IBM Cloud Identity Service vs Microsoft Entra ID comparison

IBM and Microsoft are both solutions in the Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) category. IBM is ranked #31, while Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.7. IBM holds a 0.5% mindshare in IAMS, compared to Microsoft’s 26.8% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

IBM Cloud Identity Service

Read 3 IBM Cloud Identity Service reviews

178 Views
43 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Entra ID

Read 234 Microsoft Entra ID reviews

8,167 Views
2,335 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

IBM Cloud Identity Service

Microsoft Entra ID

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 2, 2024

Microsoft Entra ID and IBM Cloud Identity Service are identity management products. Microsoft Entra ID leads in integration and security features, while IBM Cloud Identity Service is recognized for advanced analytics and identity governance.

Features:Microsoft Entra ID includes seamless integration with Microsoft ecosystems, multi-factor authentication, and access auditing. IBM Cloud Identity Service has robust identity governance, extensive analytics, and adaptive access capabilities. Microsoft Entra ID specializes in integrations, and IBM Cloud Identity Service in analytics.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service:Microsoft Entra ID offers an intuitive deployment process within Microsoft environments, supported by online resources and training. IBM Cloud Identity Service provides a modular deployment approach for complex requirements with reliable support. Microsoft Entra ID is simple; IBM Cloud Identity Service suits complex deployments.

Pricing and ROI:Microsoft Entra ID is competitively priced, with licensing models offering favorable ROI, especially for enterprises integrated with Microsoft. IBM Cloud Identity Service has higher setup costs but provides significant ROI due to enhanced analytics and management. Microsoft Entra ID is cost-effective for integration-focused businesses, whereas IBM offers better returns for analytics and governance.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Cloud Identity Service vs. Microsoft Entra ID Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Cloud Identity Service vs. Microsoft Entra ID

June 2025

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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

IBM Cloud Identity Service

Ranking in Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)

31st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Microsoft Entra ID

Ranking in Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

234

Ranking in other categories

Single Sign-On (SSO) (1st), Authentication Systems (1st), Identity Management (IM) (2nd), Access Management (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) category, the mindshare of IBM Cloud Identity Service is 0.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Entra ID is 26.8%, down from 28.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)

Featured Reviews

reviewer1054431

Chief Technology Officer at a computer software company with 51-200 employees

Excellent support, beneficial integration, and low maintenance

I have found IBM Cloud Identity Service to be highly scalable. It can handle thousands of users. IBM solutions are truly enterprise-grade. You don't find a lot of use cases for small businesses, or even sometimes medium businesses, the price point does not fit smaller businesses. The implementation effort, it's hard to find that cost-benefit.

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Bahram Piri

Chief Executive Officer & Founder at IDmelon Technologies

Security focus and seamless implementation increase platform productivity

Microsoft Entra ID can be improved in many ways, and there's a big wish list.If we're focusing on security, something that I definitely expect is improvement in the UI and UX for frontline workers. This is important, especially for non-tech savvy individuals. It is something Microsoft Entra ID could do to improve for a wider audience. It's important to focus on the frontline workers since they are non-tech savvy individuals. They are not like those back-office engineering C-level employees who are constantly dealing with computers, and we need to build a specific user experience and user interface for them to handle this stuff. That's something I expect Microsoft to focus on more for Microsoft Entra ID.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"One of the most valuable features of IBM Cloud Identity Service is that it delivers integrations with the commercial SaaS software that's available."

"It is multiple identity and access management, so all of the applications are valuable. It's also part of the automated process."

"It is stable. We can automate many of our daily operations with it, and we don't have to manage many things manually."

"Configuring the domain and setting it up in the Azure portal is just three clicks to be honest."

"The two-step authentication is the most valuable."

"It's definitely both stable and scalable."

"Microsoft Entra ID has simplified central management, including administration and an overview of all logins and user profiles."

"Azure Active Directory is a very simple utility to use, it has very good visibility and transparency, and an easy-to-use panel."

"It enhances security, especially for unregistered devices. It 1000% has security features that help to improve our security posture. It could be irritating at times, but improving the security posture is exactly what the Authenticator app does."

"Microsoft Entra ID has helped the company with user identities, user device management, and endpoint management."

"Conditional Access is a helpful feature because it allows us to provide better security for our users."

More Microsoft Entra ID pros

Cons

"Everything can be more stable and secure. There could also be more account features. I would like to be able to do more things through it to manage users' accounts."

"The initial setup is complex, it's not straightforward. It takes months because it's not straightforward."

"IBM Cloud Identity Service is going in the right direction with the product. They need to keep building out the integrations and having the library is very critical."

"Currently, Microsoft Entra ID is a pretty service. It could benefit from implementing a specific large language model instead of LDAP queries to find resources and implementation details in one comprehensive scoop."

"Rule management and permissions need improvements. I have had discussions with product managers about these challenges and sent emails regarding them. Additionally, improvements are needed in the Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) side of things."

"When it comes to Azure, creating certain things or getting different resources isn't very clear. You need a certain level of knowledge of the system. It could be a little bit more friendly so that some of the things can be done easily, but after everything is created, it's easy to use."

"In terms of improvement, we face issues with latency and responsiveness. Changes take some time to reflect across all users, sometimes up to twenty-four hours, which can be challenging when we need to implement drastic changes."

"At the free or basic level of service, Azure should provide identity protection features including single sign-on and multifactor authentication."

"Generally, everything works pretty well, but sometimes, Azure Active Directory has outages on the Microsoft side of things. These outages really have a very big impact on the users, applications, and everything else because they are closely tied to the Azure AD ecosystem. So, whenever there is an outage, it is really difficult because all things start failing. This happens very rarely, but when it happens, there is a big impact."

