C1 vs Microsoft Entra ID Governance
ILM Reference editors · Editorial assessment · Published 2026-09-28
Microsoft Entra ID Governance scores higher overall on our weights: 64/100 against 63/100 for C1. C1 wins four of the seven criteria (disconnected-app coverage, orphan and local account discovery, certification campaign depth and works alongside existing IdP and IGA) and Microsoft Entra ID Governance wins three (JML automation, audit evidence and pricing transparency). On disconnected-app coverage, the heaviest-weighted criterion, C1 leads 55 to 50.
- Lifecycle coverage score
- 63 / 100
- Rank of 8
- 6
- Category
- Identity governance and administration (IGA)
- Designation
- Best open connector model
- Lifecycle coverage score
- 64 / 100
- Rank of 8
- 5
- Category
- Identity governance and administration (IGA)
- Designation
- Best value for Microsoft-centric estates
Scores are an editorial assessment of public vendor material. See Editorial method.
How do C1 and Microsoft Entra ID Governance score on each criterion?
| Criterion (weight) | C1 | Microsoft Entra ID Governance | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disconnected-app coverage (22) | 55 | 50 | C1 |
| Orphan and local account discovery (18) | 60 | 55 | C1 |
| JML automation (15) | 78 | 80 | Microsoft Entra ID Governance |
| Certification campaign depth (12) | 75 | 72 | C1 |
| Audit evidence (13) | 65 | 70 | Microsoft Entra ID Governance |
| Works alongside existing IdP and IGA (12) | 70 | 50 | C1 |
| Pricing transparency (8) | 30 | 95 | Microsoft Entra ID Governance |
| Lifecycle coverage score | 63 | 64 | Microsoft Entra ID Governance |
Read the reasons for each score
- Disconnected-app coverage
- C1: Baton open-source connectors and C1 Bridge for on-prem systems; apps with no connector are not described in detail.
- Microsoft Entra ID Governance: Documents a manual path for apps without provisioning: export users to CSV, match them to Entra users, review, then remove or ticket; ECMA connector host covers some on-prem apps.
- Orphan and local account discovery
- C1: 'Find what offboarding missed', plus shadow app signup and login detection.
- Microsoft Entra ID Governance: Account discovery shows app users that do not match any Entra ID user.
- JML automation
- C1: HR systems and directories trigger join, role change, leave and departure workflows.
- Microsoft Entra ID Governance: Lifecycle workflows before start, during status changes and at departure.
- Certification campaign depth
- C1: Automated user access reviews as part of AI-native identity governance.
- Microsoft Entra ID Governance: Recurring access reviews with AI-powered suggestions; denied users lose the app role assignment.
- Audit evidence
- C1: Records each offboarding action; framework evidence export not described.
- Microsoft Entra ID Governance: Review decisions and assignments are recorded in Entra; no framework-mapped evidence pack described.
- Works alongside existing IdP and IGA
- C1: Connects to existing IdPs and HR systems rather than replacing them.
- Microsoft Entra ID Governance: Requires Entra ID P1 or P2; strongest when Entra is the identity provider.
- Pricing transparency
- C1: Publishes the pricing structure (Platform or Flex, Pro or Advanced, 1,000 to 20,000 identities) but no prices.
- Microsoft Entra ID Governance: $7.00 per user per month, paid yearly, published.
What does each tool do?
Identity governance with JML automation, access reviews and open-source Baton connectors, now branded C1.
Category Identity governance and administration (IGA)
Microsoft's governance add-on for lifecycle workflows, access reviews and entitlement management, priced per user.
Category Identity governance and administration (IGA)
How do C1 and Microsoft Entra ID Governance compare on pricing and deployment?
| Fact | C1 | Microsoft Entra ID Governance |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Structure published, prices scoped by quote. | $7.00 user/month, paid yearly (requires Entra ID P1 at $7.00 or P2 at $10.00). Entra Suite $12.00 user/month. |
| Deployment | SaaS with hosted or on-prem connectors (C1 Bridge). | Microsoft cloud service. |
How do they handle disconnected applications?
| Tool | Discovery of the app | Account data collection | Leaver action on the app | Method described | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Entra ID Governance | Not documented | Manual process export users to CSV and match to Entra users | Manual process access review, then removal or a ServiceNow ticket | Documented manual procedure | Source: learn.microsoft.com not-provisioned users article · Reviewed Sep 2026 |
| C1 | Partial shadow app signup and login detection | Partial Baton connectors, C1 Bridge for on-prem | Not documented for apps with no connector | Open-source connectors | Source: c1.ai · Reviewed Sep 2026 |
Source: learn.microsoft.com not-provisioned users article · Reviewed Sep 2026
Source: c1.ai · Reviewed Sep 2026
Which should you choose?
Choose C1 if you want to keep your current identity provider and IGA in place, or if you need coverage for applications with no connector, no SCIM endpoint and no SSO integration.
Identity governance with JML automation, access reviews and open-source Baton connectors, now branded C1.
Choose Microsoft Entra ID Governance if you need a published price to model the budget before a sales call, or if you need audit evidence you can hand to auditors without rebuilding it each cycle.
Microsoft's governance add-on for lifecycle workflows, access reviews and entitlement management, priced per user.
Weights change the answer. Try your own in the calculator.
FAQ
Which is better for identity lifecycle management, C1 or Microsoft Entra ID Governance?
On our rubric Microsoft Entra ID Governance scores 64/100 and C1 63/100. Microsoft Entra ID Governance is ahead mainly on pricing transparency and audit evidence. Buyers who weight works alongside existing IdP and IGA more heavily may prefer C1; the calculator shows how the order changes.
Which handles disconnected applications better, C1 or Microsoft Entra ID Governance?
C1 scores 55 to 50 on disconnected-app coverage. C1: Baton open-source connectors and C1 Bridge for on-prem systems; apps with no connector are not described in detail. Microsoft Entra ID Governance: Documents a manual path for apps without provisioning: export users to CSV, match them to Entra users, review, then remove or ticket; ECMA connector host covers some on-prem apps.
Do C1 and Microsoft Entra ID Governance publish pricing?
C1: Structure published, prices scoped by quote. Microsoft Entra ID Governance: $7.00 user/month, paid yearly (requires Entra ID P1 at $7.00 or P2 at $10.00). Entra Suite $12.00 user/month.
Keep reading
Sources
- c1.ai
- c1.ai lifecycle
- c1.ai shadow IT
- c1.ai pricing
- learn.microsoft.com identity governance overview
- microsoft.com Entra pricing
- learn.microsoft.com apps not provisioned
- learn.microsoft.com existing app users
Reviewed Sep 2026