Updated: July 15, 2020 (June 15, 2015)

Azure Active Directory Packaging

Wes Miller analyzes and writes about Microsoft’s security, identity management, and systems management technologies. Before joining Directions on Microsoft, Wes... more

A limited set of Azure Active Directory (AAD) features are free, while the Basic and Premium tiers require a Per-User subscription license. AAD is a scalable, multitenant, Microsoft-hosted directory and identity provider service that has three tiers of service.

All three tiers of AAD support directory synchronization, federation with other directories, such as Windows Server AD, and single sign-on (SSO).

The Free tier of AAD is for small organizations requiring little or no management and a limited number of objects in AAD. Users of the Free tier can self-provision up to 10 applications for use with SSO, and basic reporting is available to administrators. The Free tier of AAD offers no service level agreement.

The Basic tier of AAD (US$1 per user, per month) adds group-based management, the ability for users of hosted AAD to reset their passwords themselves, and customization of the AAD user interface elements visible to end users for authentication and management of the apps associated with AAD.

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