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ManageEngine ADManager Plus vs One Identity Active Roles comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 4, 2026

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
5.5
ManageEngine ADManager Plus boosted ROI by 90%, increased task efficiency, and cut ownership costs with focused training and fewer engineers.
Sentiment score
5.4
One Identity Active Roles increases operational efficiency and security, reduces costs, and enhances user satisfaction with automation and data consistency.
One Identity Active Roles provides excellent reporting and auditing functionality, allowing administrators to track permissions, actions, and responsibilities effectively.
solution architect/ engineer at APEX.IT Sp. z o.o.
It has saved 90% of the time compared to before.
IAM Specialist
One Identity has a theme that they want the right people to have the right set of access, and this is what they are able to provide with their tool.
Assistant Manager- Pre-sales ( IT-Enterprise Vertical ) at a tech vendor with 201-500 employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.2
ManageEngine ADManager Plus support is generally praised but needs consistency, with some users suggesting a ticketing system.
Sentiment score
6.7
One Identity Active Roles is praised for excellent customer service, proactive communication, and comprehensive support despite occasional issues.
Technical support from ManageEngine is very satisfactory.
Junior System Engineer at Corporate Projukti Limited
Everything is good, and I can give One Identity technical support a rating of ten.
Assistant Manager- Pre-sales ( IT-Enterprise Vertical ) at a tech vendor with 201-500 employees
They are knowledgeable, and the response time is low.
IT Infrastructure & Cloud Manager at Softcell Technologies Limited
The customer support of One Identity Active Roles is very good and helps to balance policy enforcement capabilities while improving my approval workflow.
Cybersecurity Consultant at CyberBackbone
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
ManageEngine ADManager Plus is praised for scalability and adaptability, though it faces integration challenges outside Microsoft environments.
Sentiment score
6.4
One Identity Active Roles efficiently supports large-scale Active Directory environments with flexibility and high scalability ratings.
It is very beneficial for large and complex environments.
Team Lead, Technical & Enterprise Directory Services Vita Program at AIS Network
If you are a major enterprise customer, it is a matter of scaling out on resources with more memory, disk, and CPU power.
IAM Specialist
The solution is highly scalable, with a scalability rating of nine.
IAM Product owner at a hospitality company with 10,001+ employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.7
ADManager Plus is praised for reliability and stability, with minor challenges in multi-user setups and compatibility checks.
Sentiment score
7.5
One Identity Active Roles offers stable, reliable performance with minimal glitches, excelling in automation and compliance, rated 8-10 by users.
There were no major problems with One Identity Active Roles.
solution architect/ engineer at APEX.IT Sp. z o.o.
One Identity Active Roles has had no downtime and no major reliability issues so far.
IT Infrastructure & Cloud Manager at Softcell Technologies Limited
Regarding stability, One Identity Active Roles is mostly stable.
Director, Identity & M365 Engineering at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
 

Room For Improvement

ADManager Plus requires UI improvements, better integration, and enhanced features for efficiency, stability, and responsiveness in large directories.
One Identity Active Roles requires streamlined setup, modernized UI, better documentation, lower pricing, improved cloud integration, and enhanced customization.
Upgrading from recent to the latest versions is quite complex and time-consuming.
Junior System Engineer at Corporate Projukti Limited
There are always possibilities for improvements in the initial setup of ManageEngine ADManager Plus.
Network Administrator at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
I also want One Identity Active Roles to improve in their policy configuration area, which requires advanced expertise, and in the area of reporting, I want the reporting to be more basic, visible, and have the ability to export and customize options.
Cybersecurity Consultant at CyberBackbone
The current REST API feels like an afterthought, and my developers want the ability to operate through CI/CD pipelines instead of logging into the GUI.
Identity and Access Management Specialist at a university with 10,001+ employees
A way to connect to various directories and integrate with cloud directories would be beneficial.
Team Lead, Technical & Enterprise Directory Services Vita Program at AIS Network
 

Setup Cost

Enterprise users debate ADManager Plus pricing's value, with mixed views on cost justification, affordability, and potential discounts.
Enterprise buyers view One Identity Active Roles as expensive but justified by its ROI, efficiency, and flexible user-based licensing.
The solution is perceived as cheap, and the licensing is annual.
Junior System Engineer at Corporate Projukti Limited
It is quite expensive, costing more than 50 euros per identity.
solution architect/ engineer at APEX.IT Sp. z o.o.
I think our total was in the seven-figure range for a couple of years of service.
Director, Identity & M365 Engineering at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
The pricing is high.
Team Lead, Technical & Enterprise Directory Services Vita Program at AIS Network
 

