Atlassian Crowd vs Microsoft Active Directory comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Atlassian and Microsoft are both solutions in the Single Sign-On (SSO) category. Atlassian is ranked #27, while Microsoft is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.5. Atlassian holds a 1.4% mindshare in SSO, compared to Microsoft’s 2.7% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Atlassian users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Atlassian Crowd

Read 4 Atlassian Crowd reviews

1,403 Views
1,291 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Active Directory

Read 47 Microsoft Active Directory reviews

5,602 Views
3,753 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Atlassian Crowd

Microsoft Active Directory

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 18, 2024

Atlassian Crowd and Microsoft Active Directory are both identity management solutions. Microsoft Active Directory seems to have the upper hand due to its broader feature set and long-term market presence.

Features: Atlassian Crowd integrates seamlessly with other Atlassian products and efficiently handles large-scale user management. Microsoft Active Directory offers comprehensive security features, extensive compatibility with various applications, and a broader feature set.

Room for Improvement: Atlassian Crowd needs faster synchronization and more detailed error logs. Microsoft Active Directory users look for a simpler configuration process and better documentation for advanced features. Atlassian Crowd's integration issues and Microsoft Active Directory's complexity are significant concerns.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Atlassian Crowd has a straightforward deployment process, though integration issues may cause delays. Its customer service is responsive and helpful. Microsoft Active Directory requires intricate setup and specialized knowledge, but its customer support is professional and knowledgeable.

Pricing and ROI: Atlassian Crowd is cost-effective for smaller enterprises, offering a good ROI with lower setup costs and efficient user management. Microsoft Active Directory has higher setup costs but provides significant long-term value, justifying the investment for larger organizations.

To learn more, read our detailed Atlassian Crowd vs. Microsoft Active Directory Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Atlassian Crowd vs. Microsoft Active Directory

September 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Atlassian Crowd

Ranking in Single Sign-On (SSO)

27th

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Microsoft Active Directory

Ranking in Single Sign-On (SSO)

9th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Active Directory Management (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Single Sign-On (SSO) category, the mindshare of Atlassian Crowd is 1.4%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Active Directory is 2.7%, down from 3.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Single Sign-On (SSO) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Active Directory	2.7%
Atlassian Crowd	1.4%
Other	95.9%

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Featured Reviews

Grigoriy Kneller

General Manager at HDI Systeme AG

Enhanced user management offering seamless single sign-on, scalability for large enterprises, and improved configurability through integration with various user sources and directories

For organizations using various Atlassian products and dealing with multiple user sources or directories, implementing Atlassian Crowd for single sign-on proves highly beneficial. This is especially true for companies that have instances of Atlassian product installations across different entities, each with its own Active Directory and user directory. Crowd significantly streamlines user and directory management, making it more efficient for larger enterprises. It is particularly advisable and recommended for big companies, especially those that have undergone acquisitions or mergers, as it enhances user management, transparency, and configurability. While it's incredibly useful for enterprise-level businesses, it may also be suitable for mid-sized companies with a substantial user base. Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten.

Read full review

Eko Kurniawan

IT Operations & Security at veris

Has simplified credential management and improved secure access control across departments

The features I find most useful in Microsoft Active Directory are especially for the Single Sign-On. This is very useful for users, particularly if they have plenty of applications, such as tablet applications. When they log in to their computer, the application will automatically log in with their credentials. They don't need to remember another user and password to log in to the application because it's already maintained with Microsoft Active Directory using Single Sign-On. To assess the impact of Microsoft Active Directory's centralized domain management on security protocols and access permissions, Microsoft Active Directory itself has constraints with security because when we have a solution such as SSO or Single Sign-On, which makes it easier for users to log in, some parts have security openings. When their computer is compromised with a threat, malware, or other cyber threats, it becomes easier to enter the application without login permission.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Integrating third-party directories is very easy since Crowd offers well-described input fields so you know what information is needed."

"If your budget allows, it is worth purchasing Crowd once you have at least 2 Atlassian products like Jira and Confluence."

"One standout feature is the capability to configure various authentication and authorization methods from diverse user directories."

"The most valuable features are predominantly in the directory and development spaces."

"The solution is stable."

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

"I've been working with Microsoft Active Directory for over 3 years, and we've had no problems."

"We use the tool for FSMO, policies, and customized user registrations."

"It is very user-friendly."

"Having active deployment and well-configured systems helps me manage tasks and easily oversee thousands of users."

"The user-friendliness of Microsoft Active Directory is a valuable feature."

"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."

More Microsoft Active Directory pros

Cons

"It would be great if the UI would receive a complete re-design."

"Exporting users/group toward LDAP and retrieving LDAP attributes like photo profile."

"There's a need for effective group membership management, especially for corporate programs."

"It makes you more efficient, but you have to optimize what you're doing before you get into the software."

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

"Sometimes, it can be overly complicated, and when you apply Group Policy in an Active Directory environment, sometimes those settings apply and sometimes they don't."

"Even better group management would be beneficial."

"The solution should maintain the infrastructure according to the period you are in and the security changes."

"I would like to see the integration with Mac and IOS products improved."

