Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Microsoft Entra ID comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary
Updated on Sep 6, 2022

We performed a comparison between Azure Active Directory and Fortinet FortiAuthenticator based on our users’ reviews in five categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.

  • Ease of Deployment: Users of both solutions say that deployment is simple and easy.
  • Features: Users say both products have good stability, scalability, and security.

    Azure Active Directory users like the solution’s ease of use, single sign on, identity-based authentication, and its privileged access management. Users say the conditional access rules are a little limiting and that provisioning is not intuitive.

    Fortinet FortiAuthenticator users say the solution has an intuitive user interface, is easy to use, and has good integration with other Fortinet products. Reviewers mention that they want to see more integration capabilities with other products, and feel that it could offer more automation.
  • Pricing: Azure Active Directory users mention that the solution has various levels of licenses, with a free basic tier. Fortinet FortiAuthenticator users share mixed reviews on the pricing.
  • Service and Support: Most users of both solutions are satisfied with the level of support they receive.
  • ROI: Azure Active Directory users report a positive ROI. Fortinet FortiAuthenticator users do not mention ROI.

Comparison Results: Based on the parameters we compared, users favor Azure Active Directory over Fortinet FortiAuthenticator because it has a free option and users also report an ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs. Microsoft Entra ID Report (Updated: March 2024).
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"When we started with identity and access management, we cleaned up and skipped 500 accounts. Therefore, there are a lot of people who are still in our system. Using this tool, we have cleaned up a lot of accounts for ourselves as well as our partners and suppliers. So, we can manage everything now.""The most valuable feature is the automatic provisioning and reconciliation of things like the Active Directory groups and memberships.""The most valuable feature in Omada is the governance. We work with other products and other product vendors, but the sweet spot in the market for Omada is where things are heavy on governance.""Omada Identity Suite has a very powerful workflow engine. It is used for requesting access for approval to everything that's around Access Management and for re-certification purposes.""It has a very user-friendly interface compared to what we are used to, and it is highly configurable. In the old solution, when we needed to do something, we had to have a programmer sitting next to us, whereas, in Omada Identity, everything is configurable.""User-friendly solution.""Omada's user interface is elegant and easy to work with. I like Omada's ability to automatically generate accounts for new hires and allow them access to all required systems by established policies. Around 80 percent of workers can start working immediately on their first day without requesting further access.""Omada's most valuable aspect is its usability."

More Omada Identity Pros →

"The product’s most valuable feature is integration with FortiGate, FortiToken, FortiTalk, and multi-factor authentication.""The product's on-premise version doesn't have recurring costs.""I prefer the passing tool that sent an active directory console to a Fortinet FortiAuthenticator, then Fortinet FortiAuthenticator does not pass the locks.""The initial setup is very easy.""The initial setup is a valuable point on Fortinet products. Most of the time, putting the theory into practice on the devices is quite friendly and straightforward. As long as you can read English you can find your way around the solution and make it work. This is a high value point on Fortinet - the way everything is laid out in the web UI is user-friendly and quite straightforward. The UI is quite simple.""It is very stable. We have never had any issues with this solution.""I appreciate its ability to provide multi-factor authentication, but it's primarily focused on this function.""The logs have great detail that make it easier to evaluate and control the security environment."

More Fortinet FortiAuthenticator Pros →

"Using [Azure AD's] passwordless technology, you're not even using a password anymore. You're basically just creating a logon request without actually sending or typing or storing the password. This is awesome for any user, regardless of whether you're a factory worker or a CFO. It's secure and super-simple.""The most important things of Azure Active Directory are the security and the facility to manage all the services and users. It is very easy to manage users and assign roles, permissions, and access. At the same time, it is a very secure environment. Microsoft takes security very seriously. They take care of all the security and all the factors to prevent any kind of data or information compromise.""Active Directory itself is the best feature it has. It also gives us a single pane of glass for managing user access.""The most valuable components of the solution are provisioning and deprovisioning since both features work...Microsoft Entra Verified ID is a very stable solution.""The most valuable feature is the ease with which a person can log in remotely using only a password or pin without creating a profile or policy.""The security and compliance features are very helpful. The online information on the site is well documented.""Azure Active Directory has useful policy assigning and management.""The technical support is pretty good."

