Microsoft Entra ID vs Thales Authenticators comparison

Microsoft and Thales Cloud Security are both solutions in the Authentication Systems category. Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.7, while Thales Cloud Security is ranked #14 with an average rating of 8.0. Microsoft holds a 15.3% mindshare in AS, compared to Thales Cloud Security’s 2.4% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Thales Cloud Security users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Entra ID

Read 234 Microsoft Entra ID reviews

7,912 Views
4,140 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Thales Authenticators

Read 6 Thales Authenticators reviews

1,008 Views
633 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Entra ID

Thales Authenticators

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 11, 2024

Thales Authenticators and Microsoft Entra ID compete in the authentication space. Microsoft Entra ID seems to have the upper hand due to its extensive features, seamless integration, and broader support despite higher costs.

What features are offered by Thales Authenticators in comparison to Microsoft Entra ID?

Thales Authenticators offer robust security measures, ease of use, and a feature-rich environment. Microsoft Entra ID presents advanced integration capabilities, extensive compatibility with various platforms, and a broader feature set appealing to users.

What areas of improvement can be found in Thales Authenticators in comparison to Microsoft Entra ID?

Thales Authenticators need enhanced customer support, more flexible deployment options, and better support for diverse environments. Microsoft Entra ID requires a less complex system, more intuitive setup procedures, and easier navigation for users.

How is the ease of deployment and customer service of Thales Authenticators in comparison to Microsoft Entra ID?

Thales Authenticators are noted for an easy deployment process but have mixed reviews on customer service. Microsoft Entra ID offers a more complex deployment experience but superior customer service support, presenting different challenges with better support from Microsoft.

What setup costs and ROI can be seen with Thales Authenticators in comparison to Microsoft Entra ID?

Thales Authenticators have moderate pricing with a good return on investment. Microsoft Entra ID is more expensive but provides higher perceived value due to its features and support, justifying the extra cost for many users.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Entra ID vs. Thales Authenticators Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID vs. Thales Authenticators

June 2025

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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 Entra ID

Ranking in Authentication Systems

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

234

Ranking in other categories

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

Thales Authenticators

Ranking in Authentication Systems

14th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Authentication Systems category, the mindshare of Microsoft Entra ID is 15.3%, down from 19.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Thales Authenticators is 2.4%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Authentication Systems

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.

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Gustavo Merighi

Automation and Telecommunications Analyst at Grupo Energisa

Has an easy-to-use management interface and a straightforward initial setup process

Our primary use cases include multifactor authentication for VPN connections and access to security tools like jump servers and firewalls. We also use it to enhance security measures in an enterprise environment The most valuable feature is the YAML 2.0 integration. It has an easy-to-use…

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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

"The ability to see and control PCs and mobile devices is the most valuable. I can see where they are and how many we have. I can also see the age and retention of PCs."

"We're using the whole suite: device management, user credentials, everything that's possible."

"It's definitely both stable and scalable."

"Microsoft Authenticator is highly secure."

"Being able to easily authenticate yourself on the MSA app is valuable. It is easy to use. Rather than receiving a code in an SMS, you can just verify that it is you. You don't have to punch in any password or any six-digit code. That's the feature that I like the most."

"I would rate the solution as 9. It is a very good solution for unified management."

"It is easy to manage. I can manage systems with policies and automate our systems. Any professional system can be easily integrated with Azure Active Directory. It is widely used with Windows versions."

"The security and infrastructure management features are the most valuable ones for us."

More Microsoft Entra ID pros

"I like how the solution allows me to support different types of hardware tokens and integrate with OTP."

"One valuable feature is Thales' ability to provide off-site tokens."

"We use this solution to log into virtual machines like VMware and VMware Horizon."

"The most valuable feature of SafeNet Authentication Manager is authentication."

"Scalable and stable."

"The technical support services are good."

Cons

"There are many new features being added all the time, and Microsoft is advancing at a pace that aligns with our needs. I can't think of anything immediate that needs improvement."

"The management interface has some areas that need improvement."

"There should be a clearer separation between objects held in Entra and Azure, so we don't need to approach the Entra ID team to create rules, policies, and app registrations."

"The technical support has room for improvement."

"The solution has certain limitations. For example, it has very little governance functionality."

"It could be better if a simple member could understand more easily the prices of the products and packages offered by Microsoft."

"The area that needs improvement is integrating IDs between multiple environments and forests. In our case, it's hard to get the identities from multiple forests into one location. This is probably our biggest challenge."

"The dashboard and interface could be better. It would be ideal if it was easier to use."

More Microsoft Entra ID cons

"The product could be improved by adding more features for sending tokens via SMS or phone calls."

