DigiCert PKI Platform vs Microsoft Entra ID comparison

Digicert and Microsoft are both solutions in the Authentication Systems category. Digicert is ranked #22, while Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.6. Digicert holds a 1.8% mindshare in AS, compared to Microsoft’s 7.8% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Digicert users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

DigiCert PKI Platform

Read 2 DigiCert PKI Platform reviews

995 Views
886 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Entra ID

Read 266 Microsoft Entra ID reviews

26,383 Views
6,332 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

DigiCert PKI Platform

Microsoft Entra ID

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 11, 2024

Microsoft Entra ID and DigiCert PKI Platform are both prominent identity management and security solutions. Microsoft Entra ID offers competitive pricing and excellent customer support, while DigiCert PKI Platform is recognized for its rich feature set and robust security, making it a superior choice for enterprise-level security needs despite a higher price point.

What features are offered by Microsoft Entra ID in comparison to DigiCert PKI Platform?

Microsoft Entra ID is valued for seamless integration with other Microsoft products, strong multi-factor authentication capabilities, and competitive pricing. DigiCert PKI Platform is praised for its comprehensive certificate management, automated workflows, and robust security features that address diverse security concerns.

What areas of improvement can be found in Microsoft Entra ID in comparison to DigiCert PKI Platform?

Microsoft Entra ID reviews highlight complexity in initial setup, integration with non-Microsoft ecosystems, and the need for improved user interfaces. Users of DigiCert PKI Platform mention the need for better documentation, user education, and a more intuitive interface. These reflect different user experience challenges faced by each product.

How is the ease of deployment and customer service of Microsoft Entra ID in comparison to DigiCert PKI Platform?

Microsoft Entra ID is noted for straightforward implementation within Microsoft environments and responsive customer support. DigiCert PKI Platform, while having a more complex setup process, provides detailed support and dedicated account management. Ease of deployment favors Entra ID, but DigiCert’s dedicated support services receive positive user feedback.

What setup costs and ROI can be seen with Microsoft Entra ID in comparison to DigiCert PKI Platform?

Microsoft Entra ID stands out for cost-effectiveness and better-managed long-term costs. DigiCert PKI Platform, though initially more expensive, has a perceived higher ROI due to its comprehensive security solutions. Users feel the investment in DigiCert is justified by its robust capabilities, reflecting the higher initial price point in its ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed DigiCert PKI Platform vs. Microsoft Entra ID Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

DigiCert PKI Platform vs. Microsoft Entra ID

March 2026

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Helped 884,328 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

DigiCert PKI Platform

Ranking in Authentication Systems

22nd

Average Rating

9.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Microsoft Entra ID

Ranking in Authentication Systems

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

266

Ranking in other categories

Single Sign-On (SSO) (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 Authentication Systems category, the mindshare of DigiCert PKI Platform is 1.8%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Entra ID is 7.8%, down from 16.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Authentication Systems Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Entra ID	7.8%
DigiCert PKI Platform	1.8%
Other	90.4%

Authentication Systems

Featured Reviews

Indra Maulana

Business Solution and Development Manager at PT ADPS

Tailored to the lifecycle management needs of banks

The customer finds value in adopting a platform from Jira, particularly for the ease it brings to their processes, both for on-premises operations and batch processing. Their objective is to create a new customized server specifically designed for generating certificates. This server is intended for the generation of certificates, emphasizing that it is not meant for free domain replacement. The platform of choice for this purpose is Digital One, a product that offers full customization and aligns well with the customer's preference for tailored solutions. The process of certificate issuance from Microsoft's AB involves renewal or replacement every five years. However, an issue arises in that this particular certificate requires renewal annually instead of the standard five-year cycle. The challenge is attributed to personnel changes, where an administrator responsible for the process resigns within the five-year period. To address this, we seek an automated solution that operates seamlessly with a single sign-on approach, eliminating the need for user IDs or passwords. The automation involves approval and subsequent deployment without complexities. Being a partner of DigiSet, we rely on the implementer for support in service deployment, installation, and resolution of any issues that may arise.

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

"I emphasize the importance of automation in Wi-Fi management, particularly in tasks such as certificate renewal. The requirement extends to the ability to generate new certificates from a local server within the data center. There is a need to establish a new server for local certificate issuance and highlights the desire for automation in the deployment process. The emphasis lies in leveraging automated solutions to streamline these operations effectively."

"The most valuable feature is the communication based on PKI certificates."

"Active Directory itself is the best feature it has. It also gives us a single pane of glass for managing user access."

"The most significant aspect is the security measures inherent in Microsoft Entra ID, including features such as conditional access policies."

"The features of Microsoft Entra ID such as token replay detection, attack-in-the-middle detection, and verified threat actor IP protection have all had an impact on defending against these threats, with the last one being particularly significant."

"Installation is straightforward. It only took a couple of hours to set everything up."

"The most valuable feature is the authentication platform."

"Multi-factor authentication (MFA) has improved our customers' security posture. Multi-factor authentication has two layers of authentication, which helps in case you input your credentials into a phishing website and then it has access to your credentials. So if they use your credentials, then you have proof on your phone that was sent to the end user."

"What I appreciate the most about Microsoft Entra ID is that it integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products, which streamlines the process."

"Microsoft Entra ID as a whole has created a lot of business for us; since we're doing this every day, the impact is pretty huge."

More Microsoft Entra ID pros

Cons

"From an automation perspective, PKI is a bit of a debatable topic and can be improved as time demands."

