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AWS Directory Service vs SailPoint Identity Security Cloud comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 2, 2024

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
7.3
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
SailPoint Identity Security...
Ranking in Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
71
Ranking in other categories
User Provisioning Software (2nd), Identity Management (IM) (1st), SaaS Management Platforms (1st), Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) category, the mindshare of AWS Directory Service is 1.6%, down from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SailPoint Identity Security Cloud is 13.0%, up from 10.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud13.0%
AWS Directory Service1.6%
Other85.4%
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
 

Featured Reviews

Basa Saiteja - PeerSpot reviewer
A valuable access management system with a user-friendly and straightforward setup
The solution is scalable, and we can scale according to our needs. I rate the scalability a nine out of ten. In our organization, our access to our AWS comes from IAM. We use AWS consoles using our credentials and don't have route access, so each person will log in through our IAM programmatic access, and everyone on our team can work on cloud. Over 10,000 people in our organization utilize the solution.
Mitch MO - PeerSpot reviewer
Adapts workflows with industry-specific flexibility for big companies
We find flexibility to be one of the most valuable features. The solution can be customized to adapt the workflow to our industry, offering considerable flexibility. Additionally, it is considered a good solution for large companies due to its scalability and ability to cater to the needs of many customers. It has also enhanced security and provided significant flexibility for our specifications module.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The pricing is very good because it is low and there is no management cost."
"I like the manageability. Activate Connect makes it easier to assign information and to manage the resources in the network."
"AWS Directory Service is secure."
"The most valuable feature is that because it's all in the cloud, you don't need to manage the infrastructure."
"Two-step authentication is very useful and important."
"AWS handles everything on the backend requiring minimal legwork from our team. We only require a dedicated database administrator while depending on Amazon for RDS."
"We can provide specific access to people based on what they need from our accounts."
"Provides good performance and availability."
"This solution is great for providing control access across your environment."
"Access certification and provisioning are two of the solutions most valuable features."
"It is simple and easy to implement."
"The level of customization for data imports and role modeling, because it helps to integrate faster, support easier and let it reuse the organization role structure."
"This solution is easy to configure."
"The access certification feature is valuable."
"The solution is stable and reliable."
"We like the integration with other systems."
 

Cons

"Accessing the data needs improvement."
"AWS Directory Service needs to improve processing."
"The group policy can be improved."
"I would like to see better integration with other business solutions."
"I've encountered challenges, particularly with Amazon WorkDocs, which is being deprecated. This has made it necessary to find an alternative document management solution that can handle editing, sharing, and workflow management for documents like Word files and PDFs."
"To get CloudWatch to monitor your memory and storage, you have to do some configuration within your server, which sometimes results in errors."
"We had a problem with the schema uploading and setting up the directory when we are migrating our users from on-premises to cloud infrastructure."
"The solution lacks certain features."
"Needs to focus on automation wherein provisioning of work can be improved and access certification should be automated without the intervention from a manager for approval."
"The product has poor reporting and analytic capabilities. Reports are not easy to use and its analytic capabilities are limited."
"The interface should be simple and easier to use."
"There are various functions that don't work in IdentityIQ, including the access request reminder, which doesn't go to the approvals in the proper format, so it's hard for users to read."
"There's a lot of customization required to improve the user experience."
"It is not readily available and cannot be downloaded from the net."
"In the past, we had a lot of problems with SailPoint IdentityIQ, particularly in providing access and provisioning. There were some gaps in the operation of the solution because they were manual rather than automated, and the users and administrators were given access directly via Active Directory, and it wasn't appropriate for us at the time to use. In terms of integration, we could provide a more automated solution after a minimum number of years, but not in the SailPoint IdentityIQ platform, but there were problems in the registration, for example, with putting information inside ADP, but in general, we were able to solve those problems, and after implementing SailPoint IdentityIQ we had increased evaluations."
"Some setups should be done in the interface and in the code, and could be made simpler."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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 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."
"It is a costly solution. Its cost, for sure, should be reduced."
"SailPoint IdentityIQ is too expensive for small and medium companies. It is an expensive product."
"I found the pricing to be relatively high."
"As per my knowledge, it runs on a paid partnership model, but I am not sure about it."
"The product is expensive. I rate its pricing an eight out of ten."
"It's difficult to say that the solution saved costs because it is quite expensive."
"SailPoint IIQ is the best of best. That is reflected in the pricing of the solution. The pricing is based on the number of identities."
"Its price is okay. It provides good value for money. It is subscription-based. You can go for a one-year or three-year subscription."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
11%
Healthcare Company
10%
Performing Arts
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business22
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise40
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about AWS Directory Service?
The most valuable feature of AWS Directory Service is cost-cutting features.
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?
Accessing the data needs improvement. Additionally, integration and compatibility with other AWS ( /products/amazon-aws-reviews ) services, network open LDAP, support for on-premise and cloud envir...
How does Sailpoint IdentityIQ compare with CyberArk PAM?
We evaluated Sailpoint IdentityIQ before ultimately choosing CyberArk. Sailpoint Identity Platform is a solution to manage risks in cloud enterprise environments. It automates and streamlines the m...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SailPoint IdentityIQ?
The product is expensive. People need to opt for a licensing plan for one year or three years.
What advice do you have for others considering SailPoint IdentityIQ?
You can use SailPoint Atlas to take identity security to the next level. In SailPoint IIQ, writing a custom connector using the open source framework is a good option.
 

Also Known As

AWS Managed Microsoft AD
IdentityIQ, IdentityNow, Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management, Intello
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Expedia, Intuit, Royal Dutch Shell, Brooks Brothers
Adobe, AXA Technology Services, Cuna Mutual Group, Equifax, ING Direct, Orrstown Bank, Rockwell Automation, SallieMae, Spirit Aerosystems, TEL
Find out what your peers are saying about AWS Directory Service vs. SailPoint Identity Security Cloud and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
868,759 professionals have used our research since 2012.