Entra ID Licensing Guide
Entra ID Licensing Guide
Section titled “Entra ID Licensing Guide”What is Microsoft Entra ID? (Formerly Azure Active Directory)
Section titled “What is Microsoft Entra ID? (Formerly Azure Active Directory)”Microsoft Entra ID (formerly known as Azure Active Directory, or Azure AD) is Microsoft’s cloud-based identity and access management service. It provides essential tools for managing users, groups, and access to resources in your organization, such as Microsoft 365, the Azure portal, and thousands of other SaaS applications.
Entra ID serves as the backbone for secure user authentication, identity protection, and access control in the cloud and on-premises environments. It also integrates with your on-premises Active Directory (AD) to provide a seamless experience for hybrid environments.
Key Features of Microsoft Entra ID
Section titled “Key Features of Microsoft Entra ID”| Feature | Capability | Business Value |
|---|---|---|
| User Authentication | Secure multi-factor authentication (MFA) and single sign-on (SSO) | Ensures only authorized users access your resources |
| Conditional Access | Policy enforcement based on security conditions | Controls access based on device compliance and location |
| Identity Protection | Machine learning and behavioral analytics | Detects and responds to identity risks and compromised accounts |
| Access Management | Permission control and role-based access control (RBAC) | Manages application and resource access effectively |
| B2B and B2C Capabilities | External collaboration and customer identity management | Enables secure partnerships and customer-facing applications |
| Self-Service Capabilities | Self-service password reset (SSPR) and profile management | Reduces IT workload and improves user experience |
Licensing for Microsoft Entra ID
Section titled “Licensing for Microsoft Entra ID”Microsoft Entra ID offers various licensing tiers to meet different organizational needs and sizes:
1. Entra ID Free
Section titled “1. Entra ID Free”Ideal for: Small organizations with minimal identity management needs
Features:
- Basic user and group management
- SSO for up to 10 apps
- Self-service password change for cloud users
2. Entra ID Premium P1
Section titled “2. Entra ID Premium P1”Ideal for: SMB customers, usually included with Business Premium or EMS E3
Core Features:
- Conditional Access
- Role-based access control (RBAC)
- Advanced group management (dynamic groups, naming policies, expiration)
- Cross-tenant user synchronization
- Multitenant organizations
- Session lifetime management
- Global password protection and management
- Application launch portal and user collections
Entra ID Governance Features:
- Automated user provisioning to SaaS and on-premises apps
- HR-driven provisioning
- Terms-of-use attestation
Entra Verified ID Features:
- Verifiable credentials issuance and verification
3. Entra ID Premium P2
Section titled “3. Entra ID Premium P2”Includes: All P1 features plus advanced security and governance
Advanced Governance Features:
- Basic access certifications and reviews
- Basic entitlement management
- Privileged identity management
Advanced Protection Features:
- Risk-based conditional access
- Real-time dynamic sign-in and user assessment
- Authentication context (step-up authentication)
- Device and application filters for conditional access
- Token protection
- Vulnerabilities and risky account detection
- Risk event investigation
4. Microsoft Entra Suite
Section titled “4. Microsoft Entra Suite”Requires: Basic Entra ID P1 licenses
Additional Governance Features:
- Machine learning-assisted access certifications and reviews
- Entitlement management custom extensions (Azure Logic Apps)
- Lifecycle workflows
- Identity governance dashboard
Additional Verified ID Features:
- High-assurance entitlement management
- Face Check high-assurance facial matching verification
Internet Access Features:
- Universal conditional access
- Traffic logging and policy monitoring
- Web category and FQDN filtering
Private Access Features:
- Identity-centric Zero Trust network access (ZTNA)
- Conditional access across private apps
- Adaptive multifactor authentication
- Seamless SSO access
5. Additional Stand-Alone Products
Section titled “5. Additional Stand-Alone Products”| Product | Purpose | Key Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Entra ID Governance | Secure access to internet and SaaS applications | Automate approvals, reduce access abuse, ML-powered insights |
| Entra Workload ID | Control workload identity access | Reduce risk exposure, comprehensive health-check view |
| Entra Domain Services | Manage domain services in the cloud | No domain controllers needed, Azure VM integration |
| Entra Verified ID | Digital credential verification | Issue/verify credentials, facial matching, reduce vulnerabilities |
| Entra External ID | External identity management | Secure customers/partners, frictionless experiences |
| Entra Permissions Management | Multicloud permission management | Enforce least privilege, prevent breaches across AWS/Azure/GCP |
Entra ID and Microsoft 365 Integration
Section titled “Entra ID and Microsoft 365 Integration”Microsoft 365 Business Plans
Section titled “Microsoft 365 Business Plans”- Basic plans: Include basic Entra ID functionality with SSO and user management
- Business Premium: Includes Entra ID P1 with advanced conditional access
Microsoft 365 Enterprise Plans
Section titled “Microsoft 365 Enterprise Plans”- Enterprise E3: Includes Entra ID Premium P1
- Enterprise E5/E5 Security: Includes Entra ID P2 with advanced security features
Conclusion
Section titled “Conclusion”Microsoft Entra ID is a powerful cloud-based identity management solution designed to secure user access and protect your organization’s resources. With a comprehensive range of licensing options, it meets the needs of businesses of all sizes, ensuring a flexible, secure, and scalable solution for managing identities in hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
Key Takeaway: Understanding the Entra ID licensing model is essential for leveraging the right tools and security features as your organization grows.