Microsoft Entra ID Reviews

We use Entra ID for single sign-on to all of our internal IT systems and public SaaS offerings within the company.

Entra ID streamlines permission management and authentication for most systems. It also unifies IDs, simplifies IT operations internally, and enhances security by enforcing a better security posture across the organization.

We like the ease of app registrations and single sign-on with Entra ID. It offers an easy way to add multi-factor authentication to nearly any application and system. 

We've used it within AKS clusters to do pod identities. That has greatly reduced the number of static credentials we have running around and drastically improved our security. Combining Entra ID with the amazing work of our AKS team has enabled us to shrink the blast radius of credentials given to applications instead of only at the node level. This has allowed us to scope down permissions to an application level instead of the Kubernetes cluster, making it more secure and much closer to a full zero-trust solution.

Entra has helped us fight token theft. We almost always use short-lived tokens, which help us address many of these challenges. They still exist for certain use cases, but they've been drastically reduced due to our ability to use short-lived tokens.

We have never had an identity-related attack because we're lucky. However, that's just a matter of time until we do in this industry. Not having them before does not mean that we're not better protected now

The automation aspects of Entra ID could be improved, particularly when automating through different providers and SDKs. It's somewhat clunky to automate ID management, but it's great once it's set up. I would also like to see better Terraform support. 

I have used Entra ID for the last three years.

The stability has been great. I haven't had any issues.

The scalability is great. I've hit no issues in terms of scalability.

I rate Microsoft support 10 out of 10. Microsoft customer service is the best in the industry. There are immediate answers to any issues that arise with great knowledge and a deep understanding of the product and business needs.

Positive

I've used multiple solutions in the past, including Google authentication and Okta. I switched mostly to consolidate and for a better feature set that integrated better with the rest of our Microsoft products.

The setup is one of the easiest I've seen in the industry. It's very easy to onboard.

We used ourselves since we're an integration company.

We have seen a return on investment. We already have Entra ID, and like many customers, we haven't used it to its fullest potential. We get a return from not needing to pay other vendors to do what we already had from Microsoft, which was better than the competition.

We evaluated Workspace ONE, Google, and Okta before switching.

I rate Microsoft Entra ID nine out of 10. Without good Terraform support, it will stay below a 10, but everything else is so great.

Our primary use case is for identity platform and security platform, mainly for multi-factor authentication (MFA), to make all access to our enterprise applications unified for each user.

Our most valuable features are conditional access and Azure application proxy. The passkeys are a significant improvement, giving us the most phishing-resistant MFA.

Entra allows us to provide access to more users without a VPN, especially for our web-based platforms, which are published with the application proxy and MFA. Reducing VPN usage has been beneficial for us. The ability to offer employees access to any platform, including private PCs and tablets, has been a game-changer.

Private access and internet access should be available in a less expensive licensing model.

I was using Active Directory for more than 10 years before we switched to Entra ID.

We have experienced no problems with stability. We have had full uptime at all times.

Entra is a cloud solution, so scalability is not a problem for us.

The technical support has its downsides and upsides. While they are fast, it can take time to get the right person because there are many steps to reach the appropriate team member at Microsoft support, which can be somewhat annoying.

Neutral

We started with Office 365, so there was a clear statement that we would be using this solution.

The initial setup was prompted by the COVID pandemic and was executed as a big bang.

We only used Microsoft with direct workshops, and all the specialists had their work done well.

We are an enterprise customer with an enterprise agreement in place with many of our partner companies, so there are no special questions or issues about pricing, setup cost, or licensing.

I rate Entra ID 10 out of 10. We are fully satisfied. It's a seamless transition from Active Directory. There is no steep learning curve, and our knowledge from Active Directory allows for a fast ramp-up.

I use Entra to log into systems and applications, mainly within the office for work-related tasks and for other applications that accept Microsoft Authentication. I always use my work ID to log in when I can. Within the organization, everyone has an ID, so I'm engaged with the onboarding process, but I don't create the IDs.

I don't know what they had before Entra, but if we didn't have the solution, we wouldn't have a security model for Microsoft 365 products like Outlook, Excel, and all the other Office stuff. We wouldn't have a secondary way to identify people. Entra hooks into everything else that Microsoft does, making it much easier to manage security across systems and platforms.

Entra has made securing our apps and resources more straightforward. Microsoft has updated security methods to make its authentication more secure. The solution has facilitated our Zero Trust Model. You can't use the computers without authenticating. There is no public access, so unless you sneak up behind someone and take over their computer, you can't do anything without an ID.

