Microsoft, JumpCloud and CyberArk are among the best identity and access management solutions available. Find out how these and other IAM solutions compare and explore their best use cases.
With remote work becoming so commonplace, identity and access management (IAM) software has grown in importance in recent years. Solutions need to be able to function on-premise, in the cloud, and in hybrid environments.
According to the State of Identity Governance Report 2025, 95% of leaders view identity security as a crucial part of their cybersecurity strategy, and 86% of them are gravely concerned about identity-related threats.
Most breaches based on identity-related threats are preventable with correctly implemented identity-related security measures. That’s why the global cloud IAM market is projected to reach $13.42 billion by 2027 and grow at an annual rate of 22.71%, according to a report from Research and Markets.
Almost all IAM solutions now include multi-factor authentication and zero trust. But privileged access management and workflows are not offered by some vendors.
| Starting Price | Industries | |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | $6–$9 per user per month | Most industries in which Windows-based systems or the Azure cloud predominate. |
| JumpCloud | $9–$27 per user per month (billed annually) | SMEs in all industries. |
| CyberArk | Contact sales for pricing | Cloud-based enterprises or businesses with a large cloud presence. |
| OneLogin | Contact sales for pricing | Mid-size and large enterprises, especially those involved with a presence in software development. |
| Ping Identity | $3–$6 per user per month based on a 5,000 user minimum | Large enterprises in multiple industries, particularly financial services. |
| Oracle | Contact sales for pricing | Large enterprises, especially those already invested broadly in the Oracle portfolio. |
| Okta | $2–$15 per user per month | Mid-size and large enterprises without a strong affiliation to a specific cloud or security platform. |
| ManageEngine | Visit site for custom pricing | Although it runs in the cloud, it is particularly suited to on-prem deployments in large enterprises. |
If a business runs almost exclusively on Microsoft tools and Windows operating systems, I highly recommend choosing Entra ID. Entra now includes everything that used to be in Azure AD and stands as the foundation for Windows-based identity management. Microsoft Entra ID tools are needed for local networks, multi-cloud, and multi-network environments running Microsoft Azure and Windows-based systems. Recent updates include an Azure Mobile app where administrators can respond to potential threats. Entra ID now comes with comprehensive reporting, offering insights into risky behaviors such as compromised user accounts and suspicious sign-ins.
Windows is so pervasive in the enterprise and Azure is so popular in the cloud that Entra ID’s inclusion on my list was a no-brainer. As it is fully integrated into Windows, Azure, and other Microsoft tools, it offers Microsoft shops implementation and management simplicity compared to trying to run other tools. It is also cheaper than some of the alternative IAM suites. Plus, Active Directory technology has been around since 1999 and has become a trusted aspect of enterprise security and identity management.
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JumpCloud’s zero-trust approach to identity offers granular policies to manage identities, devices, and locations. Its vendor-independent approach is enhanced by its comfort with multiple protocols. It is used by large and small organizations alike. However, I find it to be particularly well-suited for small businesses that don’t have a strong grounding in IT. The latest release provided more workflow automations to reduce the day-to-day operational burden, federated authentication, and the ability for JumpCloud to interoperate with an organization’s existing identity provider.
Additional features recently incorporated include Jumpcloud Go, a hardware-protected and phishing-resistant passwordless login method that allows users access to web resources from managed devices. Dynamic Group Management, too, allows IT admins to manage group membership via configurable attribute-driven rules. Android Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) enables secure selection, deployment and management of Android devices and services.
I have JumpCloud on this list for its intuitive user interface and its overall customizability. Its remote locking and data erase capabilities are popular, too, as are its zero trust and the degree of integration with a great many systems and platforms. This makes it relatively easy to deploy, something that SMEs with limited IT resources appreciate.
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Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) is a way to take the effort out of IAM. If you’re specifically looking for IDaaS solutions, I recommend picking CyberArk. Also big in the privileged identity management market, CyberArk has steadily added to its initial PAM offerings with IAM, IDaaS, and analytics capabilities. Its IAM suite recently benefited from expanded passwordless authentication capabilities with new passkeys support. Passkeys reduce the attack surface and minimize credential theft. Zero Trust and least privilege features allow every identity to access any resource more securely and support for YubiKey One Time Passcode (OTP) provides physical authentication.
I picked CyberArk’s for its ease of use, primarily due to its IDaaS architecture. It alleviates many of the deployment headaches sometimes associated with IAM. A streamlined login experience coupled with strong integration and customization capabilities make CyberArk a strong candidate for identity and access management.
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SEE: CyberArk vs BeyondTrust review
If you’re a social media-centric organization, I feel confident that OneLogin’s IAM product integration with social media logins, as well as regular enterprise logins for endpoints, will make a great fit. It takes a narrower focus than others, but those wanting a good IAM tool should consider OneLogin. Its cloud infrastructure offers reliability and plenty of tools to aid businesses in many verticals to develop or bake-in security solutions specific to their industries. Single Sign-On (SSO), MFA, and SmartFactor authentication are all included. For developers, sandboxes make it easier to test code before deploying it.
I score OneLogin highly due to the vast number of integrations it has accumulated over the years. It provides a wealth of tools for developers and security professionals to implement security solutions related to identity, access, and SSO. While providing safeguards against incursion, it facilitates ease of access for trusted users once authenticated.
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For financial firms, I suggest looking into Ping Identity’s IAM offering. It delivers a range of identity and access solutions that can be bought together or separately. It has traditionally had a strong user base among financial services companies, though it doesn’t specialize only in that market.
