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Compare the 11 services by what they do
The options below reflect the roles described in a comparison published October 6, 2026. Its assessments are editorial comparisons, not results of independent performance testing. Pricing and packaging can change; the figures shown here come from vendor pages accessed in 2026.
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| Service | Best-fit lane | What to examine first | Published price information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Entra ID | Workforce identity in Microsoft-licensed environments, including gradual transitions from Active Directory. | Existing Microsoft 365 entitlements, hybrid synchronization, policy and device-management dependencies, and any LDAP or RADIUS services that need a companion. | Microsoft lists P1 at $7.00 per user/month, paid yearly, and P2 at $10.00 per user/month, paid yearly. P1 is also included with Microsoft 365 E3 and Business Premium for SMBs; P2 is included with Microsoft 365 E5 for enterprise customers. Confirm eligibility and current terms with Microsoft. |
| JumpCloud | Domainless identity and device management across platforms. | Whether its protocol support and device scope cover your needs, and whether it meets your organization’s federation requirements. | Not stated in the October 6, 2026 comparison. |
| Okta Universal Directory | A hub for organizations drawing identity data from multiple sources. | Which system is authoritative for each profile field, how profiles are mastered, and the cost of the lifecycle features and modules you require. | Not stated in the October 6, 2026 comparison. |
| Google Cloud Identity | Workforce identity for Google Workspace-centered organizations. | Workspace fit, MFA, endpoint-management scope, and whether hybrid LDAP requirements need another service. | Google Cloud’s product page lists $7.20 per user/month. Verify geography, edition, and whether your Workspace subscription already includes the features you need before treating this as an additional cost. |
| AWS Directory Service | Active Directory-dependent applications and workloads hosted on AWS. | Whether workloads require managed Microsoft AD, a connection to existing on-premises AD, or only basic AD compatibility. AWS’s current pricing page gives approximate object capacities, not a universal service price. | Not stated as a comparable dollar price in the cited material; recurring infrastructure cost depends on the chosen service and deployment. |
| Ping Identity, including ForgeRock | Federation-scale deployments. | Validate the required scale, topology, support, deployment model, and quote economics directly with the vendor. | No public price stated in the October 6, 2026 comparison. |
| OneLogin | Mid-market workforce identity and possible SSO/MFA consolidation. | Whether the bundle covers required connectors and lifecycle workflows; confirm current commercial terms with the vendor. | Not stated in the October 6, 2026 comparison. |
| Foxpass | Specialist RADIUS, LDAP, and SSH-key needs. | Whether it can cover a specific network or Linux authentication dependency alongside a broader workforce directory. | Not stated in the October 6, 2026 comparison. |
| WSO2 | Organizations considering an open-source identity stack. | Whether license economics justify the hosting, engineering, operations, and support work your team must provide. | Not stated in the October 6, 2026 comparison. |
| Univention Nubus | Open-source IAM and centralized identity deployments. | LDAP/Kerberos and application integration requirements, weighed against deployment and operational complexity. | Not stated in the October 6, 2026 comparison. |
| Zluri | Adjacent SaaS application management and governance. | Whether you need app discovery, license management, or access reviews above a directory—not identity infrastructure in place of one. | Not stated in the October 6, 2026 comparison. |
“Not stated” means the cited comparison did not establish a comparable current price; it is not a claim that a service is free. For options without a vendor-verified figure here, request a quote or check the vendor’s current pricing and terms.
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Start with the job the service must do. A workforce identity platform, a managed directory for application workloads, an open-source deployment, a RADIUS/LDAP specialist, and a SaaS governance tool are not interchangeable alternatives.
#1 Best Overall
- Workforce identity: Shortlist services that fit your identity source, application lifecycle, SSO/MFA, and device requirements. Microsoft Entra ID and Google Cloud Identity are closely tied to their respective ecosystems; JumpCloud emphasizes cross-platform identity and device management; Okta Universal Directory is positioned as a multi-source hub.
- Application workloads that need AD: Evaluate AWS Directory Service based on the actual directory dependency. A workforce directory does not automatically replace AD for legacy or cloud-hosted applications.
