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Microsoft Identity Manager vs OpenIAM Identity Governance 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 Identity Manager
Ranking in Identity Management (IM)
12th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
OpenIAM Identity Governance
Ranking in Identity Management (IM)
27th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
User Provisioning Software (13th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Identity Management (IM) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Identity Manager is 2.0%, down from 4.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OpenIAM Identity Governance is 1.4%, down from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Identity Management (IM) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Identity Manager2.0%
OpenIAM Identity Governance1.4%
Other96.6%
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.
SM
Lead Consultant at a security firm with 51-200 employees
Manages user identities and application access in a centralized way from a single console/portal
OpenIAM provides an Identity and Access Management platform which includes identity and access management (i.e., SSO, Multi-factor Authentication, password synchronization, and RBAC). Below are the features : Lower Cost of Implementation & Total Cost of Ownership: * OpenIAM uses tools, such as Groovy script to implement business rules, Grails to create new UI functionality, Activiti for workflow, PowerShell, etc. It also support web services. So it is important to find skilled technical resources readily and at reasonable cost in comparison to the large vendors, which use proprietary tools for developing custom connector or product customization as per business requirement. * OpenIAM is also based on Open Source technologies (i.e., JBoss, Apache, MySQL, CentOS), so Total Cost of Ownership is very low in comparison to other IAM products. * Compliance with standards simplifies integration. * Subscription-based license model. Ease of Use: OpenIAM offers a single unified Admin console and a single unified self-service portal for customers to use and manage the IAM suite (i.e. Identity Management, Access Management, and Multi-Factor Authentication). Modern Architecture: * Built from the ground up, not through acquisitions and proprietary technology. * SOA architecture * Cloud-enabled Enterprise Grade Product: Even though OpenIAM is based on Open Source technologies, it is: * Built on industry standards * Simplified integration * Uses established industry frameworks

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Very powerful synchronization tool."
"With Microsoft Identity Manager, most of the time the organizations actually agree that it is a primary benefit to use them."
"It is one of the easiest products to implement, which is one of the main advantages. The integration is easy. Unlike other products, it is not complicated to integrate."
"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 product’s most valuable feature is stability."
"The concept is primarily for the people in the business. In business, you can discuss how integrating all the services and resources within the company can bring numerous benefits."
"The best features of Microsoft Identity Manager are its 100% compatibility with Active Directory, the ability to customize IAM policies as required, and its simplicity in design."
"The tool's only feature that is generating value for us is the login process for our clients."
"Customer support is very good and available in almost all time zones."
 

Cons

"Some valuable features might go unused because they are not well-documented or connected clearly in user guides."
"It requires a lot of improvements. Microsoft is killing this product and migrating some of the features to Azure AD."
"The documentation could be better."
"Microsoft Identity Manager could be improved in several areas."
"They have to improve the User Entity and Behavioral Analysis."
"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."
"It would be good if Microsoft Identity Manager Maybe could be integrated with Azure Active Directory directly and made as a cloud platform."
"It requires a lot of improvements. Microsoft is killing this product and migrating some of the features to Azure AD. The last version of this solution was 2016. If it is going to stay and integrate with Azure AD, its integration needs to be worked on in terms of connectors, etc. It doesn't seem that they are improving it alone. Microsoft wants to integrate it with Azure AD, but the integration is still not complete."
"OpenIAM should improve the product/API documentation on portal which gives more flexibility to developers for product customization and connector development."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"My rating for the pricing of Microsoft Identity Manager is average, neither too expensive nor too cheap."
"MIM is free with a Microsoft Azure license."
"When comparing the cost, Microsoft Identity Manager is the best solution because it is free if you have an Azure P2 license."
"The solution is expensive."
"The tool's price is low for my company."
"It is an expensive tool."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Comms Service Provider
7%
University
15%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Construction Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business13
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise11
No data available
 

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.
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Also Known As

MIM, Forefront Identity Manager, FIM, MS Identity Manager
OpenIAM, OpenIAM IGA
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Whole Foods Market
Citicorp, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, Marsh and McLennan, SBC Warburg, GE Electric Insurance, Tata Communications, NettBuss, AMSCAN, Time Warner, MultiPlan, Stater Bros., County of Orange - California, TUI Hotels, NV Energy, EMCOR Group, Previred
Find out what your peers are saying about One Identity, SailPoint, Microsoft and others in Identity Management (IM). Updated: June 2026.
899,645 professionals have used our research since 2012.