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AzureAD PowerShell is reaching the end of its life, and Microsoft is pushing administrators toward newer, modern modules. Most IT admins assume the natural successor will be Microsoft Graph PowerShell. However, there is another module that won't require you to overhaul your entire administrative workflow.
The closest match, both in viability and day-to-day practicality, is Microsoft Entra PowerShell. It keeps the familiar workflow that admins rely on, but rebuilds it on top of Microsoft Graph’s security and API standards. If you're still relying on AzureAD PowerShell, this is the module that will keep your existing workflows alive while giving you a safer, more future-proof way to manage Entra ID.
This blog breaks down why Entra PowerShell is the strongest alternative to AzureAD PowerShell, what changed under the hood, and how you can migrate without rewriting your entire PowerShell library.
Microsoft Entra PowerShell, just like AzureAD PowerShell and Microsoft Graph PowerShell, is a module that you can install on top of Windows PowerShell to manage and administer your Microsoft Entra ID resources. Its capabilities include efficiently managing users, groups, applications, service principals, policies, and more.
Microsoft Entra PowerShell is a subset of Microsoft Graph, tailor made for Entra ID administrative work. Microsoft announced the public preview of the Microsoft Entra PowerShell module on June 27, 2024, offering a smoother migration path and Graph-based cmdlets that are closer to the AzureAD PowerShell experience. On January 29, 2025, the GA version of the Microsoft Entra PowerShell module was launched as a fully supported, production-ready release.
With Microsoft's AzureAD and MSOnline PowerShell modules deprecated completely on Mar 31, 2025, Entra PowerShell is the supported path forward for anyone who wants to keep their scripts functional, secure, and aligned with Microsoft’s current identity platform.
This PowerShell update isn't just a brand revamp or a regulatory change. This is the next step of what PowerShell for Microsoft 365 is, and a significant update like this comes with its own sets of benefits. These include:
Entra PowerShell is a scenario-focused command line tool. The crucial benefit of this is that the cmdlets use nouns that are user-friendly and familiar to IT admins, instead of the machinery commands automatically generated by Microsoft Graph's AutoRest whenever a new functionality is added.
Microsoft designed the Entra module for maximum backward compatibility with Azure AD PowerShell. Administrators can often run nearly 98% of their existing Azure AD scripts with only minimal modifications, usually just updating the connection command. This feature eliminates the need for time-intensive, manual, line-by-line rewrites, making the migration process rapid and simple.
Azure AD PowerShell used older, less secure authentication libraries. The Entra module is based on the Microsoft Graph SDK, which enforces modern OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect authentication flows. This ensures all administrative sessions utilize secure, short-lived access tokens, align with Microsoft's current security standards, and support key modern features like Certificate-based Authentication for automation and Managed Identities in Azure services.
The Entra module allows for granular control over permissions during connection, a capability largely missing from the deprecated modules. When using the Connect-Entra cmdlet, administrators can explicitly define the minimum scopes needed for their scripts (e.g., User.Read.All instead of Directory.ReadWrite.All). This is a critical security enhancement, strictly limiting the scope of access and adhering to the principle of least privilege.
By being a part of the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK, the Entra module provides a bridge to the entire Microsoft 365 REST API platform. This enables administrators to use their own registered Entra applications and service principals for non-interactive scripting and automations instead of user accounts, which, when compromised, can be a gateway for attackers.
You can migrate from any PowerShell module to Microsoft Entra PowerShell to keep your existing management and automation scripts up and running.
You can install the Microsoft Entra PowerShell module by following these steps:
Install-Module -Name Microsoft.Entra -Repository PSGallery -Scope CurrentUser -Force -AllowClobber
Once installed, run Connect-Entra to connect to the Microsoft Entra PowerShell module.