I'm not on the security team, so I don't know the effect of Entra on the number of security incidents. Anecdotally, I know that some people at my organization don't like passwords, and they've had to get over that. Those people have likely seen a drastic decrease in identity theft incidents.

I love how it uniquely identifies a person universally. If you have the email address, it will be the same account across most platforms. If everything is set up correctly, it's easy to identify a person and get all kinds of information about them from Azure or whichever system. 

Microsoft support has some room for improvement. I avoid contacting them because it can be time-consuming. They don't necessarily find the solution, but you have to be on call for them to connect and do things on your system remotely. You have to schedule a time to meet with them, and it's somewhat inconvenient.

I've been using Entra ID for about 12 years.

Entra has never gone down as far as I know, so it's 100 percent stable.

It's stable for our organization of about three hundred people and can handle scalability.

I rate Microsoft support six out of 10. 

Neutral

The biggest return on investment on Entra is improved security, ensuring our organization is less of a target. It works how it's intended and does a good job.

It's the most basic Azure service available, and I understand it's cost-effective. You need a tenant to use Entra to authenticate.

I would rate Microsoft Entra ID a solid 10 out of 10.

At first, we used Entra for Single Sign-On (SSO) purposes, but there are multiple use cases. It is the backbone of managing identities and access to Microsoft 365, for which we have licenses. We were also using it for SSO authentication for third-party applications.

We do not use Microsoft Authenticator. We use ADFS, which is federated with Entra, and we are integrated into that, so we do not use Microsoft Authenticator except for admin accounts.

Entra has had a positive impact by enabling us to synchronize the IDs from on-prem to Entra ID and grant access to applications based on those users and their groups. 

The identity and access management piece is probably the most valuable to us. Since its implementation, synchronizing the identities from on-premise to Entra ID has had a positive impact. This allows us to grant access to applications based on those users and the groups they belong to. 

The conditional access policies are helpful. They let you control access based on what devices they connect from. The conditional access policies prevent people from accessing our environment from outside our domain or non-company computers. We've relied on the verified threat actor feature to identify whether it's a real user or a bad actor based on the source.

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.

I've used Entra for about eight years since we opened our commercial cloud.

I haven't had any issues with the virtual machine, so it is stable.

It's been great. We have the upgrade support package, but actually, most of the built-in support is the best.

Neutral

We previously used ADFS and switched mainly because of our licensing model and to gain access to Microsoft 365. So it just became an extension of it.

Ultimately, it's the base setup for everything. It's Microsoft 365, so it's a required piece. It's hard to quantify our ROI because it's just something we need. 

I rate Entra ID seven out of 10 because it's hard to have a single tie to integrate all identities within our core curriculum due to multiple forests.

We use Microsoft Entra ID to secure Boulevard by Density.

Entra's multifactor authentication has kept our organization secure. We've decreased the number of password resets and extended the length of passwords, which has kept users happy and improved security.

Entra's conditional access policies allow us to fine-tune how we allow people into the environments and secure them. Microsoft Entra ID has also massively improved secure access to apps or resources compared to our previous setup. We've rolled out Microsoft Authenticator. That went pretty well, pretty smooth. The users seem to enjoy ID. And, yeah, we're starting on passwordless soon.

There are no specific areas where improvement is needed at the moment. Everything has been good so far.

I have been using Microsoft Entra ID for about six years.

There have been a couple of outages so that I would rate the stability around a seven out of 10.

I rate Microsoft support nine out of 10. Customer service and technical support have been pretty good.

Positive

We did not use any different solutions before implementing Microsoft Entra ID.

The initial setup and experience with deploying Microsoft Azure ID was straightforward.

We used an integrated reseller or consultant for the deployment.

We have seen a return on investment because Entra is included in licenses we already own. Deploying it was a no-brainer. 

The solution was included in the licenses we already had, so it presented a no-brainer setup cost.

I rate Entra ID nine out of 10. 

Entra ID covers our entire user identity stack, including authentication. Interactive capabilities are particularly useful.

Microsoft Entra ID has helped the company with user identities, user device management, and endpoint management. We use it with other Microsoft products like Defender for Endpoint and Sentinel to improve our security. 

Active Directory has conditional access, so you only log in from a company device. You also have multi-factor authentication and other systems generate tokens. It's well protected.

The integration with all Microsoft services and external applications is crucial. Microsoft Entra ID has helped the company with user identities, user device management, and endpoint management. Integration capabilities are significant.

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. It would help if we could make independent IDs on the Azure side to go through that team to create a role, change permissions, or create something for a specific task.

