OpenText Identity Manager vs Symantec Identity Governance and Administration comparison

OpenText and Broadcom are both solutions in the Identity Governance Administration (IGA) category. OpenText is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.0, while Broadcom is ranked #8. OpenText holds a 3.8% mindshare in IGA, compared to Broadcom’s 4.3% mindshare. Additionally, 87% of OpenText users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 81% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.

OpenText Identity Manager

Read 18 OpenText Identity Manager reviews

1,872 Views
618 Comparison Views

87% willing to recommend

Symantec Identity Governanc...

Read 66 Symantec Identity Governance and Administration reviews

2,415 Views
676 Comparison Views

81% willing to recommend

OpenText Identity Manager

Symantec Identity Governanc...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 28, 2025

Symantec Identity Governance and Administration and OpenText Identity Manager compete in the identity management solutions category. OpenText appears to have the upper hand due to its superior feature flexibility, increased security, and automation capabilities.

Features: OpenText Identity Manager offers automation, flexibility, and integration capacities that enable efficient management of user entitlements and scalability. It provides event-driven provisioning and a rich set of connectors suitable for large enterprises. Symantec is strong in role-based provisioning and governance features, such as access certifications and compliance capabilities.

Room for Improvement: OpenText could improve its user interface and reduce the need for specialized knowledge, as its complexity and cost are notable downsides. Symantec needs better documentation and integration capabilities, more out-of-the-box connectors, and improved reporting and workflow processes.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Symantec offers exclusively on-premises deployment, with mixed reviews on technical support. OpenText provides both on-premises and private cloud options, with customer service regarded as responsive but dependent on technical expertise availability. Both maintain good technical support ratings, with OpenText's support being slightly stronger.

Pricing and ROI: Symantec has a mid-range price with competitive user-based licensing, although costs can increase with additional components. It is seen as affordable compared to major competitors. OpenText is flexible in pricing, with costs based on service models. Despite high initial costs, its ROI is justified by operational efficiencies, fast provisioning, and reduced IT expenses.

To learn more, read our detailed OpenText Identity Manager vs. Symantec Identity Governance and Administration Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

OpenText Identity Manager vs. Symantec Identity Governance and Administration

March 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

OpenText Identity Manager

Ranking in User Provisioning Software

8th

Ranking in Identity Management (IM)

15th

Ranking in Identity Governance Administration (IGA)

7th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Symantec Identity Governanc...

Ranking in User Provisioning Software

9th

Ranking in Identity Management (IM)

23rd

Ranking in Identity Governance Administration (IGA)

8th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Identity Governance Administration (IGA) category, the mindshare of OpenText Identity Manager is 3.8%, down from 4.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Identity Governance and Administration is 4.3%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Identity Governance Administration (IGA) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
OpenText Identity Manager	3.8%
Symantec Identity Governance and Administration	4.3%
Other	91.9%

Identity Governance Administration (IGA)

Featured Reviews

reviewer2401464

Architect at a consultancy with 51-200 employees

Updates systems quickly and does not have a limit on the number of users

NetIQ does not have a limit on the number of users. The tool is secure by nature. It can have more than one billion users. Event-based systems know what has to be changed. SQL-based systems can only change using time and date. Event-based systems provide immediate results, while SQL-based systems need time to sync. It is totally different from a security perspective. Event-based systems can update all the systems in seconds or minutes. Other systems do it within 24 hours. The basic event-based system is AI-driven. It has some kind of robotics and programming. Other tools need programming. I like systems that have prebuilt ideas of security. NetIQ has been in the market for a long period. It has all the systems and connectors. There is not much coding. We just need to configure the products. We need not do any programming. I haven't seen any other product that needs only configuration to do the job. Most products in the market are SQL-based. They need programming. Some service providers who sell other products to customers do not sell NetIQ because they can make more money by selling solutions that need more consultancy and programming. More hours lead to more money.

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reviewer2183661

Managing Director at a consultancy with 1-10 employees

Has an easy initial setup process, but its technical support services need improvement

The product's technical support could be better. The integration project requires a lot of technical details, so we need to find it quickly and easily. There was a large community of knowledge in the past. We kept it together and got the results. The community that works around the particular technical issue is shrinking. It used to be a specialized community that would help with the process. These particular areas need improvement. Broadcom is still using a hybrid cloud model, with some workloads on-premises and some in the cloud. They must start with the cloud adoption and move as many workloads to the cloud as possible. The on-premises environment is becoming stable. They need to rebuild that cost and the software. The product's pre-sales, technical support, and installation could also improve.

