Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Microsoft Entra Permissions Management vs Microsoft Identity Manager comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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 Permissions...
Average Rating
7.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
Microsoft Security Suite (29th), Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) (6th)
Microsoft Identity Manager
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
Identity Management (IM) (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

Microsoft Entra Permissions Management and Microsoft Identity Manager aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Microsoft Entra Permissions Management is designed for Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) and holds a mindshare of 7.7%, down 27.3% compared to last year.
Microsoft Identity Manager, on the other hand, focuses on Identity Management (IM), holds 3.9% mindshare, down 6.8% since last year.
Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM)
Identity Management (IM)
 

Featured Reviews

Sameer Bhat - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides resource-based access and security, but time-bound access can be a problem
Entra ID is the core of the identity management that we have. This is the key product that we are using. I am currently also looking into Entra Private Access because we are planning to deploy about 50,000 desktops into Azure and use Azure Virtual Desktop. We would like to give access to the users from the desktop to on-premises applications. I learned that Entra Private Access is a good solution. That is not yet GA, but that is what we are looking for. Entra provides a single pane of glass for managing user access, but because our company also integrates with Nebula API, only administrators use Entra's pane. A normal person who wants to get onboarded can do self-service using Nebula. The features for whitelisting and other things are definitely there. That is what we use specifically. Application IDs, enterprise applications, and all those things are already there, so we have more efficiency. There is also security because we usually do not allow user identities to get direct access to Azure resources. Usually, we use the service principles from Entra ID, so this way, it increases security. Entra has helped to save time for our IT administrators. We tend to automate a lot of things. We can do automation using Graph APIs and save time. It is hard to quantify the time savings, but there has been a medium amount of time savings. Entra has helped to save our organization money. We care about security and risk more than money, but it also saves money. We are premium customers, and because we have a commit-to-consume contract with Microsoft of multi-million dollars, the money does not come into it because we have to consume those resources.
MANUEL VALDIVIA - PeerSpot reviewer
Priced in a low range but needs to improve the support services offered to users
If we don't use Microsoft Identity Manager for data masking, we can use some other tools, like IBM InfoSphere. The scope of Microsoft Identity Manager is limited to the identity part of our applications. Microsoft Identity Manager is an old technology, and Microsoft will discontinue it soon. Microsoft Identity Manager is very complex compared with other platforms. For example, I know Microsoft Azure is working on Azure Identity. In the future, Microsoft Identity Manager will migrate to Azure Identity because Azure Identity is a software asset and is less complex. The solution's technical support is bad, making it an area where improvements are required.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Multifactor authentication is valuable."
"The solution integrates well with our infrastructure and other systems without any issues."
"The tool's only feature that is generating value for us is the login process for our clients."
"The most crucial feature of Microsoft Identity Manager is integration, especially with Office 365. A specific scenario where automation provided by the identity manager was crucial is when customers use hybrid clouds, with resources both locally and in the cloud. They require an easy identity solution across workspaces, local and cloud, integrating cloud identity with local identity sources, supporting single sign-on and authorizations, and ensuring security across applications.Microsoft Identity Manager integrates such local and cloud identity sources, supporting numerous applications."
"The features that we find most valuable are security, mobility, and Single Sign-On."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is the fact that I can use it to track who is sending which email, who is accessing which documents or which files, etc. These tools help me improve security within the enterprise environment."
"The self-service password reset feature is a very important aspect because it reduces the workload of other employees, and it's a very interesting and often-used feature."
"I would recommend Microsoft Identity Manager to others anytime."
"Very powerful synchronization tool."
"MIM's most valuable feature is its connectivity with Exchange."
 

Cons

"The solution's pricing and support services need improvement."
"We use a third-party API called Nebula API to integrate the account for authorization. The time-bound access area in Entra can be a problem. It can be improved in terms of the granularity of the permissions."
"The product's pricing and integration features could be improved."
"The documentation could be better."
"MIM's reliability could be improved."
"Microsoft Identity Manager has shown a strong focus on cloud solutions, but it could improve its support for legacy products and on-premise infrastructure. Legacy applications or solutions are often not fully supported, which can be a limitation for customers with existing on-premise setups. The emphasis on cloud-based solutions is beneficial for modernization as it is crucial to address customers' needs relying on legacy systems. Microsoft should address the gap in support for legacy products to ensure a more comprehensive and inclusive approach."
"They have to improve the User Entity and Behavioral Analysis."
"I haven't explored it deeply enough to identify any areas for enhancement."
"The prices can always be improved, and the integration with the software from other vendors could use an improvement, especially if you are using something like Oracle for a database, SAP for ERP, or something like that."
"Instead of using the connectors from the third-party companies, they should make the Microsoft templates available with this product. If Microsoft would increase the number of the box connectors that would be helpful to all the customers who use it daily."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product cost is in the mid to high range."
"We are a Fortune 500 company, so we always negotiate with Microsoft."
"MIM is free with a Microsoft Azure license."
"The prices can always be improved. I'd rate it a 4 out of 10 in terms of pricing."
"Microsoft Identity Manager comes with the premium or community license. If the customer doesn't have a premium license, the reseller who sells the licenses of Microsoft to the enterprise can extend the license for the client."
"It is an expensive tool."
"The solution is included in the Microsoft E3 license and premium subscriptions of Azure AD."
"The solution is expensive."
"The tool's price is low for my company."
"My rating for the pricing of Microsoft Identity Manager is average, neither too expensive nor too cheap."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) solutions are best for your needs.
851,371 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Computer Software Company
13%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Entra Permissions Management?
The product cost is in the mid to high range. You need to have a good budget to implement it, so it is considered fairly expensive for our market. I rate the pricing a seven out of ten.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Entra Permissions Management?
The solution's pricing and support services need improvement.
What do you like most about Microsoft Identity Manager?
The product’s simplicity and integration are valuable.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Identity Manager?
Integration with third parties and enhanced policy management could be improved. The current policy management features are limited, and custom, flexible policies would be ideal. Additionally, broa...
 

Also Known As

CloudKnox Permissions Management
MIM, Forefront Identity Manager, FIM, MS Identity Manager
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Whole Foods Market
Find out what your peers are saying about SailPoint, CrowdStrike, Trend Micro and others in Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM). Updated: May 2025.
851,371 professionals have used our research since 2012.