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.

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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

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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

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.

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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.

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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.

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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

"iboss is easy to use despite its complexity. Multiple engineers manage it, but it's significantly more straightforward to administer than traditional VPNs and web proxies."

"Iboss is a solution that prevents advanced persistent threats, and has a zero tolerance for attacks."

"We were impressed by the solution's mental health function, which can detect if someone needs help. It scans what users are browsing and flags warning signs so we can check to see if they are okay. We've had to use it a couple of times."

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

"Because of iboss, I did not have to assign web filtering tasks to my techs on a daily basis."

"First of all, the security policies are essential. I do not have to rely solely on Active Directory for our users."

"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."

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

More iboss pros

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

"The most impactful feature of JumpCloud is that it allows me to use one credential for all platforms or accounts, reducing the need to remember multiple credentials."

"JumpCloud has positively impacted my organization because we can work more efficiently by focusing on the one user portal to use the applications."

"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."

"I am impressed with the product's remote access which allows admins to control endpoints which is a timesaver."

"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."

"After deploying to the cloud, we had remote device management on all of our corporate laptops."

"The good thing about JumpCloud is having something where in a single tool, I can manage everything: users, groups, their permissions, their different applications, integrations, and the devices."

More JumpCloud pros

"It is very user-friendly."

"The solution is stable."

"I can control all the devices in my domain by just changing the group policies in one place."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is authentication."

"The most valuable feature is the configured appliance system in Hypervisor."

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

"The solution's technical support is good."

"I think the main reason we are using Active Directory for SSO Office for single time and for intake integrity capability to other services."

More Microsoft Active Directory pros

Cons

"Sometimes when you call in support, you get someone who is just following a sheet. It feels like a runaround. You feel that you are running into that support wall."

"To scale up, a new iboss Node Blade Chassis must be purchased."

"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."

"Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, iboss is not cheap, and that's my only concern."

"Its pricing could be better."

"Fold that in with the risk intelligence they're getting from all of the different subscriptions they are a part of. Now, these security companies subscribe to things like emerging threats, databases, etc. You can fold all this intelligence to decide what's happening on an endpoint. I would love to see them start moving into that space. That would compete directly with Microsoft. Maybe that's why they haven't. Having that ability native within the solution would be great. The other area in which I would love to see improvement is more detailed descriptions of why they block websites."

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

"Sometimes the agent stops working in iboss, and we have to reinstall the agent."

More iboss cons

"Support is not good enough."

"A nice feature called patch management with different kinds of licensing is not included in JumpCloud."

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

"For improvement, the tool should introduce more customization options."

"I chose to give it a nine out of ten because I see the need for improved security levels in JumpCloud, including more security features."

"JumpCloud can be improved in several areas."

"Customer support should be enhanced, especially the response time which should be much faster than it is now. I think it is slow."

"There are a few aspects that could be improved. Their API was a little spotty when I last used it, and some of those use cases were around removing systems from our environment."

More JumpCloud cons

"They should improve the solution's old computer cleanup tool."

"If you are using the Active Directory, the main concern is that the policy is restricted to the specific local area network."

"There is room for improvement."

"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."

"The solution could be made more safe by using authentication mechanisms."

"If Microsoft is going to add anything to the on-prem solution, it should be an updated GUI."

"Active Directory's user experience is a little dated. Group policy management should be more customizable."

"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."

More Microsoft Active Directory cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"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."

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

"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 pricing model changed about 18 months ago. It used to be that you got 10 users free, and then you paid for any user above 10 users. Now, when you go above 10 users, you pay for every user. It has become a bit more expensive, but it's such a good product. When you take into account Microsoft licenses, if you were to run Active Directory, you'd need a server to put it on, or you would need a couple of servers, backup, etc. It's a no-brainer. JumpCloud is so much easier to manage from my perspective, regardless of the cost increase. It's just brilliant."

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

"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."

"Licensing cost can be anywhere between $2 and $18 a month depending on what you want to do."

"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."

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

More JumpCloud pricing and cost advice

"The license is perpetual and the cost is minimal. If you purchase Microsoft Windows then Microsoft Active Directory comes with the package."

"Active Directory is built-in into Microsoft Windows 10. I'm not an administrator and would not be involved in purchasing decisions for new versions of the software. I have only used the client portion of it, I do not know if there is a cost to using the solution."

"Microsoft Active Directory is not an expensive solution."

"My company makes payments every quarter towards the licensing costs of the product."

"The license per user can probably be reduced."

"Its price is reasonable."

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

"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

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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...

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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...

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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...

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What do you like most about JumpCloud?

The product enables device management.

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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...

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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

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

iboss

January 2026

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Buyer's Guide

JumpCloud

January 2026

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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

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