Top 10 IAM Tools by Category
The Apono Team
February 24, 2025
The explosion of remote work and digital transformation has unleashed a tidal wave of new systems and software. Even smaller or ‘old-school’ companies are juggling more applications than ever before to keep pace with collaboration and automation in the remote age.
Yet, every exciting new system requires login credentials, secrets, and access privileges, creating potential entry points for cybercriminals. IBM’s 2024 Data Breach Report found that phishing and stolen or compromised credentials were the two most prevalent attack vectors, leading to significant financial impacts.
As a result, IAM tools act as the unsung heroes of modern working, providing the control and oversight needed to ensure that only authorized users access the right resources at the right time.
What are IAM tools?
Identity and Access Management (IAM) tools provide a robust framework to ensure that only authorized users access sensitive data and critical systems while also streamlining employee requirements and boosting productivity.
These tools offer a range of powerful features, including automated user provisioning, multi-factor authentication (MFA), single sign-on (SSO), and a centralized directory to manage user identities and enforce security policies.
These platforms work by authenticating users (confirming who they are), authorizing access (determining what they can do), and keeping thorough audit logs of system interactions. Through role-based access control (RBAC), IAM tools automatically grant or restrict permissions based on job roles, simplifying administration and ensuring that users have the appropriate level of access.
Benefits of IAM Tools
Here are some key advantages of incorporating IAM tools into your infrastructure:
- Protect against unauthorized access by implementing robust authentication and authorization protocols.
- Meet regulatory requirements with audit trails and policy enforcement.
- Automate user provisioning, saving time and reducing human error.
- Easily manage and scale user access as your organization grows.
- Improved user experience by simplifying login processes with single sign-on (SSO) features.
Key Features to Look for in an IAM Tool
When evaluating IAM tools, consider the following features:
- User Lifecycle Management: Automates the creation, modification, and deletion of user accounts across systems.
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Simplifies access management by assigning permissions based on job roles.
- Directory Services: A centralized repository for user identities and attributes.
- Centralized Management Console: A single interface to manage users, groups, policies, and configurations.
- Integration Capabilities: Seamlessly integrates with existing IT systems, including HR systems, cloud applications, and on-premises infrastructure.
Top IAM Tools by Category
Cloud-Native IAM
1. AWS IAM
AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a cloud-based service that helps you manage and control access to AWS resources.
Main Features:
- Control access to AWS resources at a granular level.
- Manage identities across all of your AWS accounts from a single location.
- Cross-account access without creating separate IAM users for each account.
Best For: Managing granular permissions and access control within the AWS ecosystem.
Price: AWS IAM is free to use. Charges may apply for IAM users accessing other billable AWS services.
Review: “[AWS] IAM makes access management very easy and enables it pod and application level.”
2. Apono
Just-in-time access is a key element of IAM, which helps organizations mitigate risks of attacks on identities by reducing the attack surface for users who access cloud resources. Apono enables users to be granted access on demand and is the perfect tool to automate just-in-time (JIT) access management.
Main Features:
- Automated Just-In-Time (JIT) access flows.
- Auto-expiring permissions to mitigate privileged access risks.
- Deploys in under 15 minutes.
- Enables on-demand, self-serve, granular permissions directly from Slack, Teams, or your CLI.
- Break-glass and on-call access flow for faster production issue resolution.
- Streamline deployment with cloud-native connectors and infrastructure as code (IaC) to auto-scale with your environment.
Best For: Cloud-native organizations looking to implement automated Just-In-Time (JIT) access and least privilege security.
Price: Contact Apono for customizable pricing plans tailored to your needs.
Review: “Ideal for startups that want to onboard operational excellence DevOps in a quick turnaround! […] As head of IT, It gives me peace of mind when I know that only the right users get proper access to the system’s DB at the right time.”
3. Google Cloud IAM
Google Cloud IAM provides granular access control and visibility for Google Cloud Platform (GCP) resources.
Main Features:
- Manage IAM policies using the Google Cloud Console, APIs, and command-line tools.
- Integrate with Cloud Identity to manage user identities and access across Google Cloud and other applications.
- Automated access control recommendations based on machine learning and security best practices.
Best For: Managing granular permissions and compliance tools within GCP.
Price: IAM is included with your Google Cloud account at no additional cost.
Review: “Easy to use, flexible, and the best thing is we can integrate this with all Google services.”
4. Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD)
Microsoft Entra ID, formerly Azure Active Directory, is an IAM solution by Microsoft running, offering strong authentication and risk-based Conditional Access policies.
Main Features:
- Single sign-on (SSO) for fast, easy sign-in experience across a multicloud environment.
- Employees can securely manage their own identity with self-service portals, including My Apps and My Groups.
- Manage all Microsoft Entra multicloud identity and network access solutions in the unified admin center.
