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Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Microsoft Active Directory comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 18, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
6.3
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator enhances security and compliance, offering quick ROI through two-factor authentication, reducing breaches and compliance costs.
Sentiment score
8.8
Microsoft Active Directory offers value by streamlining user management, justifying investment despite limited direct financial calculations.
It enhances security by ensuring only the right person can access systems, even if their login credentials are compromised.
The solution is really time-saving since I don't need to create users in each server or system manually, and user access control is streamlined.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.3
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator's support is responsive and knowledgeable, but complex issues may face initial delays.
Sentiment score
5.9
Active Directory support receives mixed reviews, with delays and quality varying; premium service improves assistance but adds cost.
At times, some technical staff lack knowledge, which delays issue resolution.
Customer service and support are excellent.
When we send a ticket to Fortinet, they go into research mode as if they are hearing the problem for the first time.
Support documents are available on the internet in every language.
Sometimes support takes long to engage and resolve, extending over weeks or even months.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.8
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator excels in scalability for medium to large enterprises, with adaptable licenses and both virtual and physical options.
Sentiment score
6.7
Microsoft Active Directory is scalable for thousands but faces challenges in large infrastructures, with cloud migration as a solution.
The scalability of FortiAuthenticator is good, and I would rate it an eight on a scale of one to ten.
I find Fortinet FortiAuthenticator to be highly scalable, and I would rate it an eight out of ten for scalability.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.7
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is praised for stability, but larger user bases may face reliability issues, affecting performance and authentication.
Sentiment score
7.5
Microsoft Active Directory is stable and reliable, highly rated by users, effectively scalable, with minimal downtime or performance issues.
It remains stable even when the number of concurrent users increases.
With multiple domain controllers, stability is ensured.
 

Room For Improvement

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator needs interface updates, better documentation, improved integration, scalability, automation, and support with attention to pricing.
Microsoft Active Directory needs interface, security, integration, and scalability improvements, focusing on user experience, migration, and reporting features.
For example, authentication for wireless users expires after 24 hours, requiring re-authentication daily.
I recommend Fortinet make its images migratable between environments.
I would like to see more integration and inclusion of features for ransomware protection directly within the FortiAuthenticator without requiring additional devices.
The current Active Directory UI is limited in report generation, necessitating script knowledge to generate various reports.
There are some features that need improvements in terms of ease of use and frequency of updates.
AI is offering solutions.
 

Setup Cost

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator offers flexible, competitive licensing with optional costs, balancing features and market conditions effectively for affordability.
Microsoft Active Directory offers moderate pricing, often packaged with Windows OS, with cloud services like Azure being more cost-effective.
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is not overly expensive compared to other Fortinet subscriptions.
 

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator enhances security and efficiency with two-factor authentication, SSO integration, user management, and cost-effective robust protocols.
Microsoft Active Directory offers robust user management, security, and seamless integration with Microsoft products, ideal for large network management.
The integration with FortiToken is outstanding, adding a layer of security for authentication.
We use multi-factor authentication for enhancing security.
The most valuable feature I find in FortiAuthenticator is web filtering.
I can control all the devices in my domain by just changing the group policies in one place.
Having active deployment and well-configured systems helps me manage tasks and easily oversee thousands of users.
Permissions can be granted to a group or specific folder with one or two clicks in Active Directory.
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator
Ranking in Single Sign-On (SSO)
6th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
60
Ranking in other categories
Authentication Systems (4th), Identity Management (IM) (9th), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) (3rd)
Microsoft Active Directory
Ranking in Single Sign-On (SSO)
7th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
42
Ranking in other categories
Active Directory Management (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Single Sign-On (SSO) category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is 7.6%, down from 7.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Active Directory is 2.9%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Single Sign-On (SSO)
 

Featured Reviews

Yonas Abebe - PeerSpot reviewer
Integration capabilities simplify authentication and migration challenges need addressing
The integration capabilities of Fortinet FortiAuthenticator are very interesting, as it can be integrated with third-party devices easily and is straightforward to configure. The integration with FortiToken is outstanding, adding a layer of security for authentication. In addition, it can be used by integrating with zero trust single access, enhancing overall security measures.
Srikanth Subramanian - PeerSpot reviewer
Centralized access control and identity management simplify user management
Even better group management would be beneficial. Creating and searching through groups can be challenging, especially if I need to export data. Exporting and verifying group memberships require command line scripts, which isn't simple. The current Active Directory UI is limited in report generation, necessitating script knowledge to generate various reports.
report
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Financial Services Firm
18%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiAuthenticator?
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is not overly expensive compared to other Fortinet subscriptions. However, it would be beneficial if the licensing allowed for more flexibility to cover additional users.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiAuthenticator?
Initially, we deployed Fortinet FortiAuthenticator on VMware and faced challenges when migrating to an OpenStack environment, which required reconfiguration. I recommend Fortinet make its images mi...
What do you like most about Microsoft Active Directory?
The solution is easy to install and has good reliability.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Active Directory?
Technology is evolving. AI is offering solutions. However, short-term fixes are like band-aids.
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Active Directory?
I utilize it in almost every scenario. I use the Hazer database and meet daily needs across every industry, every time.
 

Also Known As

FortiAuthenticator
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs. Microsoft Active Directory and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.