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Cybersecurity · head to head

JumpCloud vs Semperis

JumpCloud logo

JumpCloud

Cybersecurity

Unified identity and device management for hybrid workforce.

From
$9/user/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Semperis logo

Semperis

Cybersecurity

Identity threat detection and Active Directory forest recovery for AD, Entra ID and Okta, from a privately held US vendor.

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: JumpCloud platform Essentials tier capped at 300 users; larger organisations must purchase unbundled tiers or negotiate custom pricing; Semperis scope is limited to Active Directory, Entra ID and Okta, so an organisation whose critical identity lives elsewhere gets little from it, and the recovery value declines in direct proportion to how much has already moved off on-premises AD.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which JumpCloud and Semperis actually diverge.

Attributes where JumpCloud and Semperis differ
AttributeJumpCloudSemperis
Starting price$9/user/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, APIWeb

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

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 JumpCloud

Nothing recorded that Semperis does not also cover.

Only in Semperis

  • Active Directory Forest Recovery
  • Malware-free restore
  • Replication-stream monitoring
  • Automated rollback
  • Attack indicator scoring
  • Entra ID and Okta coverage
  • Purple Knight
  • Forest Druid

What people use each for

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

JumpCloud

  • Organisations modernising from Active Directory to cloud identity infrastructurenot Semperis
  • Companies requiring unified user and device management in hybrid work environmentsnot Semperis
  • IT teams implementing zero-trust security modelsnot Semperis
  • Managed service providers requiring multi-tenant identity and device managementnot Semperis
  • Educational institutions and nonprofits (eligible for special pricing)not Semperis

Semperis

  • An organisation that cannot answer an auditor or insurer asking how long it would take to rebuild Active Directory after a destructive attacknot JumpCloud
  • Post-incident recovery where domain controllers are compromised and restoring from system-state backup would reintroduce the attacker's footholdnot JumpCloud
  • Continuous detection of privileged group changes and directory-level tampering that domain controller security logs missnot JumpCloud
  • Hybrid estates where AD, Entra ID and Okta all matter and no single tool currently shows changes across the threenot JumpCloud

Where each one falls short

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

JumpCloud

  • Platform Essentials tier capped at 300 users; larger organisations must purchase unbundled tiers or negotiate custom pricing
  • À la carte pricing can become expensive when purchasing multiple features; device management at $9/user, SSO at $11/user totals $20/user for basic functionality
  • Bundled Platform and Platform Prime packages require contacting sales; no published pricing limits transparency
  • Zero-trust and AI & SaaS management capabilities only available in Platform Prime tier with custom pricing
  • No on-premises or self-hosted option; cloud-only deployment

Semperis

  • Scope is limited to Active Directory, Entra ID and Okta, so an organisation whose critical identity lives elsewhere gets little from it, and the recovery value declines in direct proportion to how much has already moved off on-premises AD.
  • The licence buys tooling, not a proven runbook: forest recovery is only worth what your last rehearsal demonstrated, and a plan that has never been executed end to end in a lab is an untested assumption regardless of what was purchased.
  • It overlaps with backup and directory management products from Quest, Veeam, Commvault and others, so the buyer must argue internally why a dedicated product is needed alongside a backup contract that already claims to protect Active Directory.
  • Running Directory Services Protector well requires someone who understands AD internals, replication metadata and Tier 0 attack paths, and without that person the alerts on privileged changes are either ignored or auto-reverted in ways that break legitimate administration.
  • Licensing is driven by identity object counts, so directories carrying years of stale user accounts and service principals pay for objects that should have been deleted, and the cleanup project that would reduce the bill is the one nobody has time for.

Pricing, plan by plan

JumpCloud

$9/user/month
  • À La Carte - Device Management$9/user/month (annual) or $11 (monthly)
    • Device management across Windows, Mac, Linux
    • Remote assistance
    • Patch management
  • À La Carte - SSO$11/user/month (annual) or $13 (monthly)
    • Single sign-on
    • Multi-factor authentication
    • Password management
  • Platform Essentials$undefined/variable
    • Identity and device management with SSO and passwordless auth
    • Maximum 300 users
    • Contact sales for pricing
  • Platform$undefined/variable
    • Unified identity, device and access management
    • Contact sales for pricing

Semperis

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Semperis review.

Which should you pick?

Choose JumpCloud if

  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, API.
JumpCloud review

Choose Semperis if

  • You need active directory forest recovery.
  • You also want malware-free restore.
Semperis review

Questions people ask

Is JumpCloud or Semperis better?
Neither clearly leads. JumpCloud starts at $9/user/month and Semperis at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, JumpCloud or Semperis?
JumpCloud starts at $9/user/month and Semperis at On request.
Does JumpCloud or Semperis run on more platforms?
JumpCloud runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, API. Semperis runs on Web.
What is JumpCloud best used for?
JumpCloud is most often used for organisations modernising from active directory to cloud identity infrastructure, companies requiring unified user and device management in hybrid work environments, it teams implementing zero-trust security models, managed service providers requiring multi-tenant identity and device management. Of those, organisations modernising from active directory to cloud identity infrastructure and companies requiring unified user and device management in hybrid work environments are not what Semperis is typically brought in for.
What can JumpCloud do that Semperis cannot?
Semperis covers Active Directory Forest Recovery, Malware-free restore, Replication-stream monitoring, Automated rollback.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

JumpCloud: What devices does JumpCloud support?

JumpCloud supports unified endpoint management for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android devices.

Source
Semperis: Does this replace my backups?

No. It replaces the Active Directory recovery procedure specifically. You still need backups for everything else, and the point of Semperis is that a generic system-state backup of a domain controller is a poor way to recover a forest because it restores the operating system along with whatever compromised it.

JumpCloud: Can I use JumpCloud to replace Active Directory?

Yes. JumpCloud is designed for organisations modernising from on-premises Active Directory to cloud-based directory and identity management.

Source
Semperis: Is it useful if we are cloud-only on Entra ID?

Partly. Directory Services Protector covers Entra ID and Okta for change tracking and posture, but the forest recovery product, which is the strongest reason to buy, applies to on-premises Active Directory. A genuinely cloud-only organisation should weigh it against Microsoft's own tooling.

JumpCloud: Is there a free trial?

Yes. All users can access a 30-day free trial before purchasing.

Source
Semperis: Are Purple Knight and Forest Druid really free?

Yes, both are free downloads with no licence requirement, and they are widely used by organisations that are not Semperis customers. They are also, transparently, the top of the sales funnel.

Semperis: How long does forest recovery actually take?

The honest answer is whatever your rehearsal took. The vendor's case is hours instead of days, and automation genuinely removes most manual steps, but the number that matters for your board is the one from a test in your own environment.

Semperis: Does it require agents on domain controllers?

It collects directory changes from the AD replication stream, which is what lets it see changes that bypass the security log. Deployment details vary by product and version, so confirm the exact architecture against your domain controller change-control rules.

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