More Microsoft Entra ID Pros →

Cons
"Omada could communicate better with us about the product roadmap. We haven't gotten any updates about it. The user interface is often a bit difficult to understand. It isn't optimized for small screens, so it doesn't display all of the information clearly, so users need to scroll a lot.""Functionality and usability could be improved.""One thing that we are not so happy about is the user interface. It is a bit dated. I know that they are working on that, but the user interface is quite dated. Currently, it is a little bit difficult to customize the user interface to the need of the business, which is a little bit disappointing. It needs it to be a little bit easier to operate, and it should have a better user interface.""If you find an error and you need it fixed, you have to upgrade. It's not like they say, "Okay, we'll fix this problem for you." You have to upgrade. The last time we upgraded, because there was an error in a previous version, we had to pay 150,000 Danish Krone (about $24,000 at the time of this review) to upgrade our systems... That means that we have to pay to get errors fixed that Omada has made in programming the system. I hope they change this way of looking at things.""When the re-certification process is launched that makes Omada very slow. There are performance issues in the current version.""If you're running Omada on a cloud service, you may have some issues deploying the newest release. Sometimes, the latest release doesn't adapt to the processes we have already installed. Identity Access Management is a critical system for our organization, and we need to ensure that everyone has the same access as they did before the release.""The backend is pretty good but the self-service request access screen, the GUI, needs improvement. It's an old-fashioned screen. Also, Omada has reports, but I wouldn't dare show them to the business because they look like they're from 1995. I know they are working on these things and that’s good, because they’re really needed.""I would like to see them expand the functionality of the tool to continue to be competitive with the monsters out there. For example, they could add functionality on the authentication side, functionality that Octa and SailPoint have. But they should do that while maintaining the same simplicity that makes Omada a product of choice today."

More Omada Identity Cons →

"Other features that would improve the product are a single sign-on where people can use their Gmail ID to log-in, etc.""The GUI is on the older side but I'm sure that it will be upgraded soon. It works, but it looks a little dated.""It would be helpful to receive a code by yourself for authentication instead of it registered to a phone.""A better integration with other vendors.""I would like to see some email options for Fortinet FortiAuthenticator.""We've had some issues with integration.""The only issue I encounter is that when not using FortiAuthenticator for an extended period, it's typical to encounter some obstacles in the configuration process that you need to address.""Integration with FortiGate could be more fluid."

More Fortinet FortiAuthenticator Cons →

"Microsoft has so many different requirements and priorities that sometimes they don't invest all their energy into the products that you have expectations to investigate.""It would be an improvement if Authenticator made it easier to recover the app if you reboot your cellphone and lose access.""Microsoft should work on enhancing its machine-learning algorithm to prevent unnecessary lockouts of users.""The licensing cost is a bit prohibitive.""On-premise capabilities for information and identity management need improvement.""The product takes at least ten minutes to activate privilege identity management roles.""We have a custom solution now running to tie all those Azure ADs together. We use the B2B functionality for that. Improvements are already on the roadmap for Azure AD in that area. I think they will make it easier to work together between two different tenants in Azure AD, because normally one tenant is a security boundary. For example, company one has a tenant and company two has a tenant, and then you can do B2B collaboration between those, but it is still quite limited. For our use case, it is enough currently. However, if we want to extend the collaboration even further, then we need an easier way to collaborate between two tenants, but I think that is already on the roadmap of Azure AD anyway.""The initial setup was complex."

