For modern applications and services, the importance of a good identity and access management (IAM) framework can't be overstated. Many access control tools have gained ground in the past few years, but two prominent solutions distinguish themselves from the pack.
One is Microsoft's identity platform, Azure Active Directory, which is a widely used cloud identity service compatible with many APIs that's used to build and secure line-of-business applications. There's also Duende Software's IdentityServer, which is a leading access control and hosting solution in the .NET landscape that provides more flexibility and control than other services.
Both of these solutions have comprehensive abilities regarding identity and access management, but there are still some important differences in their approach, features, and intended uses. In this article, we'll cover the basics of each solution and compare the two so that you'll know which service best fits the needs of your project or service.
IdentityServer: A quick overview
Duende IdentityServer is a source-available framework for building authentication and authorization systems that are based on OpenID Connect and OAuth 2.0 standards. Initially created as a standalone open-source product and later continued commercially by Duende Software, IdentityServer is widely implemented by companies using .NET to create custom identity solutions for platforms, applications, and more.
With IdentityServer, developers can manage their APIs, improve their user authentication process, and implement third-party integrations free of hassle. IdentityServer makes it easy to create your own access control system for enterprise applications, B2B services, or other purposes. The central idea behind IdentityServer is that it gives solution-builders full control over the authentication flow with whatever they choose.
Duende IdentityServer's key features
- OpenID Connect and OAuth 2.0 support: IdentityServer is fully compliant with OpenID Connect and OAuth 2.0, which are industry-standard authentication protocols.
- Available and customizable source code: IdentityServer is source-open, transparent, and well-known for its flexible and modular features. Duende also provides several open-source components that work in tandem with IdentityServer. This way, developers can extend and customize the system to meet the needs of any project, from small apps to enterprise-level solutions.
- Identity and access control: IdentityServer will support almost any credential type including regular login information, knowledge-based and passwordless authentication, external identity providers (e.g., Google, Facebook, etc.), and more. As we mentioned, IdentityServer also provides acute access control when using external APIs and other resources.
- Federation gateway: IdentityServer can be used as a central identity provider (IDP) that integrates with external authentication providers through federation. This is useful not only for managing users in different organizations or systems, but also for insulating your clients from more tedious backend authentication workflows.
- Multi-tenant support: IdentityServer can handle multiple clients and users, making it suitable for SaaS applications, and the Enterprise edition offers cost-effective multi-tenancy.
- Vast hosting options: IdentityServer can be deployed practically anywhere, including on-premises or in the cloud, and is compatible with all operating systems and VPNs.
The basics of Microsoft's identity platform
Microsoft's Identity platform includes a suite of components associated with Entra ID, which is the new name for their well-known Azure Active Directory identity and access management tool. Entra ID helps enterprises manage users, groups, and devices in the cloud while providing authentication avenues for both cloud-based and on-premises applications. As you would guess, Entra ID integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft services like Office 365, Microsoft Teams, and the greater Azure cloud infrastructure.
Entra ID and the rest of Microsoft's identity platform are fully managed services, meaning that Microsoft is responsible for maintaining, updating, and scaling the platform for the people and organizations that rely on it. It's designed for enterprises that want to save time with user identity management and access control at a higher cost.
Key features of Microsoft's identity platform
- First-party client libraries: The Microsoft identity platform includes their Authentication Library (MSAL) and supports integration with other standards-compliant libraries too. The open source MSAL libraries the platform provides offer ready-to-deploy access control features to clients such as single sign-on (SSO), conditional access scenarios, and built-in token caching support.
- Compliant with many access control standards: Just like IdentityServer, Microsoft's platform provides authentication services that are compliant with many of the OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect access control standards. Microsoft also supports authentication for several different identity types, but they all use proprietary elements of their identity platform. For instance, authorized access to work and school accounts is provisioned through Entra ID, while social and local accounts are handled using Azure AD B2C and Entra External ID.
- Application management portal: Entra ID provides a portal that allows administrators to manage and configure user identities and authentication settings for their enterprise or services. The portal also has the capabilities of regular application management platforms.
- Task configuration and automation: Microsoft services like Graph API and Powershell can help you automate development and operations tasks on their identity management platform. There are also plentiful options for app configuration that Microsoft offers with the platform.
- Accessible content for devs: Microsoft provides content surrounding technical documentation, quick-starts, guides, API references, code samples, and more. This is particularly useful if you're trying to learn more about the capabilities of an identity and access management platform while using Microsoft's services.
Comparing both identity management platforms
By now, it's clear that each service is powerful, capable, and safe for use by teams of any size. IdentityServer and Microsoft's identity platform both provide great access control and authorization solutions, but there are some clear distinctions worth touching on. Let's examine a couple key differences.
Configuration and maintenance
IdentityServer: Duende provides the IdentityServer framework and the developers can configure, deploy, and maintain their custom identity solution as they see fit. From a structural perspective, this is the most flexible approach to access control, as it gives complete creative freedom to organizations. This also means that the development team is responsible for managing security, updates, and scaling, although Duende provides regular developer support along the way.
Microsoft identity platform: Microsoft fully manages their identity and access management platform, meaning that handling maintenance and updates is the service provider's responsibility. While this can improve workflow in many scenarios, it also means that it's more difficult for developers to troubleshoot and fix faulty elements of the service themselves when an issue arises.
Customization and extensibility
IdentityServer: With IdentityServer, Duende provides a highly customizable access control framework that you can alter and extend to suit your exact requirements. If you want a solution that offers complete control over your applications' UI, user login process, and authorization workflows, IdentityServer should be a no-brainer.
Microsoft identity platform: While it offers Microsoft product compatibility and many other built-in features, Microsoft's identity platform is much less flexible than IdentityServer. Customization is possible, but you'll always have to work within the architecture (and thus the constraints and limitations) of Entra ID.
Deployment environment
IdentityServer: It can be deployed on-premises, in the cloud, through a VPN, or in a hybrid environment. This versatility makes IdentityServer perfect for any hosting scenario, especially since the framework doesn't have to be limited by the resource drain or upkeep cost of an on-premises environment.
Microsoft identity platform: Microsoft has some on-premises and hybrid deployment options, but it's built to be chiefly a cloud-based service with Entra ID as the central offering. Larger enterprises that use organization networks for accounts and communication use the Microsoft identity platform for its emphasis on cloud-first implementation.
Suite integration
IdentityServer: It's mainly focused on .NET-based applications, but IdentityServer is malleable enough to integrate with most other third-party systems and software. While it doesn't have a proprietary suite of enterprise tools like Microsoft does, IdentityServer can support a similar level of integration as a flexible framework. If it can be done with .NET Core, it can be done with IdentityServer.
Microsoft identity platform: As mentioned, Microsoft's access control platform integrates perfectly with other Microsoft suite products. This is an important consideration if your organization is already using the Microsoft suite for vital operations.
Even if they have different audiences with some common interests, both IdentityServer and Entra ID are fantastic identity and access management solutions. If you want a more structured approach at the cost of flexibility, versatility and pricing, adopting the Microsoft identity platform could be a good choice. For developers aiming to fully realize their structural aspirations in .NET Core with an open-source framework, IdentityServer will never disappoint.
Want to learn more?
If you want complete control of your platform security and data, visit our website to learn more about IdentityServer, Backend for Frontend (BFF), and our open source products.