Seamless Auth vs Microsoft Entra ID
Microsoft Entra ID is Microsoft’s cloud workforce directory, and Entra External ID its customer identity product. Seamless Auth is an open source, passwordless-only auth server for the apps you build. Its workforce features are planned, not shipped.
Read the full comparisonChoose Microsoft Entra ID if
- You need a workforce directory, and you already run Microsoft 365.
- You need SAML single sign-on into third-party apps.
- You need provisioning from HR or Active Directory, and lifecycle. Seamless Auth plans these for v2.0.
- You rely on Conditional Access, risk policies or Privileged Identity Management.
- You need Windows, device or network access, or Domain Services.
- You need a vendor’s compliance authorizations, such as FedRAMP High.
Choose Seamless Auth if
- Users and sessions must stay inside your own boundary, on any cloud or none.
- You want the auth server, OpenID Provider, adapters, SDKs, dashboard and CLI under Apache-2.0.
- You are building a customer app and want passkeys enforced, with registration built in. In External ID, passkeys need a password account first and cannot be required by policy.
- You want no password to exist, not a scrambled one.
- You prefer not to pay per user or per active user.
- You want your audit trail in your own database, for as long as you keep it.
At a glance
| Feature | Seamless Auth | Microsoft Entra ID |
|---|---|---|
| License | Apache-2.0 for the server, OpenID Provider, SDKs, dashboard and CLI | Commercial cloud service, licensed per user |
| Hosting | Self-host (Docker, Postgres) or Seamless Auth managed hosting | Operated by Microsoft, including national clouds |
| Passwords | No, by design | Yes |
| SSO into other apps | OpenID Connect, through the OpenID Provider (not certified) | SAML, OpenID Connect, password-based; a large app gallery |
| SAML identity provider, directory sync, lifecycle | Planned for v2.0, not shipped | Yes |
| Passkeys for customer apps | Primary method, built-in registration, can be enforced | In External ID, for password accounts, app-built registration, not enforceable by policy |
Seamless Auth can import users from Entra ID with seamless migrate entra-id, which has not yet been tested against a live tenant.
Sources and the full table
The docs page has the full feature table, the architecture difference, when not to use Seamless Auth, and a source for every Microsoft Entra ID detail with the date it was checked.
Seamless Auth vs Microsoft Entra ID in the docs →What it costs
Prices change, so this site does not repeat them. Any published prices are in the docs comparison with their sources and dates, and the cost calculator puts Auth0 and Okta Customer Identity list prices next to the cost of running Seamless Auth yourself.
Open the cost calculator →