Azure Web Application Firewall vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection comparison

Azure Web Application Firewall vs. Microsoft Entra ID Protection

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Categories and Ranking

Azure Web Application Firewall

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

19th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Web Application Firewall (WAF) (13th)

Microsoft Entra ID Protection

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

9th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Identity Management (IM) (9th), Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Microsoft Security Suite category, the mindshare of Azure Web Application Firewall is 1.8%, down from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Entra ID Protection is 4.9%, up from 3.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Microsoft Security Suite

Featured Reviews

Thomas Zebar

Azure Principal Architect at Cloud Computech Consultancy

Is priced well, is stable, and the initial setup is straightforward

I previously used Barracuda Web Application Firewall. I hope that Azure Web Application Firewall will look at other products and replicate some of their functionality. Azure WAF is doing great because it is designed to host web applications in Azure. However, it can be improved with other services. Barracuda is the most advanced firewall in the industry, so Azure WAF could pick some of its features and replicate them into its own application firewall. Barracuda WAF was deployed in parallel to the traffic. Azure WAF should not be deployed in the middle of the traffic. It should support both public and private points of presence. Additionally, like Barracuda, Azure WAF should have an inspection engine that covers not just Microsoft products, but also products from other manufacturers. This would be a great addition to the product and would increase its security functionality.

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Mahender Nirwan

Software developer at TAIGLE LLC

Access to other software is just one click away and suitable for big organizations

Currently, we have limited use of Microsoft AD. We only use it to see if user blocks are available. If they are, we unblock the account and get access accordingly. AD has paid access control features. We can add access control over AD. For example, for documentation, we use an Outline tool. It's open source, and we add our company's knowledge base to it. It's an alternative to Confluence. We don't want everyone to have access to all documentation. If I create documentation for my team, only my team should have access, not support or sales. We can add these scopes or access controls over AD. Once integrated, the person will get the appropriate access control features upon logging in. Role-based access control is a great feature of Active Directory.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It's a good option if you want a solution that's ready to go and easy for your team to learn. It's cloud-based, so you don't need to buy or maintain any hardware infrastructure."

"The integration it has with GitHub is great."

"It's great for protecting against DDoS attacks."

"The most valuable feature is that it allows us to publish our applications behind the firewall."

"We have found the most valuable features to be the web application, minimal skills required for management, control through policies, and automation."

"It has been a stable product in my experience."

"The most valuable feature of Azure Web Application Firewall is its ability to filter requests and block false positives by using custom rules and the OWASP rule set."

"It's quite a stable product and works well with Microsoft products."

More Azure Web Application Firewall pros

"I find the most valuable feature to be conditional access."

"The valuable features include multifactor authentication, accessory capabilities, and conditional access for specific applications."

"We've integrated our other software with Microsoft, and we log into other software using Microsoft. That's very helpful."

"As an end-user, I find the experience to be quite seamless. My main advantage is that I only need to manage one login and one two-factor authentication method to access all the necessary tools. I don't have to set up separate logins and authentication for each application."

"The solution's technical support offers great assistance to users."

"The tool is simple and you can find a lot of tutorials, and videos on YouTube that can help you."

"The deployment process is straightforward. It takes a few hours to complete."

"I use conditional access most of the time."

More Microsoft Entra ID Protection pros

Cons

"Deployment should be simplified so that a non-techie can handle it."

"The management can be improved."

"From a reporting perspective, they could do more there."

"We would like to see additional site services using AI to provide information about blocking requests and offer analytics on the origin of calls."

"In Brazil, we have some problems with the phone service that affect our connection with the cloud. However, it isn't common."

"The support for proxy forwarding could improve."

"Azure WAF should not be deployed in the middle of the traffic."

"The knowledge base could be improved."

More Azure Web Application Firewall cons

"The recent CrowdStrike issue affected most systems."

"Integrating some notifications, not necessarily all, but at least for important events or alerts, would be beneficial as it would function as a team solution or something similar."

"Azure AD could improve by enhancing the availability of specialized courses for security, such as NETSCOUT security or other relevant certifications. It would be beneficial to have specific courses for security, to provide in-depth knowledge and skills related to Azure AD. While there are micro-learning resources available for various concepts, many people in the IT industry may not have the time to go through all the courses to properly configure and utilize Azure Active Directory. Simplifying the implementation process and making it easier for individuals to join a company with Azure AD could also be considered areas for improvement."

"Identity labeling and sensitivity needs improvement."

"Microsoft has room for improvement in simplifying their integration with third-party solutions and making the licensing model more understandable."

"The platform's pricing and scalability need improvement."

"The product's initial setup phase is not easy."

"There is a lot of confusion around the user interface."

More Microsoft Entra ID Protection cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is reasonable. It is approximately $2,000 US per month."

