No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

OpenText Identity Manager vs SailPoint Identity Security Cloud comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 29, 2026

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

OpenText Identity Manager
Ranking in User Provisioning Software
9th
Ranking in Identity Management (IM)
15th
Ranking in Identity Governance Administration (IGA)
7th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
18
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
SailPoint Identity Security...
Ranking in User Provisioning Software
2nd
Ranking in Identity Management (IM)
2nd
Ranking in Identity Governance Administration (IGA)
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
72
Ranking in other categories
Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (4th), SaaS Management Platforms (1st), Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Identity Governance Administration (IGA) category, the mindshare of OpenText Identity Manager is 4.1%, up from 3.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SailPoint Identity Security Cloud is 27.2%, down from 39.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Identity Governance Administration (IGA) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud27.2%
OpenText Identity Manager4.1%
Other68.7%
Identity Governance Administration (IGA)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2401464 - PeerSpot reviewer
Architect at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
Updates systems quickly and does not have a limit on the number of users
NetIQ does not have a limit on the number of users. The tool is secure by nature. It can have more than one billion users. Event-based systems know what has to be changed. SQL-based systems can only change using time and date. Event-based systems provide immediate results, while SQL-based systems need time to sync. It is totally different from a security perspective. Event-based systems can update all the systems in seconds or minutes. Other systems do it within 24 hours. The basic event-based system is AI-driven. It has some kind of robotics and programming. Other tools need programming. I like systems that have prebuilt ideas of security. NetIQ has been in the market for a long period. It has all the systems and connectors. There is not much coding. We just need to configure the products. We need not do any programming. I haven't seen any other product that needs only configuration to do the job. Most products in the market are SQL-based. They need programming. Some service providers who sell other products to customers do not sell NetIQ because they can make more money by selling solutions that need more consultancy and programming. More hours lead to more money.
Mitch MO - PeerSpot reviewer
Specialist Consultant at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Access lifecycle has been streamlined but connectors for non‑human identities still need improvement
We currently use IdentityIQ and do not have SailPoint Identity Security Cloud. We only have IdentityIQ on-premises. I do not have extensive experience with analytics, but I know that there are custom reports available to obtain information about data in SailPoint. I am not entirely familiar with analytics data. It is difficult to score because you have to compare with another product to assess it. We are satisfied with IdentityIQ. However, I understand that we will not have a choice but to move to a cloud solution in the future because SailPoint is not investing in new upgrades or evolution of IdentityIQ. My overall rating for this product is 7.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"To my knowledge it is the only event based IDM system."
"It has reduced time and resource costs due to automation of previously hand-managed tasks like provisioning, granting access, distribution and access to different enterprise connected applications."
"The identity vault, password syncing and self service Password Reset are valuable features, and NetIQ does a good job with password syncing among directories."
"The Identity Engine is event-based and provides real-time synchronization and password synchronization to more than 40 different applications and services."
"The access request management has improved significantly in terms of its user interface. What sets it apart from competitors like SailPoint is that it's an event-based solution rather than schedule-based. That's a key differentiator."
"The most valuable feature of NetIQ Identity Manager for identity synchronization is the ability to provide users with all necessary access on day one through automated provisioning, facilitated by approval workflows."
"NetIQ does not have a limit on the number of users."
"The product is easy to use."
"Certifications and user provisioning features are the most valuable."
"The big one now is that they're adding AI and machine learning to figure out automated approvals and make recommendations to their reviewers. So, if I bring up Doug McPherson and it says he has access to this application, the system will make a review based on peer group analysis. That's one of the biggest new things. The problem used to be that people would get everything loaded on, and they created too much work for themselves. Now, they can use these policies and start to let the machine pick the less risky things."
"The most powerful feature of the solution is its platform-based approach. Unlike other solutions, this tool offers a high level of customization. It is an open and flexible platform, allowing users to tailor it to their needs. This ability to customize and adapt the solution to individual requirements makes the solution stand out as a powerful product."
"Manager Certification helped to review user access and revoked unnecessary accesses to various applications."
"The most valuable features of SailPoint IdentityIQ are the reporting because it is better than other solutions. The workflows can be customized to our requirements and the overall features are good."
"I like IdentityIQ's granular attachment management and certification customization features."
"Customer Service: Very good. Technical Support: Very good."
"The access certification feature is valuable."
 

