Microsoft Entra ID

in plain english

Microsoft's cloud identity service — the directory of users, groups, and apps that powers sign-in across M365, Azure, and thousands of SaaS apps. The free tier handles cloud identity; P1 adds Conditional Access, P2 adds risk-based policies and PIM.

official microsoft definition

A cloud-based identity and access management service that helps employees access external resources, such as Microsoft 365, the Azure portal, and SaaS applications, as well as internal resources like apps on a corporate intranet.

plans & eligibility

• Free tier (included with any M365 / Azure subscription)
• P1 — Conditional Access, group-based licensing (M365 E3, F3, Business Premium)
• P2 — risk-based CA, PIM, Identity Protection, Access Reviews (M365 E5)

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