# Best PAM Solutions for Business (2026)

Compare 7 PAM solutions, including BeyondTrust, Idira and Delinea Secret Server, on vaulting, JIT access, session recording and deployment.

We pick every solution on this list [on merit](https://cybersectools.com/methodology#shortlist-order). Featured vendors that made the list are shown first.

Source: https://cybersectools.com/shortlists/best-pam-solutions
Updated: 2026-11-01
Edition: Fall 2026.
Reviewed by Nika (Nikoloz) Kokhreidze, CybersecTools.

## Executive summary

As of November 2026, CybersecTools tracks 405 companies that sell IAM solutions as their main business. Privileged Access Management is part of that family. The largest groups are based in the United States, Canada and Israel. In the last 12 months they raised $4.3B across 60 funding rounds, 24 companies were acquired and 34 new companies started in the last two years.

From that field we chose seven products that cover the whole privileged access job. They find admin accounts, vault and rotate credentials, and broker and record sessions. They also grant elevated access only when needed. The range includes session recording with behavior analytics, cloud delivery, governance-led PAM and an all-in-one option for lean IT teams.

BeyondTrust Modern PAM comes first. It suits hybrid estates moving to zero standing privileges that also want remote access without VPNs. Idira from Palo Alto Networks is second, for enterprises that want PAM, secrets, identity governance and AI agent controls on one platform. Delinea Secret Server is third, a vault-first product for teams whose first problem is shared admin passwords and audit evidence.

The main choice is the operating model. You can vault and rotate standing privileged accounts, or you can remove them and grant access just in time. Most estates end up needing both, but one model should lead your rollout.

## How we evaluated

We looked at 92 privileged access management solutions from 65 companies, and the 7 on this page made the cut. We combined our judgment from years of leading enterprise security programs with market data from [Mandos](https://mandos.io/data/companies?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=shortlist), our market intelligence platform, and with the vendor and review pages listed under Sources at the end of this page. For customer feedback, we left out paid reviews, reviews by vendor staff or partners, review campaigns and anything older than two years, so you get an accurate view of what customers say.

Four traits carried the most weight. First, discovery of privileged accounts across Windows, Linux, cloud and databases. Second, the ability to remove standing privilege with just-in-time access. Third, how deep session brokering and recording go. Fourth, coverage of non-human identities such as service accounts and API keys. We left out standalone password managers and secrets vaults with no session control, because they solve only part of the privileged access problem. The order follows how widely each product is used by teams like yours. Company momentum shows how the vendor itself is growing, so a market leader can rank first with a lower score.

Read the full method: https://cybersectools.com/methodology#why

## What is Privileged Access Management

Privileged access management controls the accounts that can change your systems. These include domain admins, root, database owners, cloud console roles, service accounts and the secrets apps use to talk to each other. A PAM solution finds those accounts and stores their credentials in a vault. It rotates them and brokers sessions so admins never see the password. It records what happens, and more and more it grants elevated rights only for the minutes they are needed.

This matters because attackers go after privilege. Credential dumping from LSASS, Kerberoasting service accounts and abusing a contractor's remote login all lead to the same place. PAM sits on top of your identity provider and directory, which it relies on for authentication and group data. In turn, your SIEM, ITDR and audit work rely on it for session logs and proof of who held admin rights, and when.

### Compare Privileged Access Management solutions

This analysis focuses on seven PAM solutions. The table compares them on vendor, who each one fits best, deployment model and the NIST CSF functions they cover.

| # | Solution | Best for | Starting price | Deployment | Company size | NIST CSF functions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [BeyondTrust Modern PAM](https://cybersectools.com/tools/privileged-access-management-pam) | Hybrid estates moving to zero standing privileges | Contact sales | Hybrid | Mid-Market to Enterprise | Protect, Detect |
| 2 | [Idira](https://cybersectools.com/tools/idira) | Enterprises putting PAM, secrets and identity governance on one platform | Contact sales | Cloud | Mid-Market to Enterprise | Protect |
| 3 | [Delinea Secret Server](https://cybersectools.com/tools/delinea-secret-server) | Teams that need a vault for shared admin credentials | Contact sales | Hybrid | Mid-Market to Enterprise | Protect, Detect, Respond |
| 4 | [One Identity Safeguard](https://cybersectools.com/tools/one-identity-safeguard) | Teams that want deep session recording and behavior analytics | Contact sales | Hybrid | Mid-Market to Enterprise | Protect |
| 5 | [Keeper Security KeeperPAM](https://cybersectools.com/tools/keeper-security-keeperpam) | Cloud-first teams wanting browser-based admin access | Contact sales | Cloud | SMB to Enterprise | Protect, Detect |
| 6 | [Saviynt Privileged Access Management](https://cybersectools.com/tools/saviynt-privileged-access-management) | Organizations joining identity governance and PAM | Contact sales | Hybrid | SMB to Enterprise | Identify, Protect, Detect |
| 7 | [Securden Unified PAM](https://cybersectools.com/tools/securden-unified-pam) | Lean IT teams wanting PAM, endpoint and vendor access together | Contact sales | Hybrid | SMB to Enterprise | Protect, Respond |

Vendors change prices, so check before you buy.