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

"It's a solid product, it's a mature product."

"The most valuable feature of NetIQ Identity Manager for identity synchronization is the ability to provide users with all necessary access on day one through automated provisioning, facilitated by approval workflows."

"Identity and access management processes have developed to become automatic and fast."

"To my knowledge it is the only event based IDM system."

"NetIQ does not have a limit on the number of users."

"The access request management has improved significantly in terms of its user interface. What sets it apart from competitors like SailPoint is that it's an event-based solution rather than schedule-based. That's a key differentiator."

"It has reduced time and resource costs due to automation of previously hand-managed tasks like provisioning, granting access, distribution and access to different enterprise connected applications."

"The Identity Engine is event-based and provides real-time synchronization and password synchronization to more than 40 different applications and services."

More OpenText Identity Manager pros

"The product is relatively easier to use than other identity management products."

"The support's been good from CA."

"Enabled enhanced delegated control to application owners and third party support reducing overhead cost to support desk and directory services teams"

"We used this product to identify and certify basic access profiles in our company, creating more than 6000 role-based profiles for more than 26,000 colleagues."

"When comparing it to other products, you can set up CA IAM in a PoC very quickly to demonstrate its provisioning capabilities."

"It's a very useful tool that has improved our client's security, from day one."

"Using the implementation guide, I was able to implement the solution with ease."

More Symantec Identity Governance and Administration pros

Cons

"The integrations must be made easier."

"If it works, Designer is a charm, but it can be a pain to keep updated because of all the Java stuff that regularly goes wrong."

"Be more honest about how poorly it runs on Windows servers. It is optimized for Linux."

"Scalability becomes an issue if the vision changes from the initial implementation. Not being flexible and having to rewrite quite a bit of code for even a simple added feature makes it difficult."

"We have another system that is using the SAML system, and we also integrate with Active Directory only. If NetIQ Identity Manager can integrate directly, we would not need to use the Active Directory directory."

"The user facing interfaces are not too friendly and they are also fairly hard to configure."

"If it could be operated in such a way that anybody could use it, with just the user interface, and there's no need for programming, then that would be a great improvement."

"The interface is old and outdated, and the design software seems archaic."

More OpenText Identity Manager cons

"It was a journey because when we started the project, we had trouble. We couldn't get the system easily installed, up and running but over the time we installed a different project from CA which really enabled us to get things smooth, up and running and for the past 6 months we haven't had any defaults in the system."

"Its delegation model, while IDM has the capability to delegate, the delegation process is not intuitive or forthcoming to the clients."

"Multiple issues with stability of the provisioning servers."

"We are actually looking at something to make it easier from a user front end."

"The reporting functions."

"I'd like to see it better integrated with the other CA security products."

"If you analyze the evolution of these type of solutions, there are still uncovered needs and the customers are still identifying needs."

"Although the capabilities are there, the user interface needs to be redesigned and the opportunities for integration should be improved."

More Symantec Identity Governance and Administration cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is quite affordable."

"I would rate the pricing a two out of ten, with one being low price and ten being high price. It is significantly more cost-effective than the major players in the market."

"The price of the solution is a bit high and could be reduced."

"Micro Focus is flexible when it comes to price. The cost varies from customer to customer. There are no additional costs, though. Everything is included."

"You just need to be aware that the more systems you connect, the more license fees you have to pay."

"It would easily help them in getting more market and more customers if more consultants knew about their software. If they could keep it free for schools for teaching purposes, it would be good. I had to pay myself to get it and use it for training. Their competitors are giving it for free. I had to pay for it myself. They are losing market to their competitors."

"Compared to other options, CA products are not that expensive."

"Symantec keeps increasing the price. I rate its pricing a seven on a scale of ten."

"The product has a good price in competition with another product with the same solution."

"Pricing and licensing models are adequate and reasonable."

"The price is based on the number of users."

"The connector is free, and bundled with the product."

"The price is flexible for our existing customers."

"I do not recall the approximate prices or licensing models, although I do so that it was priced per user number."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Marketing Services Firm

Financial Services Firm

Marketing Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

13%

Performing Arts

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	23
Midsize Enterprise	9
Large Enterprise	45

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about NetIQ Identity Manager?

The most valuable feature of NetIQ Identity Manager for identity synchronization is the ability to provide users with all necessary access on day one through automated provisioning, facilitated by ...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NetIQ Identity Manager?

