UserLock: A Silverfort alternative for on-premise-first identity and MFA
UserLock is a Silverfort alternative for authentication against the on-premises Active Directory (AD) identity, extending secure access to software as a service (SaaS) without moving identity to the cloud.
Published January 20, 2025)
Focus on the needs of the environment you have today, and the right multi-factor authentication solution often becomes crystal clear. Here we compare UserLock as a Silverfort alternative for environments built around on-premises AD.
Before you start comparing UserLock vs Silverfort, first take a look at your infrastructure.
What does your setup look like today? What will it look like three to five years from now?
Most Active Directory organizations fit into four main categories: completely on-premises, on-premises with some cloud, moving towards the cloud, and fully built around Entra ID.
Active Directory environments | ||||
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100% on-premises AD | Hybrid AD: On-premises AD + SaaS | Hybrid AD: Migrating to the cloud | Entra ID | |
Identity and authentication sit in on-premises AD All systems and resources are on-premises Machines are domain-joined | Identity and authentication sit in on-premises AD Most resources are on-prem, some in the cloud Machines likely domain-joined, may be hybrid-joined | On-premises AD is the primary identity provider, may also have identities in Entra ID Many key resources in the cloud Machines are domain-joined or hybrid-joined | Identity and authentication happen in Entra ID All key resources are in the cloud, may have legacy apps on premises Machines are Entra ID-joined or Intune-joined |
Here's how UserLock and Silverfort stack up for each type of environment.
UserLock vs. Silverfort for on-premises AD | ||||
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UserLock | Silverfort | |||
Built to integrate with on-premises AD through agents deployed on-premises at the AD authentication level. | Silverfort integrates with Entra ID utilizing agentless and proxyless technology. It acts as a bridge to consolidate authentication requests and facilitate authentication in Entra ID. | |||
Syncs with AD every 5 minutes:
| Silverfort uses data from the Microsoft Entra Cloud Sync and the Microsoft Entra Connect application. Cloud Sync runs every 2 minutes. The default for the Microsoft Entra Connect application is every 30 minutes. | |||
Agent-based software allows admins to set granular MFA policies across all users, and maintains MFA and access controls offline and in air-gapped environments. | Agentless software offers an on-prem deployment mode where it's deployed as a Virtual Appliance on-premises, maintaining access controls offline and in air-gapped environments. Silverfort's traditional MFA for all users is included in the Silverfort Essential and Silverfort Pro plans. Top-tier Silverfort United subscribers can implement risk-based MFA policies across all users. |
Some organizations need to keep all resources completely on-premises. Naturally, this means all line of business apps are on-premises, so securing user access to SaaS apps is a non-issue.
We see these environments in highly regulated industries, such as military and defense, government, finance, or manufacturing.
But even organizations that have partially moved to the cloud often keep certain systems or networks fully on-premise. UserLock is optimal for security and compliance where authentication must take place in an environment you control (i.e., your own servers).
Most organizations today are built around on-premises AD but also need to secure access to cloud apps and web services.
This is the bucket that most organizations with on-prem AD fall into. Depending on their industry, compliance regulations, and how they get work done, these organizations straddle two worlds — on premises and the cloud — to greater or lesser degrees.
UserLock vs. Silverfort for Hybrid Active Directory | ||||
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UserLock | Silverfort | |||
Leverages Active Directory as the primary identity provider while extending its capabilities to secure access across cloud, SaaS, and legacy systems. | Connects assets on-premises and in the cloud to Microsoft Entra ID. | |||
Extends secure access to SaaS apps with SAML-based SSO combined with MFA, authenticating to on-prem AD identities. | Uses SAML and other protocols to authenticate SaaS applications to on-prem AD identities while applying context-aware MFA based on real-time risk analysis. | |||
Delivers lightweight and user-friendly MFA, with IT retaining full control over MFA policies and enforcement. UserLock provides granular access controls for:
| Provides adaptive and context-aware MFA, with enforcement decisions made dynamically using AI-based risk analysis. Silverfort's platform extends MFA and access controls to:
|
Many organizations have made the decision to migrate from on-premises to the cloud. That process can take years, especially for larger user bases. Identity is often the last piece to move to the cloud.
