Comparison Guide

AIM vs Microsoft Entra Agent ID

Compare open source agent identity management with Microsoft's enterprise solution. Choose the right approach for your AI agent security needs.

AIM

by OpenA2A

Open source agent identity management. Self-hosted, vendor-agnostic, works with any AI framework.

Open SourceSelf-HostedFree Forever

Microsoft Entra Agent ID

by Microsoft

Enterprise agent identity within the Microsoft ecosystem. Integrated with Azure AD and Microsoft 365.

ProprietaryCloud-OnlyEnterprise Pricing

Feature Comparison

FeatureAIMMicrosoft Entra
Licensing Apache-2.0 (Free)Proprietary (Enterprise pricing)
Deployment Self-hosted or CloudAzure Cloud only
Vendor Lock-in NoneMicrosoft ecosystem
AI Framework Support Any (LangChain, CrewAI, AutoGen, etc.)Copilot Studio, Azure AI
Cryptographic Identity Ed25519 keypairs Azure AD certificates
Capability-Based Access Built-in Via Azure RBAC
Continuous Trust Scoring 8-factor modelVia Conditional Access
MCP Server Attestation Native support Not supported
Audit Logging Cryptographically signed Azure Monitor
Setup Time Minutes (one line of code)Hours to days (enterprise setup)
Source Code Access Full access Closed source
Data Residency Your infrastructureMicrosoft Azure regions
Cost Free foreverPer-user/per-agent pricing

When to Choose Each Solution

Choose AIM if you...

  • Want full control over your security infrastructure
  • Use multiple AI frameworks (LangChain, CrewAI, AutoGen, custom)
  • Need MCP server attestation for Claude Desktop
  • Require on-premises or multi-cloud deployment
  • Want to avoid vendor lock-in
  • Need to audit the source code for compliance
  • Are cost-conscious or budget-constrained

Choose Microsoft Entra if you...

  • Are fully committed to the Microsoft ecosystem
  • Only use Copilot Studio and Azure AI agents
  • Already have Microsoft 365 E5 licensing
  • Need enterprise support contracts
  • Want tight Azure AD integration
  • Prefer managed services over self-hosting

AIM's Key Advantages

Zero Cost

No per-agent pricing, no licensing fees, no surprise bills. Open source means free forever.

Framework Agnostic

Works with LangChain, CrewAI, AutoGen, custom agents, and any Python-based AI system.

MCP Native

Built-in support for MCP server discovery, attestation, and monitoring—something Microsoft doesn't offer.

Easy to Get Started

AIM integrates with your existing AI agents in minutes, not days.

secure_agent.py
# Before: Unsecured agent
from langchain import Agent
agent = Agent(name="my-agent")

# After: Secured with AIM (one line change)
from aim_sdk import secure
agent = secure("my-agent")

# That's it. Your agent now has:
# ✓ Ed25519 cryptographic identity
# ✓ Capability-based access control
# ✓ Continuous trust scoring
# ✓ Complete audit logging

Ready to Try AIM?

Get started in minutes. Open source, self-hosted, free forever.

Apache-2.0 license • Self-hosted • No vendor lock-in