"The solution should allow for support of multi-tenant architecture."

"Lacks integration with other platforms."

"The problem with SafeNet is that it's not integrated with Microsoft 365."

"The stability could improve."

"We faced issues due to slow ticket responses, which improved over time."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Its price is okay. It is easy to go from P1 to P2 license. It is not exactly a bargain, but I would recommend the P2 license."

"We have various levels of their licensing, which includes users on different levels of their enterprise offering."

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

"For you to make use of some of the security features, you need to upgrade your licenses. If it is possible, could they just make some features free? For instance, for the Condition Access policy, you need to set that up and be on Azure AD P2 licensing. So if they could make it free or reduce the licensing for small businesses, that would be cool, as I believe security is for everyone."

"The pricing depends on the use case and can be negotiated based on volume."

"The licensing model makes it difficult to understand the real cost of the solution, especially because it changes all the time."

"The pricing for Azure Active Directory is affordable; I would rate the cost a six out of ten."

"I give the cost a three out of ten."

More Microsoft Entra ID pricing and cost advice

"Thales is more expensive than its competitors."

"There is an annual licensing fee."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

16%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

14%

Government

11%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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 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...

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What needs improvement with Thales Authenticators?

Currently, the solution fulfills our requirements. We are very satisfied with its features, and do not have any specific ideas for improvement right now. Perhaps, in the future, three-factor authen...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Thales Authenticators?

Our employees, whether working on-site or remotely, use Thales Authenticators for two-factor authentication to log in to their laptops or PCs. This is our primary use case.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Thales Authenticators?

From our past years of experience, the solution is very smooth, and we have had a good experience with it. We would definitely recommend Thales to others for its reliability and features. I'd rate ...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 11% of the time

Microsoft Intune vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 9% of the time

Okta Workforce Identity vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 6% of the time

Auth0 vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 5% of the time

Amazon Cognito vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 5% of the time

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Yubico YubiKey vs Thales Authenticators

Compared 24% of the time

Utimaco SecurityServer vs Thales Authenticators

Compared 23% of the time

RSA SecurID vs Thales Authenticators

Compared 8% of the time

Cisco Duo vs Thales Authenticators

Compared 7% of the time

Atalla Hardware Security Module vs Thales Authenticators

Compared 7% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID

June 2025

Download Microsoft Entra ID product report

Buyer's Guide

Authentication Systems

June 2025

Download Thales Authenticators product report

Also Known As

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

Gemalto Ezio, Ezio, Gemalto Authenticators, SafeNet Authentication Manager

Interactive Demo

Microsoft

Demo not available

Thales Cloud Security

Overview

Microsoft Entra ID is used for extending on-premises Active Directory to the cloud, managing application access, enabling multi-factor authentication, and single sign-on. It facilitates policy enforcement and secure access, ensuring centralized identity management across cloud and on-premises resources.

Organizations utilize Microsoft Entra ID for robust user and group management, identity synchronization, and conditional access. Its seamless integration with third-party apps, scalability, and support for remote work make it a preferred choice. The admin center streamlines identity and access tasks, enhancing efficiency and security with features like privileged identity management and audit logs.

What are the key features of Microsoft Entra ID?

Single Sign-On: Simplifies user access to multiple applications with one login.
Multifactor Authentication: Enhances security by requiring additional verification.
Conditional Access: Establishes policies that determine how users' access cloud apps.
Integration: Easily integrates with various third-party applications.
User Identity Protection: Safeguards user identities from threats.
Privileged Identity Management: Manages elevated access to sensitive resources.
Audit Logs: Provides thorough activity logs for oversight and compliance.

What benefits should users look for in Microsoft Entra ID reviews?

Enhanced Security: Offers strong multifactor authentication and identity protection.
Administrative Efficiency: Simplifies identity and access management tasks.
Scalability: Supports growing user bases and remote work environments.
Integration Capabilities: Compatible with numerous third-party applications.
User-Friendly Interface: Makes managing user identities straightforward.

Microsoft Entra ID implementation varies across industries. Tech firms leverage it for secure, scalable access management, while healthcare organizations utilize its identity protection features to safeguard patient data. Educational institutions adopt Entra ID for streamlined user management and policy enforcement, ensuring secure access for students and staff across on-premises and cloud resources.

Microsoft

Offering the broadest range of authentication methods and form factors, Thales allows customers to address numerous use cases, assurance levels, and threat vectors with unified, centrally managed policies—managed from one authentication back end delivered in the cloud or on premise.

Thales Cloud Security

Sample Customers

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

Standard Chartered Bank (SCB)

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID vs. Thales Authenticators

June 2025

Free Report: Microsoft Entra ID vs. Thales Authenticators

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