Some organizations want identity to stay on-premises until they have all the pieces in play to move to a cloud-based IdP.
UserLock vs. Silverfort for Hybrid Active Directory Migrating to Cloud | ||||
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UserLock | Silverfort | |||
Consolidate hybrid identity in on-premises Active Directory. Supports secure access to your increasingly cloud-based environment, while keeping authentication with on-premises Active Directory. | Consolidate hybrid identity in Entra ID. Silverfort acts as a bridge to Entra ID, and can route authentication requests from identity and access management solutions (including on-premises Active Directory) to Entra ID. | |||
Continue to manage your user base with one set of policies based on existing on-premises AD structure of users, groups, and OUs. | Manage your user base with Entra ID. |
If your organization already has shifted identity and authentication to the cloud, you're likely using Entra ID or another cloud-based IdP as primary identity provider.
We see this a lot in newer organizations: they start out in the cloud. Other organizations have already moved to the cloud, unchained by lighter regulatory requirements or simply because they had less legacy on-premises infrastructure to begin with.
UserLock vs. Silverfort for Entra ID/multi-platform environments | ||||
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UserLock | Silverfort | |||
If your machines are Intune joined, UserLock is not the best fit. If you have Microsoft Entra Domain Services (formerly AD DS) in place, UserLock can apply MFA and access controls on legacy applications and SaaS apps within the AD DS environment. | Silverfort is designed to work in a Entra ID-based, multi-platform environment. |
The cost difference stands out when comparing UserLock pricing to Silverfort's. Let's take the example of a 200-user organization.
UserLock vs. Silverfort Pricing | ||
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Number of users | UserLock | Silverfort |
200 | From $1.75/user/month* | From $10/user/month** |
*UserLock pricing is based on an annual subscription license. UserLock offers a 20% discount on three-year subscriptions. **Silverfort pricing varies across three categories: Silverfort Essential, Silverfort Pro, and Silverfort United. An up-to-date and fully accurate price must of course come from a Silverfort quote tailored to your environment. |
Silverfort's pricing is significantly higher, reflecting its broader platform coverage and enterprise focus.
For organizations with large, complex, multi-platform environments, Silverfort's capabilities may justify the higher investment.
For organizations primarily operating in Windows environments, Silverfort's enterprise-level price tag may not bring the added value needed to justify the additional cost.
Additional implementation costs through third-party vendors should also be considered.
Both solutions offer zero-trust security features that match different IT environments.
Let's examine how UserLock and Silverfort protect user accounts, cloud applications, and existing systems based on your organization's infrastructure setup.
UserLock supports IT security teams looking to implement a Zero Trust security framework through AD-integrated contextual access policies based on IP restrictions and time controls. Organizations maintain their established role-based access controls through AD users, groups, and organizational units without duplicating identity management in the cloud. In other words, UserLock helps keep authentication within your data center, avoiding the complexity of hybrid identity scenarios that need AD FS and Entra Connect infrastructure.
Using Silverfort, you can assess real-time risk and analyze behavior in real-time. The platform requires adopting a cloud-based identity provider like Entra ID.
Organizations running legacy systems face mounting security risks — 94% of data breaches involve compromised credentials in outdated infrastructure. UserLock protects Windows-based systems as one of the few solutions that sits at the AD authentication layer. UserLock secures access without requiring cloud components, delivering consistent access security controls across all circumstances, even when users logon without an internet connection or are not connected to the LAN.
Silverfort extends hybrid environment security to legacy systems as well as Mac and Linux systems. The solution operates independently of native protocols, managing authentication through a virtual appliance. Large organizations gain broad platform coverage but must consider Entra ID and Silverfort licensing costs.
A recent study shows that 41% of organizations suffered security incidents caused by third-party integrations in 2023. As a Silverfort alternative, UserLock extends beyond AD-centric tools through strong API and PowerShell support. The solution enhances user security awareness through .NET API for custom applications and PowerShell cmdlets for automation.
Organizations can create:
Custom .NET applications interfacing with UserLock service
Automated responses to authentication events
SIEM system integration for security monitoring
PowerShell automation for access management
Enhanced AD activity visibility
With Silverfort, you can connect to SIEM, EDR, and identity providers across a variety of security ecosystems. The platform requires configuration to integrate with multiple security tools and cloud services. Organizations must manage various integration points while gaining broad compatibility across hybrid environments.