It recently added PingOne for Customers Passwordless to help enterprises adopt passwordless solutions while making them more convenient for users. This capability allows the platform to simplify and speed up the development and deployment process for passwordless initiatives. Pre-built orchestration templates facilitate easy integration across third-party applications.
I chose Ping Identity for its out-of-the-box functionality that is easy to implement and quick to integrate in large enterprises. As well as responsive customer support, the company supports multiple device platforms such as mobile, tablet, and desktop. On-prem and cloud versions mean that those with data sensitivity, sovereignty, and security concerns can implement it in-house to eliminate any perceived risk in the cloud.
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SEE: Ping vs Okta review
Oracle offers a range of cloud infrastructure identity and access management and access governance tools to help manage identity and access in cloud and on-premises. These can either be self-managed or managed by Oracle. In my view, Oracle’s enterprise cloud experience and capabilities make it a good choice for those with multi-cloud environments, but the solution also provides ways to protect on-premises workloads. Cloud native IDaaS, cloud native identity governance and administration, software-delivered enterprise deployments, and hybrid environment options are also available.
I feel confident that existing Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and Oracle enterprise or security tools customers will appreciate the ease of integration of the company’s IAM platform. SSO and MFA are incorporated fully into its IAM offerings along with other features that make it suitable for large enterprises.
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Okta’s single pane of glass approach helps to simplify deployment, management, and administration. They are also made easier as Okta integrates with thousands of applications. Okta integrates well, too, with Microsoft products, making it a good choice for Office 365, Azure Active Directory, Sharepoint, and Windows-based access. Recently, the company added generative AI capabilities courtesy of Okta AI, which I find helps it stand out from the competition. Phishing Resistance is another new feature that reduces the risk from social engineering scams.
In my opinion, Okta is ahead of the game in the incorporation of generative AI capabilities into security platforms. Users are able to deploy different MFA techniques and approaches across different geographic regions. IT gives it good marks for ease of deployment and users score it high for ease of use.
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Several of the products included in this IAM solution guide can be run in-house. However, I feel ManageEngine is probably the best in-house IAM – and it can also run in the cloud. The company offers a set of tools that once assembled provide comprehensive IAM. It comes with automated identity life cycle management, secure SSO, adaptive MFA, approval-based workflows, UBA-driven identity threat protection, and historical audit reports.
I personally like how AD360 has an easy-to-use interface and fosters a Zero Trust environment. User provisioning and directory administration are relatively simple, aided by a wealth of automation features.
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Those interested in identity and access management should expect to see features such as multi-factor authentication, zero trust and workflows integrated into the products they deploy. Privileged access management may be needed by some and not by others. But if you need it, make sure to select an IAM package that includes integrated PAM.
Multi-factor authentication is now becoming so commonplace that IAM vendors typically provide it. MFA greatly reduces the risk inherent in using only a single password or passcode for access. Users must use at least two methods to authenticate their identity.
Privileged access management is another capability that is often integrated with IAM. PAM deals with who should be granted what access privileges such as admin privileges or the right to review certain types of organizational information. In its simplest form, it enables a manager to access the files and systems of those under his or her care but prevents them from viewing the data and systems of their superiors.
Identity and access management workflows control the actions that can be done by authenticated users. It is based on pre-set IAM policies and templates that lay out approval processes for access, restrictions of certain assets, onboarding, offboarding, alerting, and more.
Zero Trust is a security philosophy that eliminates the principle of implicit trust, thereby minimizing the possibility of a cyberattack. Rather than being a product or tool, zero trust is a framework that is applied across the entire range of cybersecurity. It plays a key role in enhancing IAM effectiveness.
There are many choices out there for IAM. Those listed above are among the strongest candidates, in my opinion. But the selection process must be done independently by every organization to ensure the toolset chosen is the right fit for the organizational culture, IT capabilities, infrastructure, and user base. There are many different approaches to account verification, role and privilege assignment, and access control. Some are more stringent than others, some have better governance and reporting, others are easy to implement or aimed at large or small businesses, or are better in the cloud or on-premises.
Thus, there are many factors to consider. For some businesses integration may be key. IAM must be able to comfortably fit into the existing infrastructure, interact seamlessly with related security tools and business applications, and should align with platform preferences. If the organization is an AWS or Microsoft Azure shop, this helps to narrow down the IAM options by selecting a tool that is designed for those environments.
For others, the user experience will be front and center. They either want an approach to IAM that does not place a severe authentication burden on users and places undue delays on their actions. But on the other side of the coin, some will demand the tightest security with multiple authentication and verification steps.
SEE: Risk Management Policy (TechRepublic Premium)
To create the pool of candidates for this year’s top IAM solutions, I reviewed a variety of analyst sites, user review compilations, and vendor websites. Each one chosen was able to deliver enterprise-class capabilities for identity management as well as access management. I looked at each solutions’ approach to account verification, role and privilege assignment, and access control. I also considered how each fit into an organization’s existing infrastructure, and if they can integrate with existing business tools and applications. Finally, I looked to see if each solution offers a comprehensive user experience and interface as well as whether they offered reporting, threat detection, and any automation, including installation and provisioning.
This article was published in March 2024. It was updated by Luis Millares in July 2025.
Originally from Scotland, Drew Robb has been a full-time writer for 25 years. He lives in Florida and specializes in IT, engineering, and business. As well as TechRepublic, he writes for a wide range of magazines including Gas Turbine World, SDxCentral, HR Magazine, and eWeek.
