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Microsoft Entra External ID pros and cons

Vendor: Microsoft

3.8 out of 5

9 reviews
88% willing to recommend

Pros & Cons summary

Microsoft Entra External ID streamlines setup with rapid ID and key generation in under 30 minutes, while integration with Microsoft enhances management. Monitoring adjusts permissions by tracking application usage. Firewall and single sign-on increase security and efficiency. However, technical support and AI alerts need improvement. Synchronization delays and complex Microsoft pricing affect user experience, and costs for external applications should decrease. Buyers may consider these factors when evaluating Microsoft Entra External ID.

Buyer's Guide

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

Prominent pros & cons

PROS

Microsoft Entra External ID offers ease of setup, enabling the generation of unique IDs and keys in under 30 minutes.

It allows users to monitor applications, adjusting permissions as needed for collaborators.

Integration into the Microsoft environment enhances usability.

Firewall capabilities are considered highly valuable.

Single sign-on access is frequently utilized and supports comprehensive integration.

CONS

Technical support requires significant improvement.

Microsoft Entra External ID can be too costly for medium-sized businesses due to its enterprise-level orientation.

There are concerns about the unpredictability of Microsoft's costs, especially at renewal times.

Microsoft's pricing structure is complex and challenging to understand due to various licensing options.

Single sign-on for external applications, such as Oracle, could be cheaper.

Microsoft Entra External ID Pros review quotes

SS

Software Architect at Velsera

May 16, 2025

Primarily Microsoft Entra External ID SSO is valuable as it works with everything when it comes to integration.

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SK

Lead Enterprise Architect at DigyCorp

Mar 14, 2025

I have not encountered any stability issues with Microsoft Entra External ID.

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Sales Manager - Program Manger at Altitudo srl

Jan 28, 2025

The fact that it is quite integrated into the entire Microsoft environment makes it quite easy to use.

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Microsoft Entra External ID

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Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Entra External ID. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.

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Oluwakorede Oladipo

Lead, Product Manager (Applications & Services) at FMDQ

Aug 20, 2024

The most beneficial feature for us is the ease of setup. With about five clicks, we can generate unique IDs and keys and set up in less than 30 minutes. We can also generate these for multiple years simultaneously, which is convenient.

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BV

IT Manager at Vertical Garden

Aug 28, 2024

It's similar to using a Microsoft account to create accounts on other websites. We are also using Microsoft Entra to monitor which applications our guests are using. This allows us to filter, block, or adjust permissions for these applications as needed for our collaborators.

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IA

System Engineer at JOS Malaysia

Sep 9, 2024

It's quite easy to manage and monitor.

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Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Mar 13, 2025

Microsoft Entra External ID is more secure, offering a secure environment.

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ZA

Associate Director Automation at Dubai Holding

Feb 13, 2025

The most valuable feature for me is the firewall capabilities.

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reviewer1639854

Cloud Security Consultant at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

Mar 13, 2025

The single sign-on access is the most useful feature we use.

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Microsoft Entra External ID Cons review quotes

SS

Software Architect at Velsera

May 16, 2025

The support engineers are not as skilled as our engineers. When they say something would not work, or there is no solution, we usually hear that Microsoft would not support this.

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SK

Lead Enterprise Architect at DigyCorp

Mar 14, 2025

The quality of Microsoft customer support varies. With an enterprise contract, good resources are usually provided, especially in regions like Saudi Arabia or UAE. However, we have faced challenges with support quality, especially in some subcontinent areas where the resources might not be as experienced.

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Sales Manager - Program Manger at Altitudo srl

Jan 28, 2025

I generally find Microsoft solutions expensive, especially in specific offerings.

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Microsoft Entra External ID

Free Report: Microsoft Entra External ID Reviews and More

Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Entra External ID. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.

851,604 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Oluwakorede Oladipo

Lead, Product Manager (Applications & Services) at FMDQ

Aug 20, 2024

Technical support needs improvement.

Read full review

BV

IT Manager at Vertical Garden

Aug 28, 2024

The problem with Microsoft products is that they often cater to enterprise-level needs, which can be too costly for medium-sized businesses.

Read full review

IA

System Engineer at JOS Malaysia

Sep 9, 2024

I would like to see faster synchronization.

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Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Mar 13, 2025

Microsoft's pricing is complex and difficult to fathom due to a range of different licensing options.

Read full review

ZA

Associate Director Automation at Dubai Holding

Feb 13, 2025

Single sign-on for external applications such as Oracle could be improved to be a little bit cheaper.

Read full review

reviewer1639854

Cloud Security Consultant at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

Mar 13, 2025

There is room for improvement in AI technology for Microsoft Entra External ID, particularly in providing detailed alerts.

Read full review

Product Categories

Product Categories

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

Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)

Microsoft Security Suite

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See all alternatives

Product Categories

Product Categories

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

Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)

Microsoft Security Suite

Popular Comparisons

Popular Comparisons

Microsoft Entra ID vs Microsoft Entra External ID

SailPoint Identity Security Cloud vs Microsoft Entra External ID

Azure Front Door vs Microsoft Entra External ID

Microsoft Defender for Identity vs Microsoft Entra External ID

Auth0 vs Microsoft Entra External ID

Ping Identity Platform vs Microsoft Entra External ID

Google Cloud Identity vs Microsoft Entra External ID

JumpCloud vs Microsoft Entra External ID

CyberArk Identity vs Microsoft Entra External ID

Azure DDoS Protection vs Microsoft Entra External ID

Microsoft Entra Verified ID vs Microsoft Entra External ID

Okta Customer Identity vs Microsoft Entra External ID

AWS Directory Service vs Microsoft Entra External ID

AWS IAM Identity Center vs Microsoft Entra External ID

Tools4ever HelloID vs Microsoft Entra External ID

See all alternatives

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