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Head-to-head · Microsoft 365 Management Tools

Microsoft 365 Lighthouse vs CIPP

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Microsoft 365 Lighthouse #5 in Microsoft 365 Management Tools 7.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Microsoft
CIPP #7 in Microsoft 365 Management Tools 7.9/10 Free plan · paid from €99/mo Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit CIPP

Microsoft 365 Lighthouse leads on 0 checks, CIPP on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Free planboth

Microsoft 365 Lighthouse and CIPP score identically on our rubric (7.9 out of 10) for microsoft 365 management tools; Microsoft 365 Lighthouse sits at #5 and CIPP at #7 in our editorial ranking, so the choice comes down to fit.

On deployment, CIPP gives you Hybrid where Microsoft 365 Lighthouse offers Cloud.

Microsoft 365 Lighthouse is the better fit for microsoft partners managing customer tenants. CIPP is the better fit for budget-conscious MSPs wanting open, multi-tenant tools.

  • Microsoft 365 Lighthouse fits best

    Microsoft partners managing customer tenants

  • CIPP fits best

    Budget-conscious MSPs wanting open, multi-tenant tools

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Microsoft 365 Lighthouse 7.9/10 Visit ↗ CIPP 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 7.9 7.9
Ranking #5 in Microsoft 365 Management Tools #7 in Microsoft 365 Management Tools
Best for Microsoft partners managing customer tenants Budget-conscious MSPs wanting open, multi-tenant tools
Pricing model Free Free plan + paid
Starting price Not published Not published
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web Web
Support Docs, Tickets Community, Email
Built for Small business, Mid-market Small business, Mid-market
Features Microsoft 365 Lighthouse 4/4 · CIPP 4/4
Multi-tenant management ✓ ✓
License management ✓ ✓
Change automation ✓ ✓
Audit and reporting ✓ ✓
Specs
Managed services Microsoft 365, Office 365, Exchange Online, Windows 365 Business, Microsoft Defender for Business, Microsoft Intune Microsoft 365, Microsoft Entra ID, Exchange Online, Intune
Deployment Cloud Hybrid
Our review
Pros
  • Multi-tenant views cover users, devices, threats, alerts, and service health.
  • Configuration baselines and deployment journeys guide tenant onboarding.
  • License state, renewals, and requests are visible alongside audit and sign-in logs.
  • Central portal for managing multiple Microsoft 365 tenants
  • Bulk licensing, user administration, and scheduled configuration standards
  • Drift monitoring, security assessments, dashboards, and reporting
Cons
  • Access is limited to eligible Cloud Solution Provider partners and customer tenants.
  • Managed tenants need delegated access and qualifying Microsoft subscriptions.
  • Some management features depend on customer licensing and device enrollment.
  • Self-hosting requires your own Azure environment and may add Azure costs
  • Functions depend on each tenant's Microsoft licenses and permissions
  • Web-based platform with community and email support channels
Our verdict

Microsoft 365 Lighthouse is a cloud admin portal for managed service providers enrolled in Microsoft's Cloud Solution Provider program. It brings eligible customer tenants into a shared management view, making it relevant to small and…

Read the review →

CIPP is an open-source Microsoft 365 administration platform for managed service providers handling multiple client tenants. Its web portal brings together user creation, editing, offboarding, group membership, license assignment, tenant…

Read the review →
  1. Microsoft 365 LighthouseMicrosoft 365 Management Tools 7.9Free plan
  2. CIPPMicrosoft 365 Management Tools 7.9Free plan · paid from €99/mo

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Microsoft 365 Lighthouse — where it wins

    • Multi-tenant views cover users, devices, threats, alerts, and service health.
    • Configuration baselines and deployment journeys guide tenant onboarding.
    • License state, renewals, and requests are visible alongside audit and sign-in logs.

    Where it doesn't

    • Access is limited to eligible Cloud Solution Provider partners and customer tenants.
    • Managed tenants need delegated access and qualifying Microsoft subscriptions.
    • Some management features depend on customer licensing and device enrollment.

  • CIPP — where it wins

    • Central portal for managing multiple Microsoft 365 tenants
    • Bulk licensing, user administration, and scheduled configuration standards
    • Drift monitoring, security assessments, dashboards, and reporting

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosting requires your own Azure environment and may add Azure costs
    • Functions depend on each tenant's Microsoft licenses and permissions
    • Web-based platform with community and email support channels
  • Microsoft 365 Lighthouse7.9/10 · Free plan

    Free tenant oversight for eligible Microsoft partners, with onboarding, device, user, and licensing views.

    Visit MicrosoftFull verdict →
  • CIPP7.9/10 · Free plan · paid from €99/mo

    Open, multi-tenant Microsoft 365 administration with free self-hosting or €99/month hosting.

    Visit CIPPFull verdict →

More comparisons

All microsoft 365 management tools comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update