JumpCloud vs Microsoft Active Directory comparison

JumpCloud and Microsoft are both solutions in the Single Sign-On (SSO) category. JumpCloud is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.3, while Microsoft is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.4. Additionally, 100% of JumpCloud users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 18, 2026

JumpCloud and Microsoft Active Directory are prominent contenders in the identity and access management category. JumpCloud may have the upper hand in cloud integration and flexibility, appealing to diverse operating systems, whereas Microsoft Active Directory is known for its robust on-premises management and seamless Microsoft product integration.

Features: JumpCloud supports macOS, Linux, and Windows with effective device management and single sign-on across various systems. It excels in providing integration capabilities for different applications and offers extensive policy management for devices. Microsoft Active Directory is noted for its user and group policy management, exclusive integration with Microsoft products, and established operational stability in enterprise environments.

Room for Improvement: JumpCloud should enhance its mobile and tablet compatibility, MDM features, synchronization with Microsoft 365, and customer support documentation. Microsoft Active Directory could improve by enhancing cloud solution integration, refining its reporting features, and making its interface more user-friendly to adapt to hybrid and cloud environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: JumpCloud is praised for its swift cloud-centric deployment, making it easier for organizations transitioning to cloud infrastructure. Its customer service is generally responsive, with room for improvement in handling complex queries. Microsoft Active Directory requires a more complex initial setup and relies on IT expertise, but it benefits from robust documentation and legacy support, maintaining strong customer service.

Pricing and ROI: JumpCloud provides a competitive pricing model based on user count and features, reducing hardware and management overhead, demonstrating cost-effectiveness through efficient identity management. Microsoft Active Directory's pricing is integrated with Microsoft's licensing structure, potentially becoming complex with bundled services. Both solutions offer ROI potential, though JumpCloud's cloud-native approach may offer more direct savings over traditional infrastructure models.

To learn more, read our detailed JumpCloud vs. Microsoft Active Directory Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

JumpCloud vs. Microsoft Active Directory

January 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 881,707 peers since 2012

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

iboss

Featured Reviews

reviewer2701851

Managing Director

Enhances web security with a single pane of glass and flexible deployment

I don't see any need for improvement; one of the really good things about iboss as a company is that they listen to customer feedback. I have suggested enhancements, and they are responsive, making changes for the better, and they do a lot of testing. To improve iboss, although we haven't used it, we considered the VPN solution that comes with the highest tier licensing, which includes DLP and various other add-ons. We prefer using another product which automatically logs you back onto your network when turning on your PC. With iboss, the connection is manual, which doesn't meet our needs. Additionally, sizing can be tricky because, although the initial recommendations may seem adequate, actual usage may require more gateways than anticipated.

Read full review

Arun Jose

System Administrator at Mensa Brands

Unified directory and device management has streamlined remote workforce security and onboarding

JumpCloud can be improved in several areas. Some users feel the initial configuration can be complex, especially for larger organizations, and better guided onboarding could be helpful. Additionally, while its reporting and integrations are strong, more granular and customizable metrics and real-time alerts would be beneficial for advanced use cases. From my team's perspective, there is often a desire for even more intuitive administrative controls, particularly when managing complex policy sets. Enhanced integrations with specific industry-specific applications could provide even greater efficiency. It is about refining the user experience and expanding compatibility. Another area for potential enhancement could be customer support and resources. While generally good, faster response times and more comprehensive or specialized documentation could further improve the user experience, especially during complex deployments.

Read full review

Eko Kurniawan

IT Operations & Security at veris

Has simplified credential management and improved secure access control across departments

The features I find most useful in Microsoft Active Directory are especially for the Single Sign-On. This is very useful for users, particularly if they have plenty of applications, such as tablet applications. When they log in to their computer, the application will automatically log in with their credentials. They don't need to remember another user and password to log in to the application because it's already maintained with Microsoft Active Directory using Single Sign-On. To assess the impact of Microsoft Active Directory's centralized domain management on security protocols and access permissions, Microsoft Active Directory itself has constraints with security because when we have a solution such as SSO or Single Sign-On, which makes it easier for users to log in, some parts have security openings. When their computer is compromised with a threat, malware, or other cyber threats, it becomes easier to enter the application without login permission.

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

"I would definitely recommend iboss for web filtering purposes to other organizations or individuals."

"Content filtering is the most useful feature of iboss."

"The console is cloud-based, which is something I really appreciate."

"iboss is among the few products providing inline filtering where no application is needed on the device."

"The security aspect of the solution, particularly the malware behind it, is excellent. That's something that really helped us out. It's not just a simple proxy that just blocks the insights of potential threats that come on behind it. They do malware detection and that helps us a lot."