Valuable Features

ManageEngine ADManager Plus simplifies AD management with robust features and automation, enhancing usability and efficiency for teams.
One Identity Active Roles streamlines management and enhances security through automation, role-based access, dynamic groups, and compliance features.
The software is fast, secure, and enables me to manage everything in one place.
Junior System Engineer at Corporate Projukti Limited
Reporting is the most valuable feature of ManageEngine ADManager Plus and is highly usable.
Network Administrator at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
It's improved our security posture. It has limited access to our crown jewels, where all our identities lie within Active Directory.
IAM Specialist
It helps in removing custom Active Directory delegation, which enhances security by eliminating unnecessary privileges, addressing identity-based breaches by reducing the number of Active Directory delegations.
Head of Global Digital Identity Services at a hospitality company with 10,001+ employees
Dynamic groups are also one of the best features, eliminating the need to add or manage members manually.
Technical Specialist at LSEG
 

Categories and Ranking

ManageEngine ADManager Plus
Ranking in Active Directory Management
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
One Identity Active Roles
Ranking in Active Directory Management
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
User Provisioning Software (3rd), Non-Human Identity Management (NHIM) (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Active Directory Management category, the mindshare of ManageEngine ADManager Plus is 11.5%, down from 14.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of One Identity Active Roles is 12.2%, up from 6.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Active Directory Management Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
One Identity Active Roles12.2%
ManageEngine ADManager Plus11.5%
Other76.3%
Active Directory Management
 

Featured Reviews

AliImran - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Administrator at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
Reporting features have supported regular user management while some automation capabilities remain unused
While the features in ManageEngine ADManager Plus are very good, not all features are necessary for every organization. Automation is a strong feature within the product but is not currently required due to the organization's environment and needs. There are always possibilities for improvements in the initial setup of ManageEngine ADManager Plus.
SN
Identity and Access Management Specialist at a university with 10,001+ employees
Governed access has transformed user management and now reduces internal attack surface
The crown jewels of One Identity Active Roles that make my life as an architect easier are Access Templates, Virtual Attributes, Workflow and Approval Engine, and Managed Units, which allowed us to structure our directory into a policy-driven asset rather than constantly firefighting manual errors. Access Templates and Managed Units are the real secret sauce of One Identity Active Roles for us. Access Templates standardize permission settings, reducing security drift and allowing for the creation of modular permission bundles such as those I created for the Tier 1 help desk. Managed Units help me stay organized without rewriting the physical structure of the directory, saving me hours of cleanup. A critical feature that I found essential for a clean environment is Dynamic Group management, which prevents permission creep by using rule-defined group memberships rather than manual additions. One Identity Active Roles automatically manages group membership based on rules tied to the HR records. One Identity Active Roles has had a transformative impact on my organization, moving from controlled chaos to governed operations. The biggest win has been a reduction in the internal attack surface, achieving over a 40% reduction in unauthorized or accidental access attempts.
report
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
8%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise3
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business23
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise21
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with ManageEngine ADManager Plus?
While the features in ManageEngine ADManager Plus are very good, not all features are necessary for every organization. Automation is a strong feature within the product but is not currently requir...
What is your primary use case for ManageEngine ADManager Plus?
ManageEngine ADManager Plus is used for multiple tasks, especially for reporting purposes that cannot typically be obtained from Active Directory or present difficulties requiring additional expert...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for One Identity Active Roles?
I am aware of the pricing; it is on the expensive side, though pricing is not my department.
What needs improvement with One Identity Active Roles?
One Identity Active Roles can be improved by simplifying the setup process since a small team in a small business requires implementation without extensive IT support. Additionally, the pricing cou...
What is your primary use case for One Identity Active Roles?
One Identity Active Roles is used primarily to simplify and automate Active Directory user and permission management. The solution automates routine tasks such as account creation, password reset, ...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Quest Active Roles
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
City of Frankfurt, Moore Public Schools, George Washington University, Transavia Airlines, Howard County, MD. See all stories at OneIdentity.com/casestudies
Find out what your peers are saying about ManageEngine ADManager Plus vs. One Identity Active Roles and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
885,728 professionals have used our research since 2012.