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Microsoft Active Directory vs SAP Single Sign-On comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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)
8th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
47
Ranking in other categories
Active Directory Management (2nd)
SAP Single Sign-On
Ranking in Single Sign-On (SSO)
33rd
Average Rating
10.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.5
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Single Sign-On (SSO) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Active Directory is 3.0%, up from 2.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP Single Sign-On is 0.8%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Single Sign-On (SSO) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Active Directory3.0%
SAP Single Sign-On0.8%
Other96.2%
Single Sign-On (SSO)
 

Featured Reviews

Eko Kurniawan - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
AhmedHaridy - PeerSpot reviewer
Managing Director at Emkan
A flexible solution that has two-factor authentication feature
The solution has been integrated into our mobile workforce using SAP IAS. This service links all SAP products with a central authentication platform, allowing users to access various systems and functionalities. We can easily integrate this solution with Active Directory or other solutions such as Microsoft or IBM. Additionally, SAP IAS also supports digital authentication, not only for SAP but also for other platforms like Microsoft Azure. Customers can quickly establish user authentication with SAP IAS in just a few minutes, enabling secure access to specific products or systems based on predefined rules. The two-factor authentication feature of SAP Single Sign-On is highly valuable for enhancing security. It allows users to access SAP products using various authentication methods, such as Microsoft user or their authentication service. This ensures secure access to all systems, both SAP and non-SAP, while giving the company control over user access. Additionally, the solution offers location-based access control. We find that it's already quite flexible and doesn't require much customization. It's mainly about configuration, which doesn't demand technical expertise. Customers often delve deeper into the solution's features to understand how to use it more effectively. They ask questions that are already addressed within the platform. This reliance on the solution's features, alongside their internal on-premises systems, has a very positive impact. The tool is compatible with different products.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"One valuable feature is the centralized creation of IDs."
"The solution is easy to install and has good reliability."
"The solution is the most reliable and easiest directory service in the world so we became Gold partners to fully support it."
"The solution is user-friendly, and I like using Microsoft products."
"The solution's initial setup is straightforward."
"Microsoft Active Directory is the most centralized tool for my organization, which has impacted us positively, as we can reset passwords for all users at once, add anyone to any group, and check the members tab, making it really easy for us to troubleshoot end-user issues and beneficial for our information technology needs."
"I can control all the devices in my domain by just changing the group policies in one place."
"It's quite easy to integrate into other directories."
"The solution has been integrated into our mobile workforce using SAP IAS. This service links all SAP products with a central authentication platform, allowing users to access various systems and functionalities. We can easily integrate this solution with Active Directory or other solutions such as Microsoft or IBM. Additionally, SAP IAS also supports digital authentication, not only for SAP but also for other platforms like Microsoft Azure. Customers can quickly establish user authentication with SAP IAS in just a few minutes, enabling secure access to specific products or systems based on predefined rules."
 

Cons

"If you are using the Active Directory, the main concern is that the policy is restricted to the specific local area network."
"UI is not very user-friendly."
"Microsoft Active Directory could improve by having better integration with other solutions."
"Microsoft Active Directory fails to provide MFA. MFA, which is also known as multi-factor authentication on top of the password and username, is what I would like to see in the product's future releases."
"Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services is very difficult for on-premises solutions, while for the cloud solution, it's very easy."
"I have encountered a few stability issues."
"The solution could be made more safe by using authentication mechanisms."
"The scalability of the solution needs improvement."
"The only improvement I suggest for SAP Single Sign-On concerns employees without emails. We addressed this by allowing users to set up security questions themselves. However, to further enhance this, integrating with mobile SMS for password resets could be beneficial."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is based on a licensing model."
"I rate the product’s pricing a five out of ten."
"The price of Microsoft Active Directory could improve. We pay annually for the 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."
"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."
"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."
"The pricing is not very expensive. I rate the pricing a five out of ten."
"The license per user can probably be reduced."
"The tool is free of cost."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Healthcare Company
7%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business21
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise20
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...
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.
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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Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
1. Adidas 2. Aetna 3. Airbus 4. Allianz 5. American Express 6. AstraZeneca 7. Audi 8.Bayer 9. BMW 10. Boeing 11. Cisco 12. Coca-Cola 13. Colgate-Palmolive 14. Dell 15. Eni 16. Ericsson 17. ExxonMobil 18. Ford 19. General Electric 20. Google 21. Hewlett Packard 22. Honeywell 23. IBM 24. Intel 25. Johnson & Johnson 26. JPMorgan Chase 27. Kellogg's 28. L'Oreal 29. Merck 30. Nestle 31. Nike 32. PG
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Okta, Cisco and others in Single Sign-On (SSO). Updated: April 2026.
893,244 professionals have used our research since 2012.