Microsoft Entra ID vs Netwrix Auditor comparison

Microsoft and Netwrix are both solutions in the Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) category. Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.7, while Netwrix is ranked #16 with an average rating of 9.5. Microsoft holds a 23.3% mindshare in IAMS, compared to Netwrix’s 0.6% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Netwrix users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Entra ID

Read 236 Microsoft Entra ID reviews

22,288 Views
7,355 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Netwrix Auditor

Read 8 Netwrix Auditor reviews

1,885 Views
151 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Entra ID

Netwrix Auditor

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 2, 2024

Microsoft Entra ID and Netwrix Auditor compete in the security and access management category. Entra ID holds an edge with its integration and authentication features, while Netwrix Auditor excels in auditing and compliance.

Features: Microsoft Entra ID provides centralized management, single sign-on, and multi-factor authentication, ensuring robust security and seamless access control. Netwrix Auditor focuses on detailed auditing, offering extensive monitoring of admin activities and automated alerts for unauthorized access.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft Entra ID can improve market penetration of its authenticator, offer better documentation, and enhance support for legacy systems. Netwrix Auditor could expand its features by integrating DNS and DSTP within the active directory license for improved user experience across different server types.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Entra ID is suitable for large-scale deployments with its scalability across public and hybrid clouds, although support experiences vary. Netwrix Auditor provides consistent support but could improve responsiveness and resource availability. Entra ID has a steeper learning curve due to its wide feature set, while Netwrix's setup aligns with stability.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Entra ID's flexible subscription model integrates with Microsoft 365, offering ROI through reduced manual interventions. However, simpler licensing and cost concerns exist for advanced features. Netwrix Auditor offers cost-effective pricing for detailed auditing, with direct purchase benefits focusing on cost savings.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Entra ID vs. Netwrix Auditor Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID vs. Netwrix Auditor

September 2025

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Helped 868,787 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

Microsoft Entra ID

Ranking in Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

236

Ranking in other categories

Single Sign-On (SSO) (1st), Authentication Systems (1st), Identity Management (IM) (2nd), Access Management (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (2nd)

Netwrix Auditor

Ranking in Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)

16th

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

GRC (10th), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (27th), Active Directory Management (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Entra ID is 23.3%, down from 29.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Netwrix Auditor is 0.6%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Entra ID	23.3%
Netwrix Auditor	0.6%
Other	76.1%

Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)

Featured Reviews

Bahram Piri

Chief Executive Officer & Founder at IDmelon Technologies

Security focus and seamless implementation increase platform productivity

Microsoft Entra ID can be improved in many ways, and there's a big wish list.If we're focusing on security, something that I definitely expect is improvement in the UI and UX for frontline workers. This is important, especially for non-tech savvy individuals. It is something Microsoft Entra ID could do to improve for a wider audience. It's important to focus on the frontline workers since they are non-tech savvy individuals. They are not like those back-office engineering C-level employees who are constantly dealing with computers, and we need to build a specific user experience and user interface for them to handle this stuff. That's something I expect Microsoft to focus on more for Microsoft Entra ID.

Read full review

RishiPandit

Lead - Technical Services at Impetus

Optimizing time and effort through comprehensive auditing features

Netwrix Auditor doesn't have many competitors at the level in which it is placed. All other companies provide auditing solutions but not up to the feature list; it is very broad and robust. The best features include flexibility to interact directly with MS-SQL. Real-time alerts help identify potential security threats. The ability to streamline audits with insights into configuration states is helpful, as the access reviews and audit reports are really insightful. This is a good tool. The search functionality is available, but comparative to other vendors, this is a bit slower. Reports are effective; the compliance reports and all the reports are very insightful. That is good.

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 solution adds an extra layer of security."

"Conditional Access, Geofencing, and Azure Multi-Factor Authentication are the major security features to secure resources."

"Azure Active Directory is a very simple utility to use, it has very good visibility and transparency, and an easy-to-use panel."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is its ability to delegate roles to each individual resource, which is great."

"Conditional access and Privileged Identity Management (PIM) are the most valuable features from a security perspective."

"I would rate Microsoft Entra ID a ten out of ten."

"The best feature is the single sign-on provision for the various type of users."

"It's an easy product to maintain."

More Microsoft Entra ID pros

"I have found user behavior analysis and the ability to run risk assessments important features. Additionally, the interface and online documentation are very good."

