Identity & Access Management
5 Best Microsoft Entra ID Alternatives in 2026
Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) is Microsoft's cloud identity platform and the backbone of authentication for Microsoft 365, Azure, and Windows. Because it ships with nearly every M365 or Microsoft 365 Business plan, it's the default identity provider for a huge share of the market. Entra ID includes Conditional Access for risk-based policies, Privileged Identity Management, and deep integration with Windows device trust.
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Top 5 Microsoft Entra ID Alternatives
Enterprise-grade IAM with hybrid deployment and strong federation
Contact sales (typical enterprise deployments from $50k/year)
Large, regulated enterprises needing hybrid deployment and deep federation
- +Mature platform with deep federation capabilities
- +Flexible deployment options (cloud, self-hosted, hybrid)
- +FedRAMP High authorization for government use
- –Complex to configure and deploy
- –Pricing is enterprise-only (no published tiers)
- –Product lineup is confusing post-merger
Market-leading cloud IAM with the broadest integration catalog
SSO from $2/user/month; Adaptive MFA from $6/user/month
Enterprises with large SaaS portfolios needing a proven, broadly-integrated IAM backbone
- +Broadest integration catalog in the industry
- +Strong enterprise features and compliance certifications
- +Mature admin experience and extensive documentation
- –Expensive at scale (per-user pricing adds up quickly)
- –Complex pricing with many add-ons and tiers
- –2022/2023 support-system breaches left lingering trust concerns
All-in-one directory, SSO, and device management for SMBs
Free for 10 users/devices; SSO $13/user/mo; Platform $19/user/mo
SMBs and mid-market teams wanting IAM plus MDM without buying both
- +Consolidates identity, device, and network auth in one tool
- +Free for up to 10 users with most features enabled
- +Much cheaper than buying Okta plus a separate MDM
- –Integration catalog is smaller than Okta's
- –Admin UI feels crowded as more features ship
- –Some features (MDM, patching) are less mature than dedicated tools
Mid-market cloud IAM at a lower price point than Okta
SSO $2/user/mo; Advanced $4/user/mo; Professional $8/user/mo
Mid-market teams wanting full IAM features at a lower per-seat price
- +More affordable than Okta at equivalent feature tiers
- +Good ML-based risk scoring for adaptive MFA
- +Solid SCIM provisioning for common SaaS apps
- –Smaller integration catalog than Okta
- –Product roadmap uncertain since One Identity acquisition
- –Admin UI feels dated compared to newer competitors
The leading open-source IAM platform, backed by Red Hat
Free (open source) / Red Hat Build of Keycloak via subscription
Teams that need full control, auditability, and zero license cost
- +Free, fully open source, self-hosted forever
- +Rich feature set comparable to commercial platforms
- +Strong federation with LDAP and Active Directory
- –Operational overhead of running it yourself
- –Admin UI is functional but dated
- –Requires expertise to deploy for high availability
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Microsoft Entra ID Alternatives Feature Comparison
All 5 alternatives, one table. Pricing, deployment, and what actually matters.
| Feature | Ping Identity 3.9/5 | Okta Workforce Identity 4.3/5 | JumpCloud 4.4/5 | OneLogin 3.8/5 | Keycloak 4.2/5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Enterprise (contact sales) | Per-user tiers (billed annually) | Per-user (billed annually) | Per-user tiers | Open Source + Enterprise Subscription |
| Open Source | -- | -- | -- | -- | + |
| Cloud-Hosted | + | + | + | + | -- |
| Self-Hosted | + | -- | -- | -- | + |
| Best For | Large, regulated enterprises needing hybrid deployment and deep federation | Enterprises with large SaaS portfolios needing a proven, broadly-integrated IAM backbone | SMBs and mid-market teams wanting IAM plus MDM without buying both | Mid-market teams wanting full IAM features at a lower per-seat price | Teams that need full control, auditability, and zero license cost |
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Microsoft Entra ID Alternatives FAQ
What are the best Microsoft Entra ID alternatives in 2026?
The most common alternatives we see teams evaluating are Ping Identity, Okta Workforce Identity, JumpCloud, OneLogin, Keycloak. Which one fits depends on your deployment model, budget, and what you actually need from a identity & access management tool.
Is Microsoft Entra ID the best identity & access management tool?
It's one of the most widely used, but "best" depends entirely on your situation. Microsoft Entra ID tends to win on included free or near-free with most microsoft 365 plans, but some teams switch because of less polished for non-microsoft saas integrations. See how the alternatives stack up above.
How much does Microsoft Entra ID cost?
Microsoft Entra ID starts at Free tier with M365; P1 $6/user/mo; P2 $9/user/mo (per-user (bundled with microsoft licenses) pricing). Keep in mind list prices rarely tell the full story. Add-ons, seat minimums, and contract terms can change the math significantly.
Sources & References
- Microsoft Entra ID (Official Site)[Vendor]
- Microsoft Entra ID Reviews on G2[User Reviews]
- Microsoft Entra ID Reviews on TrustRadius[User Reviews]
- Microsoft Entra ID Reviews on PeerSpot[User Reviews]
- Gartner Magic Quadrant for Access Management 2024[Analyst Report]
- Forrester Wave: Identity-As-A-Service (IDaaS), Q4 2024[Analyst Report]
- KuppingerCole Leadership Compass: Access Management 2024[Analyst Report]
- NIST SP 800-63: Digital Identity Guidelines[Government Standard]
- FIDO Alliance: Passwordless Authentication Standards[Industry Standard]
- Gartner Peer Insights: Access Management[Peer Reviews]
- Ping Identity (Official Site)[Vendor]
- Okta Workforce Identity (Official Site)[Vendor]
- JumpCloud (Official Site)[Vendor]