"The customer finds value in adopting a platform from Jira, particularly for the ease it brings to their processes, both for on-premises operations and batch processing. Their objective is to create a new customized server specifically designed for generating certificates. This server is intended for the generation of certificates, emphasizing that it is not meant for free domain replacement. The platform of choice for this purpose is Digital One, a product that offers full customization and aligns well with the customer's preference for tailored solutions.The process of certificate issuance from Microsoft's AB involves renewal or replacement every five years. However, an issue arises in that this particular certificate requires renewal annually instead of the standard five-year cycle. The challenge is attributed to personnel changes, where an administrator responsible for the process resigns within the five-year period. To address this, we seeks an automated solution that operates seamlessly with a single sign-on approach, eliminating the need for user IDs or passwords. The automation involves approval and subsequent deployment without complexities. Us, being a partner of DigiSet, relies on their implementer for support in service deployment, installation, and resolution of any issues that may arise."

"Microsoft Entra ID could benefit from more fine-tuned rights. It is necessary to prevent granting an application or user broad access rights."

"The solution can improve the educational portion because it is an administration cost."

"Azure Active Directory could improve by having an authentication service for laptops or desktop computers running Mac and Linux operating systems. They currently have authentication capabilities for Microsoft Windows. Having this capability would benefit people because in today's world everybody is working from the home environment."

"To improve Microsoft Entra ID, I think on the left navigation bar when you actually open Entra, there is a button that you need to click to make every option available for that tab open, so you always need to click that button, which is an arrow facing upward and an arrow facing downward."

"The Azure AD Application Proxy, which helps you publish applications in a secure way, has room for improvement. We are moving from another solution into the Application Proxy and it's quite detailed. Depending on the role you're signing in as, you can end up at different websites, which wasn't an issue with our old solution."

"I think something can be improved, but it's working."

"I want better integration between Azure AD and the on-prem environment because there are currently limitations that can hamper employee experience. We use a feature called password writeback, that can be challenging to implement in a hybrid environment. Employees can change their passwords using a self-service password reset (SSPR) feature, which reflects from the cloud to the on-prem identity, but not the other way around. Currently, there is no way to reflect passwords from on-prem identities to the cloud."

"We'd like to be able to link to non-Mircosft products, like Linux."

More Microsoft Entra ID cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This solution won't cost much, as this would be free with the licensing from Microsoft."

"I would rate it seven for the price."

"There are four different levels of subscription including the free level, one that includes the Office 365 applications, the Premium 1 (P1) level, and the Premium 2 (P2) level."

"Microsoft is so expensive. You know it is expensive when a Fortune 100 company like ours is complaining about the cost. That has been a big thing for me. When I really want to use an Azure service, it is very hard for me to justify the cost, especially with Microsoft support."

"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."

"It is good. We have Office 365 E3, and then that is tied in with Azure Active Directory. I believe that we only have to pay for our technician-level access or IT department access for Azure Active Directory Premium, which I am sure they call Entra Premium P2 licensing, so it is not a very large cost. We just adopted that, and that gives us a lot of insights into user security that we would not otherwise have."

"Previously, only building and global administrators could purchase subscriptions or licenses. Mid-last year, Microsoft made it so users can purchase the license online. Microsoft business subscription is for 200 to 300 users. If you have more than 300 users, you can't purchase the business plan. You have to purchase the enterprise plan. The enterprise plan is for 301 users and above. Pay as you go is also available. If you pay as you go in Azure, you will be billed for whatever you use."

"The cost of Azure AD is one of the biggest benefits, as it is available for use free of charge when you start with Office 365."

"We are a non-profit organization, so we get good prices from Microsoft for their products. It is working well, but it could be cheaper. For the type of organization we are, it would be good if they could give a little bit more and be more generous like Google, which has completely free services. Microsoft has free versions or web services called Office 365 E1, which is free for use, but we want to have it with more qualified clients."

"The price of Azure Active Directory and Amazon AWS, are almost the same, but most people prefer Amazon AWS because they find it's a little cheaper to some extent and an easier platform to use."

More Microsoft Entra ID pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

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

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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...

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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

CyberArk Certificate Manager vs DigiCert PKI Platform

Compared 18% of the time

Entrust Identity Enterprise vs DigiCert PKI Platform

Compared 12% of the time

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs DigiCert PKI Platform

Compared 10% of the time

RSA SecurID vs DigiCert PKI Platform

Compared 7% of the time

Entrust Identity Essentials vs DigiCert PKI Platform

Compared 7% of the time

More DigiCert PKI Platform Competitors

Google Cloud Identity vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 23% 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

Authentication Systems

February 2026

Download DigiCert PKI Platform product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID

February 2026

Download Microsoft Entra ID product report

Also Known As

DigiCert PKI, Symantec Managed PKI Service

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

Interactive Demo

Demo not available

Digicert

Microsoft

Overview

The smartest solution for simplifying user identity management for existing network access, directory services and business applications. DigiCert PKI Platform is the industry-leading solution that allows you to secure and manage all of your PKI applications from one place — no matter what solutions you have in place. Take control of and automate the certificate lifecycle for: Email, WiFi access points, Secure VPN, Mobile device management, Document Signing, Smart card login, Internet of things.

Digicert

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

paypal, verizon, cloudflare

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

Buyer's Guide

DigiCert PKI Platform vs. Microsoft Entra ID

March 2026

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