"Microsoft support has some room for improvement. I avoid contacting them because it can be time-consuming."

"Its price should be improved. It is very expensive for Turkish people."

More Microsoft Entra ID cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the solution is expensive for non-enterprise companies. IBM's always going to be a little more expensive, you're going to be paying a premium. However, depending on the organization's needs, there's probably a benefit there to do even with the price being the way it is."

"We have a yearly license."

"I'm not totally aware of the pricing and licensing, but I do know that the pricing and licensing must be quite balanced. We are a pretty old client of Microsoft, and MSA is just one of the services we use from Microsoft. There's a whole Microsoft 365 suite that's implemented as well. I'm sure it is something that is acceptable to both parties."

"I work for an academic medical center, where there is a watch kept over every dollar spent. I do have concerns about the micro charges for different levels or features of the product."

"If you have a different IDP today, I would take a close look at what your licensing looks like, then reevaluate the licensing that you have with Microsoft 365, and see if you're covered for some of this other stuff. Folks sometimes don't realize that, "Oh, I'm licensed for that service in Azure." This becomes one of those situations where you have the "aha" moment, "Oh, I didn't know we can do that. Alright, let's go down this road." Then, they start to have conversations with Microsoft to see what they can gain. I would recommend that they work closely with their TAM, just to make sure that they are getting the right level of service. They may just not be aware of what is available to them."

"The licensing cost is a bit prohibitive."

"Microsoft is so expensive. You know it is expensive when a Fortune 100 company like ours is complaining about the cost. That has been a big thing for me. When I really want to use an Azure service, it is very hard for me to justify the cost, especially with Microsoft support."

"It can be a bit expensive for organizations, but they do have different pricing models. Their free tier can be used on a personal level, but for an organization, the licenses might be a bit expensive. In general, the licenses can become cheaper, which will make it accessible for more people."

"The price is affordable, and we pay around $100 per month."

More Microsoft Entra ID pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Educational Organization

16%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

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How does Duo Security compare with Microsoft Authenticator?

We switched to Duo Security for identity verification. We’d been using a competitor but got the chance to evaluate Duo for 30 days, and we could not be happier. Duo Security is easy to configure a...

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What do you like most about Azure Active Directory?

It is very simple. The Active Directory functions are very easy for us. Its integration with anything is very easy. We can easily do third-party multifactor authentication.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Active Directory?

Our experience with the pricing, setup costs, and licensing of Microsoft Entra ID involves leveraging Microsoft 365 E5 licensing, so it's included. Being included in Microsoft licensing makes it mu...

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Comparisons

IBM Security Verify Access vs IBM Cloud Identity Service

Compared 100% of the time

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Google Cloud Identity vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 11% of the time

Microsoft Intune vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 9% of the time

Okta Workforce Identity vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 6% of the time

Auth0 vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 5% of the time

Amazon Cognito vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 5% of the time

More Microsoft Entra ID Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)

June 2025

Download IBM Cloud Identity Service product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID

June 2025

Download Microsoft Entra ID product report

Also Known As

No data available

Azure AD, Azure Active Directory, Azure Active Directory, Microsoft Authenticator

Interactive Demo

Demo not available

IBM

Microsoft

Overview

Whether your applications are custom, your business processes complex, or you're looking for world-class professional services and project management to coordinate each step of your project, IBM Cloud Identity Service is uniquely suited to serve organizations with out-of-the box challenges.

IBM Cloud Identity Service can be designed to help with the full lifecycle of implementation and operations, including discovery, planning, project management, integration engineering and more – expertly delivered by IBM's global staff of identity professionals.

IBM

Microsoft Entra ID is used for extending on-premises Active Directory to the cloud, managing application access, enabling multi-factor authentication, and single sign-on. It facilitates policy enforcement and secure access, ensuring centralized identity management across cloud and on-premises resources.

Organizations utilize Microsoft Entra ID for robust user and group management, identity synchronization, and conditional access. Its seamless integration with third-party apps, scalability, and support for remote work make it a preferred choice. The admin center streamlines identity and access tasks, enhancing efficiency and security with features like privileged identity management and audit logs.

What are the key features of Microsoft Entra ID?

Single Sign-On: Simplifies user access to multiple applications with one login.
Multifactor Authentication: Enhances security by requiring additional verification.
Conditional Access: Establishes policies that determine how users' access cloud apps.
Integration: Easily integrates with various third-party applications.
User Identity Protection: Safeguards user identities from threats.
Privileged Identity Management: Manages elevated access to sensitive resources.
Audit Logs: Provides thorough activity logs for oversight and compliance.

What benefits should users look for in Microsoft Entra ID reviews?

Enhanced Security: Offers strong multifactor authentication and identity protection.
Administrative Efficiency: Simplifies identity and access management tasks.
Scalability: Supports growing user bases and remote work environments.
Integration Capabilities: Compatible with numerous third-party applications.
User-Friendly Interface: Makes managing user identities straightforward.

Microsoft Entra ID implementation varies across industries. Tech firms leverage it for secure, scalable access management, while healthcare organizations utilize its identity protection features to safeguard patient data. Educational institutions adopt Entra ID for streamlined user management and policy enforcement, ensuring secure access for students and staff across on-premises and cloud resources.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Baxter Healthcare,

Microsoft Entre ID is trusted by companies of all sizes and industries including Walmart, Zscaler, Uniper, Amtrak, monday.com, and more.

Buyer's Guide

IBM Cloud Identity Service vs. Microsoft Entra ID

June 2025

Free Report: IBM Cloud Identity Service vs. Microsoft Entra ID

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