Companies focused on Windows environments benefit from UserLock's straightforward development tools. Organizations needing multi-platform integration gain Silverfort's extensive third-party support, provided they can handle the added configuration complexity.
With UserLock, you can create air-gapped networks using offline-capable micro-agents that communicate with an on-premises server. The solution supports multiple authentication methods, like TOTP/HOTP hardware tokens and smartphone authenticator apps, maintaining all access policies without internet connectivity.
Organizations gain granular session controls and real-time monitoring while meeting compliance requirements through complete audit logging.
With Silverfort, you can deploy a virtual appliance on-premises in an isolated environment. The platform enables agentless MFA using FIDO2 hardware tokens without endpoint modifications. Organizations with higher-level subscription plans receive behavioral analysis and risk assessment features while maintaining air gap integrity.
Use case | UserLock | Silverfort |
---|---|---|
Windows logon | ||
RDP | ||
RD Gateway | ||
RDWeb | ||
RemoteApp | ||
Passwordless | ||
IIS sessions | ||
MFA VPN - RADIUS | ||
MFA VPN - LDAP | ||
MFA for ActiveSync | ||
OWA | ||
Microsoft 365 | ||
SAML-based SaaS applications | ||
Exchange Control Panel | ||
File Access | ||
UAC Prompts | ||
ADFS | ||
Local Accounts | ||
Standalone Servers | ||
Adaptive MFA | ||
Offline MFA |
If your organization is looking for an IAM solution that offers comprehensive access managment and session management, you'll want to understand how UserLock and Silverfort compare. It's important to look at how each software's deployment model (agent-based vs. agentless) plays into the capabilities here.
Functionality | UserLock | Silverfort |
---|---|---|
Contextual access restrictions based on | ||
AD users, groups, OUs | ||
Connection type | ||
Geolocation | ||
IP range | ||
Time | ||
Session type | ||
Number of initial access points | ||
Concurrent sessions | ||
Session monitoring | ||
Real-time visibility (UserLock syncs every 5 minutes with AD) | ||
Session duration | ||
Session details | ||
Session locking and limitation | ||
Remotely force user logoff and block users | ||
Enforce session time limits | ||
Automatic alerts | ||
Set up alerts and get automatic notifications | ||
Seamless user experience | ||
Access controls minimize impact of MFA and access restrictions on end-user workflows |
UserLock's software is agent-based, which allows you to set granular policies according to session type.
You can also set specific access restrictions based on geographical location and IP address, and enforce role-based limitations aligned with existing AD user groups and organizational unit (OU) policy settings. IT can maintain detailed monitoring of network sessions, limit concurrent logins, and control time-based access through native AD infrastructure integration.
Integrated identity providers allow Silverfort to manage access across AD and non-AD systems. The platform extends Active Directory security to legacy applications while supporting hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures. Organizations planning cloud migration gain unified security policies across diverse environments.
Ifyour organization is staying on-premises due to compliance requirements, cost constraints, or bandwidth limitations, you can benefit from UserLock's on-premises-first approach.
If you're moving towards cloud infrastructure or are already using Entra ID as the primary identity provider, you may find value in Silverfort's cloud-first strategy, which reaches back to secure access to legacy systems.
Here's how Silverfort and UserLock allow you to gain visibility into user activities and security events through detailed logs and analytics.
Functionality | UserLock | Silverfort |
---|---|---|
Working hours reports | ||
Login history reports | ||
MFA event reports | ||
User session history reports | ||
Administrator actions reports |
Detailed AD access event logging allows UserLock to monitor Windows system activities, access attempts, and MFA events. The solution tracks administrator actions and privileged account behavior to meet advanced compliance access control and authentication requirements like CMMC, ISO 27001, NIST 800-53, and more. Organizations maintain Zero Trust security through meticulous audit trails, generating detailed reports for HIPAA, SOX, and GDPR compliance within AD environments.
Silverfort aggregates access data across multiple platforms and cloud infrastructures. The platform creates unified compliance reports spanning hybrid environments, tracking authentication events beyond Windows systems. Organizations receive consolidated audit trails for PCI DSS, NIST, and CMMC through cross-platform monitoring that maintains centralized visibility.
