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CyberArk Identity vs Microsoft Entra External ID comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 27, 2025

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

CyberArk Identity
Ranking in Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
20
Ranking in other categories
Authentication Systems (9th), Identity Management (IM) (13th), Authorization Software (4th), Enterprise Password Managers (9th), User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) (9th), Access Management (8th), Active Directory Management (11th), Cloud Resource Access Management (3rd)
Microsoft Entra External ID
Ranking in Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)
9th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (22nd), Microsoft Security Suite (33rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) category, the mindshare of CyberArk Identity is 3.7%, up from 3.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Entra External ID is 7.1%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)
 

Featured Reviews

Julio Montero - PeerSpot reviewer
Access management system provides strong security and effortless user authentication
The solution can be deployed on cloud or on-premises. CyberArk is more on the cloud than on local hardware. The deployment is initially quite difficult. That said, when you are doing the implementation of CyberArk, there are so many tutorials that make the learning process very easy. The only complaint could be the language barrier. It's difficult if you don't have a very good level of English. Otherwise, it is very easy. You can have it set up within three months without much difficulty. It's hard to get started, however, once you get going, it gets easier. A full deployment takes half a year or less. There is some maintenance necessary. A company is constantly hiring and letting go of employees. The access is always changing, so access must always be adjusted. Or, if we need another law of filter, we would need to add those, or even take them away. That's another aspect of maintenance.
Corrado Vigano - PeerSpot reviewer
Solution integrates well with existing systems while being easy to use
The fact that it is quite integrated into the entire Microsoft environment makes it quite easy to use. Furthermore, Microsoft's reliability in providing a clear roadmap for the solution is very important, especially at a time when cybersecurity is a risk in every company. The solution is easy to reuse and not difficult to find expertise for in the market because it is widespread. It is gaining attention even from partners and from the market on the offering side. This serves as a good starting point for customers who can develop internal competence on the solution. Additionally, the presence of reliable partners who know the solution and can provide internal knowledge is the best aspect for them.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The tool helps with authentication. It acts as an MFA for any kind of privileged access that occurs in our organization."
"I had one machine that I could not use due to an invalid token. They resolved the problem immediately after I reported it, on the same day, within one hour. It is a very good experience."
"I like the RBAC (Role-Based Access Control). It basically involves defining various roles, and then simply assigning those roles to users."
"The integration capabilities, ability to integrate CyberArk into the overall IBB strategy of our current clients."
"The features that I personally find most effective in terms of security stem from the fact that it is easy to integrate and also the adoption is faster."
"The initial setup of CyberArk Identity was straightforward."
"What I like most about CyberArk Identity is the model that is in place."
"I found the solution to be stable."
"The most valuable feature for me is the firewall capabilities."
"The fact that it is quite integrated into the entire Microsoft environment makes it quite easy to use."
"The most valuable feature for me is the firewall capabilities."
"The most beneficial feature for us is the ease of setup. With about five clicks, we can generate unique IDs and keys and set up in less than 30 minutes. We can also generate these for multiple years simultaneously, which is convenient."
"The fact that it is quite integrated into the entire Microsoft environment makes it quite easy to use."
"It's quite easy to manage and monitor."
"It's similar to using a Microsoft account to create accounts on other websites. We are also using Microsoft Entra to monitor which applications our guests are using. This allows us to filter, block, or adjust permissions for these applications as needed for our collaborators."
 

Cons

"The product is not cheap, especially if you opt for an on-premise deployment requiring a complex server infrastructure. On the other hand, choosing the software as a service version simplifies infrastructure requirements but necessitates being online all the time."
"At the moment CyberArk needs to enrich Conjur and it needs to be made more viable so that its adoption can be made much faster."
"CyberArk Identity's GUI is an area with certain shortcomings that need improvement."
"The product needs to leverage the cloud more, especially in the financial sector, where cloud adoption might be limited. Proper reporting within the cloud is essential. The tool should be more user-friendly to expedite access for users. The current agent-based system poses challenges if a user loses access to the server, making tasks difficult to perform. It should also improve technical support."
"We would like to see an improvement in the ability to manage mobile devices."
"In terms of general user feedback, the more security you put in front of a user, the more they complain. So usability and the user experience are always a challenge. So there's always room for improvement."
"There is room for improvement in documentation. The documentation could be more specific about the changes needed to achieve specific goals."
"In terms of a governance platform, it's worth noting that CyberArk doesn't offer a particularly strong one."
"I would like to see faster synchronization."
"The cost is very high."
"The problem with Microsoft products is that they often cater to enterprise-level needs, which can be too costly for medium-sized businesses."
"A common concern among the customers I visit is the unpredictability of Microsoft's costs at every renewal. This is really bothersome for the customer, and I would say it is the worst element I have seen in these years."
"Single sign-on for external applications such as Oracle could be improved to be a little bit cheaper."
"I generally find Microsoft solutions expensive, especially in specific offerings."
"Technical support needs improvement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"CyberArk Identity is an expensive solution."
"I think it is a fairly priced tool. I rate the tool between six and seven on a scale of one to ten where one is expensive, and ten is cheap."
"It's not that affordable compared to Delinea or other products. They're less expensive and allow more customization. For the cost, it is expensive."
"There could be some additional costs apart from the licensing costs of the solution when you want to develop connectors in CyberArk Identity."
"The pricing of CyberArk Identity is competitive."
"In terms of pricing, BeyondTrust and CyberArk tend to be more expensive, with CyberArk receiving an eight out of ten, in this regard."
"There is an initial license and then there is a subscription needed."
"Their pricing is obviously a lot higher than many vendors in the marketplace but their service is also unmatched."
"We don't pay separately for Microsoft Entra External ID as it's part of our Microsoft Exchange subscription."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
16%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Insurance Company
7%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about CyberArk Identity?
The integration capabilities, ability to integrate CyberArk into the overall IBB strategy of our current clients.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for CyberArk Identity?
Regarding pricing, it can be quite a lot for small companies. For national companies, like a medium-sized company with 1,000 employees, it can be very good. It is also a very necessary solution. Ev...
What needs improvement with CyberArk Identity?
Something they could improve is the management of multifactor authentication. When you translate the page from one language to another, it can be a difficult process. The translation isn't always g...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Entra External ID?
It's quite expensive, especially as you grow and add more users. Initially, with a small number of people, the costs were manageable.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Entra External ID?
The most important issue is the cost. I generally find Microsoft solutions expensive, especially in specific offerings. A common concern among the customers I visit is the unpredictability of Micro...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Entra External ID?
I have been dealing with the security part for sure.
 

Also Known As

Idaptive
Azure Active Directory External Identities
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

MLB, Citi, Pfizer, SulAmerica, GE Capital, Shiseido
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about CyberArk Identity vs. Microsoft Entra External ID and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.