Change Auditor for Active Directory vs Microsoft Active Directory comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Quest Software and Microsoft are both solutions in the Active Directory Management category. Quest Software is ranked #7 with an average rating of 9.0, while Microsoft is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.5. Quest Software holds a 4.9% mindshare in ADM, compared to Microsoft’s 6.7% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Quest Software users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Change Auditor for Active D...

Read 2 Change Auditor for Active Directory reviews

1,275 Views
1,186 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Active Directory

Read 47 Microsoft Active Directory reviews

5,602 Views
1,793 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Change Auditor for Active D...

Microsoft Active Directory

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 1, 2026

Change Auditor for Active Directory and Microsoft Active Directory enhance directory services in the identity management category. Change Auditor has an upper hand in security and auditing, while Microsoft Active Directory shines in core identity management.

Features: Change Auditor provides real-time auditing, ease of use, and advanced security monitoring. It improves audit trails and compliance reporting. Microsoft Active Directory focuses on identity management, authentication, and policy enforcement for seamless access control and privilege management.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Change Auditor is known for straightforward integration and effective customer support for smooth deployment. Microsoft Active Directory offers robustness and comprehensive documentation for easy deployment across various environments, but Change Auditor's user-friendly support provides more accessible technical assistance.

Pricing and ROI: Change Auditor offers competitive pricing with enhanced ROI through improved compliance tracking, reducing compliance fines and security incidents. Microsoft Active Directory generally has a lower initial cost, often included in enterprise agreements, with a broader feature set justifying a higher total cost of ownership. Change Auditor's ROI is tied to preventing costly security breaches, while Microsoft Active Directory provides value through comprehensive identity management and integration.

To learn more, read our detailed Change Auditor for Active Directory vs. Microsoft Active Directory Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Change Auditor for Active Directory vs. Microsoft Active Directory

September 2026

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Helped 917,433 peers since 2012

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

Change Auditor for Active D...

Ranking in Active Directory Management

7th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Microsoft Active Directory

Ranking in Active Directory Management

3rd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Single Sign-On (SSO) (9th)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Active Directory Management category, the mindshare of Change Auditor for Active Directory is 4.9%, down from 7.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Active Directory is 6.7%, up from 6.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Active Directory Management Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Active Directory	6.7%
Change Auditor for Active Directory	4.9%
Other	88.4%

Active Directory Management

Featured Reviews

reviewer2794194

Sr Mgr Cyber Defense at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

Auditing changes has become faster and now uncovers misconfigurations within minutes

The best features Change Auditor for Active Directory offers are that it's lightweight and easy to understand. You don't have to memorize event IDs since it's in English. What makes Change Auditor for Active Directory lightweight and easy to understand in my experience is that it doesn't require the events to record to the domain controllers. Therefore, I can focus just on the event types without having to turn up detailed logging on my DCs. Change Auditor for Active Directory has positively impacted my organization by helping us respond to audits very quickly to show that we had evidence of who was making the changes and match them up to the ticket request and who approved it. After implementing Change Auditor for Active Directory, it has allowed us to answer questions literally in minutes, whereas it would have taken us half a day to a day before.

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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.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Change Auditor for Active Directory has positively impacted my organization by helping us respond to audits very quickly to show that we had evidence of who was making the changes and match them up to the ticket request and who approved it."

"The most valuable features are the ability to protect Active Directory accounts and groups, and the real-time notifications that help manage Active Directory more effectively."

"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, because when they log in to their computer, the application will automatically log in with their credentials."

"I think the main reason we are using Active Directory for SSO Office for single time and for intake integrity capability to other services."

"One valuable feature is the centralized creation of IDs."

"The solution is easy to install and has good reliability."

"The solution is stable."

"One advantage of Active Directory is that you can sync it with Microsoft Office 365, so you can manage on-premise and cloud operations, which can have different requirements. The flexibility of a hybrid management solution is valuable."

"The solution is user-friendly, and I like using Microsoft products. I think there is no other choice for Active Directory. Microsoft Windows Server Active Directory is the best."

"I can use Active Directory to block a user's internet access and monitor how an employee is using the internet."

More Microsoft Active Directory pros

Cons

"Change Auditor for Active Directory could be improved if the client were more flexible when installed, so if I upgrade the server, I wouldn't have to replace the clients at the same time."

