Okta Universal Directory is a commercial identity governance and administration solution by Okta. SPHERE Identity Intelligence is a commercial identity governance and administration solution by SPHERE. Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.
What our shortlists say about the one we picked.
Best for: Organizations consolidating identities from many sources into one directory
Universal Directory is cloud-delivered and fits SMB through enterprise. It suits organizations with several identity sources and a large SaaS estate; organizations fully inside Microsoft may not need a second directory.
From Best IAM Solutions for Business, Fall 2026
Reviewed by Nika (Nikoloz) Kokhreidze.
Cloud-based directory service for centralized user, group, and device mgmt.
Identity intelligence platform for visibility & remediation across AD, PAM & data
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Common questions when comparing Okta Universal Directory vs SPHERE Identity Intelligence for identity governance and administration.
Okta Universal Directory: Cloud-based directory service for centralized user, group, and device mgmt. Built by Okta.
SPHERE Identity Intelligence: Identity intelligence platform for visibility & remediation across AD, PAM & data. Built by SPHERE.
The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ.
Okta Universal Directory is made by Okta. SPHERE Identity Intelligence is made by SPHERE. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.
Often, yes. Okta Universal Directory and SPHERE Identity Intelligence are both Identity Governance and Administration products, and both cover Active Directory. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.
No Identity Governance and Administration shortlist yet. This is the closest one.
Updated 2026-11-02
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