Head-to-head · Active Directory Management Software
One Identity Active Roles vs ManageEngine ADAudit Plus
One Identity Active Roles leads on 0 checks, ManageEngine ADAudit Plus on 1, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreOne Identity Active Roles · 8.5/10
- Free planonly ManageEngine ADAudit Plus
- Free trialonly ManageEngine ADAudit Plus
- Most featuresOne Identity Active Roles · 4 of 5
One Identity Active Roles scores higher on our rubric for active directory management software: 8.5 against 7.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #7.
ManageEngine ADAudit Plus offers free plan; One Identity Active Roles doesn't. On deployment, One Identity Active Roles gives you Hybrid where ManageEngine ADAudit Plus offers On_premises.
One Identity Active Roles is the better fit for enterprise delegated AD administration. ManageEngine ADAudit Plus is the better fit for AD auditing and compliance monitoring.
- One Identity Active Roles fits best
Enterprise delegated AD administration
- ManageEngine ADAudit Plus fits best
AD auditing and compliance monitoring
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Side by side
| Feature | One Identity Active Roles 8.5/10 Visit ↗ | ManageEngine ADAudit Plus 7.9/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 8.5 | 7.9 |
| Ranking | #5 in Active Directory Management Software | #7 in Active Directory Management Software |
| Best for | Enterprise delegated AD administration | AD auditing and compliance monitoring |
| Pricing model | Paid | Free plan + paid |
| Starting price | Pricing on request | $595/yr |
| Free plan | — | ✓ (best) |
| Free trial | — | 30 days |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted | Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web, Windows | Web, Windows |
| Support | Tickets, Community, Docs | Email, Live chat, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs |
| Integrations | 11 integrations | 9 integrations |
| Built for | Mid-market, Enterprise | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features One Identity Active Roles 4/5 · ManageEngine ADAudit Plus 0/5 | ||
| Delegated administration | ✓ (best) | Not checked yet |
| AD auditing | ✓ (best) | Not checked yet |
| Lifecycle automation | ✓ (best) | Not checked yet |
| Reporting | ✓ (best) | Not checked yet |
| Password self-service | — | Not checked yet |
| Specs | ||
| Deployment | Hybrid | On_premises |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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| Our verdict | One Identity Active Roles is an administration and governance product for organizations managing hybrid Microsoft identity environments. It brings on-premises Active Directory, Entra ID, and Microsoft 365 administration into a single… Read the review → |
ManageEngine ADAudit Plus is an on-premises auditing and monitoring platform for organizations managing Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, Windows servers, workstations, file servers, and supported NAS devices. It tracks directory,… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
One Identity Active Roles — where it wins
- Granular role-based delegation across AD, Entra ID, and Microsoft 365
- Lifecycle workflows support provisioning, deprovisioning, and policy automation
- Auditing, reporting, and change history support administrative oversight
Where it doesn't
- Pricing requires contacting sales
- No free plan is available
- Password self-service is handled by a separate Password Manager product
ManageEngine ADAudit Plus — where it wins
- 200+ preconfigured reports cover AD, files, and compliance needs.
- Real-time alerts track critical Active Directory and file changes.
- SIEM and ITSM integrations support established operational workflows.
Where it doesn't
- It is primarily an auditing product, not a full administration suite.
- File integrity monitoring is an add-on for Windows servers and workstations.
- Some real-time file-server collection requires a client-side agent.
- One Identity Active Roles8.5/10 · Pricing on request
A broad enterprise platform for delegated administration, lifecycle control, and auditing.
Visit One IdentityFull verdict → - ManageEngine ADAudit Plus7.9/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial
A broad AD auditing platform with strong compliance coverage and a free plan.
Visit ManageEngineFull verdict →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update