Atlassian Crowd vs Microsoft Entra ID comparison

Atlassian and Microsoft are both solutions in the Single Sign-On (SSO) category. Atlassian is ranked #26, while Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.6. Atlassian holds a 1.2% mindshare in SSO, compared to Microsoft’s 11.3% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Atlassian users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Atlassian Crowd

Read 4 Atlassian Crowd reviews

525 Views
478 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Entra ID

Read 266 Microsoft Entra ID reviews

26,383 Views
6,860 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Atlassian Crowd

Microsoft Entra ID

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 18, 2024

Atlassian Crowd and Microsoft Entra ID are both identity management solutions. Based on the comparisons, Microsoft Entra ID has the upper hand due to its comprehensive security features and advanced integrations.

Features: Atlassian Crowd offers powerful integration with other Atlassian products, ease of management, and simple centralized user management. Microsoft Entra ID provides advanced security features, seamless integration with Microsoft services, and robust single sign-on capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Atlassian Crowd could improve documentation, UI consistency, and reporting features. Microsoft Entra ID may benefit from more integration flexibility, quicker customer support, and fewer downtime issues.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Atlassian Crowd is noted for its straightforward deployment and responsive customer service. Microsoft Entra ID has a smooth deployment experience but requires more comprehensive customer support.

Pricing and ROI: Atlassian Crowd is cost-effective with clear ROI due to its integration capabilities. Microsoft Entra ID, though higher priced, justifies its cost with superior features and security benefits.

To learn more, read our detailed Atlassian Crowd vs. Microsoft Entra ID Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Atlassian Crowd vs. Microsoft Entra ID

March 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 883,546 peers since 2012

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

Atlassian Crowd

Ranking in Single Sign-On (SSO)

26th

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Microsoft Entra ID

Ranking in Single Sign-On (SSO)

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

266

Ranking in other categories

Authentication Systems (1st), Identity Management (IM) (2nd), Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (1st), Access Management (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Single Sign-On (SSO) category, the mindshare of Atlassian Crowd is 1.2%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Entra ID is 11.3%, down from 27.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Single Sign-On (SSO) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Entra ID	11.3%
Atlassian Crowd	1.2%
Other	87.5%

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Featured Reviews

Grigoriy Kneller

General Manager at HDI Systeme AG

Enhanced user management offering seamless single sign-on, scalability for large enterprises, and improved configurability through integration with various user sources and directories

For organizations using various Atlassian products and dealing with multiple user sources or directories, implementing Atlassian Crowd for single sign-on proves highly beneficial. This is especially true for companies that have instances of Atlassian product installations across different entities, each with its own Active Directory and user directory. Crowd significantly streamlines user and directory management, making it more efficient for larger enterprises. It is particularly advisable and recommended for big companies, especially those that have undergone acquisitions or mergers, as it enhances user management, transparency, and configurability. While it's incredibly useful for enterprise-level businesses, it may also be suitable for mid-sized companies with a substantial user base. Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten.

Read full review

Dewey Phillips

Senior Information Security Engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

Implementing seamless integration boosts secure access and supports Zero Trust

What I appreciate the most about Microsoft Entra ID is that it integrates seamlessly with all the Defender products and is easy to use. Microsoft Entra ID's integration capabilities influence our Zero Trust model by allowing us to enforce our Zero Trust model. Conditional access policies allow us to leverage Microsoft Entra ID to verify that devices signing in to our cloud services are coming from registered devices, and that people are passing all the other requirements we have in order to complete sign-on or conditional access policies. Since implementing Microsoft Entra ID, I've observed changes in the frequency and nature of identity-related security incidents. The organization already had it implemented when I arrived, and I've been working to enhance it. Better configuration of Microsoft Entra ID has allowed us to better protect our organization from threats. Having it alone isn't a solution, but ensuring proper configuration goes a long way in preventing future compromises. My company's approach to defending against token theft and nation-state attacks has evolved since implementing Microsoft Entra ID. We haven't experienced any known compromises from nation-state attacks, and implementing newer features gives me more confidence in our protection. Regarding device-bound passkeys in Microsoft Authenticator and our approach to phishing-resistant authentication, we are currently implementing Microsoft Entra ID certificate-based authentication. Adding a strong form of MFA is important as we found it to be the most cost-effective way. While other solutions might be equally or more secure, they are significantly more expensive. Having worked as an IT consultant mainly with the Microsoft stack across various industries, I have experience with different identity management solutions. Microsoft Entra ID remains the best option. The major advantages when comparing it to Okta include integration with Defender products, Defender for Identities' integration with conditional access policies, and insider threat management integration for blocking sign-ins based on risk factors. The enhancement of Microsoft Entra ID's implementation is relatively straightforward. My main concern is the occasional lack of documentation and the frequency of changes, which can make feature location challenging.