"Netwrix Auditor doesn't have many competitors at the level in which it is placed; all other companies provide auditing solutions but not up to the feature list—it is very broad and robust."

"What I find the most valuable about Netwrix Auditor is the way it shows risk. The reports are very clear."

"It maintains audit logs for the duration of time that you wish, as long as you have the storage capacity to do so."

"Netwrix provides features that no other solution on the market does."

"The most valuable feature is the real-time monitoring."

"The most valuable features of Netwrix Auditor are its affordability compared to similar products and its comprehensive monitoring of admin activities."

"I am impressed with the tool's reporting feature and notifications."

Cons

"The integration between the Azure active directory and the traditional active directory could be improved upon."

"Private access and internet access should be available in a less expensive licensing model."

"ESAE management, especially the admin tools, could be improved. It should be built in by the vendor, and I shouldn't have to add patches or updates to connect to my domain directly. It should be added by default. The price could be better."

"The licensing and support are expensive and have room for improvement."

"The security policy of Azure Active Directory should be based on a matrix so that we can easily visualize which users have access to what."

"A couple of years ago, I experienced some difficulty in implementing the solutions, the services of Azure AD. In one instance, I was not able to configure Azure AD for a registration. This was two or three years ago. However, currently, the documentation is very clear and there are no loopholes or anything that could hinder even a simple IT administrator to implement these services."

"The robustness of the conditional access feature of the zero trust strategy to verify users is adequate but not comprehensive."

"There is a concept of cross-tenant trust relationships, which I believe Microsoft is actively pursuing. That is something which in the coming days and years to come by will be very key to the success of Azure Active Directory, because many organizations are going into mergers and acquisitions or spinning off new companies. They will still have to access the old tenant information because of multiple legal reasons, compliance reasons, and all those things. So, there should be some level of tenant-level trust functionality, where you can bring people from other tenants to access some part of your tenant application. So, that is an area which is growing. I believe Microsoft is actively pursuing this, and it will be an interesting piece."

More Microsoft Entra ID cons

"The solution lacks self-service on password reset. It also needs to improve its scalability."

"The Linux compatibility of this solution could be improved."

"If you buy direct, there is a minimum of 150 licenses that must be procured. The price point and barrier of entry is a little bit higher than it would be if you purchased the solution from an authorized reseller partner, rather than buying it and managing yourself."

"An improvement would be if there was an another way to manage the logs besides email because it's not so practical."

"In the UI, we have to adjust and resize our console many times, and sometimes it appears, sometimes you have to close and open it, and sometimes it does not give a scroll bar to navigate."

"I expect usability features to become more refined over time. I'm interested to see how it evolves and continues to improve."

"There is room for improvements when it comes to the licensing."

"When there are issues I would like remediation to be in one place."

More Netwrix Auditor cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"If you are dealing with one supplier with an out-of-the-box solution, which provides you end-to-end capabilities, then it is naturally cheaper and less of a headache to manage and operate."

"Previously, only building and global administrators could purchase subscriptions or licenses. Mid-last year, Microsoft made it so users can purchase the license online. Microsoft business subscription is for 200 to 300 users. If you have more than 300 users, you can't purchase the business plan. You have to purchase the enterprise plan. The enterprise plan is for 301 users and above. Pay as you go is also available. If you pay as you go in Azure, you will be billed for whatever you use."

"We pay a yearly license. Licenses are very expensive."

"We pay about $35 per user."

"The basic tier of Azure Active Directory is free, so many users use the service for free. For a small company having the security and compliance that Azure offers is a great benefit. For small companies that are using the basic services, not having to pay for Azure Active Directory is the main asset because they can manage their users and have authentications tools and security."

"Everything needs to be considered for the requirements and if it is within the budget, then you can come up with a solution, whether it is SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS."

"I'd recommend Azure Active Directory if you are a big company. For small or medium companies, it's probably not the best idea in the world because of the pricing. If you are a small company, you can probably deploy your own solutions because you're not handling a website with tons of traffic. If you are not like Adidas, Nike, or Walmart, you can do it in a way that is more localized than handling everything through a big price solution. However, Azure tends to provide you with solutions that are easier to use. If it was cheaper, I'd definitely recommend going for it."

"Its price is per user. It is also based on the type of user that you're synchronizing up there."

More Microsoft Entra ID pricing and cost advice

"There is a license for this solution and we are on an annual license. The price is reasonable."

