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Microsoft Identity Manager vs One Identity Manager comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 1, 2024

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
5.1
Microsoft Identity Manager improves security and efficiency, offering up to 20% time savings and simplifying training with standardization.
Sentiment score
5.6
One Identity Manager boosts productivity and compliance by automating processes, reducing errors, costs, and enhancing user provisioning speed.
Without it, we would need thousands of additional people.
enterprise it architect at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Instead of spending on various systems, having one centralized system that handles all my organizational requirements helps save money.
IAM Consultant at a outsourcing company with 501-1,000 employees
Several users reported reduced onboarding and offboarding times by around 40% thanks to automated provisioning and de-provisioning.
Business Analyst at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.2
Microsoft Identity Manager's customer service is reliable, with thorough engagement but varying response speed and documentation quality. Ratings average 7-9/10.
Sentiment score
6.1
Users have mixed opinions on One Identity Manager's support, citing varying response times and inconsistent service quality.
I rate the technical support nine out of ten.
CISO at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
It is important to get to the right engineer quickly, but the process sometimes involves multiple levels before reaching the best support.
Consultant at IOM - UN Migration
The technical support is of good quality
Senior SOC Developer at XVE Security
If you have outages or critical production problems, you can count on the manufacturer to help resolve the situation.
Managing Director at a consultancy with 1-10 employees
They should focus on bringing in technically skilled individuals who understand the tools and technologies involved.
Back End Developer at DC Smarter
Compared to my experiences with other tools, their support is exemplary.
Senior Manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.8
Microsoft Identity Manager is ideal for enterprises, not small businesses, with scalability issues for many users; consider Azure AD.
Sentiment score
6.9
One Identity Manager excels in scalability, efficiently adapting to diverse enterprise environments and managing numerous identities with flexibility.
In terms of scalability, Microsoft Identity Manager allows management of up to 400,000 objects with a standard configuration.
Consultant at IOM - UN Migration
It is architected so that key components can be scaled both horizontally and vertically to handle increasing loads from employee accounts to millions of external identities if needed.
Business Analyst at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Generally, if we need to add thousands of new users, we can ramp up container resources effectively.
Project Manager at B. Braun Group
We could handle about 1,00,000 records for different users.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Microsoft Identity Manager is highly stable and reliable, with users rating its performance between eight to nine out of ten.
Sentiment score
7.3
One Identity Manager is stable and reliable, performing well with strong infrastructure, though customizations and updates may cause issues.
Not all conditions can be satisfied at all times, leading to some employee or user accounts experiencing deviations and syncing issues.
Consultant at IOM - UN Migration
One Identity Manager is considered stable and dependable for enterprise identity management with a strong track record of uptime and reliability when implemented correctly.
Business Analyst at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
I would rate it a nine out of ten for stability.
Senior identity and security specialist at a pharma/biotech company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Specifically affecting the test and development environments, not the production environment.
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Identity Manager struggles with connectivity, integration, and support, needing better interfaces, documentation, and Azure Active Directory integration.
One Identity Manager struggles with setup, performance, and user interface, needing enhancement in usability, documentation, and cloud integration.
Very often customers require real-time or almost real-time updates, and this feature is missing in Microsoft Identity Manager.
System Engineer 2 at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
The current policy management features are limited, and custom, flexible policies would be ideal.
Senior SOC Developer at XVE Security
While the initial setup of Microsoft Identity Manager is not completely complex, migrating or upgrading to a new version can be complex and requires multiple backups to ensure it goes smoothly.
Consultant at IOM - UN Migration
This lack of 24-hour support is problematic from a testing and development standpoint.
It is crucial for them to expand their support team to match their product's success.
Lead Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
When it comes to privileged access management, we need to know who has access to what, which is the central problem we want to solve.
Principal Cybersecurity Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Identity Manager is cost-effective when bundled with premium licenses, despite mixed reviews on its pricing and value.
One Identity Manager's pricing is competitive, scalable, and best for large enterprises, though costly for smaller companies.
Microsoft's licenses are bundled, allowing access to multiple services, which is beneficial.
CISO at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
The pricing of Microsoft Identity Manager is expensive.
Senior SOC Developer at XVE Security
Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing of Microsoft Identity Manager, it has a couple of cloud connectors that can sync directly with the O365 admin center, which is good enough.
Consultant at IOM - UN Migration
On-premises might incur higher costs.
IAM DEVELOPER at a university with 10,001+ employees
We have a good enterprise license agreement, and we are very happy with what we get for the price we pay for it.
enterprise it architect at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Many customers find it fair and reasonable for enterprise use, though it can be expensive for smaller organizations due to total licensing and implementation cost.
Business Analyst at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Identity Manager enhances security with Single Sign-On and integrates seamlessly with Office 365 and Active Directory.
One Identity Manager offers automated provisioning, access control, customization, and integration, enhancing security, compliance, and user experience.
The features of Microsoft Identity Manager that have been most impactful in improving security and compliance include the granular policies, report, and the ability to gain end-to-end visibility for each user.
CISO at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
These features have been impactful in improving our security and compliance.
Senior SOC Developer at XVE Security
The best features of Microsoft Identity Manager are its 100% compatibility with Active Directory.
Consultant at IOM - UN Migration
It ensures high security through multiple approval processes, preventing unauthorized access and enhancing compliance by providing time-based access for privileged accounts with proper audit trails.
Principal Consultant at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
It continuously monitors user behavior in real-time, triggering automated responses, and manages secure access for both on-premises and cloud applications using protocols such as SAML.
IAM DEVELOPER at a university with 10,001+ employees
Once you have some experience, it demonstrates best practices and guides you on the correct way to use the tool.
IAM Developer at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Identity Manager
Ranking in Identity Management (IM)
11th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
One Identity Manager
Ranking in Identity Management (IM)
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
144
Ranking in other categories
User Provisioning Software (2nd), Identity Governance Administration (IGA) (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Identity Management (IM) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Identity Manager is 2.3%, down from 4.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of One Identity Manager is 5.4%, down from 8.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Identity Management (IM) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
One Identity Manager5.4%
Microsoft Identity Manager2.3%
Other92.3%
Identity Management (IM)
 