I've used Entra for the last couple of years but have worked with Microsoft solutions for 30 years. Entra ID is the successor to Azure Active Directory

Microsoft Entra ID is a stable platform. There was a big incident with Azure Active Directory a few years ago, but since then, Microsoft has worked to distribute the risk properly.

There is no issue with scalability.

I rate Microsoft support eight out of 10. They respond quickly, but the solutions aren't always satisfactory. Microsoft cannot test some things internally when you face a problem. 

Positive

Before Entra ID, I used the on-prem Active Directory for around 30 years. The foundation of Entra and Azure Active Directory comes from Active Directory.

Initially, we could complete the setup by following the guides, but now the setup is more complicated. 

We try to handle implementation in-house, supported by an external company that acts as an outsourced part of the team.

I am aware of the tier we use and know the pricing per user or account, but I am not in procurement.

I rate Entra ID nine out of 10. 

Our primary use case for this solution is identity and access management within our organization's hybrid cloud environment. We have a multinational presence across 12 countries, with around three thousand employees worldwide. Entra ID plays a pivotal role in streamlining user onboarding and offboarding processes, ensuring secure access to our resources.

Our environment is characterized by a blend of on-premises and cloud-based services, and Entra ID seamlessly integrates with our Azure tenant. It allows us to efficiently manage user identities, enforce authentication and authorization policies, and implement multifactor authentication for enhanced security.

Moreover, we leverage Entra ID's capabilities to maintain compliance with specific regulations, such as those in Germany, where mailbox access for departed employees requires careful management. Entra ID's security features, including Azure Information Protection integration, provide an additional layer of protection against evolving cyber threats.

Microsoft Azure Entra ID has been a transformative addition to our organization, bringing a multitude of benefits and enhancements across various facets of our operations. Here are the key ways in which Entra ID has made a significant difference:

Unified User Access and Seamless Experience:

Entra ID provides a unified interface for managing user access, offering an exceptionally user-friendly experience. Users can effortlessly access a wide range of applications, both cloud-based and on-premises, using a single set of credentials. The Azure portal serves as a true portal, creating a distinct realm for users while maintaining a user-friendly interface. Single Sign-On (SSO) configuration simplifies the login process, allowing users to use a single ID for multiple applications. This streamlined approach, coupled with multifactor authentication, ensures a secure and convenient login experience, especially important in today's remote work environment.

Efficient Policy Management:

One of the standout features of Entra ID is the ease with which Azure policies and conditional access can be applied to enhance security. The EntraID admin center serves as a central hub for cloud-based identity and access management, offering a wide array of features that not only enhance security but also promote collaboration and productivity within the organization.

Modern Authentication Protocols:

Entra ID employs modern authentication protocols like OpenID Connect, which are well-suited for web and mobile users. This is especially crucial in an era where remote work and mobile device usage are prevalent. It represents a significant improvement over the traditional Windows Active Directory, which relied solely on Kerberos and NTLM.

Hybrid Capabilities:

Entra ID's support for hybrid scenarios is invaluable. It caters to the preferences of employees who still rely on on-premises solutions while leveraging the advantages of the cloud. This flexibility in a hybrid environment is a substantial benefit.

Conditional Access for Enhanced Security:

Conditional access policies, akin to "if-then" scenarios, provide granular control over access conditions. These policies evaluate login attempts based on factors such as user location, device health, and more. This ensures that access is granted only under specific, predefined conditions, significantly bolstering security.

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC):

Entra ID offers a robust RBAC system that allows precise management of access permissions. Custom roles can be created, granting users only the necessary permissions, enhancing security without overexposure.

Cost-Effective Scalability:

The cost-effectiveness of Entra ID is notable. It offers a free option, making it accessible to organizations of various sizes. Premium plans unlock advanced features, such as identity protection and advanced threat detection, providing excellent value for the investment.

Enhanced User Experience:

Entra ID has substantially improved the user experience. Account creation and provisioning are straightforward, even more streamlined than traditional Windows Active Directory. This inclusive process involves licensing, role, and permission configuration, all within a unified interface.

Microsoft Azure Entra ID has significantly enhanced our organization's security, user experience, and efficiency. Its modern authentication, conditional access, and RBAC capabilities, along with its support for hybrid environments, make it a valuable addition to our IT ecosystem. Moreover, the cost-effectiveness of Entra ID and its role in simplifying identity and access management have further solidified its value proposition. Our users are more satisfied than ever, thanks to the improvements brought about by this powerful solution.

The standout features of Microsoft Entra ID, for me, revolve primarily around its robust security measures. As someone deeply invested in cloud security, these aspects have proven to be exceptionally valuable.