"Azure WAF has price advantages over other WAF solutions. The pricing model is flexible because you pay on a scale based on the level of protection you need."

"The price is for this solution is fair and there is a license needed."

"The price of the solution depends on your architecture and how you manage it. You can control the cost in Azure quite well. The costs do not directly correlate to expenses in the features we are using."

"I give the pricing a nine out of ten."

"We have an enterprise agreement with Microsoft and the pricing is good."

"From one to ten, if one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the tool a seven out of ten."

"The pricing is competitive in the SMA segment and runs $5-$6 per user."

"Azure Active Directory Identity Protection is not very expensive."

"The product cost is on the expensive side."

"The price of Azure AD is not expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

20%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Insurance Company

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Azure Web Application Firewall?

The integration it has with GitHub is great.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Web Application Firewall?

The price is reasonable. It is approximately $2,000 US per month. This cost is one of the main reasons why we selected Azure Web Application Firewall. It provides enough functionality for our needs.

What needs improvement with Azure Web Application Firewall?

Microsoft is constantly working on improvements. We would like to see additional site services using AI to provide information about blocking requests and offer analytics on the origin of calls. Th...

What do you like most about Azure Active Directory Identity Protection?

I use conditional access most of the time.

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

Pricing for Microsoft products is slightly high, and it influences some customers to consider switching to other service providers.

What needs improvement with Azure Active Directory Identity Protection?

There is a lot of confusion around the user interface. For new users, it can be difficult or confusing to understand the concepts of managed identity and role protection.

AWS WAF vs Azure Web Application Firewall

Comparisons

Compared 43% of the time

Fortinet FortiWeb vs Azure Web Application Firewall

Compared 12% of the time

Azure Front Door vs Azure Web Application Firewall

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Azure Web Application Firewall

Compared 4% of the time

F5 Advanced WAF vs Azure Web Application Firewall

Compared 4% of the time

More Azure Web Application Firewall Competitors

Microsoft Defender for Identity vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection

Compared 51% of the time

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection

Compared 12% of the time

BloodHound Enterprise vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection

Compared 9% of the time

Semperis Directory Services Protector vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection

Compared 6% of the time

ForgeRock vs Microsoft Entra ID Protection

Compared 1% of the time

More Microsoft Entra ID Protection Competitors

Product Reports

Web Application Firewall (WAF)

Download Azure Web Application Firewall product report

Microsoft Entra ID Protection

Download Microsoft Entra ID Protection product report

Also Known As

No data available

Azure Active Directory Identity Protection, Azure AD Identity Protection

Learn More

Microsoft

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Microsoft

Overview

Azure Web Application Firewall (WAF) provides centralized protection of your web applications from common exploits and vulnerabilities. Web applications are increasingly targeted by malicious attacks that exploit commonly known vulnerabilities. SQL injection and cross-site scripting are among the most common attacks.

To learn more about our solution, ask questions, and share feedback, join our Microsoft Security, Compliance and Identity Community.

Microsoft Entra ID Protection enhances security with advanced identity controls and seamless integration across environments. It ensures robust protection via multifactor authentication and single sign-on capabilities, safeguarding enterprises' sensitive information efficiently.

Microsoft Entra ID Protection offers comprehensive identity management and privileged access management features, making it critical for businesses transitioning to hybrid models or cloud solutions. Utilizing multifactor authentication, single sign-on, and security policy creation, it excels in securing access across both on-premise and cloud platforms. By integrating with Microsoft Defender, it enhances security measures. While it is highly effective, areas for improvement include identity labeling, password management, and more straightforward third-party integrations. Expanding access to Mac devices and simplification of the licensing model are also areas to be addressed for improved scalability.

What are the key features of Microsoft Entra ID Protection?

Granular Identity and Access Control: Tailor access permissions to enhance security measures.
Robust Authentication: Implement multifactor authentication for superior identity verification.
Seamless Management: Manage identities across on-premise and cloud environments effortlessly.
Conditional Access Policies: Enforce specific access rules based on predetermined conditions.

Why should users value Microsoft Entra ID Protection in their evaluations?

Operational Efficiency: Simplifies identity management with single sign-on.
Extensive Security Capabilities: Provides comprehensive protection for sensitive data.
Enterprise Focused: Tailored for use in complex organizational structures and transitions.
Integration Capability: Works closely with Microsoft Defender to enhance security measures.

In industries such as finance and healthcare, entities leverage Microsoft Entra ID Protection to maintain stringent access controls, optimize privileged access management, and facilitate smooth transitions to cloud environments. They utilize its integration with Azure AD to ensure comprehensive identity protection while aligning to compliance requirements specific to their fields.

Azure Web Application Firewall vs. Microsoft Entra ID Protection