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Cybersecurity · head to head

Entrust Identity as a Service vs Granicus

Entrust Identity as a Service logo

Entrust Identity as a Service

Cybersecurity

Workforce and customer authentication from a certificate authority

From
$2/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Granicus logo

Granicus

Government

Digital Government Experiences Platform

From
$500/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Entrust Identity as a Service the application integration catalogue is smaller than that of the dedicated identity vendors, so uncommon SaaS applications more often need custom SAML configuration rather than a template.; Granicus pricing is custom-quoted and not publicly available
  • They diverge on capability: Entrust Identity as a Service covers Multi-factor authentication, Granicus covers Citizen Communications.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Entrust Identity as a Service and Granicus actually diverge.

Attributes where Entrust Identity as a Service and Granicus differ
AttributeEntrust Identity as a ServiceGranicus
Starting price$2/month$500/month
Pricing modelPer user per monthsubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, LinuxWeb, Mobile
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment
FoundedUnknown1999

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Entrust Identity as a Service

  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Single sign-on
  • Adaptive authentication
  • Passwordless login
  • Credential lifecycle
  • Derived PIV credentials
  • Directory integration

Only in Granicus

  • Citizen Communications
  • Meeting Management
  • Digital Forms
  • Website Management
  • Records Management
  • Salesforce
  • Microsoft 365
  • Google Workspace

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Entrust Identity as a Service

  • A government agency needing derived mobile credentials from an existing PIV smart card estatenot Granicus
  • A bank that must support hardware tokens for corporate treasury users alongside push authentication for staffnot Granicus
  • An organisation already buying Entrust certificates that wants credential issuance and authentication from one vendornot Granicus
  • A defence supplier required to use certificate-based authentication that mainstream cloud identity products handle poorlynot Granicus

Granicus

  • Citizen Servicesnot Entrust Identity as a Service
  • Records Managementnot Entrust Identity as a Service
  • Public Safetynot Entrust Identity as a Service
  • Civic Engagementnot Entrust Identity as a Service

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Entrust Identity as a Service

  • The application integration catalogue is smaller than that of the dedicated identity vendors, so uncommon SaaS applications more often need custom SAML configuration rather than a template.
  • Developer experience for customer identity use cases is behind the specialists, and teams building consumer signup flows will find the APIs and documentation less complete.
  • Advanced capabilities including adaptive authentication and credential management sit above the published entry price, so the two dollar figure rarely reflects what a regulated buyer actually spends.
  • There are two overlapping products, Identity as a Service and Identity Enterprise, and choosing wrongly at the start means a migration later rather than a licence change.
  • Identity governance, access certification and privileged access are not covered, so an organisation with audit-driven access review requirements needs a second vendor alongside it.

Granicus

  • Pricing is custom-quoted and not publicly available
  • Complex sales process for government agencies
  • Integration with legacy government systems can be challenging

Pricing, plan by plan

Entrust Identity as a Service

$2/month
  • Workforce Standard$2/month
    • Multi-factor authentication
    • Single sign-on
    • Directory integration
  • Higher tiers$undefined/month
    • Adaptive risk-based authentication
    • Certificate and smart card credential management
    • Derived PIV credentials

Granicus

$500/month
  • Government Starter$500/month
    • Communications Cloud
    • Meeting Management
    • Digital Services

Which should you pick?

Choose Entrust Identity as a Service if

  • You need multi-factor authentication.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want single sign-on.
Entrust Identity as a Service review

Choose Granicus if

  • You need citizen communications.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want meeting management.
Granicus review

Questions people ask

Is Entrust Identity as a Service or Granicus better?
Neither clearly leads. Entrust Identity as a Service starts at $2/month and Granicus at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Entrust Identity as a Service or Granicus?
Entrust Identity as a Service starts at $2/month and Granicus at $500/month.
Does Entrust Identity as a Service or Granicus run on more platforms?
Entrust Identity as a Service runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, Linux. Granicus runs on Web, Mobile.
What is Entrust Identity as a Service best used for?
Entrust Identity as a Service is most often used for a government agency needing derived mobile credentials from an existing piv smart card estate, a bank that must support hardware tokens for corporate treasury users alongside push authentication for staff, an organisation already buying entrust certificates that wants credential issuance and authentication from one vendor, a defence supplier required to use certificate-based authentication that mainstream cloud identity products handle poorly. Of those, a government agency needing derived mobile credentials from an existing piv smart card estate and a bank that must support hardware tokens for corporate treasury users alongside push authentication for staff are not what Granicus is typically brought in for.
What can Entrust Identity as a Service do that Granicus cannot?
Entrust Identity as a Service covers Multi-factor authentication, Single sign-on, Adaptive authentication, Passwordless login. Granicus covers Citizen Communications, Meeting Management, Digital Forms, Website Management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Entrust Identity as a Service: Is MFA included or extra?

Multi-factor authentication is included in the workforce bundles rather than sold separately, which is not true of every competitor. Adaptive risk-based authentication sits in higher tiers.

Granicus: How many government agencies use Granicus?

Over 5,500 federal, state, and local government agencies use Granicus, reaching more than 300 million citizen subscribers.

Source
Entrust Identity as a Service: Does it do identity governance?

No. Access certification, role mining and joiner-mover-leaver governance require a separate product such as SailPoint or Saviynt.

Granicus: What does Granicus Engagement Cloud provide?

Granicus Engagement Cloud combines government communications, website management, meeting and agenda management, records management, and citizen service digitization.

Source
Entrust Identity as a Service: Why choose this over Okta or Entra ID?

Almost always because of PKI, smart cards or derived credentials. Without that requirement the mainstream platforms are the stronger general purpose choice.

Granicus: What are the main features of Granicus?

Granicus provides tools for managing public communications, citizen feedback collection, community event management, online surveys, event registration, and live-streaming capabilities.

Source
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