"The iboss system is highly reliable. The false positive rates are small compared to some other systems we've experienced through other partner agencies who use competing solutions."

"iboss has significantly lowered the number of security incidents. It is crazy how much it blocks and how much it is aware of the outside danger."

"Granular setup, which was able to set different levels of filters using the OUs in the AD."

More iboss pros

"The cross-platform support and easy policy deployment from JumpCloud have greatly assisted my team, especially since it is typically difficult to deploy services across various directory services on Linux."

"A key positive impact JumpCloud has on my organization is significant time savings, and by centralizing user and device management, IT teams can reduce the time spent on manual tasks, potentially freeing up 20 to 30 percent of their time."

"The whole product is great. The device management is amazing. The fact that you can basically set up an entire machine without having the machine in front of you is most valuable."

"The most valuable feature of JumpCloud, it provides a convenient and streamlined solution for me to access and manage all of the features I require in one centralized location. This eliminates the need for me to worry about hiring individuals to manage these tasks, as well as eliminating concerns surrounding hardware, updates, and licenses. With JumpCloud, I am able to receive the services I need in a timely and efficient manner, which has significantly reduced my stress and alleviated a great deal of the issues I once faced. This is especially important as I am often bound by laws, regulations, contracts, and customer demands to keep up with various tasks. With JumpCloud, I am able to manage everything I need in one place, giving me visibility and control over aspects that I previously had to manage through multiple systems."

"The product enables device management."

"Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

"The usual authentication and authorization, which were all controlled into one portal, are very convenient."

"The most valuable features of JumpCloud are flexibility, policy management for devices, and device patch management. For example, we can limit access to devices only in Chile or send a number of commands to the devices to manage them."

More JumpCloud pros

"The solution is stable."

"We can also have separate domain controllers in different Active Directory sites based on their location."

"The user-friendliness of Microsoft Active Directory is a valuable feature."

"The solution is user-friendly, and I like using Microsoft products. I think there is no other choice for Active Directory. Microsoft Windows Server Active Directory is the best."

"These Group Policies provide enhancement, helping to reduce administrative overhead and enhance productivity."

"Audit, authentication and authorization are the best features."

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Active Directory is the ability to search for computers and users. While I do not have administrative privileges to reset passwords, I can view user information such as department, and communicate with someone who can make the changes."

"The solution’s management capability is very good. The tool is also very scalable. You can add any number of users that you want to operate. Moreover, you can easily organize the solution."

More Microsoft Active Directory pros

Cons

"The reporting feature needs improvement. It doesn't give you the expected results. It is quite difficult to get the specific reports needed, and it is not as intuitive as the rest of the platform."

"Our biggest problem with their service was it did not recognize the device and filtering did not always work correctly."

"I am currently doing a PoC of the zero trust aspect of it. Compared to other similar solutions, it is hard to get around each feature. It takes a while to get used to it."

"The area I would like to see improvement in is the ability with in the reporter to navigate directly to the content the user is traversing. It is kind of there, but it's not perfect. Quite frequently, I receive links that lead me to pages with error messages."

"The dashboards for local use could be better."

"Sometimes, obviously, there are bugs."

"If they could implement an extra security layer preventing access to iboss from the open internet, it would be great."

"The solution could be stronger on the integration side and offer more cloud applications like G Suite or Oracle."

More iboss cons

"JumpCloud could improve the compatibility with other devices and operating systems. For example, the solution only works well with Mac and some Linux devices. It does not work for mobile devices, such as Android."

"JumpCloud could improve the user interface. While it has certainly come a long way, there is still room for improvement in terms of simplifying and making it more intuitive for the user. In my opinion, the UI/UE could benefit from some modifications to enhance the overall user experience. I have suggested some changes to JumpCloud regarding this matter as I believe that they have the potential to further enhance the platform and make it even more user-friendly. There are certain small features within the system that users may not be familiar with, as they may have previously used different systems with different user interfaces."

"Lacks the ability to have various VPN applications."

"Customer service is fairly good, and sometimes it takes a little time to hear back."

"I would like AWS to integrate more cloud platforms with JumpCloud, such as Alibaba or Oracle."

"The visual tool and interface must be more fine-tuned."

"The capability to get alerts would be great when CPU or RAM is high on an endpoint, or when a disk is failing. It would be great to get an alert rather than having to go looking for it."

"It could dip into CI/CD tooling as well. That would be a very interesting part to see."

More JumpCloud cons

"In the solution, assigning permissions is complex, making it difficult to grant them at a granular level or to multiple users without templates or alternative tools."

"There has been a change in the layout of the user information. Previously, I had to go to properties to view the information, but now it is displayed directly below the search results. It takes some time to get used to."

