Microsoft Entra ID vs Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) comparison

Microsoft and Broadcom are both solutions in the Access Management category. Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.6, while Broadcom is ranked #25. Microsoft holds a 17.4% mindshare in AM, compared to Broadcom’s 1.2% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution.

Microsoft Entra ID

Read 266 Microsoft Entra ID reviews

24,265 Views
7,037 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Symantec Zero Trust Network...

Read 1 Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) review

760 Views
342 Comparison Views

0% willing to recommend

Microsoft Entra ID

Symantec Zero Trust Network...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Microsoft Entra ID and Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Okta, Ping Identity and others in Access Management.

To learn more, read our detailed Access Management Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Access Management

January 2026

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Helped 881,114 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 Access Management

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

266

Ranking in other categories

Single Sign-On (SSO) (1st), Authentication Systems (1st), Identity Management (IM) (2nd), Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (2nd)

Symantec Zero Trust Network...

Ranking in Access Management

25th

Average Rating

7.0

Reviews Sentiment

4.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

ZTNA as a Service (22nd), ZTNA (18th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Access Management category, the mindshare of Microsoft Entra ID is 17.4%, down from 26.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) is 1.2%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Access Management Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Entra ID	17.4%
Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)	1.2%
Other	81.4%

Access Management

Featured Reviews

Dewey Phillips

Senior Information Security Engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

Implementing seamless integration boosts secure access and supports Zero Trust

What I appreciate the most about Microsoft Entra ID is that it integrates seamlessly with all the Defender products and is easy to use. Microsoft Entra ID's integration capabilities influence our Zero Trust model by allowing us to enforce our Zero Trust model. Conditional access policies allow us to leverage Microsoft Entra ID to verify that devices signing in to our cloud services are coming from registered devices, and that people are passing all the other requirements we have in order to complete sign-on or conditional access policies. Since implementing Microsoft Entra ID, I've observed changes in the frequency and nature of identity-related security incidents. The organization already had it implemented when I arrived, and I've been working to enhance it. Better configuration of Microsoft Entra ID has allowed us to better protect our organization from threats. Having it alone isn't a solution, but ensuring proper configuration goes a long way in preventing future compromises. My company's approach to defending against token theft and nation-state attacks has evolved since implementing Microsoft Entra ID. We haven't experienced any known compromises from nation-state attacks, and implementing newer features gives me more confidence in our protection. Regarding device-bound passkeys in Microsoft Authenticator and our approach to phishing-resistant authentication, we are currently implementing Microsoft Entra ID certificate-based authentication. Adding a strong form of MFA is important as we found it to be the most cost-effective way. While other solutions might be equally or more secure, they are significantly more expensive. Having worked as an IT consultant mainly with the Microsoft stack across various industries, I have experience with different identity management solutions. Microsoft Entra ID remains the best option. The major advantages when comparing it to Okta include integration with Defender products, Defender for Identities' integration with conditional access policies, and insider threat management integration for blocking sign-ins based on risk factors. The enhancement of Microsoft Entra ID's implementation is relatively straightforward. My main concern is the occasional lack of documentation and the frequency of changes, which can make feature location challenging.

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cto543714

CTO at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Restricts access to applications but improvement is needed in integrations

Over the last year, I have been working with customers because it's changing and maturing. These things are rolled out in segments and chunks, not all at once. Additional internal work is often required to make it functional, such as properly configuring the active directory. This internal work can take up to three months. The process varies, and implementing Symantec ZTNA quickly is not realistic. I wouldn't recommend the tool to non-core customers because you won't get the support you need. I'd rate Symantec ZTNA a seven on a scale of one to ten. They're still integrating different pieces into their solution. The challenge with ZTNA is that different companies implement it slightly differently, with some features present in one product but missing in another. ZTNA is a tricky acronym that companies use, but when you look closely, you find that each vendor might only have some of the expected features.

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 important things of Azure Active Directory are the security and the facility to manage all the services and users. It is very easy to manage users and assign roles, permissions, and access. At the same time, it is a very secure environment. Microsoft takes security very seriously. They take care of all the security and all the factors to prevent any kind of data or information compromise."

"With Azure Conditional Access you can specify network locations where you want some of the services in the organization to be available to users, and where you don't want users to have access."

"It's very user-friendly for users."

"If a company has hundreds of users that already exist in the cloud, and it now wants to enable those same users to be present in third-party applications that their business uses, like Atlassian or GoToMeeting, the provisioning technology can assist in achieving that."

"The features around permissions are excellent."

"I find the conditional access policies to be the most valuable. They provide a lot of granularity in determining where the users can log in from, how they log in, and what they have access to."

"Having worked as an IT consultant mainly with the Microsoft stack across various industries, I have experience with different identity management solutions. Microsoft Entra ID remains the best option."

"I like the way it communicates to the cloud."

