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Microsoft Entra ID Governance vs SailPoint Identity Security Cloud: reach beyond the IdP and IGA
The short answer
On our default weights SailPoint Identity Security Cloud scores higher overall, 6.21 against 6.15 out of 10. Entra ID Governance scores higher on Reach into apps without APIs or SCIM and Pricing transparency; SailPoint scores higher on Unmanaged app discovery, Accounts inside the app, Orchestrates through the existing stack, Executes changes itself and Audit evidence. They tie on Machine, service and agent accounts. They sit in different layers (Governance add-on to an identity provider and Identity governance (IGA) platform), so many teams run both.
By The Credential Desk · IAM Compared · Published 2026-10-08
Desk research from public vendor pages and documentation read in September 2026, updated 2026-10-13. Editorial assessment; we did not test the products.
How do they score on each criterion?
| Criterion | Weight | Entra ID Governance | SailPoint | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unmanaged app discovery | 18% | 3.5 Account discovery covers users inside connected apps; discovery of apps outside Entra is not described in the governance docs reviewed. | 4.0 App owners can self-register applications through the Application Management add-on; automatic discovery of unconnected apps is not described. | SailPoint |
| Accounts inside the app | 16% | 5.5 Account discovery shows app users that match no Entra ID user; apps without provisioning rely on a CSV export. | 6.0 Keeps access in sync for connected sources; discovery of orphan and local accounts inside apps is not described. | SailPoint |
| Reach into apps without APIs or SCIM | 14% | 6.5 SCIM, LDAP, SQL, REST, SOAP, PowerShell and ECMA connectors, including on-prem apps; a manual CSV path for the rest. | 6.0 Integration templates and a self-registration portal speed onboarding; apps with no connector are not detailed. | Entra ID Governance |
| Orchestrates through the existing stack | 14% | 5.0 Requires Entra ID P1 or P2 and fits best when Entra is the identity provider; manual removals can be routed to ServiceNow tickets. | 6.0 It is the governance platform itself; complements an IdP and partners with discovery vendors, including Orchid since August 2026. | SailPoint |
| Executes changes itself | 12% | 8.0 Lifecycle workflows before start, at status change and at departure, plus HR-driven provisioning. | 9.0 Joiner, mover and leaver automation that provisions, adapts and corrects access. | SailPoint |
| Machine, service and agent accounts | 10% | 8.0 Entra Agent ID is generally available, and workload identities are priced and governed in Entra. | 8.0 Agentic Fabric for AI and machine identities is generally available, and the Entro Security acquisition adds non-human identities, secrets and tokens. | Tie |
| Audit evidence | 10% | 7.0 Review decisions and assignments are recorded in Entra; no framework-mapped evidence pack described. | 8.5 Collects audit evidence automatically and generates audit-ready reports mapped to SOX, PCI DSS and other frameworks. | SailPoint |
| Pricing transparency | 6% | 9.5 $7.00 per user per month, paid yearly, published, on top of Entra ID P1 or P2. | 2.0 Suites listed without prices. | Entra ID Governance |
| Total | 100% | 6.15 | 6.21 | SailPoint |
What shape is each tool's reach?
- DISC
- Unmanaged app discovery
- 3.5
- INAPP
- Accounts inside the app
- 5.5
- NOAPI
- Reach into apps without APIs or SCIM
- 6.5
- ORCH
- Orchestrates through the existing stack
- 5.0
- EXEC
- Executes changes itself
- 8.0
- NHI
- Machine, service and agent accounts
- 8.0
- EVID
- Audit evidence
- 7.0
- PRICE
- Pricing transparency
- 9.5
Each sector is one criterion. The longer the engraved sector, the higher the editorial score. Sectors are equal width, so the picture shows the shape of a tool's reach, not its weighted total.
- DISC
- Unmanaged app discovery
- 4.0
- INAPP
- Accounts inside the app
- 6.0
- NOAPI
- Reach into apps without APIs or SCIM
- 6.0
- ORCH
- Orchestrates through the existing stack
- 6.0
- EXEC
- Executes changes itself
- 9.0
- NHI
- Machine, service and agent accounts
- 8.0
- EVID
- Audit evidence
- 8.5
- PRICE
- Pricing transparency
- 2.0
Each sector is one criterion. The longer the engraved sector, the higher the editorial score. Sectors are equal width, so the picture shows the shape of a tool's reach, not its weighted total.
Which parts of the estate does each document?
| Zone | Entra ID Governance | SailPoint |
|---|---|---|
| Unsanctioned SaaS | Not documented Discovery of apps outside Entra not described in the governance docs reviewed | Not documented Automatic discovery of unconnected apps not described |
| On-prem and legacy apps | Documented ECMA connector host, LDAP and SQL for on-prem apps | Partial Integration templates and owner self-registration |
| Custom-built apps | Partial REST, SOAP and PowerShell connectors; CSV path otherwise | Partial Integration templates |
| Local accounts in apps | Partial Account discovery shows app users not matched to Entra users | Not documented Orphan and local account discovery inside apps not described |
| Service accounts and hardcoded credentials | Partial Workload identities priced and governed in Entra; hardcoded credentials in apps not described | Partial Entro Security acquisition: non-human identities, secrets and tokens |
| AI agents | Documented Entra Agent ID generally available | Documented Agentic Fabric generally available for AI and machine identities |
What do they cost?
Microsoft Entra ID Governance
Pricing
$7.00 per user per month, paid yearly. Requires Microsoft Entra ID P1 ($7.00) or P2 ($10.00). Microsoft Entra Suite $12.00 per user per month. Workload ID $3.00 per workload identity per month.
Source: Microsoft Entra pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026
Deployment
Microsoft cloud service, with an on-prem connector host for provisioning.
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud
Pricing
Suites are listed (Standard, Agentic Business, Agentic Business Plus) without prices.
Source: SailPoint suites · Read 27 Sep 2026
Deployment
SaaS on SailPoint Atlas.
Which should you choose?
Choose Entra ID Governance if
- you need a published price before talking to sales
- many of your applications have no API or SCIM endpoint
Choose SailPoint if
- you want the tool itself to provision and revoke access
- audit evidence is the deliverable
Frequently asked questions
Which scores higher overall, Microsoft Entra ID Governance or SailPoint Identity Security Cloud?
On our default weights SailPoint Identity Security Cloud scores higher overall, 6.21 against 6.15 out of 10.
Where does Microsoft Entra ID Governance score higher than SailPoint Identity Security Cloud?
Entra ID Governance scores higher on Reach into apps without APIs or SCIM (6.5 against 6.0) and Pricing transparency (9.5 against 2.0).
Can Microsoft Entra ID Governance and SailPoint Identity Security Cloud be used together?
It depends on your identity provider. Entra ID Governance requires Entra ID P1 or P2; the other platform can govern apps alongside Entra.