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Microsoft Active Directory vs SAP Single Sign-On comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

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)
SAP Single Sign-On
Ranking in Single Sign-On (SSO)
13th
Average Rating
10.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.5
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Single Sign-On (SSO) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Active Directory is 2.9%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP Single Sign-On is 0.3%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Single Sign-On (SSO)
 

Featured Reviews

Rajitha Abhisheka - PeerSpot reviewer
A solution that easily merges with cloud-based ADs and provides superior data security
The interface for logs should be user-friendly and allow for enhanced filtering to drill down to incidents. It is time consuming to get a clear picture and review deviations in conditional policies because you have to check each and every log to find information on malicious attacks, a compromised end-user's account, or phishing emails. The logs for sign-ins and auditing should be available for more than a 30-90 day window. Most logs are displayed in UTC but it would be helpful to include time conversions for tenant regions. Currently, we must do time conversions manually before we contact users to share information and troubleshoot issues.
AhmedHaridy - PeerSpot reviewer
A flexible solution that has two-factor authentication feature
The solution has been integrated into our mobile workforce using SAP IAS. This service links all SAP products with a central authentication platform, allowing users to access various systems and functionalities. We can easily integrate this solution with Active Directory or other solutions such as Microsoft or IBM. Additionally, SAP IAS also supports digital authentication, not only for SAP but also for other platforms like Microsoft Azure. Customers can quickly establish user authentication with SAP IAS in just a few minutes, enabling secure access to specific products or systems based on predefined rules. The two-factor authentication feature of SAP Single Sign-On is highly valuable for enhancing security. It allows users to access SAP products using various authentication methods, such as Microsoft user or their authentication service. This ensures secure access to all systems, both SAP and non-SAP, while giving the company control over user access. Additionally, the solution offers location-based access control. We find that it's already quite flexible and doesn't require much customization. It's mainly about configuration, which doesn't demand technical expertise. Customers often delve deeper into the solution's features to understand how to use it more effectively. They ask questions that are already addressed within the platform. This reliance on the solution's features, alongside their internal on-premises systems, has a very positive impact. The tool is compatible with different products.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is easy to understand all the components."
"I can use Active Directory to block a user's internet access and monitor how an employee is using the internet."
"The scalability of the solution is high...The initial setup of the solution is easy, and I would rate it an eight or nine out of ten on a scale of one to ten, where one being difficult and ten being easy."
"It's useful in bringing order to the system."
"The user-friendliness of Microsoft Active Directory is a valuable feature."
"Active Directory plays a focal point in security management, encompassing aspects like credential management, lifecycle, dynamic provisioning, and the network infrastructure of customers."
"Active Directory is more flexible and feature-rich than Apache."
"The user interface of the product is very easy to use."
"The solution has been integrated into our mobile workforce using SAP IAS. This service links all SAP products with a central authentication platform, allowing users to access various systems and functionalities. We can easily integrate this solution with Active Directory or other solutions such as Microsoft or IBM. Additionally, SAP IAS also supports digital authentication, not only for SAP but also for other platforms like Microsoft Azure. Customers can quickly establish user authentication with SAP IAS in just a few minutes, enabling secure access to specific products or systems based on predefined rules."
 

Cons

"Even better group management would be beneficial."
"The product must provide remote password reset features."
"I have encountered a few stability issues."
"In the solution, assigning permissions is complex, making it difficult to grant them at a granular level or to multiple users without templates or alternative tools."
"The solution's price could be better."
"The solution needs to be simplified to navigate."
"Sometimes support takes long to engage and resolve, extending over weeks or even months."
"If you are using the Active Directory, the main concern is that the policy is restricted to the specific local area network."
"The only improvement I suggest for SAP Single Sign-On concerns employees without emails. We addressed this by allowing users to set up security questions themselves. However, to further enhance this, integrating with mobile SMS for password resets could be beneficial."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I'm unsure about the cost of the solution, as I was never involved in that aspect. However, I don't think it would be expensive. It might be average, around four or five out of ten."
"The pricing is not very expensive. I rate the pricing a five out of ten."
"The price of Microsoft Active Directory could improve. We pay annually for the solution."
"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a four out of ten."
"The version of Microsoft Active Directory I was using was expensive because it was used for large companies."
"It's not overly expensive. It's considered a base function by Microsoft."
"Active Directory is built-in into Microsoft Windows 10. I'm not an administrator and would not be involved in purchasing decisions for new versions of the software. I have only used the client portion of it, I do not know if there is a cost to using the solution."
"We purchase the license for the solution on a yearly basis."
"The tool is free of cost."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Educational Organization
7%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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.
What do you like most about SAP Single Sign-On?
The solution has been integrated into our mobile workforce using SAP IAS. This service links all SAP products with a central authentication platform, allowing users to access various systems and fu...
What needs improvement with SAP Single Sign-On?
The only improvement I suggest for SAP Single Sign-On concerns employees without emails. We addressed this by allowing users to set up security questions themselves. However, to further enhance thi...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
1. Adidas 2. Aetna 3. Airbus 4. Allianz 5. American Express 6. AstraZeneca 7. Audi 8.Bayer 9. BMW 10. Boeing 11. Cisco 12. Coca-Cola 13. Colgate-Palmolive 14. Dell 15. Eni 16. Ericsson 17. ExxonMobil 18. Ford 19. General Electric 20. Google 21. Hewlett Packard 22. Honeywell 23. IBM 24. Intel 25. Johnson & Johnson 26. JPMorgan Chase 27. Kellogg's 28. L'Oreal 29. Merck 30. Nestle 31. Nike 32. PG
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Cisco, Okta and others in Single Sign-On (SSO). Updated: April 2025.
849,600 professionals have used our research since 2012.