Best For: Identity management across cloud and on-premises systems for businesses using Microsoft 365 or Azure.
Price: Microsoft Entra ID P1 plans start at $6, P2 at $9, and Entra Suite at $12 per user/month. Each plan includes a free tier.
Review: “Microsoft Entra is one of the best solutions Microsoft offers for verifying and identifying enterprise technology assets such as laptops and mobile phones.”
5. Wiz
Wiz is a cloud infrastructure security platform that contains IAM governance capabilities.
Main Features:
- Auto-generated least privilege policies across the cloud.
- Security posture management for AI models, training data, and AI services.
- Query cloud entitlements based on identity, access type, and resource.
Best For: Securing cloud infrastructure with automated risk prioritization and anomaly detection, rather than strictly IAM.
Price: By inquiry.
Review: “Wiz has been a most valuable solution for our organization in terms of cloud security. They regularly change with new features and keep us updated with the newest threats.”
Hybrid IAM
6. OneLogin
OneLogin is a cloud-based Identity and Access Management platform that provides a single unified portal for users to access both cloud and on-premises applications.
Main Features:
- Single sign-on (SSO) for cloud and on-premises apps.
- Offers various MFA options, like authenticator apps, SMS codes, and security keys.
- Automated user onboarding and offboarding and managed changes to user roles and permissions.
Price: OneLogin offers pricing plans for Workforce, B2B, Customer (CIAM), and Education Identity use cases. Advanced and professional tiers start at $2 per user/month. Free trials and custom plans are also available.
Best For: Organizations with hybrid IT environments looking for SSO and MFA across cloud and on-premises applications.
Review: “Being able to remember one passphrase that gets me access to all my corporate applications is as simple as it can get.”
7. Okta
Okta is a leading independent identity provider that offers a broad set of IAM capabilities like SSO, MFA, and identity threat protection.
Main Features:
- Single sign-on (SSO) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) for fine-grained authorization protocols.
- Universal Directory for user management.
- 7,500+ pre-build and ready-to-use integrations.
Best For: Ranking in Gartner Peer Insights.
Price: Okta provides pricing plans for Workforce Identity Cloud (with MFA and Universal Directory) for $2 per user/month and Customer Identity Cloud for B2B, B2C, and enterprise app authorization.
Review: “Not only is it user-friendly with a modern interface, but it also [has] high-security standards and supports working with thousands of users simultaneously.”
8. SailPoint IdentityIQ
SailPoint IdentityIQ is an identity governance platform that helps organizations manage access to on-premises and cloud environments.
Main Features:
- Tracks user activity, access changes, and certification results, providing evidence of compliance.
- Integrates with cloud apps, on-premises systems, and databases.
- Facilitates role-based access control (RBAC) by allowing organizations to define roles and assign permissions to those roles.
Best For: Large enterprises in highly regulated industries that require advanced identity governance and separation-of-duties enforcement.
Price: By inquiry.
Review: “Identity IQ from Sailpoint has been a boon for us in managing the accounts of all our users at one spot and simplifying the process of provisioning and de-provisioning.”
On-Premises IAM
9. CyberArk
CyberArk’s Workforce Identity solutions focus heavily on Privileged Access Management (PAM) and identity security. While they offer broader identity management capabilities, their core strength and focus is on securing privileged access.
Main Features:
- Vaulting, aka. securely storing and isolating privileged credentials (passwords, keys, secrets) to prevent unauthorized access.
- Granting temporary privileged access only when needed, reducing the attack surface.
- Controlling and monitoring privileged sessions, including recording and auditing activity.
Best For: Enterprises managing a high volume of privileged accounts.
Price: By inquiry.
Review: “CyberArk provides you with an easy user interface to connect with your machines. Also, it gives the environment for scalable security and RBAC.”
10. Oracle Identity Management
Oracle Identity Management offers integrated IAM capabilities for both cloud and on-premises Oracle platforms (so it could really go into two categories).
Main Features:
- Automating the provisioning, deprovisioning, and modification of user accounts across various systems.
- Regular reviews and certifications of user access rights to ensure compliance.
- Enforcing policies to prevent conflicts of interest and fraud by ensuring that no single user has excessive privileges.
Best For: Organizations using Oracle apps and databases.
Price: By inquiry.
Review: “Enterprise-grade IAM solution with on-premise and cloud offerings, and it is well suited for large-scale implementations.”
Apono: The Standout Solution
IAM tools are necessary for the security of modern enterprises, improving the security and efficiency of processes like user provisioning and just-in-time access through automation. These IAM solutions provide granular access controls, least privilege enforcement, and strong auditing and reporting capabilities to help monitor activity and identify threats.
Apono stands out with its automated JIT access flows, self-serve permissions, and fast deployment, making it an ideal choice for organizations prioritizing security and productivity. Visit Apono today to transform your IAM strategy.