More complex environments often include both Windows and non-Windows systems. Designed for Windows, UserLock's compatibility outside of Windows systems is limited.
System | UserLock | Silverfort |
---|---|---|
Linux Compatibility | ||
MAC Compatibility |
Offering your end users flexibility to choose between easy and secure MFA methods is all part of a successful MFA implementation. Here's how Silverfort and UserLock stack up.
MFA Method | UserLock | Silverfort |
---|---|---|
Push Notifications | ||
Email Links | ||
Scan QR codes | ||
Authenticator Apps (Soft Tokens) | ||
TOTP - programmable | ||
TOTP - USB | ||
TOTP - USB Tokens | ||
FIDO2 (WebAuth) | Coming in 2025 | |
FIDO U2F | Coming in 2025 | |
SMS OTP | ||
Biometric | ||
Recovery Codes |
Ease of setup and ongoing management will impact the effectiveness of an MFA and access management solution. Here, we look at how UserLock and Silverfort approach installation, policy configuration, and day-to-day management.
Functionality | UserLock | Silverfort |
---|---|---|
Authentication | Provides MFA through push notifications, hardware tokens, and authenticator apps specifically designed for Windows AD environments. It also has native protocol support for offline authentication. | It offers agentless MFA across multiple platforms, including cloud and on-premises, and supports various authentication protocols through a virtual appliance. |
Access controls | Enforces granular restrictions based on time, location, and device within Windows environments, with real-time AD synchronization every 5 minutes. | Implements AI-driven risk analysis and adaptive policies across platforms, requiring cloud connectivity for full feature functionality. |
Deployment model | Deploys through micro-agents on Windows endpoints with direct AD integration, supporting air-gapped networks without cloud dependencies. | Offers agent-less, proxy-less installation and cloud identity provider integration, with optional on-premises deployment mode. |
Infrastructure | Connects with SIEM systems and Windows-native tools through REST API, focusing on AD-centric security infrastructure. | Integrates with multiple security platforms, identity providers, and cloud services, requiring additional configuration for each integration point. |
Client base and target market | Small to large enterprises with on-premises Active Directory infrastructure. | Medium to large enterprises across environments with complex, multi-platform infrastructure. |
Ease of deployment | Installs quickly in on-premises Active Directory environments on a dedicated Windows server with minimal prerequisites. Start enforcing MFA and access policies in a few hours, depending on the size of your environment. | Initial setup may involve multiple setps to configure connectors, define policies, and integrate with existing resources. Agentless architecture eliminates the need for software installations on endpoints or servers. The deployment process may require more time and expertise compared to solutions focused on solely on-premises AD environments. |
Ease of use | Offers a centralized console with an intuitive interface for IT to easily configure, monitor, and manage MFA and access policies for on-premises AD identities. Policy configuration follows AD logic, and allows IT can quickly apply policies by existing AD users, groups, and OUs. Agent-based design offers the ability to apply policies granularly, allowing each team to balance unique productivity and security needs. | Provides a centralized management console for managing MFA and access controls across hybrid environments. The breadth of features and configurations may require a steeper learning curve for IT teams. Agentless design simplifies coverage across diverse resources, but managing risk-based policies and monitoring activities may demand more ongoing attention. |
End user experience | Provides a lightweight experience for end users, since IT can set different MFA prompt frequency by session and connection type. IT can also make MFA more lightweight with a layer of contextual access controls, setting access policy according to certain contexts such as role, location, or connection type. | Adjusts security measures based on adaptive MFA's real-time risk assessments driven by AI. For end users, this means fewer prompts in low-risk scenarios but potentially more in higher-risk contexts. The agentless design ensures compatibility across diverse resources, though some users might find the variability less predictable. |
The choice between UserLock and Silverfort depends primarily on your infrastructure complexity and security coverage needs across platforms. Organizations must evaluate their requirements for cross-platform support, legacy system protection, and integration capabilities. While UserLock specializes in Windows environments, Silverfort serves diverse infrastructure needs with broader platform coverage.
Implementation planning should balance immediate security requirements with long-term evolution plans. Consider your existing technology investments and organizational security strategy when choosing between UserLock's focused Windows security approach and Silverfort's multi-platform protection.