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Microsoft Active Directory pros and cons

Vendor: Microsoft

4.3 out of 5

44 reviews
97% willing to recommend

Pros & Cons summary

Microsoft Active Directory is user-friendly, integrating with Office 365 for hybrid management. Azure AD Connect enhances cloud flexibility, while high scalability aids in efficient user group management. Security features like group policies support cybersecurity, yet integration with Mac and iOS needs improvement. Technical support is reliable yet occasionally sluggish. Some aspects, including group policy management and synchronization, require streamlining for enhanced usability and effective permission management.

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Get pricing advice, tips, use cases and valuable features from real users of this product.

Prominent pros & cons

PROS

Microsoft Active Directory simplifies managing user and group policies, especially for file sharing and email account management.

Integration with Azure AD Connect allows merging with cloud-based directories, providing a hybrid management solution for on-premise and cloud operations.

Scalability is a strong point, with easy organization and addition of numerous users, demonstrating high flexibility.

Active Directory enhances security management through features like single sign-on, authentication, and detailed password policies.

Stability and performance are excellent, with no major downtime observed, and it supports tight control over systems, particularly Windows PCs.

CONS

Microsoft Active Directory could use improved integration with Mac, iOS, and other solutions.

Improved security features and more robust multi-factor authentication are desired for enhanced safety.

There is a need for customizable and simplified group policy management and better scalability.

Technical and premium support services could be more efficient and budget-friendly.

Migration to cloud environments and hybrid single sign-on present challenges for many businesses.

Microsoft Active Directory Pros review quotes

Rajitha Abhisheka

Senior Systems Engineer at Virtual IT Group - Australia

Sep 29, 2022

The Solution's most important feature is that it can merge with a cloud-based active directory via Azure AD Connect.

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Shivaram Venkatesh

Cloud advisor at Digital Cognitive

Aug 10, 2023

One noteworthy aspect we discovered is the ability to exercise tight control over systems, specifically Windows PCs. This pertains to the management of policies, usage patterns, and user access on these devices, particularly within the framework of Active Directory which is extremely well thought. This actually works better with on-premises solutions. However, as the global trend shifts towards cloud and hybrid environments, Active Directory and its use is diminishing. Yet, it hasn't entirely lost its relevance and remains a presence that cannot be entirely disregarded.

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Technical Analyst at Hexaware Technologies Limited

Mar 10, 2023

The scalability of the solution is high...The initial setup of the solution is easy, and I would rate it an eight or nine out of ten on a scale of one to ten, where one being difficult and ten being easy.

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IT Enterprise System Administrator at Nafeza

Dec 13, 2022

We can also have separate domain controllers in different Active Directory sites based on their location.

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MM

Security Manager at Yarix S.r.l.

Aug 10, 2023

Active Directory plays a focal point in security management, encompassing aspects like credential management, lifecycle, dynamic provisioning, and the network infrastructure of customers.

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CT

Chris Tailowright

Network Security Administrator at a retailer with 51-200 employees

Jun 17, 2025

I've been working with Microsoft Active Directory for over 3 years, and we've had no problems.

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MR

Mohammad Roshanshak

IT Engineer at United Nations

Aug 3, 2023

It is easy to handle, and it gives a hundred percent results with the group policies.

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SHUBHAM BHINGARDE

Project Engineer at CDAC

Feb 8, 2024

The user interface of the product is very easy to use.

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SS

SrikanthSubramanian

senior consutant at HCLSoftware

Jan 9, 2025

One valuable feature is the centralized creation of IDs.

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CW

Charles White Jr

Lead Desktop Support Technician at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

Jan 19, 2023

The most valuable feature of Microsoft Active Directory is the ability to search for computers and users. While I do not have administrative privileges to reset passwords, I can view user information such as department, and communicate with someone who can make the changes.

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Show 10 more reviews (out of 43)

Microsoft Active Directory Cons review quotes

Rajitha Abhisheka

Senior Systems Engineer at Virtual IT Group - Australia

Sep 29, 2022

The interface for logs should be user-friendly and allow for enhanced filtering to drill down to incidents.

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Shivaram Venkatesh

Cloud advisor at Digital Cognitive

Aug 10, 2023

Typically, it depends on the customer's situation. If the customer operates in smaller locations where most PCs are in a common location, we usually aim to consolidate the directory infrastructure for easier maintenance. However, for distributed setups spanning multiple countries, configuring multiple sites becomes necessary and more intricate to handle. Our objective is to minimize the number of sites, simplifying operations for IT administrators and reducing errors. Mistakes in Active Directory can be costly for organizations, as disruptions can occur rapidly. Moreover, when it comes to hybrid single sign-on across various applications, Microsoft hasn't put forth significant effort. Single sign-on has become a challenge for many customers who utilize diverse solutions beyond Microsoft products. While implementing single sign-on is relatively straightforward in the Azure cloud, it's considerably more complex when dealing with the local Active Directory. This presents a big challenge for many of our customers.

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Technical Analyst at Hexaware Technologies Limited

Mar 10, 2023

In the solution, assigning permissions is complex, making it difficult to grant them at a granular level or to multiple users without templates or alternative tools.

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Microsoft Active Directory

Free Report: Microsoft Active Directory Reviews and More

Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Active Directory. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2025.

865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.

IT Enterprise System Administrator at Nafeza

Dec 13, 2022

If Microsoft is going to add anything to the on-prem solution, it should be an updated GUI.

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MM

Security Manager at Yarix S.r.l.

Aug 10, 2023

I would like to see more integration with cloud-based applications. This would make it easier to manage users and devices across multiple platforms.

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CT

Chris Tailowright

Network Security Administrator at a retailer with 51-200 employees

Jun 17, 2025

Sometimes, it can be overly complicated, and when you apply Group Policy in an Active Directory environment, sometimes those settings apply and sometimes they don't.

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MR

Mohammad Roshanshak

IT Engineer at United Nations

Aug 3, 2023

If you are using the Active Directory, the main concern is that the policy is restricted to the specific local area network.

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SHUBHAM BHINGARDE

Project Engineer at CDAC

Feb 8, 2024

Microsoft Active Directory restricts most of the features our company's employees want to use since they are involved in research and development activities.

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SS

SrikanthSubramanian

senior consutant at HCLSoftware

Jan 9, 2025

Even better group management would be beneficial.

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CW

Charles White Jr

Lead Desktop Support Technician at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

Jan 19, 2023

There has been a change in the layout of the user information. Previously, I had to go to properties to view the information, but now it is displayed directly below the search results. It takes some time to get used to.

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Show 10 more reviews (out of 42)

Product Categories

Product Categories

Single Sign-On (SSO)

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Product Categories

Product Categories

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Active Directory Management

Popular Comparisons

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Microsoft Entra ID vs Microsoft Active Directory

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Microsoft Active Directory

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