"Even better group management would be beneficial."

"The challenges everyone now has in mind is how to really migrate fully to the cloud. Many companies face both technical and cost-related challenges when moving from on-premise Active Directory to Microsoft Intra."

"Perhaps the synchronization could be simpler and more controllable. There are some features that need improvements in terms of ease of use and frequency of updates."

"There is room for improvement."

"The solution's price could be better."

"The product must provide remote password reset features."

More Microsoft Active Directory cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The overall pricing for iboss is very competitive and transparent."

"We had the cost of purchasing a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs. However, the following year, the cost of just licensing was similar to what was paid the previous year for a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs."

"It is probably in line with other solutions, but I do not deal with the financial side."

"It is not expensive, and it is also not cheap. iboss is priced right in the sweet spot for the number of features it offers."

"We have not priced the solution recently, but they were competitive with other vendors in the past."

"It is expensive compared to one of its competitors."

"I rate the product's pricing a five on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive."

"The cost of the solution is approximately $12 per user. However, the cost depends on what modules you're using. They have an all-in-one package and they do have tiers. For example, the more users you have, the cheaper it ends up being in the end too. I know they've done some changes to the pricing model and I haven't been involved in a lot of the licensing lately. I don't know the exact cost at this time."

"The pricing is all on the JumpCloud website. It's not hidden, you don't have to go through a show me a quote type procedure. The pricing is straightforward to understand."

"The solution is pretty expensive."

"The cost was around $5 per user per month."

"JumpCloud's monthly license costs around $25 for the complete solution."

"I am pretty sure that the cost to acquire JumpCloud is less. They have à la carte or per-user pricing. The pricing is there on their webpage. I am not sure if they have any enterprise pricing or discounts if you have more users. But the overall pricing is less than Okta."

"We are using an enterprise license for JumpCloud. We have purchased a license for approximately $3,000 a year, but we are charged more than $135,000 annually."

More JumpCloud pricing and cost advice

"It's not overly expensive. It's considered a base function by Microsoft."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a four out of ten."

"Microsoft Active Directory is not an expensive solution."

"The pricing is not very expensive. I rate the pricing a five out of ten."

"The product's premium support services are expensive."

"I rate the product’s pricing a five out of ten."

"The license per user can probably be reduced."

"Active Directory is an expensive solution, primarily due to Microsoft's licensing model. This licensing approach includes paying for server licenses as well as for each computer that connects to it. However, when working with the Azure cloud, there is no cost for the server. This is profitable and one of the main reasons why Azure Cloud and other cloud-based solutions are being used more."

More Microsoft Active Directory pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Single Sign-On (SSO) solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

881,707 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

18%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	18
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	20
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	20

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with iboss?

For zero trust implementation, we encountered complexity issues, especially with a large infrastructure company Exxon...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for iboss?

Previously when I used iboss, we did the POC for iboss for ExxonMobil. Four or five people wanted to move from our ol...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for iboss?

Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, iboss is not cheap, and that's my only concern. There are cheaper alte...

See all answers

What do you like most about JumpCloud?

The product enables device management.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for JumpCloud?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing indicates that pricing can be considered competitive with simil...

See all answers

What needs improvement with JumpCloud?

JumpCloud can be improved in several areas. Some users feel the initial configuration can be complex, especially for ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Microsoft Active Directory?

The solution is easy to install and has good reliability.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Active Directory?

The best way to protect this is to use Microsoft Defender. For Microsoft support for Microsoft Active Directory, I wo...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Microsoft Active Directory?

My main use cases for Microsoft Active Directory are to manage user access and credentials.

See all answers

Comparisons

Netskope vs iboss

Compared 12% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs iboss

Compared 10% of the time

FortiSASE vs iboss

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Umbrella vs iboss

Compared 7% of the time

Zscaler Internet Access vs iboss

Compared 7% of the time

More iboss Competitors

Okta Platform vs JumpCloud

Compared 8% of the time

Microsoft Entra ID vs JumpCloud

Compared 7% of the time

Teleport vs JumpCloud

Compared 7% of the time

Jamf Pro vs JumpCloud

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Intune vs JumpCloud

Compared 5% of the time

More JumpCloud Competitors

Ping Identity Platform vs Microsoft Active Directory

Compared 17% of the time

ManageEngine ADManager Plus vs Microsoft Active Directory

Compared 10% of the time

Microsoft Entra ID vs Microsoft Active Directory

Compared 8% of the time

Tenable Identity Exposure vs Microsoft Active Directory

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Microsoft Active Directory

Compared 5% of the time

More Microsoft Active Directory Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

iboss

January 2026

Download iboss product report

Buyer's Guide

JumpCloud

January 2026

Download JumpCloud product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Active Directory

January 2026

Download Microsoft Active Directory product report

Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform

Resmo

No data available

Overview

Iboss offers a comprehensive cloud-based security platform valued for its scalability and autonomous features, ensuring robust security with easy deployment and management capabilities.