More Microsoft Entra ID pros

"The most valuable feature of this product is restricting and controlling what people have access to. If I want a contractor to connect to my network, I can give them access to only the specific things they need without giving them full VPN access to my entire network. That's the main benefit everyone gets from it. The value depends on how many users and applications you have and what you want to share."

Cons

"Four years ago, we had an issue with Azure AD. We wanted to reverse sync from Azure AD to on-prem Active Directory, but we couldn't achieve this. Azure AD could connect only in one way, for example, from your site to Azure. If you needed to do the reverse and connect from Azure to on-prem, there was no way to achieve it. We asked Microsoft, and they told us that they don't support it."

"The solution can improve the educational portion because it is an administration cost."

"They should put the features of P1 and P2 into a single license."

"Our users sometimes experience issues from having multiple Microsoft accounts, which can cause some confusion and hassle."

"The product needs to be more user-friendly."

"Anytime that we have tried to allow Microsoft Entra ID to authenticate our users to come back on-premises, we have run into some issues, usually with latency or delay."

"In my opinion, Microsoft sometimes releases products too early without providing enough documentation."

"My experience with the pricing, setup costs, and licensing of Microsoft Entra ID indicates that we need to make it simple. It's way too complicated."

More Microsoft Entra ID cons

"For areas of improvement, the main issue is with integrations. The Symantec ZTNA comprises many products cobbled together on the back end. Sometimes, the integrations work well; sometimes, they don't. For example, if you want to use two-factor authentication, you need to integrate that into the solution. Or if you want to accept protocols other than web coming to your secure gateway, that's another integration. Supporting different devices like Macs, Samsung phones, or iPhones also requires more integrations. Ensuring all these integrations work properly is an ongoing process and a moving target."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We make sure that we only enable the licenses that are needed for the users, rather than enabling licenses in a blanket fashion."

"I'm not sure about the specific costs or how they're calculated, but essentially, the costs go up based on the level of security that is required by the organization."

"Entra's pricing is somewhat higher compared to AWS."

"It is in line. Because we are so early, we have not had to come back on a cycle where we are having to negotiate again."

"We are always looking for better pricing."

"Be sure: You know your userbase, e.g., how many users you have. You choose the right license and model that suit your business requirements."

"It's pretty good. We're using the native features. It's bundled with our Office 365 licenses. We aren't paying anything extra for Azure Active Directory. It's pretty good for us because it's complementary to Office 365. We're only paying for Office 365."

"Licensing fees are paid on a monthly basis and the cost depends on the number of users."

More Microsoft Entra ID pricing and cost advice

"Pricing varies depending on the situation. In competitive situations, it's usually priced competitively. Nobody pays the full MSRP. Typically, you negotiate and work with them on the pricing."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Manufacturing Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Performing Arts

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	85
Midsize Enterprise	38
Large Enterprise	155

No data available

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

My experience with the pricing, setup costs, and licensing of Microsoft Entra ID is that it is decent.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Azure Active Directory?

I think Microsoft Entra ID could be improved by assigning permissions to nested groups in the next release.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)?

Pricing varies depending on the situation. In competitive situations, it's usually priced competitively. Nobody pays the full MSRP. Typically, you negotiate and work with them on the pricing.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)?

For areas of improvement, the main issue is with integrations. The Symantec ZTNA comprises many products cobbled together on the back end. Sometimes, the integrations work well; sometimes, they don...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)?

The solution helps to allow access only to what is explicitly needed. This means restricting access to specific applications rather than providing broad access to multiple resources, some of which ...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 24% of the time

Microsoft Intune vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 5% of the time

Okta Platform vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 5% of the time

SailPoint Identity Security Cloud vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 4% of the time

Amazon Cognito vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 3% of the time

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Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform vs Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)

Compared 19% of the time

Portnox vs Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)

Compared 12% of the time

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)

Compared 11% of the time

Okta Platform vs Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)

Compared 11% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)

Compared 7% of the time

More Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID

January 2026

Download Microsoft Entra ID product report

Buyer's Guide

Access Management

January 2026

Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) report

Download Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) product report

Also Known As

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

Symantec Secure Access Cloud, Luminate.io, Luminate

Interactive Demo

Microsoft

Demo not available

Broadcom

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

Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), revolutionizes remote access security for enterprise applications. By replacing traditional VPNs with secure, temporary connections solely to required applications, it significantly reduces the attack surface, mitigating the risk of data breaches. Whether accessing cloud-based or on-premises applications, Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) ensures robust security through continuous authentication and authorization, adhering to the Zero Trust principle of "never trust, always verify." This solution not only enhances security by reducing unauthorized access but also simplifies access for users while offering scalability and cost savings by eliminating the need for complex hardware and software. Tailored for organizations with remote workforces, cloud-based applications, and stringent data security concerns, Symantec Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) stands as an efficient and scalable access control solution among its competitors.

Broadcom

Sample Customers

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

NEX, AIG, Fiverr, Upwork

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Okta, Ping Identity and others in Access Management. Updated: January 2026.

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