Softwr

Government · head to head

OnBase vs One Identity

OnBase logo

OnBase

Government

Enterprise Information Platform

From
$400/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
One Identity logo

One Identity

Cybersecurity

Quest-owned identity governance, PAM and Active Directory management

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: OnBase pricing starts at 2,000 USD per month, making it expensive for small agencies; One Identity the portfolio is assembled from separate acquisitions, so components are separately licensed, separately administered and do not present one console, which raises operational cost.
  • They diverge on capability: OnBase covers Content Management, One Identity covers Identity Manager.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OnBase and One Identity actually diverge.

Attributes where OnBase and One Identity differ
AttributeOnBaseOne Identity
Starting price$400/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, Windows, Linux
CategoryGovernmentCybersecurity
Founded1991Unknown

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 OnBase

  • Content Management
  • Workflow Automation
  • Case Management
  • Records Management
  • Intelligent Capture
  • Microsoft 365
  • Salesforce
  • Epic

Only in One Identity

  • Identity Manager
  • Safeguard
  • Active Roles
  • OneLogin
  • Password Manager
  • syslog-ng
  • Starling connectors

What people use each for

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

OnBase

  • Citizen Servicesnot One Identity
  • Records Managementnot One Identity
  • Public Safetynot One Identity
  • Civic Engagementnot One Identity

One Identity

  • An organisation whose authoritative directory will remain on premises Active Directory and needs delegated administration with attribute-level controlnot OnBase
  • A government or defence environment requiring privileged session management on a hardened physical appliance rather than a cloud servicenot OnBase
  • A manufacturer with SAP and Active Directory needing provisioning governed under one certification processnot OnBase
  • An enterprise consolidating Active Directory after an acquisition and needing automated account lifecycle across both forestsnot OnBase

Where each one falls short

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

OnBase

  • Pricing starts at 2,000 USD per month, making it expensive for small agencies
  • Complex implementation and configuration required for government-specific workflows
  • Requires significant IT resources for deployment and ongoing management

One Identity

  • The portfolio is assembled from separate acquisitions, so components are separately licensed, separately administered and do not present one console, which raises operational cost.
  • Identity Manager implementations are customisation-heavy and commonly run over a year, with the services spend exceeding the licence cost in the first year.
  • Quest has changed private equity ownership more than once since the Dell separation, and buyers should ask directly about product investment commitments before signing a multi-year deal.
  • Product documentation and support sit behind a customer portal, which makes independent evaluation before purchase harder than with vendors that publish openly.
  • The cloud-native and developer experience trails the pure-play identity vendors, so organisations moving decisively to SaaS applications find the on premises heritage becomes a constraint rather than an asset.

Pricing, plan by plan

OnBase

$400/month
  • Government$400/month
    • Content Management
    • Process Automation
    • Case Management

One Identity

On request
  • Identity Manager$undefined/year
    • Priced per managed identity
    • On premises or hosted
    • Access certification and provisioning
  • Safeguard$undefined/year
    • Priced per privileged user or per appliance
    • Hardened appliance option for session management
    • Licensed separately from Identity Manager
  • Active Roles$undefined/year
    • Priced per managed Active Directory account
    • Delegated administration and automated provisioning
    • Licensed separately

Which should you pick?

Choose OnBase if

  • You need content management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want workflow automation.
OnBase review

Choose One Identity if

  • You need identity manager.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want safeguard.
One Identity review

Questions people ask

Is OnBase or One Identity better?
Neither clearly leads. OnBase starts at $400/month and One Identity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OnBase or One Identity?
OnBase starts at $400/month and One Identity at On request.
Does OnBase or One Identity run on more platforms?
OnBase runs on Web, Mobile. One Identity runs on Web, Windows, Linux.
What is OnBase best used for?
OnBase is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement. Of those, citizen services and records management are not what One Identity is typically brought in for.
What can OnBase do that One Identity cannot?
OnBase covers Content Management, Workflow Automation, Case Management, Records Management. One Identity covers Identity Manager, Safeguard, Active Roles, OneLogin.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OnBase: What is OnBase used for in government?

OnBase is used for digital permitting, inspections, and plan review processes. Government agencies use it to streamline workflows, enable online forms, automate approvals, and provide citizen access to application status.

Source
One Identity: Is One Identity the same company as Quest?

Yes. One Identity is Quest Software's identity and access management business unit, not a separate vendor.

OnBase: Does OnBase support mobile access?

Yes. Mobile access is a key feature of OnBase, allowing users to manage documents and cases on the go.

Source
One Identity: Does it include privileged access?

Safeguard provides it, but it is licensed separately from Identity Manager. Neither includes the other.

OnBase: What document management capabilities does OnBase provide?

OnBase provides centralized document storage with version control, search and retrieval tools, records management across physical and electronic lifecycles, and compliance with policies and regulations.

Source
One Identity: Why choose this over SailPoint or Saviynt?

Almost always because of Active Directory depth via Active Roles or an appliance requirement for privileged sessions. For cloud-first estates the specialists are the stronger choice.

OnBase: Can OnBase workflows be customized?

Yes. OnBase is flexible and configurable with user-defined workflows for case management, streamlining processes like accounts payable, employee onboarding, and contract management.

Source
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