Renowned for its robust security architecture, Iboss integrates seamlessly within diverse networks, delivering efficient granular filtering and advanced content categorization. Its single pane of glass console provides ease of management, allowing rapid scalability suitable for rapidly deploying environments. Operates in BYOD setups due to inline filtering without device installation. Integration with cloud-based applications enhances user control, and features like SASE, SSL inspection, and ChatGPT risk protection stand as highlights. Despite its strengths, users have pointed out areas for enhancement like direct navigation in reports, SSL decryption, and better cloud integration while having room to improve data loss prevention.

What are the most important features of Iboss?

Scalability: Supports rapid deployment across diverse networks.
SASE: A consolidated approach to secure access.
SSL Inspection: Ensures safe data transmission.
Granular Filtering: Detailed control over accessible content.
Single Pane Management: Unifies control through a centralized console.

What benefits should users consider in reviews?

Cost-effectiveness: Offers competitive pricing with robust features.
Autonomous Operation: Reduces management overhead.
Responsive Support: Provides assistance when needed.
Flexible Deployment: Available for both cloud and on-premises environments.

The usage of Iboss spans educational institutions, specifically K-12, to enforce internet policies, protect data, and support remote work environments. It provides web filtering and security frameworks to ensure safe browsing. Its platform-as-a-service model offers flexibility for both cloud-based and on-premises requirements, integrating seamlessly to deliver enhanced security features suitable for various deployment needs including zero trust, CASB, and network security for work-from-home setups.

iboss

JumpCloud offers efficient device management, single sign-on, and integration capabilities. It integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, streamlining user management across diverse environments.

JumpCloud delivers device, user, and application management across platforms like Windows, Mac, Linux, and cloud services such as AWS and Azure. Acting as a cloud-based directory, it facilitates single sign-on and identity access management, making it an attractive replacement for Active Directory and LDAP directories. Its policy management and centralized directory simplify user and device administration, offering a user-friendly interface with flexible access control and remote management. Organizations can experience streamlined onboarding and offboarding processes, robust authentication, and scalability. Despite being powerful, room for improvement is noted in alert capabilities, comprehensive MDM for Windows, multi-tenant features, and API reliability.

What are the key features of JumpCloud?

Device Management: Manage Windows, Mac, and Linux devices efficiently.
Single Sign-on: Seamlessly integrate with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.
Centralized Directory: Simplifies administration by consolidating user credentials.
Policy Management: Enforce policies and provide VPN access.
Remote Management: Provides flexible access control.

Why should users consider JumpCloud?

Streamlined Onboarding/Offboarding: Efficient user management saves time.
Robust Authentication: Enhances security through strong credential management.
Scalability: Adapts well to growing business needs.
Integration Capabilities: Supports seamless connections with cloud applications.

Companies across industries utilize JumpCloud for comprehensive management of devices and user identities. It is especially beneficial in technology-driven sectors where centralized directory services replace traditional Active Directory and LDAP models. Organizations employing platforms like AWS and Azure find it essential for maintaining efficient and secure access management.

JumpCloud

Active Directory stores information about objects on the network and makes this information easy for administrators and users to find and use. Active Directory uses a structured data store as the basis for a logical, hierarchical organization of directory information.

This data store, also known as the directory, contains information about Active Directory objects. These objects typically include shared resources such as servers, volumes, printers, and the network user and computer accounts.

Security is integrated with Active Directory through logon authentication and access control to objects in the directory. With a single network logon, administrators can manage directory data and organization throughout their network, and authorized network users can access resources anywhere on the network. Policy-based administration eases the management of even the most complex network.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

More than 4,000 global enterprises trust the iboss Cloud Platform to support their modern workforces, including a large number of Fortune 50 companies.

Cars.com, GoFundMe, Grab, ClassPass, Uplight, Beyond Finance, Foursquare

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

JumpCloud vs. Microsoft Active Directory

January 2026

Free Report: JumpCloud vs. Microsoft Active Directory

Find out what your peers are saying about JumpCloud vs. Microsoft Active Directory and other solutions. Updated: January 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

881,707 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our JumpCloud vs. Microsoft Active Directory report.

See our list of best Single Sign-On (SSO) vendors, best ZTNA as a Service vendors, and best Active Directory Management vendors.

We monitor all Single Sign-On (SSO) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.