Microsoft Entra ID vs Yubico YubiKey comparison

Microsoft and Yubico are both solutions in the Authentication Systems category. Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.7, while Yubico is ranked #7 with an average rating of 9.0. Microsoft holds a 17.6% mindshare in AS, compared to Yubico’s 11.0% mindshare. Additionally, 94% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Yubico users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Entra ID

Read 218 Microsoft Entra ID reviews

14,818 Views
10,868 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Yubico YubiKey

Read 4 Yubico YubiKey reviews

6,075 Views
5,371 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Entra ID

Yubico YubiKey

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 11, 2024

Yubico YubiKey and Microsoft Entra ID compete in the physical authentication and integrated security solutions category. Microsoft Entra ID seems to have the upper hand due to its comprehensive integration with Microsoft's services.

What features are offered by Yubico YubiKey in comparison to Microsoft Entra ID?

Yubico YubiKey offers strong physical authentication, multi-protocol support, and robust security features. Microsoft Entra ID provides comprehensive integration with Microsoft services, advanced security features, and a feature-rich solution suitable for enterprises.

What areas of improvement can be found in Yubico YubiKey in comparison to Microsoft Entra ID?

Yubico YubiKey needs a simplified setup process, better compatibility, and improved documentation. Microsoft Entra ID requires enhanced performance, better documentation, and improved usability. Yubico YubiKey's compatibility issues are highlighted more frequently.

How is the ease of deployment and customer service of Yubico YubiKey in comparison to Microsoft Entra ID?

Yubico YubiKey is easier to deploy due to its plug-and-play nature but has mixed reviews in customer service. Microsoft Entra ID has a more complex deployment process but offers reliable customer support. Ease of deployment favors Yubico YubiKey, whereas Microsoft Entra ID's customer support is more consistent.

What setup costs and ROI can be seen with Yubico YubiKey in comparison to Microsoft Entra ID?

Yubico YubiKey is noted for its affordable setup cost and quick return on investment. Microsoft Entra ID is more expensive but justifies its price with comprehensive security features. Yubico YubiKey wins on cost-efficiency, while Microsoft Entra ID provides extensive capabilities that justify its cost.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Entra ID vs. Yubico YubiKey Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID vs. Yubico YubiKey

December 2024

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Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Entra ID

Ranking in Authentication Systems

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

218

Ranking in other categories

Single Sign-On (SSO) (1st), Identity Management (IM) (1st), Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (1st), Access Management (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (4th)

Yubico YubiKey

Ranking in Authentication Systems

7th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Passwordless Authentication (2nd), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Authentication Systems category, the mindshare of Microsoft Entra ID is 17.6%, down from 24.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Yubico YubiKey is 11.0%, down from 11.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Authentication Systems

Featured Reviews

Vinod Survase

M365 Senior Consultant at Capgemini

Saves us time and money and features Conditional Access policies, SSPR, and MFA

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. There are other similar limitations, such as a cap on the number of identities that can be synchronized in a particular time frame, which can be an issue for large enterprises with 300,000 employees or more.

Read full review

OmerKhan1

IT Specialist at Friendly Solutions Corp

A stable solution that is efficient, user-friendly, and easy to use

It would be better if the product can come up with a serial number for the keys. It would be nice if they had a numbering system as a configuration identity that would help the IT and technical teams to identify the keys because they look all the same. It would be more like putting a tag on them.

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

"With Azure Conditional Access you can specify network locations where you want some of the services in the organization to be available to users, and where you don't want users to have access."

"The best thing about Microsoft Entra ID is the ease of setup."

"The scalability of the product is decent."

"The solution is free to use and you can use it for every service."

"We're using the whole suite: device management, user credentials, everything that's possible."

"The most valuable feature for us is the B2C functionality of Microsoft Entra ID, which is essential due to our need for external and internal users to log into our system."

"The most valuable features of this solution are definitely the authorization and authentication, and the rule-based user validation."

"It helps with privacy control of identity data. It makes security very easy."

More Microsoft Entra ID pros

"The most valuable feature of Yubico YubiKey is security."

"The solution is simple to use and we have installed it in our clients' endpoints. The tool is just plug-and-play for the end user. The end user can just put in the key to the security computer and log in without any hassle. The solution is efficient, user-friendly, and easy to use."

"YubiKey is a hardware security device with advanced security features."

"It's small and lightweight. Like a phone, it doesn't run out of battery. It also doesn't have to be unlocked. It doesn't break. Moreover, they're very durable and it's very convenient."

Cons

"They can combine conditional access for user actions and application filtering. Currently, they are separated, and we cannot mix the two. I do not know how it would be possible, but it would be interesting."

"Entra could be improved by enhancing self-service options for end users, such as making password reset options more accessible."

"Private access and internet access should be available in a less expensive licensing model."

"Rule management and permissions need improvements. I have had discussions with product managers about these challenges and sent emails regarding them. Additionally, improvements are needed in the Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) side of things."

"Active Directory could always be more secure. Right now, we've got two-factor authentications. All services based on Active Directory have a username and password. If somebody hacked our username, they could easily get all the data from our side. So I want two-factor authentication and a stronger password policy from Active Directory. The domain controllers should be more secure as well."

"Definitely, the price could be lower. When we moved from AWS to Azure, we started paying more."

"Azure Active Directory could be made easier to use. We have large amounts of data and storage. We are looking for video files and media content for applications, we will think about options, such as cloud storage or a CDN."

