AWS IAM & Azure Entra ID vs. authentik

Identity Management as a Control Instrument or Open Infrastructure

Identity management is far more than just login and user administration. It defines who gains access to systems, under what conditions this access occurs, and how security, automation, and compliance can be technically enforced. Thus, identity becomes one of the central power factors of modern IT architectures.

AWS IAM, Azure Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory), and authentik all solve the same fundamental problem: managing identities and controlling access. Architecturally, however, they represent two fundamentally different approaches. One embeds identity deeply within a platform, while the other views it as an independent, open infrastructure.

AWS IAM: Identity as Part of the Cloud Platform

AWS IAM is the central identity and permission system of AWS. It regulates which users, roles, or services can access which AWS resources—finely granular, highly scalable, and technically consistent. Policies, roles, and trust relationships follow a proprietary model tailored precisely to AWS services.

IAM is powerful, stable, and designed for large environments. Federation with external identity providers is possible, for example, via SAML or OIDC. Nevertheless, AWS remains the authoritative context. IAM always defines identity relative to AWS resources.

Here, identity is not thought of independently but as a control layer of the cloud.

Azure Entra ID: Identity Hub for the Microsoft Ecosystem

Azure Entra ID goes functionally beyond classic cloud IAM. In addition to Azure resources, it integrates SaaS applications, Microsoft 365, Conditional Access, Multi-Factor Authentication, as well as device and user contexts. Entra ID is thus effectively the central identity hub for the Microsoft ecosystem.

Technically, this is powerful and attractive for many organizations. At the same time, Entra ID also follows the logic of a closed system. Advanced security, governance, and automation functions are tied to licensing models. Extensibility and integration primarily align with Microsoft’s platform strategy.

Thus, identity becomes the organizational and technical anchor point of an ecosystem—not a freely designable infrastructure component.

The Common Denominator: Identity as a Platform Anchor

AWS IAM and Azure Entra ID differ significantly in functionality. Architecturally, however, they have something crucial in common: identity is tied to the platform.

Applications, access models, and security mechanisms align with the hyperscaler. Anchoring identity there also anchors dependency in the long term. A change of infrastructure, cloud, or platform is technically possible but organizationally complex—because identity is deeply woven into processes, applications, and security models.

Identity management here becomes the platform’s control instrument.

authentik: Identity as Independent Infrastructure

authentik takes a deliberately different approach. As an open-source identity provider, it positions itself as a central, self-operated identity layer—independent of cloud providers or platform boundaries.

authentik supports open standards like OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0, and LDAP. It can be deployed in front of web applications, APIs, Kubernetes clusters, and internal services. Identity is not coupled to infrastructure but operated as an independent component.

This fundamentally shifts the role of identity.

Not Minimalism, but Deliberate Control

The functionality of authentik is not a compromise. Single Sign-On, Multi-Factor Authentication, role-based access control, groups, policies, and provisioning via SCIM are integral components.

Applications are connected via declarative configurations, not proprietary integrations. Authentication and authorization flows are transparent, traceable, and versionable. Data retention, audit logs, and security decisions remain fully under one’s own control.

Here, identity is not consumed but shaped.

Architecture: Decoupling Instead of Binding

The architectural difference is crucial. While AWS IAM and Entra ID define identity along platform boundaries, authentik deliberately decouples identity from cloud providers.

Applications can change, infrastructures can migrate, platforms can be combined—without having to rebuild the identity model. Security logic follows open protocols and clear policies, not license levels or vendor roadmaps.

Identity remains stable, even if everything else changes.

Responsibility as a Conscious Trade-off

This openness demands responsibility. authentik is not a managed shortcut. Operation, updates, high availability, and integration must be consciously designed—especially in productive platforms.

In return, an identity architecture emerges that remains scalable in the long term: technically transparent, organizationally controllable, and regulatorily cleanly separable from individual providers. Optimization occurs through architecture—not contract models.

Complexity is not ignored here but mastered.

Condensed Comparison

When Each Approach Makes Sense

AWS IAM is suitable for:

• Purely AWS-centric infrastructures
• Focus on cloud resource control
• Low requirements for platform independence

Azure Entra ID is suitable for:

• Microsoft-centric organizations
• SaaS and device integration in the Microsoft ecosystem
• Identity as part of the M365 strategy

authentik is suitable for:

• Kubernetes- and platform-centric architectures
• Multi-cloud or hybrid setups
• Organizations with sovereignty and portability demands
• Open, standards-based security architectures

Conclusion

Identity management does not only decide on login processes. It defines who has control over access, data, and security mechanisms.

AWS IAM and Azure Entra ID optimize identity as a platform anchor. authentik establishes identity as an independent, open infrastructure.

The difference is not functional but strategic. Whoever ties identity to a hyperscaler ties their security architecture. Whoever operates it openly creates a portable, controllable foundation—regardless of where applications and platforms run tomorrow.