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AWS Directory Service vs SailPoint Identity Security Cloud comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 2, 2024

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

AWS Directory Service
Ranking in Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
18th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
SailPoint Identity Security...
Ranking in Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
71
Ranking in other categories
User Provisioning Software (2nd), Identity Management (IM) (1st), SaaS Management Platforms (1st), Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) category, the mindshare of AWS Directory Service is 1.6%, down from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SailPoint Identity Security Cloud is 13.0%, up from 10.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud13.0%
AWS Directory Service1.6%
Other85.4%
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)
 

Featured Reviews

Basa Saiteja - PeerSpot reviewer
A valuable access management system with a user-friendly and straightforward setup
The solution is scalable, and we can scale according to our needs. I rate the scalability a nine out of ten. In our organization, our access to our AWS comes from IAM. We use AWS consoles using our credentials and don't have route access, so each person will log in through our IAM programmatic access, and everyone on our team can work on cloud. Over 10,000 people in our organization utilize the solution.
Mitch MO - PeerSpot reviewer
Adapts workflows with industry-specific flexibility for big companies
We find flexibility to be one of the most valuable features. The solution can be customized to adapt the workflow to our industry, offering considerable flexibility. Additionally, it is considered a good solution for large companies due to its scalability and ability to cater to the needs of many customers. It has also enhanced security and provided significant flexibility for our specifications module.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"AWS Directory Service is secure."
"The most valuable feature is that because it's all in the cloud, you don't need to manage the infrastructure."
"AWS handles everything on the backend requiring minimal legwork from our team. We only require a dedicated database administrator while depending on Amazon for RDS."
"We can provide specific access to people based on what they need from our accounts."
"I like the manageability. Activate Connect makes it easier to assign information and to manage the resources in the network."
"The most valuable feature is ease of use."
"The pricing is very good because it is low and there is no management cost."
"The support is very good. I would rate the technical support as a nine out of ten."
"SailPoint has an edge in terms of security since administrators have limited access, unlike ServiceNow where you can change everything. This adds a significant security advantage."
"Deployment takes a bit of time, however, once it's done properly, everything becomes very organized and easy to use."
"This solution has made our team more effective. We need less manual approvals when someone new joins our company. There is less paperwork and fewer support tickets raised for access."
"The most valuable features of SailPoint IdentityIQ are the reporting because it is better than other solutions. The workflows can be customized to our requirements and the overall features are good."
"The most powerful feature of the solution is its platform-based approach. Unlike other solutions, this tool offers a high level of customization. It is an open and flexible platform, allowing users to tailor it to their needs. This ability to customize and adapt the solution to individual requirements makes the solution stand out as a powerful product."
"The solution is one of the main security products you need to control access and have visibility into what's happening in your organization. It helps with managing access to applications, ensuring governance, and obtaining certifications."
"Provides good authorization and authentication system functionality."
"This solution is great for providing control access across your environment."
 

Cons

"The AWS Directory Service should be easier to integrate."
"I would like to grant partial access to a table contained in a database without having to provide full access to the whole database."
"The group policy can be improved."
"We had a problem with the schema uploading and setting up the directory when we are migrating our users from on-premises to cloud infrastructure."
"I've encountered challenges, particularly with Amazon WorkDocs, which is being deprecated. This has made it necessary to find an alternative document management solution that can handle editing, sharing, and workflow management for documents like Word files and PDFs."
"Accessing the data needs improvement."
"Some of the security protocols are difficult to understand."
"I would like to see better integration with other business solutions."
"They should lower the price and technical support should be better."
"The advanced provisioning features require more improvement."
"Certifications could include additional access levels or practices."
"The UI needs to be more user friendly. More concentration on historical policy violations would be great. In terms of new features, I would like to see artificial intelligence and machine language added."
"The interface can improve, and the product could become a little cheaper."
"There are various functions that don't work in IdentityIQ, including the access request reminder, which doesn't go to the approvals in the proper format, so it's hard for users to read."
"The product is unable to share suggestions with users."
"I would rate the vendor support around five out of ten. Sometimes, the support is slow, and they often suggest resorting to expert services."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is reasonable."
"AWS' pricing is fair, and costs can be cut if you look carefully at when you're using it."
"The pricing depends because with AWS there are two types of directory objects: 30,000 and 500,000. It varies. AWS provides the pricing calculators so we can get an estimate from there as per the company requirement of how many users and objects that we need to create. So we can go to that portal, put in the data, and get the quotation. There are no extra licensing fees. It's all included."
"We pay an annual subscription fee."
"The product is expensive. I rate its pricing an eight out of ten."
"This is an expensive solution. I would rate it a two and a half out of five for pricing."
"We pay an annual licensing cost for SailPoint IdentityIQ."
"The pricing is a little bit higher than other tools."
"In terms of pricing, SailPoint IdentityIQ is affordable. It's not cheap, and it's not expensive, so the solution is in the middle, price-wise. It also didn't have additional costs, even if my company had different teams that took care of auditing and provisioning and projects that used SailPoint IdentityIQ."
"SailPoint IdentityIQ is highly-priced, and I rate it an eight out of ten for pricing."
"The pricing is based on the number of users and is reasonable."
"They are expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Healthcare Company
11%
Performing Arts
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Healthcare Company
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business22
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise40
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about AWS Directory Service?
The most valuable feature of AWS Directory Service is cost-cutting features.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AWS Directory Service?
The pricing is very good because it is low and there is no management cost. You do not need to hire any system administrator to manage your Active Directory.
What needs improvement with AWS Directory Service?
Accessing the data needs improvement. Additionally, integration and compatibility with other AWS ( /products/amazon-aws-reviews ) services, network open LDAP, support for on-premise and cloud envir...
How does Sailpoint IdentityIQ compare with CyberArk PAM?
We evaluated Sailpoint IdentityIQ before ultimately choosing CyberArk. Sailpoint Identity Platform is a solution to manage risks in cloud enterprise environments. It automates and streamlines the m...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SailPoint IdentityIQ?
The product is expensive. People need to opt for a licensing plan for one year or three years.
What advice do you have for others considering SailPoint IdentityIQ?
You can use SailPoint Atlas to take identity security to the next level. In SailPoint IIQ, writing a custom connector using the open source framework is a good option.
 

Also Known As

AWS Managed Microsoft AD
IdentityIQ, IdentityNow, Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management, Intello
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Expedia, Intuit, Royal Dutch Shell, Brooks Brothers
Adobe, AXA Technology Services, Cuna Mutual Group, Equifax, ING Direct, Orrstown Bank, Rockwell Automation, SallieMae, Spirit Aerosystems, TEL
Find out what your peers are saying about AWS Directory Service vs. SailPoint Identity Security Cloud and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
869,785 professionals have used our research since 2012.