Featured Reviews

RameshKumar9 - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant at IOM - UN Migration
Supports reliable identity management and custom policy design
Microsoft Identity Manager can be improved by integrating it with Entra ID as a SaaS application or by having a cloud-based connector, as it is currently limited to on-prem scenarios, and a combination of both would be a great solution compared to competitors such as SailPoint or One Identity Manager. While the initial setup of Microsoft Identity Manager is not completely complex, migrating or upgrading to a new version can be complex and requires multiple backups to ensure it goes smoothly.
Neha Chhangani - PeerSpot reviewer
Business Analyst at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Centralized identity governance has automated lifecycle management and simplifies compliance
One Identity Manager could be improved by making the initial setup and configuration simpler, especially for complex workflows and integrations. The user interface and reporting dashboards could also be more modern and intuitive with better out-of-the-box analytics. Additionally, clearer documentation and faster implementation guidance would help organizations get value more quickly. One specific challenge my team encountered was the complexity during initial configuration, especially when setting up custom workflows and role models which required more time and expertise. We also felt that out-of-the-box reports and dashboards are limited, and more customizable real-time analytics would be helpful. Better documentation and guided setup wizards would make adoption easier, particularly for teams new to identity governance tools. One improvement I think One Identity Manager needs is the enhanced self-service experience. The end-user self-service portal could be more intuitive with clearer guidance for access requests and password resets. Additionally, while integrations are solid, deeper cloud-native connectors and API-driven automation would help in hybrid and multi-cloud environments. A more responsive mobile interface or dedicated app for approvals and tasks would help managers who are often on the go. One more improvement is the built-in predictive insights or trend dashboards around access patterns and risk could improve proactive governance. More descriptive error messages and in-tool troubleshooting tips during setup configuration would reduce dependency on external documentation or support.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Educational Organization
7%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
6%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business13
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise11
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business47
Midsize Enterprise23
Large Enterprise97
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Identity Manager?
Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing of Microsoft Identity Manager, it has a couple of cloud connectors that can sync directly with the O365 admin center, which is good enough, but Entra I...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Identity Manager?
Microsoft Identity Manager could be improved in several areas. The solution uses a batching process that executes at scheduled times, which differs from other vendor solutions. It is missing capabi...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Identity Manager?
Microsoft Identity Manager is used primarily in the retail business. The implementation is enterprise-level within a national company, specifically at JCPenney, which is a large organization.
What do you like most about One Identity Manager?
The One Identity birthright process has helped generate user accounts more accurately and quickly.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for One Identity Manager?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing regarding One Identity Manager is that it does not have public list prices. Costs are usually customized based on our organization size, deploy...
What needs improvement with One Identity Manager?
One Identity Manager could be improved by making the initial setup and configuration simpler, especially for complex workflows and integrations. The user interface and reporting dashboards could al...
 

Also Known As

MIM, Forefront Identity Manager, FIM, MS Identity Manager
Quest One Identity Manager
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Whole Foods Market
Texas A&M, Sky Media, BHF Bank, Swiss Post, Union Investment, Wayne State University. More at OneIdentity.com/casestudies
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Identity Manager vs. One Identity Manager and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
883,896 professionals have used our research since 2012.