Conditional Access Policies: The ability to formulate and enforce conditional access policies is a game-changer. It allows us to implement highly granular access control, considering factors like user location, device health, and authentication methods. This level of flexibility ensures that access to critical resources is granted only under the appropriate circumstances, enhancing our security posture significantly.

Identity Protection: Microsoft Entra ID's identity protection capabilities are commendable. They assist us in safeguarding user identities, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and identity-related security breaches. The peace of mind that comes with knowing our identities are well-protected is invaluable.

Threat Intelligence: Real-time threat intelligence provided by Entra ID equips us with the necessary tools to stay ahead of emerging security threats and vulnerabilities. In a rapidly evolving threat landscape, having this information at our fingertips is indispensable.

These security features, coupled with a user-friendly interface and seamless integration, make Microsoft Entra ID an exhilarating solution for those of us who prioritize cloud security. It not only enhances our security posture but also empowers us to adapt and respond effectively to evolving cybersecurity challenges.

Privileged Identity Management (PIM) Performance: Improvements in the performance and reliability of PIM are crucial. Users occasionally encounter issues where roles are elevated, but the assigned roles do not function as expected. Enhancing the consistency and responsiveness of PIM is essential for a seamless privilege management experience.

Portal Speed and Responsiveness: Addressing occasional slowdowns, particularly on Fridays, within the Azure Entra ID portal is important. Consistent portal performance ensures efficient user access management and administration.

Cross-Tenant Synchronization and Collaboration: Simplifying cross-tenant synchronization and collaboration is essential for organizations working in multi-tenant environments. Enhancements in this area can streamline identity and access management processes across tenants, reducing complexity and improving collaboration.

User Offboarding and SharePoint Permissions: Streamlining the offboarding process for former employees is critical. After disabling or deleting a former employee's account, there should be an automatic mechanism to remove associated permissions in SharePoint. Currently, these permissions often remain in SharePoint as stale entries, requiring manual removal. Automating this process can improve security and reduce administrative overhead.

I have been using Microsoft Entra ID for six and a half years.

The Entra ID system has consistently demonstrated a high level of stability. Throughout our usage, I can't recall a single instance when the service experienced downtime. This underscores Microsoft's commitment to ensuring the continuous functionality of the service for its customers.

The stability of Entra ID is crucial for our operations, and its reliability has greatly contributed to our confidence in the platform. Microsoft's dedication to maintaining a stable environment aligns with the expectations of organizations relying on their services.

In summary, the stability of the Entra ID system has been commendable, and it reflects Microsoft's emphasis on delivering a reliable experience to its users.

Scalability in the context of Entra ID has been a significant advantage, particularly when compared to traditional on-premises solutions. The scalability of Entra ID is dependent on both the hardware and the underlying infrastructure. In the case of on-premises servers, organizations are tasked with maintaining and upgrading the hardware, which can be resource-intensive.

What I've observed with Entra ID is that it offers exceptional scalability and reliability. This scalability is achieved through a combination of factors, including built-in redundancy and automatic updates. Microsoft takes on the responsibility of managing the underlying infrastructure, alleviating the maintenance burden on organizations.

This level of scalability allows us the flexibility to easily scale our resources up or down based on our specific requirements. Whether we need to accommodate growth or adjust resources to optimize costs, Entra ID provides the agility needed to achieve our goals.

In essence, the scalability of Entra ID is of the highest quality, and it's a testament to the benefits of utilizing a cloud solution like Azure. The cloud-based approach simplifies resource management and ensures that we can efficiently adapt to changing demands.

We've encountered occasional issues, and Microsoft's customer service and support have consistently been friendly and responsive. Whenever we've reached out to them, they've promptly assisted us in resolving our problems.

One notable aspect is that Microsoft support typically prefers phone calls or emails for communication. While their support is effective, we've found that using Microsoft Teams for support calls would be much more convenient. Teams provides an efficient and collaborative platform for communication, making it a valuable tool for resolving issues.

This highlights the opportunity for Microsoft to enhance customer support by utilizing Teams for more convenient and efficient interactions.

Positive

The initial setup of Entra ID is remarkably straightforward. The system seamlessly integrates within our existing infrastructure, requiring nothing more than an Azure tenant.

In terms of the migration process, we prioritize quality over quantity. We don't need a large workforce for the migration; instead, we value individuals who possess a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. This approach is supported by a well-established product line and effective risk management strategies. Additionally, our past experiences and insights gained from previous projects significantly contribute to our confidence and comprehension of the necessary actions.

