Microsoft Entra ID vs OneLogin
Why people compare these: Security and IT teams compare them when consolidating SSO/MFA and deciding whether to standardize on Microsoft identity or evaluate a vendor alternative.
The real trade-off: Entra is Microsoft-first workforce identity; OneLogin is a vendor-alternative workforce IdP for mixed environments.
Common mistake: Teams underestimate ecosystem gravity: if your devices, apps, and policies are Microsoft-first, Entra reduces friction; otherwise you must validate integrations and admin workflows app-by-app.
At-a-glance comparison
Microsoft Entra ID ↗
Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) is identity and access management for organizations built on Microsoft 365/Azure. It’s the default workforce identity layer when conditional access and Microsoft…
- ✓ Tight integration with Microsoft 365, Azure, and Windows management
- ✓ Conditional access and policy controls fit enterprise security teams
- ✓ Works well for workforce identity at scale with directory integration
OneLogin ↗
OneLogin is workforce IAM for SSO and MFA across SaaS apps, often evaluated as an alternative to Okta or Entra in mixed enterprise environments. It’s a fit when governance and centralized workforce…
- ✓ Workforce SSO across common SaaS apps with directory integrations
- ✓ MFA options suitable for standard enterprise security baselines
- ✓ Admin-centric workflows designed for IT/security ownership
Where each product pulls ahead
These are the distinctive advantages that matter most in this comparison.
Microsoft Entra ID advantages
- ✓ Strongest fit for Microsoft-first orgs (M365/Azure alignment)
- ✓ Conditional access integrates with Microsoft tenant and device controls
- ✓ Lower adoption friction where Microsoft identity is already default
OneLogin advantages
- ✓ Vendor-alternative workforce IdP option in mixed environments
- ✓ Workforce SSO/MFA focus for baseline identity consolidation
- ✓ Flexibility when avoiding hard Microsoft identity coupling
Pros & Cons
Microsoft Entra ID
Pros
- + You are standardized on Microsoft 365/Azure and want lowest rollout friction
- + Conditional access needs to align with Microsoft device/tenant controls
- + You want identity to be part of the Microsoft security stack
- + You want fewer vendors and simpler procurement for workforce IAM
- + Your org has strong Microsoft admin expertise already
Cons
- − Microsoft-centric: non-Microsoft stacks can feel second-class
- − Complexity increases across tenants, subscriptions, and governance needs
- − Some advanced identity governance features require upgrades
- − Developer-first CIAM flows may be heavier than Auth0/Clerk/Firebase
- − Feature sprawl can make “what plan includes what” hard to manage
- − Cross-tenant and hybrid directory scenarios add operational work
- − Customization of login UX may be less flexible than CIAM-first tools
OneLogin
Pros
- + You have a mixed SaaS environment and want a non-Microsoft IdP option
- + Your needs are workforce SSO/MFA first, governance evaluated second
- + You want to compare vendor-alternative IAM workflows against Entra
- + You can clearly own app onboarding, attribute mapping, and policy rollout
- + You want flexibility in identity vendor selection over ecosystem coupling
Cons
- − Not designed for product-embedded customer CIAM use cases
- − Governance maturity varies by org needs (access reviews/lifecycle depth)
- − Integration depth depends on your SaaS estate and attribute mapping needs
- − Policy complexity can become operational debt without ownership
- − Switching costs increase once many apps depend on the IdP
- − Advanced enterprise requirements may push evaluation toward Okta/Entra
- − Migration/cutover still requires careful planning to avoid SSO outages
Which one tends to fit which buyer?
These are conditional guidelines only — not rankings. Your specific situation determines fit.
- → Pick Entra ID if: your org is Microsoft-first and identity should follow tenant/device controls.
- → Pick OneLogin if: you want a vendor-alternative workforce IdP for SSO/MFA in a mixed SaaS environment.
- → Rollout success depends on ownership: app onboarding, attribute mapping, and policy governance.
- → The trade-off: ecosystem alignment vs vendor flexibility—not a theoretical feature list.
Sources & verification
We prefer to link primary references (official pricing, documentation, and public product pages). If links are missing, treat this as a seeded brief until verification is completed.