**See every Privileged Access Management solution we list**

The full Privileged Access Management market, filtered by company size, deployment and NIST coverage.

[Browse Privileged Access Management solutions →](https://cybersectools.com/categories/pam)

### 1. BeyondTrust Modern PAM

**[BeyondTrust](https://mandos.io/data/companies/beyondtrust?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=shortlist-md&utm_campaign=explore-in-mandos)**. BeyondTrust PAM combining identity risk insights, JIT access, and secure remote access.

Johns Creek, United States · Founded 1985 · Momentum 53/100 (Mandos)

Certifications: SOC 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP, PCI DSS, HIPAA

**Best for:** Hybrid estates moving to zero standing privileges

Product page: https://cybersectools.com/tools/privileged-access-management-pam

#### At a glance

- Vendor: BeyondTrust
- Headquarters: Johns Creek, United States
- Founded: 1985
- Deployment: Hybrid
- Company size: Mid-Market, Enterprise
- NIST CSF: Protect, Detect
- Pricing: Contact sales

#### Our take

BeyondTrust Modern PAM is a new take on PAM for hybrid estates, on premises and in the cloud. It uses identity-based sign-in instead of stored credentials, zero standing privileges instead of always-on accounts, and API-based deployment instead of a proxy. It has three parts: identity security insights, just-in-time access and privileged remote access. Remote access works without VPNs or shared credentials and covers vendors.

It connects with CrowdStrike, AWS, Azure, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Teams and Slack.

It leads this list because it is built around removing standing privilege, which is where the operating model in this category is heading, and it shows the Paths to Privilege an attacker could take. It fits a mid-size or large hybrid estate with outside vendors who need access. If you still run many shared admin accounts, plan how you will move off them before you lean on just-in-time access.

#### BeyondTrust Modern PAM main features

- Cross-domain identity visibility
- Paths to Privilege visualization
- Identity security posture assessment and monitoring
- Identity threat detection and response for privilege abuse
- Just-in-time access
- Self-serve privilege requests and approvals
- Automated privileged access reviews
- Secure remote access without VPNs

#### BeyondTrust Modern PAM main integrations

Microsoft Teams, Slack, AWS, Azure, Beyond Identity, BlokSec, CrowdStrike, Delinea Secret Server, Entitle, Microsoft Entra ID, Entrust IDaaS, Google, Hyper-V, HYPR, Jira Service Management, Nutanix, Ping DaVinci, Ping Identity PingOne, PortalGuard, Privileged Identity, SailPoint Identity IQ, SailPoint IdentityNow, SecureAuth Arculix, Sekoia, ServiceNow, Splunk, VMware, VirusTotal

#### What customers say

Sentiment: 85% positive · 15% mixed · 0% negative (from first-hand public reviews and comments, 2024 to 2026).
Most praised: Access control, Session recording, Support.
Most criticized: Missing features, Setup.

BeyondTrust records privileged sessions, so teams can see who reached which system, when, and what they did there, and that includes outside vendors and contractors. Customers also use it to vault and rotate privileged passwords, and they describe it as stable day to day. The catch is the start, because initial setup is complex and the rollout needs careful planning.

#### Before you buy

Where it is strong:

- Shows Paths to Privilege from ordinary accounts to admin rights
- Zero standing privileges with self-serve, approved access requests
- Remote access for staff and vendors without VPNs

Ask in the demo:

- Ask which parts are licensed separately and whether they share one policy model
- Check where credentials are stored in the API-based model and whether you still need a vault
- Test how it handles RDP sessions in your own environment

### 2. Palo Alto Networks Idira

**[Palo Alto Networks](https://mandos.io/data/companies/palo-alto-networks?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=shortlist-md&utm_campaign=explore-in-mandos)**. Palo Alto Networks platform securing human, machine, and AI agent identities.