More Microsoft Entra ID Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "The pricing is too high for SMBs."
  • "Omada continues to be very competitive on pricing, especially on the Omada cloud product."
  • "The initial total cost of ownership to implement Omada Identity is not small. The TCO for the implementation is as high as any other solution. However, the cost of maintaining the solution is at par or lower than competitors, including adding more features or maintaining the system after the initial deployment or installation to make sure that they are available for users to use or extending the functionalities of those activities. Those maintenance costs are lower than other vendors, but the initial cost of getting the system installed is still high."
  • "It is licensed per managed user per year."
  • "There were a lot of administrator, partner, and supplier accounts for people who were no longer working for us but still in the system. So, we reduced the number of users no longer with the company, which saved us some money on licensing."
  • "It's a fair price for the on-premises system. Compared with what we had before, it's much cheaper and we get all the modules in one. We tried to go with the cloud, but it was far too expensive."
  • "From an on-prem point of view, the cost is quite transparent and reasonable. The direct cost is primarily for licenses and maintenance on licenses."
  • "My client deals directly with the Omada Identity team in terms of licensing. I never look at pricing, so I'm not aware of how much the solution costs, but it's worth the money. Often, when you begin to use Omada Identity and it takes a while to set up, it'll be irreversible, and you'd depend on and focus more on the functionality of the solution, rather than its price tag."
  • More Omada Identity Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "I would start off with a VM including the base license and scale according to the number of users you need to authenticate."
  • "You can pay as you go with them. You purchase a base license and add to it as needed."
  • "The product could be more competitively priced."
  • "It costs more to license the high-availability option."
  • "The licensing structure is cost-effective for us compared to some of the other solutions that have recurring monthly costs."
  • "FAC is an affordable solution for Middle Range (200E/400E) and also needs a package of mobility agents (2,000) perpetual."
  • "The cost of the license could be less expensive. The license is paid on a yearly basis."
  • "We pay for licensing on a yearly basis."
  • More Fortinet FortiAuthenticator Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "The licensing cost is a bit prohibitive."
  • "The licensing is really not clear unless you are a premium client."
  • "Licensing is easy."
  • "It is a really nice tool and we have a license for the more complex model."
  • "It is not too expensive."
  • "It's really affordable."
  • "I do not have experience with pricing."
  • "Licensing fees are paid on a monthly basis and the cost depends on the number of users."
  • More Microsoft Entra ID Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:We don't have to go in and do a lot of the work that we did before. It may have saved us somewhere in the range of 10 to… more »
    Top Answer:My client deals directly with the Omada Identity team in terms of licensing. I never look at pricing, so I'm not aware… more »
    Top Answer:There are some technical bits and pieces that we have looked at that could be better. For instance, when you do a… more »
    Top Answer:The product's on-premise version doesn't have recurring costs.
    Top Answer:We pay a yearly support cost for the solution. It is very small. The cost of FortiToken is high. I rate the pricing a… more »
    Top Answer:Fortinet FortiAuthenticator's initial setup process could be easier.
    Top Answer:We switched to Duo Security for identity verification. We’d been using a competitor but got the chance to evaluate Duo… more »
    Top Answer:It is very simple. The Active Directory functions are very easy for us. Its integration with anything is very easy. We… more »
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Omada Identity Suite, Omada Identity Cloud
    FortiAuthenticator
    Azure AD, Azure Active Directory, Azure Active Directory, Microsoft Authenticator
    Learn More
    Omada
    Video Not Available
    Interactive Demo
    Omada
    Demo Not Available
    Fortinet
    Demo Not Available
    Overview

    Omada Identity delivers an end-to-end identity and access management solution with essential identity governance functionality for secure, compliant, and efficient administration of all users' access rights across on-premises or cloud-based systems. The solution provides configurable best practice processes that covers all identity and access related scenarios from providing an access risk overview, management of identities lifecycle, to automated enforcement of policies.

    Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is the primary secure point of approved access into the Fortinet network, authorizing users, reviewing access permissions, and relaying the information to all Fortigate devices for comparison with identity-based protocols. Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is a top-ranked authorization and SSO solution.

    Appropriate secure access is fundamental to every role in an enterprise ecosystem. It is an integral function of every organization to ensure that every access and privilege is secure and to mitigate any possible risk to an organization. Approved users should only have access to the necessary information when they need it, from the appropriate location(s) to safeguard an organization's security at all times.

    Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is available as an appliance, virtual machine, or in the cloud.

    Fortinet FortiAuthenticator Methods

    • FSSO: FortiAuthenticator Single sign-on user will easily identify users and assign role or group access based on preset identity-based protocols. FortiAuthenticator integrates well with third-party LDAP or active directories, is very flexible, and combines these methods to provide effective security.

    • Active Directory Polling: Active directory access is securely identified by consistent polling of domain controllers. As users log in, username, IP address, and other details are logged into the database and can be shared across devices as directed by FortiAuthenticator protocols.

    • FortiAuthenticator Portal and Widgets: If a user system does not support AP polling, or for other reasons it is not feasible, FortiAuthenticator offers a unique secure authentication portal. Users can be manually authenticated and, to diminish the effect of numerous logins, an intuitive set of widgets is available to integrate into an organization's ecosystem that will automatically grant access to users when they access the organization's intranet homepage.

    • RADIUS Accounting Login: For organizations that use RADIUS authentication, RADIUS Accounting is available for user identification. This process will prompt user access information (IP and group, etc.) and eliminate the need for multiple levels of authentication.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Ernesto C., Presales Engineer at a comms service provider, shares,

    ”Key Features and Benefits

    1. Two-factor/OTP Authentication with FortiToken: Enforce user-based policies. Fortitoken is available in soft and hard versions for flexible usage. Most Valuable in Mobile Phones App for OTP.
    2. Integration with LDAP and AD: This solution integrates with existing enterprise systems and technologies from diverse vendors of user information management systems.
    3. LPAD/AD/RADIUS/SYSLOG/KERBEROS/REST API/FSSO and Web Portals: There is flexible integration with these services.
    4. It is usable in network, WAN, wireless, and VPN Scenarios.
    5. The domain and guest-users support are good.”

    Ibrahim M., Senior Network & Security Engineer at a tech services company, relates, "The initial setup is a valuable point on Fortinet products. Most of the time, putting the theory into practice on the devices is quite friendly and straightforward. As long as you can read English you can find your way around the solution and make it work. This is a high value point on Fortinet - the way everything is laid out in the web UI is user-friendly and quite straightforward. The UI is quite simple."




    Microsoft Entra ID, previously known as Azure AD (Active Directory), is Microsoft's cloud-based identity and access management (IAM) solution. Designed to help organizations of all sizes manage user identities and create an intelligent security perimeter around their cloud and on-premise resources. Microsoft Entra ID or Azure AD is integral to the Microsoft 365 and Azure ecosystems. It provides a robust set of capabilities to manage users and groups and secure access to applications in a centralized, streamlined manner.

    Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) is a login system, morphing into a sophisticated identity and access management (IAM) solution for the modern, hybrid workplace. Imagine a single vault for all your digital keys – that's the essence of Entra ID's identity management. It acts as a central repository for user identities, encompassing usernames, passwords, and even additional attributes like department or employee role.

    These capabilities enabled simplified administration using a unified platform for adding, modifying, and deleting user accounts. Users no longer need to remember login credentials for a plethora of applications. Entra ID streamlines access by using the same identity across various cloud services and on-premises resources (if integrated). Centralized identity management allows for stricter enforcement of security policies and password complexity requirements across the organization.

    Authentication sits at the heart of the solution, ensuring only authorized users gain access to sensitive resources. It employs a multi-pronged approach:

    • Password Authentication: The traditional method of username and password is still supported, but Entra ID encourages stronger authentication methods.
    • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Adding an extra layer of security, MFA requires users to verify their identity beyond just a password – through a code sent to their phone, fingerprint recognition, or a security key.
    • Single Sign-On (SSO): This user-friendly feature eliminates the need to enter credentials repeatedly. Users sign in once to Entra ID and gain seamless access to all authorized applications, boosting productivity.
    • Conditional Access Policies: Providing granular control over how and when users can access resources. Based on conditions like user role, location, device state, and the application being accessed, Conditional Access policies help ensure that only the right people under the right conditions can access sensitive resources.
    • Seamless Integration: Seamless integration with thousands of SaaS applications, Microsoft 365, and on-premises applications via Application Proxy or third-party identity bridges.
    • Advanced Security Reports and Alerts: Sophisticated security monitoring, reporting tools, and automated alerts. These features enable to identify potential security issues, such as atypical behavior or attempted identity attacks, allowing for swift remediation actions.