"The technical support has room for improvement."

More Microsoft Entra ID cons

"Currently, an area where the product lacks is in addressing service needs."

"It's a hardware device, so it isn't cost-effective to use for all your accounts. You might have a hard time getting budget approval. It's better to take a strategic approach and use it only for critical accounts. You can use other forms of authentication for the rest."

"It would be better if the product can come up with a serial number for the keys. It would be nice if they had a numbering system as a configuration identity that would help the IT and technical teams to identify the keys because they look all the same. It would be more like putting a tag on them."

"Yubico YubiKey is inconvient. No one likes the idea of having to put a USB device into the system, having to remember to take it out, and having passwords. It may be very good for security but it is not great for people to use."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution was fairly priced the last time I checked the costs."

"As a nonprofit, we have A5 licenses for nonprofits in education, so we at least have some reduced costs."

"The pricing of Azure Active Directory is competitive. By default, the product exists in almost every Microsoft cloud product. But it then depends on the features that a customer really wants to make use of."

"The P1 version costs $6 per user per month."

"For a small business buying individual licenses, it is an affordable solution."

"The product's price is in the midrange."

"The cost is billed on a per-user licensing basis."

"The basic tier of Azure Active Directory is free, so many users use the service for free. For a small company having the security and compliance that Azure offers is a great benefit. For small companies that are using the basic services, not having to pay for Azure Active Directory is the main asset because they can manage their users and have authentications tools and security."

More Microsoft Entra ID pricing and cost advice

"We paid 100 bucks for one Yubikey."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

32%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

13%

Government

12%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

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...

See all answers

What do you like most about Azure Active Directory?

It is very simple. The Active Directory functions are very easy for us. Its integration with anything is very easy. We can easily do third-party multifactor authentication.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Active Directory?

Most features of Entra ID are part of Microsoft's ecosystem and included in Microsoft 365 bundles, which means there are no additional costs associated with pricing and licensing.

See all answers

What do you like most about Yubico YubiKey?

The solution is simple to use and we have installed it in our clients' endpoints. The tool is just plug-and-play for the end user. The end user can just put in the key to the security computer and ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Yubico YubiKey?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Yubico YubiKey?

We use YubiKey to authenticate online services with email, web, and Twitter. We deploy it for some sensitive administrative accounts to improve security.

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Intune vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 11% of the time

Google Cloud Identity vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 10% of the time

Okta Workforce Identity vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 8% of the time

Auth0 vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 5% of the time

CyberArk Privileged Access Manager vs Microsoft Entra ID

Compared 5% of the time

More Microsoft Entra ID Competitors

RSA SecurID vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 47% of the time

Fortinet FortiToken vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 12% of the time

Cisco Duo vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 10% of the time

Thales Authenticators vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Yubico YubiKey

Compared 5% of the time

More Yubico YubiKey Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID

December 2024

Download Microsoft Entra ID product report

Buyer's Guide

Authentication Systems

December 2024

Download Yubico YubiKey product report

Also Known As

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

YubiKey

Learn More

Microsoft

Yubico

Interactive Demo

Microsoft

Demo not available

Yubico

Overview

Microsoft Entra ID is used for extending on-premises Active Directory to the cloud, managing application access, enabling multi-factor authentication, and single sign-on. It facilitates policy enforcement and secure access, ensuring centralized identity management across cloud and on-premises resources.

Organizations utilize Microsoft Entra ID for robust user and group management, identity synchronization, and conditional access. Its seamless integration with third-party apps, scalability, and support for remote work make it a preferred choice. The admin center streamlines identity and access tasks, enhancing efficiency and security with features like privileged identity management and audit logs.

What are the key features of Microsoft Entra ID?

Single Sign-On: Simplifies user access to multiple applications with one login.
Multifactor Authentication: Enhances security by requiring additional verification.
Conditional Access: Establishes policies that determine how users' access cloud apps.
Integration: Easily integrates with various third-party applications.
User Identity Protection: Safeguards user identities from threats.
Privileged Identity Management: Manages elevated access to sensitive resources.
Audit Logs: Provides thorough activity logs for oversight and compliance.

What benefits should users look for in Microsoft Entra ID reviews?

Enhanced Security: Offers strong multifactor authentication and identity protection.
Administrative Efficiency: Simplifies identity and access management tasks.
Scalability: Supports growing user bases and remote work environments.
Integration Capabilities: Compatible with numerous third-party applications.
User-Friendly Interface: Makes managing user identities straightforward.

Microsoft Entra ID implementation varies across industries. Tech firms leverage it for secure, scalable access management, while healthcare organizations utilize its identity protection features to safeguard patient data. Educational institutions adopt Entra ID for streamlined user management and policy enforcement, ensuring secure access for students and staff across on-premises and cloud resources.

The YubiKey works with hundreds of enterprise, developer and consumer applications, out-of-the-box and with no client software. Combined with leading password managers, social login and enterprise single sign on systems the YubiKey enables secure access to millions of online services.

Sample Customers

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

Google Inc., Salesforce, Novartis, Facebook, GitHub, CERN, Duke University, Code Enigma, Luther Burbank High School, ZorgSaam, Agfa, Santa Clara County Fire Department, Dyson Ltd, Portugal Telecom, Boral, Canonical Ltd

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Entra ID vs. Yubico YubiKey

December 2024

Free Report: Microsoft Entra ID vs. Yubico YubiKey

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Entra ID vs. Yubico YubiKey and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.

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