One of the biggest reasons Entra PowerShell works as a reliable AzureAD PowerShell alternative is its near-identical cmdlet structure. Most of the Microsoft Entra PowerShell cmdlets are named like their AzureAD PowerShell counterparts, with a different prefix. For example, New-AzureADUser is replaced with New-EntraUser, Get-AzureADUser with Get-EntraUser, and Set-AzureADUser with Set-EntraUser.
One of the biggest unique selling points of the Microsoft Entra PowerShell module is its ability to reuse older AzureAD PowerShell cmdlets without any major edits, like a type of Compatibility mode, but for your scripts.
Entra PowerShell does this by assigning aliases to its cmdlets. You can invoke any Entra PowerShell cmdlet by using its equivalent AzureAD PowerShell cmdlet. This is achieved by using the Enable-EntraAzureADAlias cmdlets.
You can enable this AzureAD PowerShell compatibility mode in Microsoft Entra PowerShell by running this cmdlet.
Import-Module -Name Microsoft.Entra.Users Connect-Entra Enable-EntraAzureADAlias
This close cmdlet parity is one of the main reasons Entra PowerShell is considered the most seamless AzureAD PowerShell alternative.
While migrating from the retired AzureAD PowerShell module to the modern Microsoft Entra PowerShell module is the necessary first step, leveraging its full potential requires adhering to specific best practices. This will benefit your Microsoft 365 administration in the long run by keeping your operations simple, safe, and swift. Here are some best practices to use Entra PowerShell efficiently and securely.
When you use your Entra user account for your PowerShell sessions that involve cross platform automations, you don't just expose your APIs, you also expose your sessions to attacks from external actors. Automation only requires a token with a narrow set of permissions. This can be achieved by connecting an Entra application to your Entra PowerShell session.
Unlike Microsoft Graph where you require variables to use outputs of cmdlets in other cmdlets, Microsoft Entra PowerShell can pass objects from one cmdlet to the next, which is far more efficient than storing the entire dataset in a variable and then looping through it. So, feel free to get rid of variables for your immediate scripts and save some memory.
The Connect-Entra cmdlet allows you to explicitly define the minimum required permissions using the -Scopes parameter. By default, it might connect with a broad set of permissions from the Entra user or application you used to set it up, which is risky. If a script only needs to read users, granting it only the User.Read.All scope prevents it from accidentally (or maliciously) creating or deleting objects. This helps identify precisely what permissions a script needs, making it easier to manage permissions for your Entra PowerShell sessions.
While Microsoft Entra PowerShell is the right step towards updating your existing AzureAD PowerShell module, you would still have only updated your Entra ID workflows. Microsoft Graph is the Swiss Army knife that opens your cloud administration to other prominent Microsoft 365 services such as Exchange Online and SharePoint Online—all in a single module which is constantly updated with any new functionality added to the admin centers.
While the migration from AzureAD PowerShell to Microsoft Entra PowerShell or even Microsoft Graph PowerShell is a significant improvement, it still inherits the flaws that arise from a workflow that depends on scripting. Some of them include:
Relying on any PowerShell scripts can be time consuming and prone to errors. If you wish to overcome these obstacles in your day-to-day Microsoft 365 administration, ManageEngine's M365 Manager Plus might be what you need!
ManageEngine M365 Manager Plus is a comprehensive administration and security solution used for reporting, managing, monitoring, auditing, and creating alerts for critical activities in your Microsoft 365 environments.
Easily manage users, groups, contacts , mailboxes, teams, and sites in bulk without Graph PowerShell scripting. Automate repetitive tasks in Microsoft 365—such as user provisioning, group cleanups, site management, and more—with a no-code approach to save time and minimize errors in your lifecycle management processes.
You can also gain a thorough understanding of your environment—not just in Microsoft Entra ID, but also Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and other Microsoft 365 services—with detailed reports and intuitive visualizations, all from a single console. You can also create data filters and save them as custom reports that you can access in just a few clicks.
There are even more benefits to using M365 Manager Plus to manage and monitor your Microsoft 365 environment:
