Microsoft Entra ID vs Thales SafeNet Trusted Access comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Microsoft and Thales are both solutions in the Single Sign-On (SSO) category. Microsoft is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.6, while Thales is ranked #19. Microsoft holds a 8.4% mindshare in SSO, compared to Thales’s 1.8% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Thales users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 11, 2024

Microsoft Entra ID and Thales SafeNet Trusted Access are both popular solutions for identity and access management. Thales SafeNet Trusted Access is often preferred for its advanced features, while Microsoft Entra ID scores higher in pricing and support.

Features: Microsoft Entra ID offers robust integration capabilities, comprehensive access policies, and reliable customer support. Thales SafeNet Trusted Access is praised for its advanced security features, flexible authentication methods, and superior feature set.

Room for Improvement: Users feel Microsoft Entra ID could improve in areas such as detailed reporting, role management, and enhancing its documentation. Thales SafeNet Trusted Access users mention a need for a more intuitive management console, better user interface, and simplified configuration options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Entra ID is reported to have a straightforward deployment process and reliable customer support. Thales SafeNet Trusted Access also provides efficient deployment but is noted for superior customer service quality.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Entra ID is generally considered more cost-effective, offering a better perceived ROI among users. Thales SafeNet Trusted Access, while more expensive, is seen as worth the investment due to its feature set. Users are happier with Microsoft Entra ID's pricing but acknowledge Thales offers good value for its price.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Entra ID vs. Thales SafeNet Trusted Access Report (Updated: October 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID vs. Thales SafeNet Trusted Access

October 2026

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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

Cisco Duo

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Single Sign-On (SSO) category, the mindshare of Cisco Duo is 3.2%, down from 4.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Entra ID is 8.4%, down from 16.6% 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
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Entra ID	8.4%
Cisco Duo	3.2%
Thales SafeNet Trusted Access	1.8%
Other	86.6%

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Featured Reviews

Charles Slaustas

Information Technology Contractor at Insight global

Supports seamless authentication for users across multiple organizations and personal portals

The features I use in Cisco Duo include Duo Pushes to confirm my identity to the device, and eventually as MFA security was increased, I actually had to use exchange passcodes. Sometimes, I have to go into the site and get into Cisco Duo to retrieve the passcode, and many of them have been two-factor, where the sites send a passcode that I have to enter into Cisco Duo. It has been more of the latter. I have not seen issues with lagging or crashing on Cisco Duo's end; it was usually on the client end, often because someone set up a bad upgrade or there were connection issues with the Cisco Duo cloud through the administrative site.

Read full review

Stafin Jacob

Microsoft 365 Security & Compliance Practice Lead at Invoke

Identity has become our central gatekeeper and has provided secure single sign-on for all users

Microsoft Entra ID can improve by focusing more on new passwordless methods and becoming a primary adopter. One feature we would like to see is the ability to have security questions for password resets. I know the current capability is phasing out, so we do not have an alternative method yet. Customers who already use security questions require a smoother transition for that capability to be available. My experience with the deployment has had some challenges, particularly around the Microsoft MFA campaigns. The hardest part is moving users from a different MFA provider to the Microsoft MFA provider, as it ultimately depends on user activity. In large enterprises with numerous users across various geographies, this transition takes time. If there are ways to exert more control around that process, it would improve the situation.

Read full review

reviewer1719510

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…

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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

"Cisco Duo is a simple and effective tool that gives detailed information about users who connect to your domain."

"My experience with Cisco Duo's strong security authentication system has been good; it performs very well when logging in."

"What I appreciate the most is that you can push a notification with your phone and log in to your computer."

"Duo Security simplified establishing trusted connections, making it easier to implement distributed network solutions."

"Compared to Cisco, the general support I experience is fantastic; I have no complaints about it."

"Cisco Duo has strengthened the ability to defend against both phishing and identity-based attacks."

"The anti-phishing feature is the most valuable."

"The best part about Cisco Duo is that it is easy to use and relatively very straightforward, with multiple options available."

More Cisco Duo pros

"I like the way it communicates to the cloud."

"The most valuable feature is that it is very easy to implement, you don't need a lot of effort to set up the solution. This is the most advantageous point, that you can do anything on Azure without taking too much time."

"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."

"I would rate Microsoft Entra ID a ten out of ten."

"Microsoft Entra ID provides granular role assignments for Azure permissions or Azure AD roles. Using a privileged identity manager allows us to give specific access to certain groups of employees for a limited time. Entra's ability to integrate Azure Virtual Machines and security benefits has been exceptional, especially for managing infrastructure and applications."

"The solution allows users to authenticate from home, and the Office 360 integration is advantageous."

"The valuable features I use daily are enterprise application, conditional access, identity governance, password monitoring, and a password reset."

"One of the most important is the Conditional Access. It helps affect a Zero Trust strategy positively."

More Microsoft Entra ID pros

"The validation and integrity features of the endpoint are great."

"The solution is simple to use."

"The interface is easy to use."

"I recommend this solution because it protects information."

"Right now, we only have a small use case for the product, however, it has performed well."

Cons

"The customer service is okay. However, the response time could be faster."

"There is always room for improvement."

"Duo Security could improve by being more compatible with other vendors."

"When we try to sell Cisco Duo for any license, sometimes customers approach us and say that Cisco Duo is expensive compared to competitors or that the features are not as good."

"They can make authentication easier. It should be done in a shorter time. Sometimes, it can take a bit more time to get the answer on your phone. You have to wait a bit longer to get the SMS code and other things. There can be some internet or connection issues. They should make it faster because sometimes, it's urgent, and you need to access something as soon as possible."

"When you come to the push in Duo Security, there are some integrations where you have to use the code instead of the push functionality."

"There could be improvements made to the dashboards and more integration with the rest of the Cisco ecosystem."

"I would appreciate it if Duo Security could improve its integrations with Windows Hello."

More Cisco Duo cons

"Many people believe that the Azure Active Directory is overly complicated and antiquated."

"Microsoft is working with Microsoft Identity Manager for Active Directory on-premise. It will be very important to have these identity management solutions directly in Azure Active Directory. It's very important to have some kind of Azure identity manager as a technology for identity and access management for working both in the cloud and inside the Azure suite."

"The thing that is a bit annoying is the inability to nest groups. Because we run an Azure hybrid model, we have nested groups on-premise which does not translate well. So, we have written some scripts to kind of work around that. This is a feature request that we have put in previously to be able to use a group that is nested in Active Directory on-premise and have it handled the same way in Azure."

"Microsoft's pricing and licensing are difficult to understand. We engage with Microsoft partners regularly, but Microsoft's frequent rebranding complicates the process for us in the industry."

"My experience with the pricing, setup costs, and licensing of Microsoft Entra ID indicates that we need to make it simple. It's way too complicated."

"I want to see more features to improve security, such as integrated user behavior analysis."

"To improve Microsoft Entra ID, it should be made simpler because there is a lot of stuff to do in the platform, which could be reduced to fewer buttons."

"The only issue is the OU is not properly synced. Therefore, you have to do a manual sync sometimes or you might lose the connector due to AD Connect or sync servers."

More Microsoft Entra ID cons

"There's a dependency on Microsoft Azure."

"I'd like to see more networking features, such as the ability to integrate network monitoring solutions and authenticate the app users."

"SafeNet's reporting and monitoring features could be improved."

"The scalability may not be there."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I only need the solution for IT staff, which makes it relatively cheap. If I deployed it for the whole company, it would be costly, so it depends on the number of users. Duo Security is affordable compared to other products in the segment."

"It's a bit confusing because we're on a three-year plan with a certain number of licenses, and we've gone over that number. They told us that when we renew, they will add all these licenses. We've expanded quickly, so everyone's kind of scared because no one knows what the bill is with the long pricing cycle."

"Price-wise, the solution has been very, very reasonable...Licensing is the last thing I think about Duo Security because it's so easy, and I had no problems with it."

"The pricing is pretty competitive. It's pretty cheap. Anybody can adopt it."

"It's very simple. Its price is fair. We use the hardware tokens as well. You get what you pay for. In terms of licensing, Cisco has very complicated products, but Duo Security was surprisingly easy."

"From a reseller perspective, it's still challenging to explain the whole license strategy to a client, so we really have to be ahead of that for all the true forward conversations."

"Overall, the pricing is fair. Customers can wrap it into their Enterprise Agreement, making it easier for them to solve their issues."

"From a business perspective, it is a little bit costly. The licensing is on a per-user basis."

More Cisco Duo pricing and cost advice

"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."

"It is a packaged license. We have a Premium P1 subscription of Office 365, and it came with that."

"It's relatively inexpensive in comparison with third-party solutions. It's highly available and supported by Microsoft Azure in our enterprise agreements. With the addition of their B2C tenants, it's hard to beat from a cost perspective now."

"The solution can be cheaper."

"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."

"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."

"I'm not sure about the specific costs or how they're calculated, but essentially, the costs go up based on the level of security that is required by the organization."

"I work for an academic medical center, where there is a watch kept over every dollar spent. I do have concerns about the micro charges for different levels or features of the product."

More Microsoft Entra ID pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Comms Service Provider

11%

Performing Arts

Outsourcing Company

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	65
Midsize Enterprise	28
Large Enterprise	82

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	91
Midsize Enterprise	42
Large Enterprise	162

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 Du...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Duo Security?

Regarding the pricing, what actually happened was that we got the product purchased through our HQ, so the costing as...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Duo Security?

I do not have a straight answer for how Cisco Duo can be improved at this time. With the implementation that we are g...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Active Directory?

I primarily use Microsoft Entra ID's free tier, so I have not faced any issues with pricing; I hope this free tier re...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Azure Active Directory?

To improve Microsoft Entra ID, I believe it should be openable with third-party applications to use Microsoft Authent...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Azure Active Directory?

My main use case for Microsoft Entra ID is the authentication of M365, Azure, and third-party applications like Sales...

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Comparisons

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Compared 23% of the time

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Compared 3% of the time

Ping Identity Platform vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 2% of the time

Auth0 Platform vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 1% of the time

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Compared 14% of the time

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Compared 5% of the time

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Compared 5% of the time

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Compared 4% of the time

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Compared 2% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Duo

November 2026

Download Cisco Duo product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID

October 2026

Download Microsoft Entra ID product report

Buyer's Guide

Single Sign-On (SSO)

November 2026

Download Thales SafeNet Trusted Access product report

Also Known As

Duo Security

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

SafeNet Trusted Access, Gemalto SafeNet Trusted Access

Interactive Demo

Demo not available

Cisco

Microsoft

Demo not available

Thales

Overview

Cisco Duo is a cloud-based identity security platform safeguarding critical resources for any user and device worldwide. Known for its ease of use, Duo offers seamless protection across multi-cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments.

Cisco Duo is designed to secure access with identity-first protection and provides extensive visibility throughout an organization's identity ecosystem. Offering multi-factor authentication, Duo facilitates easy integration and management, allowing teams to protect data effectively on VPNs, applications, and networks. Its single-pane management improves security processes while enhancing trust, making it suitable for diverse IT infrastructures.

What are the key features of Cisco Duo?

Multi-factor Authentication: Strengthens user verification with multiple methods.
Push Notifications: Simplifies authentication with quick approvals.
Single Sign-On: Enhances convenience by allowing one set of credentials.
VPN Access: Secures remote connections with reliable authentication.
User Activity Visibility: Offers comprehensive insights into access patterns.

Which benefits and ROI should users consider?

Quick Deployment: Facilitates rapid integration within existing systems.
Effective Management: Streamlines IT operations with centralized control.
Regulatory Compliance: Aids in meeting industry standards for data protection.
Enhanced Trust: Strengthens security posture across networks.
User-friendly Approach: Simplifies authentication for non-technical users.

In industries like education and finance, Cisco Duo is widely employed to secure multi-factor authentication across platforms such as email, databases, and servers. Its integration capabilities with Microsoft 365, Active Directory, and VPNs like AnyConnect are instrumental in verifying user identities using mobile apps or OTPs, catering effectively to both remote and on-premise environments.

Cisco

Microsoft Entra ID offers advanced identity management capabilities, ensuring security and efficiency with features like single sign-on and multifactor authentication.

Designed for hybrid environments, Microsoft Entra ID provides seamless synchronization between on-premises Active Directory and Azure Active Directory, enhancing security with multifactor authentication and conditional access. By integrating with a broad spectrum of cloud services, it supports user authentication and mobile device management, facilitating streamlined application registration and secure API access.

What are the most notable features of Microsoft Entra ID?

Robust Security Measures: Implements strong security protocols to protect identities.
Single Sign-On: Enables users to access multiple applications with one set of credentials.
Conditional Access Policies: Provides a framework to control access based on predefined conditions.
Third-Party Integration: Ensures compatibility with external applications for comprehensive use.

What benefits should users consider in reviews?

Improved Security Posture: Enhances protection against unauthorized access through advanced security features.
Simplified Onboarding: Streamlines the process of integrating new users and systems.
Operational Efficiency: Reduces identity and access management workload, boosting productivity.

In finance and healthcare, Microsoft Entra ID plays a crucial role in managing access to sensitive information while maintaining compliance with industry regulations. Retail and manufacturing sectors leverage its capabilities for secure supply chain operations and partner collaboration.

Microsoft

Thales SafeNet Trusted Access provides a flexible and secure solution for managing identities and access policies. It streamlines identity management across multiple platforms, enhancing security and compliance.

Thales SafeNet Trusted Access offers comprehensive identity and access management supporting complex IT environments. It simplifies authentication processes and enforces security policies through a cloud-based platform that integrates with existing systems. This ensures users enjoy a seamless authentication experience while maintaining the required security posture, essential in today's cybersecurity landscape.

What are the key features of Thales SafeNet Trusted Access?

Single Sign-On: Simplifies user access by allowing single credential use across resources.
Multi-Factor Authentication: Enhances security with multiple authentication methods.
Access Management: Provides detailed control over who can access sensitive systems.
Cloud Integration: Easily integrates with cloud services for streamlined operations.

What benefits and ROI should users expect?

Increased Security: Reduces risk through enhanced identity verification methods.
Operational Efficiency: Minimizes overhead by automating access management tasks.
Compliance Support: Assists in meeting regulatory requirements with detailed reporting tools.
Scalability: Adaptable to growing or changing IT needs without significant cost increases.

In industries like finance and healthcare, Thales SafeNet Trusted Access helps secure sensitive data through stringent identity verification mechanisms. Retailers use it to manage access across digital channels, while educational institutions benefit from its streamlined access for students and staff. This versatility demonstrates its effectiveness in diverse technology ecosystems.

Thales

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

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

IBM, Western Union, Vanderbilt University Medical Centre, Novartis, and AT&T.

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID vs. Thales SafeNet Trusted Access

October 2026

Free Report: Microsoft Entra ID vs. Thales SafeNet Trusted Access

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Entra ID vs. Thales SafeNet Trusted Access and other solutions. Updated: October 2026.

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