Microsoft Active Directory vs Red Hat Single Sign On comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Microsoft and Red Hat are both solutions in the Single Sign-On (SSO) category. Microsoft is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.5, while Red Hat is ranked #18. Microsoft holds a 2.7% mindshare in SSO, compared to Red Hat’s 1.5% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Red Hat users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Active Directory

Read 47 Microsoft Active Directory reviews

5,602 Views
3,753 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Red Hat Single Sign On

Read 5 Red Hat Single Sign On reviews

1,720 Views
1,703 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Active Directory

Red Hat Single Sign On

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 18, 2024

Red Hat Single Sign On and Microsoft Active Directory are leading identity management solutions. Microsoft Active Directory seems to have the upper hand in overall feature set and user reviews despite Red Hat Single Sign On receiving favorable feedback in pricing and customer support.

Features: Red Hat Single Sign On is praised for its seamless integration with open-source tools, strong security features, and easy setup. Microsoft Active Directory is highly valued for its wide range of features, comprehensive access controls, and robust scalability. Microsoft Active Directory's broader feature set gives it an edge.

Room for Improvement: Red Hat Single Sign On could improve its documentation, enhance user community support, and provide better debugging tools. Microsoft Active Directory users suggest enhancing cloud integration, simplifying complex configurations, and improving mobile device support.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Red Hat Single Sign On is often cited as easier to deploy due to its compatibility with various systems and strong customer support. Microsoft Active Directory, although powerful, is seen as having a steeper learning curve and more complex deployment process but offers extensive customer service options.

Pricing and ROI: Red Hat Single Sign On is considered cost-effective with a good return on investment, especially for open-source environments. Microsoft Active Directory, while more expensive, is viewed as worth the investment due to its extensive feature set and robust performance.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Active Directory vs. Red Hat Single Sign On Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Active Directory vs. Red Hat Single Sign On

September 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

Microsoft Active Directory

Ranking in Single Sign-On (SSO)

9th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Active Directory Management (3rd)

Red Hat Single Sign On

Ranking in Single Sign-On (SSO)

18th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Single Sign-On (SSO) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Active Directory is 2.7%, down from 3.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Red Hat Single Sign On is 1.5%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Single Sign-On (SSO) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Active Directory	2.7%
Red Hat Single Sign On	1.5%
Other	95.8%

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Featured Reviews

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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Giovanni Baruzzi

Owner at Syntlogo GmbH

A stable and flexible solution with some basic capabilities

I set up Red Hat Single Sign-On in half an hour. I had to install a single sign-on solution for a customer. I reviewed a list of all available products, which were no more than fifty, and analyzed them. I chose it because it was convincing, modern, and based on technology from 2015. I put my trust in this product, and after nine years, I feel confident in my decision. Deploying this solution usually takes half an hour. You need an operating system running, then deploy the packages and prepare the interfaces. I rate the initial setup a ten out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.

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 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 is stable."

"Stability and performance are good. So far, we have not observed any major downtime or performance issues since we deployed it."

"Active Directory plays a focal point in security management, encompassing aspects like credential management, lifecycle, dynamic provisioning, and the network infrastructure of customers."

"I've been working with Microsoft Active Directory for over 3 years, and we've had no problems."

"The solution's technical support is good."

"The product is very stable and flexible. You can also integrate the solution with other products like mail solutions."

"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, because when they log in to their computer, the application will automatically log in with their credentials."

More Microsoft Active Directory pros

"Good support for single sign-on protocols."

"The solution is flexible and has the same basic capabilities right out of the box. The most important feature of this product is that it is a Red double-sided product. One side is a well-known open-source project; the other is a Red Hat commercial product. The commercial product benefits from all the experience and contributions of the community, making it a very well-developed product."

"It is very easy to scale and use as you want."

"The product’s most valuable feature is its ability to assign only one password for the user at a false value."

"Red Hat SSO has a lot of very concise, well laid out documentation, which is available in the free edition as well."

"Red Hat SSO integrates well with our other solutions. Using OIDC protocols and ITL integration, employees can authenticate with Red Hat SSO and access our microservices."

"I like that the solution is open source and you can use a commercial edition of it without any charge."

Cons

"Sometimes when we create email groups in Microsoft Active Directory and add someone to that group, it takes around 24 to 48 hours for their email account to be synchronized with their Microsoft Office 365 shared mailbox, distribution list, or group."

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

"I did not have a good experience with the product's tech support. First-level support takes a lot of time since they ask many questions."

"UI is not very user-friendly."

"Microsoft Active Directory restricts most of the features our company's employees want to use since they are involved in research and development activities."

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

"Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services is very difficult for on-premises solutions, while for the cloud solution, it's very easy."

"It's not the tendency of Microsoft to use a standard, but to modify it to their needs. This is catastrophic if you have to integrate other applications that use the same standard."

More Microsoft Active Directory cons

"Security could be improved."

"I think they could provide additional features in terms of users trying to manipulate the system with regard to security."