Cons

"There's no huge thing missing, because it's already comprehensive. Now and then, however, there might be a minor issue."
"NetIQ Identity Manager could improve by updating the user portal, it is out of date."
"If it works, Designer is a charm, but it can be a pain to keep updated because of all the Java stuff that regularly goes wrong."
"The problem is the ecosystem. There's not a lot of people that know the product, so it's hard to find someone to work with the product."
"The vendor must provide an easier console for configuring things for smaller customers."
"Scalability becomes an issue if the vision changes from the initial implementation. Not being flexible and having to rewrite quite a bit of code for even a simple added feature makes it difficult."
"It needs some modern features. They should improve and modernize their management interface. It has been created over years and by different persons. You can see different applications, different management consoles for different things. There should be an integrated interface."
"We have another system that is using the SAML system, and we also integrate with Active Directory only. If NetIQ Identity Manager can integrate directly, we would not need to use the Active Directory directory."
"It is not readily available and cannot be downloaded from the net."
"The price of IdentityIQ could be lower. There are additional costs when you buy the licenses, and they force the customers to pay for them."
"The pricing could be improved."
"The advanced provisioning features require more improvement."
"They can work on their strategy for the on-premise version. They have to decide whether and for how long they will support the on-premise version. The new features first appear in the cloud, and after that, they are released for the on-premise version. In the cloud, you have more options and flexibility, which is absolutely normal. They have to have a clear strategy regarding whether they'll support the on-premises version with the same focus. The licensing for on-premise and cloud is a little bit different. They can make it the same."
"They are expensive."
"SailPoint IdentityIQ has a primitive AI engine."
"The interface can improve, and the product could become a little cheaper."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the solution is a bit high and could be reduced."
"It would easily help them in getting more market and more customers if more consultants knew about their software. If they could keep it free for schools for teaching purposes, it would be good. I had to pay myself to get it and use it for training. Their competitors are giving it for free. I had to pay for it myself. They are losing market to their competitors."
"Micro Focus is flexible when it comes to price. The cost varies from customer to customer. There are no additional costs, though. Everything is included."
"I would rate the pricing a two out of ten, with one being low price and ten being high price. It is significantly more cost-effective than the major players in the market."
"You just need to be aware that the more systems you connect, the more license fees you have to pay."
"The solution is quite affordable."
"As per my knowledge, it runs on a paid partnership model, but I am not sure about it."
"SailPoint IIQ is the best of best. That is reflected in the pricing of the solution. The pricing is based on the number of identities."
"This is an expensive solution. I would rate it a two and a half out of five for pricing."
"The price of the solution could improve, it is not priced well for smaller businesses to afford."
"The licensing fees are on a yearly basis."
"SailPoint IdentityIQ is highly-priced, and I rate it an eight out of ten for pricing."
"You do pay one price for the license but that price depends on what you choose to include as far as the optional modules go."
"They are expensive."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Identity Governance Administration (IGA) solutions are best for your needs.
902,988 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
12%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
University
7%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise6
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business21
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise43
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NetIQ Identity Manager?
The pricing depends on whether we buy the solution as a service or a license. The license is expensive. If we buy it as a service for a large number of users, it is the cheapest tool we can get. Th...
What needs improvement with NetIQ Identity Manager?
The tool is used mostly in big systems to understand what is happening. There are not many technicians who know how to use the product. The vendor must provide an easier console for configuring thi...
What is your primary use case for NetIQ Identity Manager?
NetIQ Directory is the main function of the product. As far as I know, it is the only event test directory that exists. It has all the potential for event-based testing. It has rules, connectors, a...
How does Sailpoint IdentityIQ compare with CyberArk PAM?
We evaluated Sailpoint IdentityIQ before ultimately choosing CyberArk. Sailpoint Identity Platform is a solution to manage risks in cloud enterprise environments. It automates and streamlines the m...
What advice do you have for others considering SailPoint IdentityIQ?
You can use SailPoint Atlas to take identity security to the next level. In SailPoint IIQ, writing a custom connector using the open source framework is a good option.
 

Also Known As

Novell Identity Manager
IdentityIQ, IdentityNow, Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management, Intello
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Sheetz
Adobe, AXA Technology Services, Cuna Mutual Group, Equifax, ING Direct, Orrstown Bank, Rockwell Automation, SallieMae, Spirit Aerosystems, TEL
Find out what your peers are saying about OpenText Identity Manager vs. SailPoint Identity Security Cloud and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
902,988 professionals have used our research since 2012.