IBM Security Verify Access vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection comparison

IBM Security Verify Access vs. Microsoft Entra ID Protection

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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 Security Verify Access

Ranking in Identity Management (IM)

18th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Single Sign-On (SSO) (14th), Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (16th), Access Management (13th)

Microsoft Entra ID Protection

Ranking in Identity Management (IM)

7th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Microsoft Security Suite (10th), Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Identity Management (IM) category, the mindshare of IBM Security Verify Access is 1.4%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Entra ID Protection is 1.8%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Identity Management (IM) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Entra ID Protection	1.8%
IBM Security Verify Access	1.4%
Other	96.8%

Identity Management (IM)

Featured Reviews

Ateeq Rehman

Unit Head System Implementor at Allied Bank Limited

Has improved secure user access while managing development through multiple technologies

I have already explained this in my previous call; I don't handle financial terms and commercials. Pricing is generally managed by functional teams and management looking after licensing matters. In Pakistan, vendors such as Oracle and IBM manage account relationships with clients and have tailored pricing models, so I do not have sufficient insights into that aspect.IBM Security Verify Access installation process is not straightforward; it requires underlying specialized knowledge upon which the IBM products are based. The complexity and scalability of the architecture necessitate in-depth technical knowledge and understanding of the system. Thus, installation is not as simple as clicking through; it requires extensive configuration of the underlying application servers, such as IBM WebSphere, where these products are deployed and configured.

Read full review

Luis Gabriel Mieles Benavides

Cloud Architect at Sonda S.A.

Identity protection has strengthened daily access control and improved passwordless security

The best features of Microsoft Entra ID Protection include the password dictionary, which we do not have in Active Directory. Conditional access is excellent because we can select the location from which users authenticate, and this is the best feature for me. Another valuable feature is the ability to identify critical or suspicious computers. If computers are too old or too suspicious, the system does not allow authentication, which is excellent. The effectiveness of automated remediation for handling identity threats is great. I use passwordless authentication with cellular phone authentication, which is excellent because we do not always need a password. Microsoft Entra ID Protection is a great solution overall because it improves security in the company through identity management. It improves integration with other solutions such as Google, Gmail, Hotmail, Outlook, and Facebook. We can create different applications and integrate with different services.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The tool provides a password vault, single sign-on, and multifactor authentication. It offers various authentication methods like fingerprint integration, one-time passwords, or tokens sent via email or SMS. This ensures secure access to your accounts by providing multiple authentication options."

"The most valuable feature of IBM Security Access Manager, at least for my company, is multi-factor authentication. That's the only feature my company is using. The solution works well and has no glitches. IBM Security Access Manager is a very good solution, so my company is still using it."

"IBM Security Access Manager is a very good solution, so my company is still using it."

"It can do a lot of different functions, and different types of teams can use this product for a variety of use cases, such as RSA, OTP, and single sign-on functionalities."

"IBM Security Verify Access, formerly known as ISAM, IBM Security Access Manager, now renamed to ISVA, integrates with central directory services for our organization and provides user management functionality."

"The solution has powerful authentification and authorization. It offers a good way to increase security."

"IBM Security Verify Access is providing a secure way of handling the user login journey, and secure user authentication is fully managed by ISAM or ISVA."

"It's a good solution for identification and access management."

More IBM Security Verify Access pros

"The features we find most effective for identity security include access reviews, two-factor authentication, and modification."

"We've integrated our other software with Microsoft, and we log into other software using Microsoft. That's very helpful."

"These features ease the job of security analysts, providing a better vision of user activities and potential risks."

"The protections for handling identity threats in Microsoft Entra ID Protection, such as the automated remediation, are working effectively."

"The valuable features include multifactor authentication, accessory capabilities, and conditional access for specific applications."

"The valuable features of Entra ID Protection include providing me visibility of my entire estate, managing access, and having a level of control."

"For me, automatization is most valuable."

"The solution's technical support offers great assistance to users."