The pricing depends on whether we buy the solution as a service or a license. The license is expensive. If we buy it as a service for a large number of users, it is the cheapest tool we can get. Th...

See all answers

What needs improvement with NetIQ Identity Manager?

The tool is used mostly in big systems to understand what is happening. There are not many technicians who know how to use the product. The vendor must provide an easier console for configuring thi...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Symantec Identity Governance and Administration?

The pricing has been very reasonable, but licensing costs vary based on the customer. It follows a user-based licensing model.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Symantec Identity Governance and Administration?

Symantec should develop a SaaS solution for cloud environments to make the solution available in various marketplaces for easy deployment. It should also offer bundle installation instead of one by...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Symantec Identity Governance and Administration?

I am a consultant and we consult for identity and network management. We work with Symantec, which is owned by Broadcom, and also with Microsoft and Oracle. Additionally, we work with open-source s...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 10% of the time

Omada Identity vs Symantec Identity Governance and Administration

Compared 7% of the time

SAP Identity Management vs Symantec Identity Governance and Administration

Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 3% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

OpenText Identity Manager

March 2026

Download OpenText Identity Manager product report

Buyer's Guide

Symantec Identity Governance and Administration

February 2026

Symantec Identity Governance and Administration report

Download Symantec Identity Governance and Administration product report

Also Known As

Novell Identity Manager

CA Identity Suite, Symantec IGA, Layer7 Identity Suite, CA Identity Manager (CA IDM), CA Identity Minder, CA IAM, CA Identity Manager (CA IDM), CA Identity Governance

Overview

OpenText Identity Manager provides event-driven capabilities with real-time synchronization and integration across multiple systems. Known for its flexibility, it offers features like password sync, access management, and directory synchronization.

OpenText Identity Manager is a comprehensive identity management platform, designed to support role-based provisioning and seamless integration of external systems. Its notable features include the Designer and Analyzer tools and robust self-service password management, enhancing its usability. Organizations leverage its event-driven architecture for real-time synchronization and detailed tracing, facilitating efficient identity management across different data sources. However, enhancements in Windows OS compatibility, user interface modernization, and cloud support are needed. Training remains crucial, given the system's complexity and unique language.

What are the Key Features of OpenText Identity Manager?

Real-time Synchronization: Event-driven architecture enables instant updates across systems.
Role Based Provisioning: Streamlines managing roles and permissions within organizations.
Flexible Integration: Connects with multiple data sources, enhancing system interoperability.
Password Synchronization: Simplifies password management across platforms.
Access Management: Offers tools to manage permissions and security with ease.

Why Consider OpenText Identity Manager in Reviews?

Comprehensive Support: Offers identity lifecycle management, enhancing user experience.
Security Enhancements: Improves compliance management and access control.
Scalability: Efficiently supports large-scale enterprise environments.
Integration Capabilities: Connects seamlessly with existing infrastructure.

In industries ranging from large corporations to local banks, OpenText Identity Manager supports account provisioning and access management, primarily through Active Directory integration. By connecting with applications like Oracle, PeopleSoft, and Office 365, it facilitates lifecycle and compliance management. Its deployment aids training and real-world application with single sign-on options for internal applications, providing a comprehensive identity management solution for diverse environments.

OpenText

The Symantec Identity Governance and Administration (formerly CA Identity Suite) provides comprehensive identity management and governance capabilities with a simple, intuitive user experience. This user experience can dramatically simplify processes such as user access requests and access certifications, resulting in improved productivity and user satisfaction. In addition, the Symantec Identity Governance and Administration performs risk analysis and certification and enables remediation actions in real-time during the access provisioning steps, thereby improving audit performance and risk posture with preventive policy enforcement.

While providing these business and governance-centric capabilities for business users, the Symantec Identity Governance and Administration also delivers core enterprise-grade identity management and governance capabilities, including broad provisioning support for on-premise and cloud apps, extensibility and flexibility to integrate with other IT systems and consumer-grade scale. This means organizations are not forced to choose between usability and performance. With the Symantec Identity Governance and Administration, they can have both.

Broadcom

Sample Customers

Sheetz

Acciona, Core Blox, DBS

Buyer's Guide

OpenText Identity Manager vs. Symantec Identity Governance and Administration

March 2026

Free Report: OpenText Identity Manager vs. Symantec Identity Governance and Administration

Find out what your peers are saying about OpenText Identity Manager vs. Symantec Identity Governance and Administration and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.

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