"Sometimes when we create email groups in Microsoft Active Directory and add someone to that group, it takes around 24 to 48 hours for their email account to be synchronized with their Microsoft Office 365 shared mailbox, distribution list, or group."

"Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services is very difficult for on-premises solutions, while for the cloud solution, it's very easy."

"Active Directory's user experience is a little dated. Group policy management should be more customizable."

More Microsoft Active Directory cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"While it may seem affordable for larger enterprises, it tends to become more expensive as you move up the scale."

"It's pretty cheap. I would rate the price as three out of five."

"I rate the product’s pricing a five out of ten."

"It's not overly expensive. It's considered a base function by Microsoft."

"The product's premium support services are expensive."

"Active Directory is built-in into Microsoft Windows 10. I'm not an administrator and would not be involved in purchasing decisions for new versions of the software. I have only used the client portion of it, I do not know if there is a cost to using the solution."

"The solution is based on a licensing model."

"The license per user can probably be reduced."

"I'm unsure about the cost of the solution, as I was never involved in that aspect. However, I don't think it would be expensive. It might be average, around four or five out of ten."

"The price of Microsoft Active Directory could improve. We pay annually for the solution."

More Microsoft Active Directory pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

11%

University

Outsourcing Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	21
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	20

Questions from the Community

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

What needs improvement with Microsoft Active Directory?

The best way to protect this is to use Microsoft Defender. For Microsoft support for Microsoft Active Directory, I would rate it as eight. If I give it 10, it would be too perfect. Eight is fair. M...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Microsoft Active Directory?

My main use cases for Microsoft Active Directory are to manage user access and credentials.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Active Directory?

Regarding Microsoft Active Directory's integration with third-party applications, it depends on the requirements. It's not always linked or combined with Microsoft Active Directory. In my experienc...

See all answers

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Compared 6% of the time

SAP Single Sign-On vs Microsoft Active Directory

Compared 6% of the time

Okta Platform vs Microsoft Active Directory

Compared 5% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Single Sign-On (SSO)

October 2026

Download Atlassian Crowd product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Active Directory

October 2026

Download Microsoft Active Directory product report

Also Known As

Crowd

No data available

Overview

Atlassian Crowd is an identity management platform designed for businesses to streamline access and authentication processes across multiple web applications, enhancing security and improving operational efficiency.

Offering centralized user management, Atlassian Crowd enables organizations to simplify handling user identities and group memberships. It facilitates seamless integration with existing infrastructure to ensure a consistent experience across platforms. Supporting both on-premise and cloud applications, it is scalable to meet growing user demands. Businesses gain control over authentication, enabling flexibility in enforcing security policies while maintaining ease of access for users.

What are the standout features of Atlassian Crowd?

Single Sign-On (SSO): Provides centralized authentication for ease of use across integrated applications.
Directory Integration: Connects with multiple directories allowing synchronized user management.
Access Control: Defines user permissions ensuring secure access to resources.
Audit Logs: Monitors and records activities for compliance and security analysis.
Customizable Workflows: Tailors user and group management processes to fit specific requirements.

What benefits should users consider when evaluating Atlassian Crowd?

Enhanced Security: By managing user identities, access is more secure and controlled.
Efficiency Gains: Reduces administrative tasks associated with user management and access control.
Cost Savings: Streamlined processes reduce time and labor costs related to identity management.
Scalability: Easily adapts to changes in organizational growth and application integration.

Industries such as finance and healthcare implement Atlassian Crowd to meet stringent regulatory requirements and secure sensitive data effectively. Tech companies leverage its scalability for dynamic project teams, ensuring efficient access control while fostering collaboration across departments.

Atlassian

Microsoft Active Directory enables centralized management of user identities and permissions, integrating seamlessly with cloud services via Azure AD Connect. Its support for hybrid environments makes it essential for businesses looking to manage authentication, authorization, and access control efficiently.

Active Directory offers a robust framework for network and identity management, focusing on scalability and ease of use. Its integration with Single Sign-On enhances user convenience by synchronizing login credentials across cloud and on-premises applications. While it efficiently manages security protocols, scalability, and third-party application integration, users note areas for improvement like better reporting capabilities, a modernized interface, improved synchronization between on-prem and cloud setups, and streamlined configurations.

What are the essential features of Microsoft Active Directory?

User-Friendliness: Designed for easy navigation and management.
Azure AD Connect: Seamless integration with cloud services.
Group Policy Management: Centralized control over user and device settings.
Single Sign-On: Unified credential management across applications.
Scalability: Supports growing business environments.

What benefits and ROI should users expect?

Centralized Management: Streamlines user and application administration.
Enhanced Security: Strong protocols for identity verification and access control.
Flexibility: Supports both on-premises and cloud environments effectively.
Operational Efficiency: Reduces complexity and minimizes administrative errors.

In industries like finance and healthcare, Active Directory is implemented to manage sensitive data access and user authentication across complex networks. Retailers rely on its scalability for managing vast customer and product datasets, while educational institutions utilize its centralized management features to efficiently administer student and faculty permissions across multiple applications and platforms.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

NHL, Interspire, Appfire

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Atlassian Crowd vs. Microsoft Active Directory

September 2026

Free Report: Atlassian Crowd vs. Microsoft Active Directory

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