"This solution is reasonably priced. I would rate it a nine out of ten."

"The tool's price is fair."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	80
Midsize Enterprise	36
Large Enterprise	132

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	4

Questions from the Community

How does Duo Security compare with Microsoft Authenticator?

We switched to Duo Security for identity verification. We’d been using a competitor but got the chance to evaluate Duo for 30 days, and we could not be happier. Duo Security is easy to configure a...

See all answers

What do you like most about Azure Active Directory?

It is very simple. The Active Directory functions are very easy for us. Its integration with anything is very easy. We can easily do third-party multifactor authentication.

See all answers

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

Our experience with the pricing, setup costs, and licensing of Microsoft Entra ID involves leveraging Microsoft 365 E5 licensing, so it's included. Being included in Microsoft licensing makes it mu...

See all answers

What do you like most about Netwrix Auditor?

The most valuable features of Netwrix Auditor are its affordability compared to similar products and its comprehensive monitoring of admin activities.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Netwrix Auditor?

I don't know about the pricing of this, but it is good at this price point because our organization has purchased it, which means it was in budget. We usually do not buy expensive solutions, so the...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Netwrix Auditor?

The areas of improvement include the front end, as the UI should be more intuitive and there should be fewer bugs. In the UI, we have to adjust and resize our console many times, and sometimes it a...

See all answers

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Compared 16% of the time

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Compared 13% of the time

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Compared 12% of the time

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ManageEngine Log360 vs Netwrix Auditor

Compared 2% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID

September 2025

Download Microsoft Entra ID product report

Buyer's Guide

Netwrix Auditor

September 2025

Download Netwrix Auditor product report

Also Known As

Azure AD, Azure Active Directory, Azure Active Directory, Microsoft Authenticator

No data available

Interactive Demo

Microsoft

Demo not available

Netwrix

Overview

Microsoft Entra ID is an advanced identity and access management service offering seamless single sign-on, multifactor authentication, and centralized user access across applications, enhancing security and efficiency for organizations transitioning to cloud-based environments.

Recognized for its centralized management, Microsoft Entra ID significantly boosts organizational security by integrating features such as conditional access and identity protection. It supports a wide array of applications, facilitating a secure transition from on-premises to scalable cloud environments. By adopting robust security measures and flexible identity management, organizations can streamline operations and ensure consistent user experiences. However, challenges like confusing licensing costs, outdated documentation, and limited integration with non-Microsoft applications persist. Enhancements in technical support, interface design, and more granular permissions are needed to address these issues effectively.

What are the key features of Microsoft Entra ID?

Seamless Single Sign-On: Allows users to access multiple applications with one set of credentials.
Multifactor Authentication: Adds an extra layer of security by requiring multiple forms of verification.
Conditional Access: Provides adaptive policies to ensure the right access under the right conditions.
Identity Protection: Detects and responds to potential vulnerabilities and threats.
Privileged Identity Management: Controls and monitors access to critical resources.

What benefits should users expect when evaluating Microsoft Entra ID?

Enhanced Security: Protects against unauthorized access and data breaches.
Operational Efficiency: Centralizes identity management to reduce administrative tasks.
Scalability: Supports growth by accommodating evolving IT environments.
Cost Management: Facilitates cost control through centralized systems and automated processes.

In healthcare, Microsoft Entra ID facilitates secure patient record access and compliance with industry regulations. Financial institutions rely on it for robust security measures in safeguarding client data. In the education sector, it streamlines access to online resources for students and faculty. Global enterprises benefit from its ability to manage complex identity frameworks across multiple regions, ensuring reliable security amidst increasing cyber threats.

Microsoft

Netwrix Auditor is a security-focused solution that monitors IT environments by tracking changes, ensuring compliance, and enhancing visibility into user activities. It offers detailed auditing, real-time alerts, and robust reporting tools. Its intuitive interface and comprehensive features boost efficiency, productivity, and organizational growth.

Netwrix

Sample Customers

Microsoft Entre ID is trusted by companies of all sizes and industries including Walmart, Zscaler, Uniper, Amtrak, monday.com, and more.

AT&T, SanDisk, Siemens, Verizon, Electrolux, Allianz, Societe Generale

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID vs. Netwrix Auditor

September 2025

Free Report: Microsoft Entra ID vs. Netwrix Auditor

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