"Areas that could be improved include having more management capabilities with command-line scripts and more flexibility in general."

"There has been a change in the layout of the user information. Previously, I had to go to properties to view the information, but now it is displayed directly below the search results. It takes some time to get used to."

"If you are using the Active Directory, the main concern is that the policy is restricted to the specific local area network."

"Perhaps the synchronization could be simpler and more controllable. There are some features that need improvements in terms of ease of use and frequency of updates."

"The cloud service of Microsoft Active Directory is an area with certain shortcomings that need improvement."

"The technical support team does not give prompt responses."

"They should improve the solution's old computer cleanup tool."

"It's not the tendency of Microsoft to use a standard, but to modify it to their needs. This is catastrophic if you have to integrate other applications that use the same standard."

"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."

More Microsoft Active Directory cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"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."

"Its price is reasonable."

"The version of Microsoft Active Directory I was using was expensive because it was used for large companies."

"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."

"We have to purchase a license for the solution."

"The license per user can probably be reduced."

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

"Active Directory is an expensive solution, primarily due to Microsoft's licensing model. This licensing approach includes paying for server licenses as well as for each computer that connects to it. However, when working with the Azure cloud, there is no cost for the server. This is profitable and one of the main reasons why Azure Cloud and other cloud-based solutions are being used more."

More Microsoft Active Directory pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Insurance Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

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

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Quest Change Auditor for Active Directory?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing was pretty straightforward. Actually, we bundled it with some other services offered from Quest to get a volume discount.

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What needs improvement with Quest Change Auditor for Active Directory?

Change Auditor for Active Directory could be improved if the client were more flexible when installed, so if I upgrade the server, I wouldn't have to replace the clients at the same time. I think g...

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What is your primary use case for Quest Change Auditor for Active Directory?

My main use case for Change Auditor for Active Directory is auditing changes, finding changes to undo, and break-fix solving issues. For example, I could give you a quick specific example of how I'...

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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 7% of the time

JumpCloud vs Microsoft Active Directory

Compared 6% of the time

SAP Single Sign-On vs Microsoft Active Directory

Compared 6% of the time

Okta Platform vs Microsoft Active Directory

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Active Directory Management

October 2026

Change Auditor for Active Directory report

Download Change Auditor for Active Directory product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Active Directory

October 2026

Download Microsoft Active Directory product report

Overview

Change Auditor for Active Directory provides advanced monitoring for modifications in Active Directory, offering real-time insights to enhance security and compliance without impacting system performance.

Integrating seamlessly with existing IT infrastructure, Change Auditor allows organizations to monitor, analyze, and report on changes within Active Directory. It provides detailed visibility into user activities and configuration modifications, enabling IT professionals to quickly identify potential security threats and unusual activity patterns. This tool aids in ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, minimizing downtime, and improving operational efficiency through precise tracking and alerting capabilities.

What are its most important features?

Real-Time Alerts: Provides instant notifications for critical changes, allowing timely response to potential threats.
Comprehensive Auditing: Tracks all modifications in Active Directory, offering detailed reports for analysis and compliance.
User Activity Monitoring: Observes user behaviors and correlates activities for better security management.
Automated Reports: Generates scheduled reports to assist in compliance and audits easily.

What benefits or ROI should users consider?

Enhanced Security: Quickly identify and respond to unauthorized changes, reducing security risks.
Regulatory Compliance: Simplifies adherence to compliance standards with detailed auditing and reporting tools.
Operational Efficiency: Saves time through automation of auditing processes and reduces manual tracking efforts.
Reduced Downtime: Swift identification of issues enables faster resolution, minimizing disruptions in service.

In industries like finance and healthcare, Change Auditor significantly impacts risk management by safeguarding sensitive information and aligning with audit requirements. Its robust monitoring capabilities are essential for maintaining the integrity and security of critical data within heavily regulated sectors.

Quest Software

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

American Airlines, Bank of America, BARCLAYS, ebay, Ford, intel, MARS, MERCK, Microsoft, UBER, VISA

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Change Auditor for Active Directory vs. Microsoft Active Directory

September 2026

Free Report: Change Auditor for Active Directory vs. Microsoft Active Directory

Find out what your peers are saying about Change Auditor for Active Directory vs. Microsoft Active Directory and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.

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