"They could provide more checks and balances to find out if there have been any security lapses, e.g., if somebody is trying to break into the system. Some other products have these detection mechanisms in case someone is trying to hack into the system or find out a user's passwords."

"Red Hat publishes much more and communicates its actions and plans. They could provide words, maps, and other resources."

"The product’s technical support services could be better."

"Red Hat SSO's architecture could be updated."

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"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."

"We have to purchase a license for the solution."

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

"Microsoft Active Directory is not an expensive solution."

"I'm unsure about the cost of the solution, as I was never involved in that aspect. However, I don't think it would be expensive. It might be average, around four or five out of ten."

"Its price is reasonable."

"The license per user can probably be reduced."

More Microsoft Active Directory pricing and cost advice

"The license is around $8000 USD."

"If you want support, that is when you use the paid version. There are different support categories that you can pay for, which provide different support levels. E.g., there is a quick response if you pay a higher amount, where the response time is within a few hours."

"It is a low cost product. This product can be used by non-profit organizations or universities, when they don't want to invest a lot of money."

"Red Hat Single Sign On is expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Healthcare Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

13%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Outsourcing Company

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	21
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	20

No data available

Questions from the Community

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 would rate it as eight. If I give it 10, it would be too perfect. Eight is fair. M...

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

What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Active Directory?

Regarding Microsoft Active Directory's integration with third-party applications, it depends on the requirements. It's not always linked or combined with Microsoft Active Directory. In my experienc...

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Comparisons

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Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 2% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Active Directory

October 2026

Download Microsoft Active Directory product report

Buyer's Guide

Single Sign-On (SSO)

October 2026

Download Red Hat Single Sign On product report

Also Known As

No data available

Red Hat Single Sign-On, Red Hat SSO, RH SSO, RH-SSO

Overview

Microsoft Active Directory enables centralized management of user identities and permissions, integrating seamlessly with cloud services via Azure AD Connect. Its support for hybrid environments makes it essential for businesses looking to manage authentication, authorization, and access control efficiently.

Active Directory offers a robust framework for network and identity management, focusing on scalability and ease of use. Its integration with Single Sign-On enhances user convenience by synchronizing login credentials across cloud and on-premises applications. While it efficiently manages security protocols, scalability, and third-party application integration, users note areas for improvement like better reporting capabilities, a modernized interface, improved synchronization between on-prem and cloud setups, and streamlined configurations.

What are the essential features of Microsoft Active Directory?

User-Friendliness: Designed for easy navigation and management.
Azure AD Connect: Seamless integration with cloud services.
Group Policy Management: Centralized control over user and device settings.
Single Sign-On: Unified credential management across applications.
Scalability: Supports growing business environments.

What benefits and ROI should users expect?

Centralized Management: Streamlines user and application administration.
Enhanced Security: Strong protocols for identity verification and access control.
Flexibility: Supports both on-premises and cloud environments effectively.
Operational Efficiency: Reduces complexity and minimizes administrative errors.

In industries like finance and healthcare, Active Directory is implemented to manage sensitive data access and user authentication across complex networks. Retailers rely on its scalability for managing vast customer and product datasets, while educational institutions utilize its centralized management features to efficiently administer student and faculty permissions across multiple applications and platforms.

Microsoft

Red Hat Single Sign On is an open-source platform offering fast, scalable, and customizable SSO solutions. It supports popular protocols and integrates with social logins and enterprise solutions to provide seamless authentication across applications.

Red Hat Single Sign On provides fast and flexible authentication, enhancing security across different applications. It supports standardized SSO protocols like OpenID Connect and integrates easily with multiple platforms. Its open-source nature, backed by Red Hat's commercial support, allows community contributions and adaptable capabilities. However, it could improve its integration with Windows products and enhance its security features, including detection mechanisms and audit reports. Scalability and documentation are key areas for development, and users seek advanced tracking for unauthorized access attempts.

What are the key features of Red Hat Single Sign On?

Open Source: Community-driven with extensive documentation and flexibility for customization.
SSO Protocol Support: Compatible with standard protocols like OpenID Connect for seamless integration.
Social Login Integration: Easily integrates with social platforms, enhancing user experience.
Scalable Design: Efficiently handles authentication across multiple clusters.
Commercial Support: Backed by Red Hat for professional support and reliability.

What benefits or ROI should be evaluated when considering Red Hat Single Sign On?

Enhanced Security: Streamlined processes reduce risk, ensuring secure access across applications.
Flexibility: Open-source nature offers adaptable functionality for diverse requirements.
Community Contributions: Benefits from continuous improvements and new features.
Cost-Effective: Transition from Keycloak to paid subscription offers robust capabilities.

Industries, especially those requiring robust security and scalability, implement Red Hat Single Sign On to manage authentication. It integrates with enterprise solutions and identity providers, streamlining login processes and reducing complexities. Organizations appreciate its adaptability when transitioning from Keycloak, experiencing enhanced application authentication and password security.

Red Hat

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Active Directory vs. Red Hat Single Sign On

September 2026

Free Report: Microsoft Active Directory vs. Red Hat Single Sign On

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