Looking for a Purple Knight alternative for AD and Entra ID reviews
In our side-by-side comparison with Purple Knight Community 5.0, ETC Collector covered 115 of 119 indicators, matched all failing indicators, ran far faster in the test environment, and added deeper ADCS and Entra ID coverage. EtcSec builds on that collector when teams want dashboards and recurring remediation tracking.
Why teams start searching for a Purple Knight alternative
The search often appears when identity reviews need to become more operational and less event-based.
AD and Entra must live together
Teams want one workflow that covers on-prem Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID in parallel.
Audits need to be repeatable
Security teams want to rerun the same checks after changes to policies, roles, apps, or infrastructure.
Remediation needs more structure
Operators need findings that can be triaged and assigned, not only reviewed during occasional projects.
Operations span many environments
MSPs and larger internal teams need a shared process across forests, tenants, or client environments.
How to compare Purple Knight alternatives
A useful comparison should focus on the day-to-day review model your team needs to run.
Breadth across AD and Entra ID
Check whether the platform supports both on-prem and cloud identity posture in a coherent way.
Operational reporting
Compare how findings are prioritized and how easy they are to turn into concrete remediation work.
Deployment model
Understand whether collection can stay close to your infrastructure and whether standalone deployment exists.
Repeatability over time
Look for a workflow you can rerun after configuration changes, not just a one-time assessment.
Where ETC Collector and EtcSec fit
ETC Collector is the technical comparison point here. EtcSec sits on top of it when teams want SaaS dashboards, history, and remediation workflow.
Coverage measured against Purple Knight indicators
The internal comparison showed ETC Collector delivering high indicator coverage while still giving more detailed output on the issues that matter most.
Broader hybrid identity scope
ETC Collector assesses Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID in the same workflow, instead of limiting hybrid coverage to a narrow subset.
Cross-platform and automation-friendly
Use the Go-based collector, CLI workflow, and structured output locally, then add EtcSec when teams need dashboards, scheduling, and API-driven follow-up.
Deeper technical findings
ETC Collector adds ADCS ESC analysis, broader ACL coverage, and attack-path context that go beyond a high-level indicator report.
Frequently asked questions
What makes ETC Collector a Purple Knight alternative?
ETC Collector fits teams that want repeatable identity audits, deeper technical coverage, and one open-source workflow for Active Directory plus Microsoft Entra ID.
Does ETC Collector cover both AD and Entra ID?
Yes. ETC Collector covers Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD), and EtcSec can ingest the same audit data for centralized review.
Is this page making a direct feature-by-feature claim?
No. Treat it as a comparison guide centered on workflow, deployment model, and repeatability rather than a rigid feature matrix.
Where does EtcSec fit if we want a SaaS workflow?
EtcSec is the SaaS platform built on top of ETC Collector. Use it when you want shared dashboards, historical trending, scheduling, and remediation workflow on top of the collector output.
Related identity security pages
See the dedicated AD audit page focused on Tier 0, Kerberos, delegation, ADCS, and remediation.
Cover Conditional Access, MFA, PIM, app permissions, and external identity exposure.
Review how the collector works in standalone mode or paired with EtcSec.
See plans when you want dashboards, history, and remediation workflow on top of ETC Collector.
Start with ETC Collector, add EtcSec when you need SaaS follow-up
Run the collector locally, review prioritized findings, and use EtcSec if your team needs shared dashboards, historical tracking, and remediation workflow.