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Microsoft Active Directory pros and cons

Vendor: Microsoft

4.3 out of 5

42 reviews
97% willing to recommend

139 followers

Pros & Cons summary

Microsoft Active Directory is renowned for its user-friendliness and seamless integration with Azure AD Connect and Office 365, offering comprehensive management for on-premise and cloud environments. It excels in user and group policy management and security features like credential management. However, integration with Mac and iOS needs improvement, and technical support delays hinder resolution times. Its hybrid single sign-on capabilities present challenges, and enhancements in scalability and stability are necessary.

Buyer's Guide

Get pricing advice, tips, use cases and valuable features from real users of this product.

Prominent pros & cons

PROS

Microsoft Active Directory is praised for its user-friendly features and capability to merge with a cloud-based directory via Azure AD Connect.

The most valuable features include the management of user and group policies, scalability, and easy initial setup.

Microsoft Active Directory enhances security through robust audit, authentication, and authorization features, alongside password policies that enforce security protocols.

The system allows centralized management, offering the ability to control all devices in a domain via group policies, and also supports integration with services like Microsoft Office 365.

The hybrid management capabilities and tight security control make Microsoft Active Directory an essential tool for cybersecurity and network infrastructure management.

CONS

Users suggest improved security features and better integration with other solutions, including Mac, iOS products, and cloud-based applications.

There is a need for better scalability, as the current infrastructure may require additional software solutions for effective network monitoring.

Technical support and premium support services should be more prompt and cost-effective, as the current support can be delayed and expensive.

Single sign-on integration is notably more complex with on-premise Microsoft Active Directory compared to Azure cloud, making it a challenge for users managing diverse applications.

Improving authentication mechanisms and addressing the absence of multi-factor authentication is recommended for enhanced security and user satisfaction.

Microsoft Active Directory Pros review quotes

Rajitha Abhisheka

Senior Systems Engineer at Virtual IT Group - Australia

Sep 29, 2022

The Solution's most important feature is that it can merge with a cloud-based active directory via Azure AD Connect.

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Shivaram Venkatesh

Cloud advisor at Digital Cognitive

Aug 10, 2023

One noteworthy aspect we discovered is the ability to exercise tight control over systems, specifically Windows PCs. This pertains to the management of policies, usage patterns, and user access on these devices, particularly within the framework of Active Directory which is extremely well thought. This actually works better with on-premises solutions. However, as the global trend shifts towards cloud and hybrid environments, Active Directory and its use is diminishing. Yet, it hasn't entirely lost its relevance and remains a presence that cannot be entirely disregarded.

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Technical Analyst at Hexaware Technologies Limited

Mar 10, 2023

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.

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IT Enterprise System Administrator at Nafeza

Dec 13, 2022

We can also have separate domain controllers in different Active Directory sites based on their location.

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MM

Security Manager at Yarix S.r.l.

Aug 10, 2023

Active Directory plays a focal point in security management, encompassing aspects like credential management, lifecycle, dynamic provisioning, and the network infrastructure of customers.

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MR

Mohammad Roshanshak

IT Engineer at United Nations

Aug 3, 2023

It is easy to handle, and it gives a hundred percent results with the group policies.

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SHUBHAM BHINGARDE

Project Engineer at CDAC

Feb 8, 2024

The user interface of the product is very easy to use.

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Srikanth Subramanian

Senior consutant at HCLSoftware

Jan 9, 2025

One valuable feature is the centralized creation of IDs.

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reviewer1071012

Lead Desktop Support Technician at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

Jan 19, 2023

The most valuable feature of Microsoft Active Directory is the ability to search for computers and users. While I do not have administrative privileges to reset passwords, I can view user information such as department, and communicate with someone who can make the changes.

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Benjamin Mpolokoso

Manager ICT at NJIT

Aug 8, 2023

It's quite easy to integrate into other directories.

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Show 10 more reviews (out of 42)

Microsoft Active Directory Cons review quotes

Rajitha Abhisheka

Senior Systems Engineer at Virtual IT Group - Australia

Sep 29, 2022

The interface for logs should be user-friendly and allow for enhanced filtering to drill down to incidents.

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Shivaram Venkatesh

Cloud advisor at Digital Cognitive

Aug 10, 2023

Typically, it depends on the customer's situation. If the customer operates in smaller locations where most PCs are in a common location, we usually aim to consolidate the directory infrastructure for easier maintenance. However, for distributed setups spanning multiple countries, configuring multiple sites becomes necessary and more intricate to handle. Our objective is to minimize the number of sites, simplifying operations for IT administrators and reducing errors. Mistakes in Active Directory can be costly for organizations, as disruptions can occur rapidly. Moreover, when it comes to hybrid single sign-on across various applications, Microsoft hasn't put forth significant effort. Single sign-on has become a challenge for many customers who utilize diverse solutions beyond Microsoft products. While implementing single sign-on is relatively straightforward in the Azure cloud, it's considerably more complex when dealing with the local Active Directory. This presents a big challenge for many of our customers.

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Technical Analyst at Hexaware Technologies Limited

Mar 10, 2023

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.

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Microsoft Active Directory

Free Report: Microsoft Active Directory Reviews and More

Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Active Directory. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.

838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.

IT Enterprise System Administrator at Nafeza

Dec 13, 2022

If Microsoft is going to add anything to the on-prem solution, it should be an updated GUI.

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MM

Security Manager at Yarix S.r.l.

Aug 10, 2023

I would like to see more integration with cloud-based applications. This would make it easier to manage users and devices across multiple platforms.

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MR

Mohammad Roshanshak

IT Engineer at United Nations

Aug 3, 2023

If you are using the Active Directory, the main concern is that the policy is restricted to the specific local area network.

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SHUBHAM BHINGARDE

Project Engineer at CDAC

Feb 8, 2024

Microsoft Active Directory restricts most of the features our company's employees want to use since they are involved in research and development activities.

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Srikanth Subramanian

Senior consutant at HCLSoftware

Jan 9, 2025

Even better group management would be beneficial.

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reviewer1071012

Lead Desktop Support Technician at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

Jan 19, 2023

There has been a change in the layout of the user information. Previously, I had to go to properties to view the information, but now it is displayed directly below the search results. It takes some time to get used to.

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Benjamin Mpolokoso

Manager ICT at NJIT

Aug 8, 2023

The product must provide remote password reset features.

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Show 10 more reviews (out of 41)

Product Categories

Product Categories

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Active Directory Management

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Product Categories

Product Categories

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Active Directory Management

Popular Comparisons

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Microsoft Entra ID vs Microsoft Active Directory

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Microsoft Active Directory

Auth0 vs Microsoft Active Directory

Ping Identity Platform vs Microsoft Active Directory

JumpCloud vs Microsoft Active Directory

IBM Security Verify Access vs Microsoft Active Directory

AWS IAM Identity Center vs Microsoft Active Directory

Evidian Enterprise SSO vs Microsoft Active Directory

See all alternatives

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