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Cybersecurity · head to head

One Identity vs Windscribe

One Identity logo

One Identity

Cybersecurity

Quest-owned identity governance, PAM and Active Directory management

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
W

Windscribe

Cybersecurity

VPN and firewall service with a generous free data tier and a customizable Build-A-Plan option

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Windscribe has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Windscribe free tier's 10GB cap still requires email confirmation and social sharing to unlock, unlike some no-strings-attached competitors.
  • They diverge on capability: One Identity covers Identity Manager, Windscribe covers Firewall / default block.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where One Identity and Windscribe differ
AttributeOne IdentityWindscribe
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Linuxwindows, mac, linux, ios, android, web

Identical on both: 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 One Identity

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

Only in Windscribe

  • Firewall / default block
  • Unlimited simultaneous devices
  • Build-A-Plan
  • R.O.B.E.R.T. content blocker
  • Static IP and port forwarding add-ons

What people use each for

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

One Identity

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

Windscribe

  • Running a free VPN across unlimited personal devicesnot One Identity
  • Buying access to just a few specific server locations cheaplynot One Identity
  • Blocking ads and trackers at the DNS level while browsingnot One Identity
  • Preventing IP leaks with a default-block firewall rulenot One Identity

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Windscribe

  • Free tier's 10GB cap still requires email confirmation and social sharing to unlock, unlike some no-strings-attached competitors.
  • Build-A-Plan's low cost only covers selected locations, so broad global coverage still requires the full Pro plan.
  • Server speeds and streaming reliability are inconsistent compared to larger premium VPN providers.
  • Customer support is primarily ticket/community-based rather than live chat for lower tiers.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Windscribe

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10GB of data per month with confirmed email
    • 10 server countries
    • Unlimited devices
  • Build-A-Plan$3/month
    • Pay per selected server location ($1/location)
    • $3 minimum purchase
    • Unlimited data on selected locations
  • Pro$9/month
    • Unlimited data
    • 69+ countries
    • $69/year on annual billing

Which should you pick?

Choose One Identity if

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

Choose Windscribe if

  • You need firewall / default block.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux, ios, android, web.
  • You also want unlimited simultaneous devices.
Windscribe review

Questions people ask

Is One Identity or Windscribe better?
Neither clearly leads. One Identity starts at On request and Windscribe at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, One Identity or Windscribe?
Windscribe has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for One Identity and Free for Windscribe.
Does One Identity or Windscribe run on more platforms?
One Identity runs on Web, Windows, Linux. Windscribe runs on windows, mac, linux, ios, android, web.
Can I use Windscribe for free?
Yes. Windscribe has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. One Identity starts at On request.
What is One Identity best used for?
One Identity is most often used for an organisation whose authoritative directory will remain on premises active directory and needs delegated administration with attribute-level control, a government or defence environment requiring privileged session management on a hardened physical appliance rather than a cloud service, a manufacturer with sap and active directory needing provisioning governed under one certification process, an enterprise consolidating active directory after an acquisition and needing automated account lifecycle across both forests. Of those, an organisation whose authoritative directory will remain on premises active directory and needs delegated administration with attribute-level control and a government or defence environment requiring privileged session management on a hardened physical appliance rather than a cloud service are not what Windscribe is typically brought in for.
What can One Identity do that Windscribe cannot?
One Identity covers Identity Manager, Safeguard, Active Roles, OneLogin. Windscribe covers Firewall / default block, Unlimited simultaneous devices, Build-A-Plan, R.O.B.E.R.T. content blocker.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

One Identity: Does it include privileged access?

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

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.

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