tier can be used on a personal level, but for an organization, the licenses might be a bit expensive. In general, the licenses can become cheaper, which will make it accessible for more people."

"The subscription should be categorized by business size. For example, small companies should have a discounted price, this would help small companies and the organization to be automated."

"Azure AD has four licensing options- Free, Office 365 apps, Premium P1, and Premium P2. The free option has a limited number of identities and features, and the Office 365 version comes included in several Office 365 subscriptions. With the P1 and P2 licenses, we get all the freeware features plus additional security features, but these come at a higher price. The base price for P1 and P2 is $6 and $9 per user per month, respectively."

"Its price is okay. It is easy to go from P1 to P2 license. It is not exactly a bargain, but I would recommend the P2 license."

"Compared to other Microsoft products, the cost is not too expensive. There's a free tier available, though it doesn't include all features. Overall, it's well-priced."

"It is worth the money."

More Microsoft Entra ID pricing and cost advice

"I can say that the solution is worth the money."

"Licensing and pricing seems very fair."

"There are additional costs for maintenance."

"There is a one-time setup fee plus the licenses are provided as per the number of users. For SMS and voice calls, the costs are separate."

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856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

21%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

15%

Healthcare Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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...

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.

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...

What do you like most about Symantec VIP Access Manager?

The product is useful for providing user access from an in-built office server as we follow the work-from-home model.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Symantec VIP Access Manager?

The pricing would most likely charge per user based on how many accounts have access to the IT managers.

What needs improvement with Symantec VIP Access Manager?

The product's connection speed needs improvement. Sometimes, I need help connecting my mobile to the main office's system due to a version upgrade. It is challenging to use when installing a new ve...

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Product Reports

Microsoft Entra ID

Download Microsoft Entra ID product report

Symantec VIP Access Manager

Download Symantec VIP Access Manager product report

Also Known As

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

Symantec VIP

Interactive Demo

Microsoft

Demo not available

Broadcom

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

Symantec VIP Access Manager is the next generation control platform that integrates Single Sign-On (SSO) with strong authentication, access control, and user management. It offers users and administrators control, convenience, and compliance for public and private cloud- based applications. Symantec VIP Access Manager solves cloud security problems using identity and/or context-based access control across multiple cloud applications. In the cloud, where a traditional enterprise perimeter doesn't exist, this solution fills the gap. Through Symantec VIP Access Manager, administrators can define policies that utilize the built-in user directory or existing identity management infrastructure to enforce security and compliance for applications without getting in the way of productivity. Symantec VIP Access Manager can also protect and consolidate access management for on-premise web applications. It also simplifies compliance auditing for cloud applications by consolidating logs across all applications it protects.

Broadcom

Sample Customers

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

Maine Medical Center, Aria S.p.A

Microsoft Entra ID vs. Symantec VIP Access Manager