Santa Clara, United States · Founded 2005 · Public company · Momentum 85/100 (Mandos)

Certifications: SOC 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP, PCI DSS, HIPAA

**Best for:** Enterprises putting PAM, secrets and identity governance on one platform

Product page: https://cybersectools.com/tools/idira

#### At a glance

- Vendor: Palo Alto Networks
- Headquarters: Santa Clara, United States
- Founded: 2005
- Ownership: Public company (PANW)
- Deployment: Cloud
- Company size: Mid-Market, Enterprise
- NIST CSF: Protect
- Pricing: Contact sales

#### Our take

Idira is the Palo Alto Networks identity security platform for human, machine and AI agent identities. It brings privileged access management, identity and access management, endpoint privilege management, identity governance and workforce password management together. For machine identities it adds secrets management and application credentials delivery, and a named product area sets controls for autonomous AI agents. It is delivered from the cloud.

It connects with Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, ServiceNow, Workday, SAP, Salesforce and GitHub.

Idira is here for the enterprise that wants to replace several identity point products with one platform, including controls for AI agents. That breadth pays off only if you plan to use most of it, so map which of your current products it would retire. If you only need PAM today, ask whether you can start with that and add the rest later.

#### Idira main features

- Modern privileged access management
- Identity and access management
- Endpoint privilege management
- Identity governance
- Workforce password management
- Vendor privileged access
- Secrets management for machine identities
- Unified secrets governance

#### Idira main integrations

Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, ServiceNow, Workday, SAP, Salesforce, AWS Organizations, Google Workspace, Office 365, Oracle HCM, Oracle PeopleSoft, Splunk Cloud, GitHub, Slack, Jira, Snowflake, Zoom, 1Password, BeyondTrust, Box, Azure DevOps, Bitbucket

#### What customers say

Sentiment: 94% positive · 0% mixed · 6% negative (from first-hand public reviews and comments, 2024 to 2026).
Most praised: Audit and compliance, Access control, Password rotation.
Most criticized: Setup, Price.

Idira keeps admin passwords in a vault and changes them on a schedule, so staff and outside contractors can reach critical servers without ever seeing or sharing the real credentials. Customers lean hardest on the session recording, because it shows exactly who did what on a server, which makes audits much easier. The catch is the rollout, since setup takes careful planning and can run for months with expert help, so budget time and people for it.

#### Before you buy

Where it is strong:

- Has a named product area for AI agent identities
- Puts identity governance and workforce password management next to PAM
- Delivers application credentials to workloads and tracks secrets sprawl

Ask in the demo:

- Ask what the agentic identity controls do today: discovery, credential issuance or runtime policy
- Check which modules are in the base licence and which are add-ons
- Ask how vendor privileged access sessions are recorded and whether third parties install anything

### 3. Delinea Secret Server

**[Delinea](https://mandos.io/data/companies/delinea?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=shortlist-md&utm_campaign=explore-in-mandos)**. Enterprise PAM vault for managing privileged account credentials and sessions

Redwood City, United States · Founded 2021 · Momentum 67/100 (Mandos)

Certifications: SOC 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP, PCI DSS, HIPAA, FIPS 140

**Best for:** Teams that need a vault for shared admin credentials

Product page: https://cybersectools.com/tools/delinea-secret-server

#### At a glance

- Vendor: Delinea
- Headquarters: Redwood City, United States
- Founded: 2021
- Deployment: Hybrid
- Company size: Mid-Market, Enterprise
- NIST CSF: Protect, Detect, Respond
- Starting price: Contact sales

#### Our take

Delinea Secret Server is a vault for the privileged credentials of human, machine and AI identities. Automated discovery finds privileged accounts. Passwords are created, rotated and expired from templates, and access runs through check-in and check-out, role-based access and approval workflows. It records and monitors privileged sessions, with audit trails, compliance reports and AI-driven session analysis.

It runs on premises or in the cloud and connects with AWS, Okta, Duo, Automation Anywhere and Blue Prism.

Delinea Secret Server earns its spot as the vault-first choice, because it starts from the most common PAM problem: shared admin passwords and the audit evidence around them. It suits mid-size and large companies that need that evidence for auditors soon. If your goal is zero standing privilege, check how it pairs with the wider Delinea Platform, since the vault is only the base.

