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AWS Directory Service vs Gluu Flex 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

AWS Directory Service
Ranking in Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
18th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Gluu Flex
Ranking in Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
31st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
Access Management (25th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) category, the mindshare of AWS Directory Service is 1.0%, down from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Gluu Flex is 0.9%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
AWS Directory Service1.0%
Gluu Flex0.9%
Other98.1%
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
 

Featured Reviews

Akram Zaki - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Specialist at FlairsTech
Hybrid directory service has streamlined global server access and supported reliable daily operations
Some features in AWS Directory Service are not automated and are not scriptable, so they require manual work. In today's world where everything is pretty much automated and scriptable using AI, this is a downside. The price is another concern. AWS is really expensive. They provide an awesome service in general, but it's still expensive, very expensive. AD Connector is an application which connects my own Active Directory to AWS Directory Service or AWS infrastructure. There is a bit of latency which is bound by the AD Connector availability. If the AD Connector is having issues, there is a bit of latency, but in general, it's way better than Microsoft Azure. Still, it could be better. The migration was a bit challenging and required intensive planning and migration time. That is always a hassle. No matter which cloud environment you're moving into, the migration is sensitive because you're generally moving from on-premise to a cloud environment, so there is downtime and there are unexpected issues and errors. It needs very careful planning before doing the migration itself. AWS Directory Service is lacking a few things which could be better. Single sign-on federation is missing. SCIM provisioning is not available. In my company, we use other services for SSO federation, SCIM provisioning, and authentication because of these gaps. I would like AWS Directory Service to enroll a multi-factor authentication method. I would like to have an SSO federation where users, if we're hosting applications in AWS, would not need to log in to each application. Single sign-on would log in the user to their account and from there they can open all their applications without requiring a login each time. One of the other cons in AWS is that directories cannot span multiple regions because it's a region-bound architecture. This requires several directories for multi-region deployment. This is the case on my end because my company has several branches all over the world, so it requires several deployments.
EV
Owner at Process2product
Facilitates improvement through feedback collection, quizzes, and event data generation
Gluu has a mobile app catering to field workers. Normal workers use the web app, a complete cloud-based solution. They log in on any device and access the system. Gluu filters and displays relevant information based on the user's role in the processes. Users can set it up to view as a viewer, worker, manager, or controller of the area. The front end offers different views but provides an easy dashboard for employees. On the dashboard, users can configure it to show tasks, related work instructions, and connected processes. It's very user-friendly, allowing end-users to understand their tasks and processes without needing in-depth knowledge.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"This solution does what we want to achieve."
"The most valuable feature of AWS Directory Service is cost-cutting features."
"The most valuable feature is ease of use."
"The most valuable feature is that because it's all in the cloud, you don't need to manage the infrastructure."
"AWS Directory Service is very useful; it is a role-based mechanism, similar to identity management, and it is one of the most useful AWS features."
"Two-step authentication is very useful and important."
"The pricing is very good because it is low and there is no management cost."
"AWS is cost-friendly, support-friendly, and its system is 99.99% reliable."
"Gluu has a mobile app catering to field workers. Normal workers use the web app, a complete cloud-based solution. They log in on any device and access the system."
"Most of the features are related to banking within this particular IT industry. Security and the market are also important features."
 

Cons

"The AWS Directory Service should be easier to integrate."
"Our only complaint is that you cannot integrate your Exchange server. Or, if you are planning to install an Exchange server on your Amazon EC2 instance, then you need to configure Active Directory on EC2 instance. We would like for this limitation to be lifted."
"I'd rate the solution at a six out of ten, simply based on the cost. It's very expensive."
"The group policy can be improved."
"Currently, there is no option to integrate our on-premises Cisco AWS Directory Service, requiring some manual configuration. If AWS Active Directory Service provided additional domain controller functionalities, like other on-premises Active Directory, it would be very helpful."
"Can be improved by including on-premises access for services through Identity Access Management."
"To get CloudWatch to monitor your memory and storage, you have to do some configuration within your server, which sometimes results in errors."
"I would like to see better integration with other business solutions."
"The tool integrates AI into the process modeling aspect. I believe this addition will significantly enhance usability. Additionally, it might be beneficial to have the capability to import content from other tools into this platform. Our platform follows its business process modeling notation standard, which differs from BPM. It uses a simpler notation, making it easier. The ability to import content from other tools could accommodate users accustomed to different standards."
"I would like to see features around federation, authentication, authorization, and AI APIs with a ChatGPT interface."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing depends because with AWS there are two types of directory objects: 30,000 and 500,000. It varies. AWS provides the pricing calculators so we can get an estimate from there as per the company requirement of how many users and objects that we need to create. So we can go to that portal, put in the data, and get the quotation. There are no extra licensing fees. It's all included."
"AWS' pricing is fair, and costs can be cut if you look carefully at when you're using it."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"We pay an annual subscription fee."
"The price is reasonable."
"The tool is cheaper compared to typical German products. I rate the product’s pricing a four out of ten."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Performing Arts
8%
Government
8%
Insurance Company
43%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Construction Company
10%
Media Company
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise5
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AWS Directory Service?
The pricing is very good because it is low and there is no management cost. You do not need to hire any system administrator to manage your Active Directory.
What needs improvement with AWS Directory Service?
Some features in AWS Directory Service are not automated and are not scriptable, so they require manual work. In today's world where everything is pretty much automated and scriptable using AI, thi...
What advice do you have for others considering AWS Directory Service?
I would like AWS Directory Service to enroll a multi-factor authentication method. I would like to have an SSO federation where users, if we're hosting applications in AWS, would not need to log in...
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Also Known As

AWS Managed Microsoft AD
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Expedia, Intuit, Royal Dutch Shell, Brooks Brothers
Dubai Municipality
Find out what your peers are saying about AWS Directory Service vs. Gluu Flex and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
908,800 professionals have used our research since 2012.