More Microsoft Entra ID Protection pros

Cons

"The user interface needs to be simplified, it's complex and not user-friendly."

"Configuration could be simplified for the end-user."

"The solution could be classified as a hilt system. There are a lot of resources being used and it is suitable for very large enterprises or the public sector."

"They can improve the single sign-on configuration for OIDC and OAuth. That is not very mature in this product, and they can improve it in this particular area. OIDC is a third-party integration that we do with the cloud platforms, and OAuth is an authorization mechanism for allowing a user having an account with Google or any other provider to access an application. Organizations these days are looking for just-in-time provisioning use cases, but IBM Security Access Manager is not very mature for such use cases. There are only a few applications that can be integrated, and this is where this product is lagging. However, in terms of configuration and single sign-on mechanisms, it is a great product."

"What we'd like improved in IBM Security Access Manager is its onboarding process as it's complex, particularly when onboarding new applications."

"The user interface for users and administrators could be improved to make it easier. Automating some functions could also be beneficial."

"There are a lot of areas that can be improved, but the main area is the lack of customization. You cannot easily customize anything in the product. It is not easy to tweak the functionality. It is challenging to change the out-of-the-box functionality."

"IBM Security Verify Access installation process is not straightforward; it requires underlying specialized knowledge upon which the IBM products are based."

More IBM Security Verify Access cons

"There is room for improvement in the ability for Entra ID Protection to inherit roles and configurations from whatever solution I am migrating from, so that these don't have to be built from the ground up during the implementation process."

"Integrating some notifications, not necessarily all, but at least for important events or alerts, would be beneficial as it would function as a team solution or something similar."

"Microsoft has not offered control over how they calculate high or low-risk scenarios. While they mention if a low risk is found by Microsoft, the triggered policy isn't customizable."

"The product's initial setup phase is not easy."

"Microsoft has room for improvement in simplifying their integration with third-party solutions and making the licensing model more understandable."

"Support or customer service with Microsoft Entra ID Protection can be challenging because you can get lost in the queue. You can open up a case, but sometimes it can be an hour or even a day between communications."

"Entra ID lacks a function to synchronize from the cloud to the local directory. This is a significant issue since there is no write-back feature from the cloud to local, which would allow me to use my own credentials from the cloud tenant securely."

"There is a lot of confusion around the user interface."

More Microsoft Entra ID Protection cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The license and costs depend on the amount range of users you have. For just approximately 2,000 users, the price is practical and fair. However, when you have 20,000 users, it starts to become really expensive, and the discount per user is not attractive enough to go ahead and purchase."

"It costs about 300K AED for a year. Its pricing is a bit on the higher end, but in comparison to other products in the market, its price is still better. There are lots of other products that are very costly."

"The product is not expensive. It depends on the number of users."

"The pricing is competitive in the SMA segment and runs $5-$6 per user."

"From one to ten, if one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the tool a seven out of ten."

"The product cost is on the expensive side."

"Azure Active Directory Identity Protection is not very expensive."

"The price of Azure AD is not expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

17%

Computer Software Company

Insurance Company

Construction Company

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	4

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	5

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with IBM Security Access Manager?

What is your primary use case for IBM Security Access Manager?

We are still using the IBM BPM platform to automate the processes for our organization.I generally use Microsoft Project for project planning and schedule management, especially in relation to Orac...

What advice do you have for others considering IBM Security Access Manager?

My current domain is leading project development, overseeing both technical and functional areas in process automation and orchestration, along with the hands-on implementation of process automatio...

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

The pricing for Microsoft Entra ID protection is not expensive. It varies based on the company's size and quality.

What needs improvement with Azure Active Directory Identity Protection?

I do not think there are any areas that could be improved with Microsoft Entra ID Protection at this time.

What is your primary use case for Azure Active Directory Identity Protection?

I use Microsoft Entra ID Protection and provide support for features such as multifactor authentication and conditional access. I work with this solution every day.

