ManageEngine M365 Manager Plus vs Microsoft 365 Lighthouse

ManageEngine M365 Manager Plus8.6Visit MLMicrosoft 365 Lighthouse7.9Visit

Higher score ManageEngine M365 Manager Plus #2 in Microsoft 365 Management Tools 8.6/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit ManageEngine

vs

ML Microsoft 365 Lighthouse #5 in Microsoft 365 Management Tools 7.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Microsoft

• ManageEngine M365 Manager Plus fits best

  Teams wanting affordable, self-hosted M365 administration

• Microsoft 365 Lighthouse fits best

  Microsoft partners managing customer tenants

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Side by side

Feature	ManageEngine M365 Manager Plus 8.6/10 Visit ↗	MLMicrosoft 365 Lighthouse 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.6	7.9
Ranking	#2 in Microsoft 365 Management Tools	#5 in Microsoft 365 Management Tools
Best for	Teams wanting affordable, self-hosted M365 administration	Microsoft partners managing customer tenants
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	$345/unit/yr	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Cloud
Platforms	Windows, Web	Web
Support	Email, Phone, Live chat, Community, Docs	Docs, Tickets
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market
Features ManageEngine M365 Manager Plus 4/4 · Microsoft 365 Lighthouse 4/4
Multi-tenant management	✓	✓
License management	✓	✓
Change automation	✓	✓
Audit and reporting	✓	✓
Specs
Managed services	Microsoft Entra ID, Exchange Online, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business	Microsoft 365, Office 365, Exchange Online, Windows 365 Business, Microsoft Defender for Business, Microsoft Intune
Deployment	Self_hosted	Cloud
Our review
Pros	Bulk administration for users, mailboxes, groups, licenses, and Teams Schedules recurring or event-driven tasks and Microsoft 365 reports Auditing, alerts, monitoring, and scoped task delegation across tenants	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.
Cons	Requires self-hosted deployment on Windows Standard lacks Professional features such as auditing and automation Exchange Online backup and restore is an optional add-on	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.
Our verdict	ManageEngine M365 Manager Plus gives IT teams a centralized way to administer Microsoft 365 through a Windows installation and browser interface. It is aimed at organizations that need bulk changes, reporting, and delegated administration… Read the review →	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 →

Strengths and trade-offs

• ManageEngine M365 Manager Plus — where it wins

  • Bulk administration for users, mailboxes, groups, licenses, and Teams
  • Schedules recurring or event-driven tasks and Microsoft 365 reports
  • Auditing, alerts, monitoring, and scoped task delegation across tenants

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires self-hosted deployment on Windows
  • Standard lacks Professional features such as auditing and automation
  • Exchange Online backup and restore is an optional add-on

• 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.

• ManageEngine M365 Manager Plus8.6/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  Self-hosted M365 administration with bulk controls, scheduled tasks, and a free edition.

  Visit ManageEngineFull verdict →
• MLMicrosoft 365 Lighthouse7.9/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit MicrosoftFull verdict →