- Network authentication: Check whether Wi-Fi, VPN, Linux, or other services depend on LDAP or RADIUS. Foxpass is a specialist to assess for those needs, not an assumed full replacement for a workforce directory.
- Self-managed identity: Compare WSO2 and Univention Nubus against your team’s capacity to host, maintain, integrate, and support the platform.
- SaaS governance: Consider Zluri for app discovery, licensing, and access reviews when those are the problem. It is adjacent to directory infrastructure rather than a substitute for it.
Inventory dependencies before migration
Before selecting a platform or planning a cutover, build three inventories. They reveal which services are genuinely candidates and what a migration would have to preserve.
- Applications that still require Active Directory. Record application dependencies rather than assuming a cloud workforce directory will satisfy them. This determines whether managed AD remains necessary.
- Services that use LDAP or RADIUS. Include network equipment, Wi-Fi, VPN, Linux systems, and other applications. Identify which can connect to the proposed service and which require a companion.
- The authoritative identity record. For each person and relevant profile field, identify the system that owns the data—such as HR, an identity provider, or a device platform. This is especially important when evaluating synchronization, profile mastering, and lifecycle workflows.
Compare viable candidates on the same requirements
Once the lane and dependencies are clear, score only the products that could actually serve the intended role. Use consistent requirements across the shortlist:
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- Identity-source synchronization, profile ownership, and joiner/mover/leaver lifecycle workflows.
- SSO, MFA, and the policy controls your applications require.
- LDAP and RADIUS support where existing services depend on those protocols.
- Supported operating systems and the scope of device management.
- Application and HR integrations, including the connectors needed for your environment.
- Cloud, hybrid, or self-managed deployment, plus migration and cutover requirements.
- Dependence on an existing vendor ecosystem and the impact of adding another service.
- Total cost over the intended contract period, including licenses, modules, connectors, devices, support, migration, and ongoing operating labor.
Do not treat a bundled feature as cost-free until you have checked whether your current edition includes it and whether it covers the required scope. For products sold in modules or by quote, compare like-for-like configurations rather than headline prices.
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AWS documentation describes three different approaches. Choose according to whether an application needs a real managed AD, must authenticate against an existing directory, or can work with basic compatibility.
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| AWS option | Use it when | Important limit or distinction |
|---|---|---|
| AWS Managed Microsoft AD | An application needs actual Active Directory, including Windows workloads and some AWS services. | AWS lists approximate capacities of about 30,000 directory objects for Standard and about 500,000 for Enterprise and Hybrid. These are approximate limits from AWS’s pricing page accessed in 2026; actual support depends on object size and performance needs. |
| AD Connector | You need a proxy that forwards authentication to an existing on-premises Active Directory. | It connects to the existing directory and does not require directory synchronization. |
| Simple AD | Your use case needs basic AD-compatible functionality rather than full managed Microsoft AD capabilities. | AWS documentation identifies limitations including no MFA, trust relationships, LDAPS, or schema extensions. It is not feature-equivalent to Managed Microsoft AD. |
For these AWS choices, confirm the current regional pricing and configuration with AWS; the object capacities above are not price quotes.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Budget for the whole service, not just the directory line item
Published figures are not directly comparable across these options: some can be bundled with other subscriptions, some may involve add-on modules or connectors, and self-managed platforms carry hosting and operations work. For each finalist, price the same scope and contract period, including licenses, support, deployment, migration, and ongoing administration. Recheck vendor pages or obtain current quotes before procurement because prices, bundles, and capabilities can change.
Plan MFA around tenant policy and key compatibility
A FIDO2 security key can be a useful optional component for phishing-resistant MFA. Google Cloud Identity lists hardware security keys among its MFA methods, and Microsoft documents FIDO2 security-key support for Entra ID. Compatibility is not universal: Microsoft notes that keys can be subject to attestation and authenticator-metadata requirements. Before buying keys, verify the exact model, ports, enrollment workflow, tenant policy, and provider support.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