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Product Reports

IBM Security Verify Access

Download IBM Security Verify Access product report

Microsoft Entra ID Protection

Download Microsoft Entra ID Protection product report

Also Known As

IBM Security Verify Access (SVA), IBM Security Access Manager, ISAM

Azure Active Directory Identity Protection, Azure AD Identity Protection

Overview

IBM Security Verify Access offers adaptable access management with multi-factor authentication, seamless protocol integration, and strong user management, suitable for cloud and on-premises environments.

IBM Security Verify Access provides multi-factor authentication, seamless integration with protocols like SAML and OAuth, and features including password vaults and single sign-on. Its adaptable nature allows for deployment both in cloud and on-premises settings. Users appreciate its quick setup, reliable authorization, and efficient user management, especially when integrated with Active Directory. The intuitive interface enhances security with mobile features like QR code enrollment, making it suitable for diverse environments. However, cloud deployment could be simpler, and the interface could use enhancements for better ease. Onboarding applications and support availability need improvements, and configuration for OIDC and OAuth should mature. More comprehensive documentation and simplified installation are also needed, along with automation to reduce resource consumption.

What are the key features of IBM Security Verify Access?

Multi-Factor Authentication: Offers robust multi-layered security.
Integration with Protocols: Works with SAML and OAuth for seamless connectivity.
Password Vaults: Secure storage for user credentials.
Single Sign-On: Streamlines access across platforms.
Active Directory Integration: Ensures efficient user management.
Mobile Features: Includes QR code enrollment for enhanced security.

What benefits or ROI can users expect to find in the reviews?

Rapid Setup: Quick deployment in cloud and on-premises environments.
Reliable Authorization: Trustworthy access control and management.
Security Enhancements: Through multi-factor authentication and mobile features.
Streamlined Processes: Simplified access management with single sign-on.

IBM Security Verify Access is widely used in the banking and educational sectors for access management, supporting activities like single sign-on and control across different user groups. Many in these industries utilize it for customer authentication and integrate it with mobile systems to enhance security. Its adaptability allows it to serve complex needs, particularly useful in environments such as universities and financial institutions.

IBM

Microsoft Entra ID Protection enhances security through features like conditional access and multifactor authentication, optimizing identity management for enterprises. This robust solution ensures efficient control over access policies, supporting seamless integration and operational efficiency.

Microsoft Entra ID Protection provides advanced identity management, authentication, and authorization capabilities, supporting multifactor authentication and single sign-on to control digital identities effectively. It utilizes adaptive machine learning for security enhancements and automated risk-based actions, with seamless Microsoft Defender integration. Connectivity with third-party applications and real-time monitoring offers improved operational efficiency for managing large user bases. While it is a powerful tool, there is room to grow in areas such as identity labeling, password management, faster synchronization, better Mac compatibility, and improved scalability. Desired features include enhanced course availability for security training, streamlined implementation processes, and clarified interfaces.

What are the key features of Microsoft Entra ID Protection?

Conditional Access: Control access policies to secure identity-related activities.
Multifactor Authentication: Strengthen sign-in security with multiple verification methods.
Single Sign-On: Simplify access to applications with a single set of credentials.
Identity Governance: Maintain compliance and manage identities efficiently.

What benefits should be considered in reviews?

Enhanced Security: Adaptive machine learning and risk-based actions reduce vulnerabilities.
Operational Efficiency: Integration and monitoring capabilities facilitate large-scale management.
Compliance Support: Aids in maintaining security compliance strategies.
Seamless Integration: Works effectively with Microsoft Defender and third-party apps.

Organizations leverage Microsoft Entra ID Protection to manage identities and access across sectors such as finance, healthcare, and technology. They integrate hybrid environments, enforcing multifactor authentication and conditional access policies, which enables them to secure digital identities and align with compliance operations. Many synchronize on-premises Active Directory with cloud services, effectively managing users, groups, and licenses.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

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IBM Security Verify Access vs. Microsoft Entra ID Protection