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

"The most valuable features are predominantly in the directory and development spaces."

"One standout feature is the capability to configure various authentication and authorization methods from diverse user directories."

"Entra ID provides an excellent overview of the applications and the options applied to them."

"Azure Active Directory provides access to resources in a very secure manner. We can detect which user is logging in to access resources on the cloud. It gives us a comprehensive audit trace in terms of from where a user signed in and whether a sign-in is a risky sign-in or a normal sign-in. So, there is a lot of security around the access to resources, which helps us in realizing that a particular sign-in is not a normal sign-in. If a sign-in is not normal, Azure Active Directory automatically blocks it for us and sends us an email, and unless we allow that user, he or she won't be able to log in. So, the User Identity Protection feature is the most liked feature for me in Azure Active Directory."

"It offers features that improve our security posture such as multifactor authentication, which is the second layer of protection that is used when we log into the cloud."

"I would say that Azure AD's pricing is very reasonable because of the structure and in terms of the solution."

"The solution is free to use and you can use it for every service."

"The single sign-on is very convenient for us."

"The most valuable features of this solution are definitely the authorization and authentication, and the rule-based user validation."

"Overall the solution functions very well, such as the ability to access it from the cloud."

More Microsoft Entra ID pros

Cons

"There's a need for effective group membership management, especially for corporate programs."

"It makes you more efficient, but you have to optimize what you're doing before you get into the software."

"We would like to have more granularity in the Azure conditional access in order to be able to manage more groups for devices and for applications."

"The automation aspects of Entra ID could be improved, particularly when automating through different providers and SDKs."

"The cost is one area that needs improvement."

"It doesn't function the same way as an Active Directory inside of an infrastructure, that is, a physical infrastructure. In the cloud, it is all flat. That's one of the disadvantages."

"I had some issues with the Azure Active Directory on Windows XP. However, it worked well on Windows 7."

"The B2B Federation functionality is not perfect and could be improved. It is not on the same level that we could have if it were being used on-premises. It offers a different experience, which is a bit complicated and has some additional drawbacks."

"I hope, in the roadmap, Microsoft eventually offers the same features as Okta. It will take some more time to mature."

"Usually when people talk about Azure, they talk about cost. I think Microsoft Entra ID is not as expensive as AWS, but cost is usually the main concern."

More Microsoft Entra ID cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's pretty cheap. I would rate the price as three out of five."

"While it may seem affordable for larger enterprises, it tends to become more expensive as you move up the scale."

"Azure Active Directory has a very extensive licensing model. Most of the features are available in the free and basic version, and then there are premium P1 and P2 editions. The licensing model is based on how many users you have per month. In Australia, for a P1 license, the cost is 8 dollars. With P1 and P2 licenses, you get a lot of goodies around the security side of things. For example, User Identity Protection is available only in P2. These are extra features that allow you to have a pretty good security posture, but most of the required things are available in the free and basic version."

"It is costly."

"For you to make use of some of the security features, you need to upgrade your licenses. If it is possible, could they just make some features free? For instance, for the Condition Access policy, you need to set that up and be on Azure AD P2 licensing. So if they could make it free or reduce the licensing for small businesses, that would be cool, as I believe security is for everyone."

"The process for buying licenses from Microsoft is somewhat messy and really hard to do. We have to talk to someone because it's hard to find out how many licenses we need. If I'm applying for 2,000 users, how many Windows licenses do we need? They could also charge less for support."

"The subscription should be categorized by business size. For example, small companies should have a discounted price, this would help small companies and the organization to be automated."

"Most features of Entra ID are part of Microsoft's ecosystem and included in Microsoft 365 bundles, which means there are no additional costs associated with pricing and licensing."

"The E5 plan we are using contains the premium plans for Azure Active Directory. We are not paying only for the Azure Active Directory Premium licenses. We have it already included within our E5 plan."

