Zoho Directory review
A broad SSO and identity toolkit with a useful free tier for small teams.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Zoho Directory is a workforce identity and access management platform for organizations managing employee identities, application access, authentication, and security policies. It is suited to small teams that need application SSO without starting with a paid plan, while also offering features for larger environments such as directory synchronization, lifecycle provisioning, MFA, conditional access, and reporting. Administrators can connect Microsoft Active Directory, Azure AD, or LDAP systems, assign applications to users and groups, and support both prebuilt and custom applications.
The plan structure makes the product particularly relevant to smaller deployments. The Free plan supports up to 10 users, SSO for 3 apps, 2 directory stores, default provisioning, MFA, and conditional access policies. Standard expands this to unlimited users and unlimited SSO applications, adding custom provisioning, custom conditional access and routing policies, and a custom domain. Professional retains unlimited users, adds 10 directory stores, advanced conditional assignment, device authentication with one device/user license, and unlimited Cloud LDAP and Cloud RADIUS. A 45-day trial provides time to evaluate the platform before selecting a plan.
Zoho Directory’s strongest technical fit is its combination of application access and identity lifecycle controls. It supports SAML 2.0, OpenID Connect, and JWT, along with SCIM and API-based provisioning and deprovisioning. Conditional access can consider location, IP address, device, platform, day, and time, while MFA supports OneAuth, OTP authenticators, and security keys. The platform includes 350 prebuilt apps and integrations such as Dropbox, GitHub, Slack, Zendesk, Tableau, and Trello. Choose it if a team wants broad SSO coverage and adaptable access policies; consider another option if the Free limits are too restrictive or if device and directory features need to be available without moving to Professional.
Zoho Directory pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free plan includes SSO, MFA, provisioning, and conditional access
- Supports 350 prebuilt apps plus custom SAML 2.0 and OIDC apps
- SCIM, API provisioning, directory sync, and adaptive access support
- Where it doesn't
- Free plan is limited to 10 users and 3 applications
- Custom provisioning and custom access policies start on Standard
- Cloud LDAP and Cloud RADIUS are unlimited only on Professional
Zoho Directory fact sheet, pricing and score →
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