In collaboration with our partners, our team consists of five members dedicated to the migration process. Our partners, on the other hand, have a smaller team comprising three individuals providing assistance. This collaborative effort ensures a smooth and efficient transition to Entra ID.

We worked with a Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) with many years of experience with the product to successfully implement Entra ID

Our investment in Entra ID has undoubtedly yielded a significant return. Those familiar with its capabilities and accompanying features are confident in the tangible benefits it brings. In a landscape where cloud advancements have revolutionized IT, Entra ID stands out as a crucial component of our infrastructure.

Without this cloud product and the transformative developments in cloud technology, navigating the IT landscape would be challenging. We'd likely find ourselves exploring various products from different companies, potentially incurring higher costs than our current investment in Entra cloud products.

Therefore, I have full confidence that we've achieved a substantial return on investment through our adoption of Entra ID and other cloud solutions. It's a testament to the value and cost-efficiency that modern cloud technologies offer to organizations.

When it comes to setup cost, pricing, and licensing for Entra ID, I would advise others to carefully assess their organization's specific needs and requirements. It's essential to have a clear understanding of the features and capabilities needed to support your business operations effectively.

Consider the scalability of your organization and how Entra ID aligns with your growth plans. Microsoft offers various licensing options, so it's worth exploring the most suitable licensing model that fits your budget and operational demands.

Additionally, keep in mind that while initial setup costs may vary, the long-term benefits of a secure and efficient identity management solution like Entra ID can significantly outweigh the initial investment. It's an investment in both security and productivity.

Lastly, stay updated with Microsoft's licensing updates and pricing changes to ensure that your organization remains compliant and optimized in terms of cost-effectiveness."

This advice provides a general guideline for organizations considering Entra ID, encouraging them to conduct a thorough evaluation of their needs and resources.

Our organization has a strong Microsoft orientation, which naturally led us to align our infrastructure with Microsoft standards. Entra ID serves as our identity provider, handling crucial processes like onboarding, offboarding, and managing departed employees' accounts and devices.

One challenge we've encountered is dealing with "stale devices" connected to Entra ID when employees have left the company. To address this, we regularly execute scripts to identify and manage both dormant accounts and devices. Compliance policies, especially in countries like Germany, necessitate specific mailbox access rules for departed employees. This involves granting the manager access to the mailbox for three months before archiving it. Deleting the user account isn't an option in such cases.

Entra ID offers a health dashboard that helps us track maintenance activities and pending implementations. Key updates, recommended every three months by Microsoft, are currently performed on a monthly basis to maintain robust security.

As a multinational company and a global workforce, security is paramount. Multifactor authentication is a crucial process for all Entra ID users, given the increasing sophistication of cyber threats. We highly recommend exploring the security features of Entra ID and its integration with Azure Information Protection—a cost-effective, AI-driven solution that enhances security.

We are a Microsoft partner, and all our internal computing is on Microsoft 365, managed by Microsoft ID and Intune. Entra ID serves as our directory containing all our users and guest users, and it's managed by Intune.

It simplifies the management of identities in our hybrid environment, covering on-prem and Azure. It streamlines integration with other Microsoft technologies like Authenticator, SSO, and MFA. Entra ID is crucial to our zero-trust model based on Microsoft security.

Entra ID's anti-phishing measures have improved our phishing response. We had phishing tests a month ago, and some employees still fell for it but the number has dropped. I think we've prevented some security incidents using Entra ID with other apps.

Entra ID is our directory that registers all users, guest users, and even labs. It's integrated with Microsoft technologies like Authenticator, SSO, and MFA, streamlining operations and creating a seamless environment.

Entra ID has limited integration with non-Microsoft solutions like iOS or Ubuntu. If it worked across different software and all kinds of devices could be managed under it, that would be great.

We have been using Microsoft Entra ID for quite some time, as it replaced Active Directory when we moved from an on-prem solution.

The platform is stable. We haven't encountered any problems.

It is deployed across all of our employees within the company and group of companies. If we had to deploy it further, it would be straightforward as we frequently deploy it for customers.

I rate Microsoft support four out of 10. Tier 1 and Tier 2 support could be better. It's not timely or professional. They often provide solutions we've already tried. 

Neutral

We previously used Active Directory, which Microsoft Entra ID replaced when we transitioned from on-prem.

Our in-house team handled the implementation.

Compared to other Microsoft products, the cost is not too expensive. There's a free tier available, though it doesn't include all features. Overall, it's well-priced.

We did not evaluate another solution before implementing Entra ID.

I rate Entra ID nine out of 10.