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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)
17th
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 September 2025, in the Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) category, the mindshare of AWS Directory Service is 1.6%, down from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SailPoint Identity Security Cloud is 12.6%, up from 10.6% 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 Cloud12.6%
AWS Directory Service1.6%
Other85.8%
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

"Two-step authentication is very useful and important."
"AWS Directory Service is secure."
"The most valuable feature is ease of use."
"The most valuable feature of AWS Directory Service is cost-cutting features."
"I like the manageability. Activate Connect makes it easier to assign information and to manage the resources in the network."
"We can provide specific access to people based on what they need from our accounts."
"Provides good performance and availability."
"The pricing is very good because it is low and there is no management cost."
"It reduces the operational overhead of audits."
"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."
"SailPoint IdentityIQ has more enriched out-of-box connectors than the others."
"User provisioning and the role management features are good."
"The community is very active and when I had questions about an issue, I was able to find the resources."
"Access certification and provisioning are two of the solutions most valuable features."
"Provisioning in multiple environments."
"IdentityIQ's best features are the hassle-free user experience and security."
 

Cons

"The AWS Directory Service should be easier to integrate."
"Some of the security protocols are difficult to understand."
"AWS Directory Service needs to improve processing."
"I would like to grant partial access to a table contained in a database without having to provide full access to the whole database."
"Accessing the data needs improvement."
"Currently, there is no option to integrate our on-premises Cisco AWS Directory Service, requiring some manual configuration. If AWS Active Directory Service provided additional domain controller functionalities, like other on-premises Active Directory, it would be very helpful."
"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."
"The group policy can be improved."
"Additional details during account aggregation failures to help quick troubleshooting."
"Some setups should be done in the interface and in the code, and could be made simpler."
"I would like to see more Cloud management from this product."
"If you compare Saviynt and Okta Workforce Identity versus SailPoint IdentityIQ, SailPoint IdentityIQ needs to improve its UI."
"I would like for the next release to have a more user-friendly interface."
"When it comes to queries and analysis, I find the reporting module to be very low, very simple."
"Needs to focus on automation wherein provisioning of work can be improved and access certification should be automated without the intervention from a manager for approval."
"The UI of the solution could be more customizable so we could change the workflows to suit our needs."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is reasonable."
"We pay an annual subscription fee."
"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."
"The pricing is based on the number of users and is reasonable."
"I rate the solution a seven on a scale where one is cheap and ten is too expensive. In short, the solution falls under the higher side of pricing."
"I found the pricing to be relatively high."
"SailPoint IIQ is the best of best. That is reflected in the pricing of the solution. The pricing is based on the number of identities."
"The product is expensive. I rate its pricing an eight out of ten."
"You do pay one price for the license but that price depends on what you choose to include as far as the optional modules go."
"SailPoint IdentityIQ is too expensive for small and medium companies. It is an expensive product."
"They are expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
11%
Healthcare Company
10%
Performing Arts
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

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: July 2025.
867,676 professionals have used our research since 2012.