    For organizations with on-premises infrastructure, Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) offers hybrid identity options. This allows for a smooth integration between on-premises Active Directory and Entra ID, providing a consistent identity for users across both environments. It enables organizations to leverage their existing investments in on-premises infrastructure while taking advantage of cloud scalability and flexibility.

    In conclusion, Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) is a comprehensive IAM solution that addresses the complex challenges of managing and securing identities in a cloud-centric world. Its blend of ease of use, security, and integration capabilities makes it an essential component of modern IT infrastructure, supporting both operational efficiency and strategic business objectives.

    Additional links:

        Sample Customers
        Bayer, ECCO Shoes, Vattenfall, NuStar Energy, Unicredit, Schiphol Group
        Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
        Microsoft Entre ID is trusted by companies of all sizes and industries including Walmart, Zscaler, Uniper, Amtrak, monday.com, and more.
        Top Industries
        REVIEWERS
        Government18%
        Computer Software Company12%
        Energy/Utilities Company12%
        Manufacturing Company12%
        VISITORS READING REVIEWS
        Financial Services Firm15%
        Computer Software Company13%
        Manufacturing Company7%
        Government7%
        REVIEWERS
        Computer Software Company29%
        Comms Service Provider13%
        Healthcare Company8%
        Computer Retailer4%
        VISITORS READING REVIEWS
        Computer Software Company20%
        Comms Service Provider10%
        Government8%
        Financial Services Firm7%
        REVIEWERS
        Financial Services Firm14%
        Computer Software Company14%
        Educational Organization5%
        Non Profit5%
        VISITORS READING REVIEWS
        Educational Organization25%
        Computer Software Company12%
        Financial Services Firm9%
        Government6%
        Company Size
        REVIEWERS
        Small Business16%
        Midsize Enterprise7%
        Large Enterprise77%
        VISITORS READING REVIEWS
        Small Business18%
        Midsize Enterprise14%
        Large Enterprise68%
        REVIEWERS
        Small Business56%
        Midsize Enterprise27%
        Large Enterprise17%
        VISITORS READING REVIEWS
        Small Business30%
        Midsize Enterprise19%
        Large Enterprise51%
        REVIEWERS
        Small Business33%
        Midsize Enterprise14%
        Large Enterprise53%
        VISITORS READING REVIEWS
        Small Business18%
        Midsize Enterprise34%
        Large Enterprise48%
        Buyer's Guide
        Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs. Microsoft Entra ID
        March 2024
        Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs. Microsoft Entra ID and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
        765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.

        Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is ranked 5th in Single Sign-On (SSO) with 50 reviews while Microsoft Entra ID is ranked 1st in Single Sign-On (SSO) with 190 reviews. Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is rated 8.0, while Microsoft Entra ID is rated 8.6. The top reviewer of Fortinet FortiAuthenticator writes "A reasonably priced solution that can be scaled toward different functionalities and offers flexible SMS messaging". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Microsoft Entra ID writes "Allows users to authenticate from home and has excellent integrations in a simple, stable solution". Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is most compared with Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine), Fortinet FortiToken, Fortinet FortiNAC, Cisco Duo and CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, whereas Microsoft Entra ID is most compared with Microsoft Intune, Google Cloud Identity, Yubico YubiKey, Cisco Duo and PingFederate. See our Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs. Microsoft Entra ID report.

        See our list of best Single Sign-On (SSO) vendors, best Authentication Systems vendors, and best Identity Management (IM) vendors.

        We monitor all Single Sign-On (SSO) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.