"It comes free with the Microsoft account. We have a yearly agreement, and all products are covered under it."

More Microsoft Entra ID pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Single Sign-On (SSO) solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

883,546 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	85
Midsize Enterprise	38
Large Enterprise	155

Questions from the Community

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

How does Duo Security compare with Microsoft Authenticator?

We switched to Duo Security for identity verification. We’d been using a competitor but got the chance to evaluate Duo for 30 days, and we could not be happier. Duo Security is easy to configure a...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Active Directory?

My experience with the pricing, setup costs, and licensing of Microsoft Entra ID is that it is decent.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Azure Active Directory?

I think Microsoft Entra ID could be improved by assigning permissions to nested groups in the next release.

See all answers

Comparisons

Okta Platform vs Atlassian Crowd

Compared 31% of the time

Auth0 Platform vs Atlassian Crowd

Compared 26% of the time

Keeper Enterprise Password Manager vs Atlassian Crowd

Compared 26% of the time

More Atlassian Crowd Competitors

Google Cloud Identity vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 24% of the time

Okta Platform vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 5% of the time

Microsoft Intune vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 4% of the time

SailPoint Identity Security Cloud vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 4% of the time

Ping Identity Platform vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 3% of the time

More Microsoft Entra ID Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Single Sign-On (SSO)

January 2026

Download Atlassian Crowd product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID

February 2026

Download Microsoft Entra ID product report

Also Known As

Crowd

Azure AD, Azure Active Directory, Azure Active Directory, Microsoft Authenticator

Interactive Demo

Demo not available

Atlassian

Microsoft

Overview

Atlassian Crowd is a single sign-on and user identity tool that's easy to use, administer, and integrate. Users can come from anywhere: Active Directory, LDAP, Crowd itself, or any mix thereof. Control permissions to all your applications in one place Ð Atlassian, Subversion, Google Apps, or your own apps.

Atlassian

Microsoft Entra ID is an advanced identity and access management service offering seamless single sign-on, multifactor authentication, and centralized user access across applications, enhancing security and efficiency for organizations transitioning to cloud-based environments.

Recognized for its centralized management, Microsoft Entra ID significantly boosts organizational security by integrating features such as conditional access and identity protection. It supports a wide array of applications, facilitating a secure transition from on-premises to scalable cloud environments. By adopting robust security measures and flexible identity management, organizations can streamline operations and ensure consistent user experiences. However, challenges like confusing licensing costs, outdated documentation, and limited integration with non-Microsoft applications persist. Enhancements in technical support, interface design, and more granular permissions are needed to address these issues effectively.

What are the key features of Microsoft Entra ID?

Seamless Single Sign-On: Allows users to access multiple applications with one set of credentials.
Multifactor Authentication: Adds an extra layer of security by requiring multiple forms of verification.
Conditional Access: Provides adaptive policies to ensure the right access under the right conditions.
Identity Protection: Detects and responds to potential vulnerabilities and threats.
Privileged Identity Management: Controls and monitors access to critical resources.

What benefits should users expect when evaluating Microsoft Entra ID?

Enhanced Security: Protects against unauthorized access and data breaches.
Operational Efficiency: Centralizes identity management to reduce administrative tasks.
Scalability: Supports growth by accommodating evolving IT environments.
Cost Management: Facilitates cost control through centralized systems and automated processes.

In healthcare, Microsoft Entra ID facilitates secure patient record access and compliance with industry regulations. Financial institutions rely on it for robust security measures in safeguarding client data. In the education sector, it streamlines access to online resources for students and faculty. Global enterprises benefit from its ability to manage complex identity frameworks across multiple regions, ensuring reliable security amidst increasing cyber threats.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

NHL, Interspire, Appfire

Microsoft Entre ID is trusted by companies of all sizes and industries including Walmart, Zscaler, Uniper, Amtrak, monday.com, and more.

Buyer's Guide

Atlassian Crowd vs. Microsoft Entra ID

March 2026

Free Report: Atlassian Crowd vs. Microsoft Entra ID

Find out what your peers are saying about Atlassian Crowd vs. Microsoft Entra ID and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

883,546 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Atlassian Crowd vs. Microsoft Entra ID report.

See our list of best Single Sign-On (SSO) vendors.

We monitor all Single Sign-On (SSO) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.