#### Delinea Secret Server main features

- Encrypted vault for privileged credentials
- Automated privileged account discovery
- Automated password rotation and expiration
- Role-based access control with approval workflows
- Privileged session recording and monitoring
- Audit trails and compliance reporting
- Check-in/check-out credential workflows
- Resilient Secrets for credential replication

#### Delinea Secret Server main integrations

AWS, Authy, Automation Anywhere, Atlassian, Blue Prism, BMC, ConnectWise, DUO Security, Google Authenticator, Google Cloud Platform, IBM, Radius, JDBC Proxy Driver, Microsoft, OneLogin, Okta, Palo Alto Networks, Rapid7, Red Hat, SAP Hana, SCIM Connector, ServiceNow, Slack, Splunk, Terraform, UiPath Orchestrator, Argo, Authomize, BeyondTrust, Devolutions, Entrust, Fortanix, Imprivata, Keyfactor, LogicMonitor, Monokee, mRemoteNG, Omada, PagerDuty, Qualys, Royal TS, Secure ID, SailPoint, Saviynt, SurePassID, Tenable, Teradata, Thales, Trusona

#### What customers say

Sentiment: 46% positive · 33% mixed · 21% negative (from first-hand public reviews and comments, 2025 to 2026).
Most criticized: Missing features, Ease of use.

Customers who run it for privileged and service accounts like that it rotates passwords on its own and reliably, and that its access controls hold up well for compliance. The catch is daily use, because many find it slow and complicated, which makes it overkill if you only need a shared password vault. Thin documentation and slow support tickets also come up often, so getting setup or fixes right can take longer than planned.

#### Before you buy

Where it is strong:

- Resilient Secrets replicates credentials for continuity
- Check-in and check-out workflows with approvals
- Connects with RPA platforms such as Automation Anywhere and Blue Prism

Ask in the demo:

- Ask what the AI-driven session analysis flags and whether it can end a session
- Confirm which just-in-time features sit in Secret Server and which need other Delinea products
- Check that the on-premises and cloud editions have the same features

### 4. One Identity Safeguard

**[One Identity](https://mandos.io/data/companies/one-identity?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=shortlist-md&utm_campaign=explore-in-mandos)**. PAM platform for credential vaulting, session recording, and behavioral analytics

Aliso Viejo, United States · Founded 2016 · Momentum 56/100 (Mandos)

Certifications: SOC 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP, PCI DSS, HIPAA

**Best for:** Teams that want deep session recording and behavior analytics

Product page: https://cybersectools.com/tools/one-identity-safeguard

#### At a glance

- Vendor: One Identity
- Headquarters: Aliso Viejo, United States
- Founded: 2016
- Deployment: Hybrid
- Company size: Mid-Market, Enterprise
- NIST CSF: Protect
- Starting price: Contact sales

#### Our take

One Identity Safeguard is a PAM platform that combines password vaulting, session management and behavioral analytics. The password side discovers accounts, vaults and rotates credentials, and manages service accounts, SSH keys and API keys, with just-in-time access controls. The session side records and replays sessions through a protocol-level proxy, can alert or block in real time, and makes recordings searchable with OCR.

It connects with Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft 365, Unix and Linux.

Safeguard makes the list for session depth, because it scores keystrokes, mouse movement and screen content to rank risk and can end a suspicious session on its own. That suits a regulated estate where proving what admins did matters as much as stopping it. Its proxy design means session traffic routes through it, so size that path for your busiest systems.

#### One Identity Safeguard main features

- Privileged password vaulting and rotation
- Asset discovery and onboarding
- Automated workflow engine
- Just-in-time access controls
- Session recording and replay
- Real-time session alerting and blocking
- Full-text session search with OCR
- Behavioral anomaly detection

#### One Identity Safeguard main integrations

Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft 365, Unix, Linux

#### What customers say

Sentiment: 91% positive · 0% mixed · 9% negative (from first-hand public reviews and comments, 2024 to 2026).
Most praised: Access control, Audit and compliance, Session recording.
Most criticized: Interface, Setup.

The audit trail is what customers value most, because every privileged session is recorded and you can replay exactly what an admin or outside contractor did on a server. Admin passwords sit in a vault and rotate on their own, so people ask for time-limited, approved access instead of ever seeing the password. That said, setup takes time and the interface feels complex to new admins, and support can be slow when something hard breaks, which leaves you waiting on fixes.

#### Before you buy

Where it is strong:

- Full-text search of session recordings with OCR
- Keystroke and mouse movement analytics flag odd behavior
- Session proxy can run alone or next to another vault

Ask in the demo:

- Ask how long the analytics need before their alerts are usable
- Confirm what Safeguard On Demand includes compared with the self-hosted product
- Check how the extension modules are licensed alongside the core

**Alternatives to each solution on this list**

The closest Privileged Access Management alternatives for every pick, matched on features and integrations.

[See Privileged Access Management alternatives →](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives)

### 5. Keeper Security KeeperPAM

**[Keeper Security](https://mandos.io/data/companies/keeper-security?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=shortlist-md&utm_campaign=explore-in-mandos)**. Cloud-native, zero-knowledge PAM platform with discovery, JIT access, session management

Chicago, United States · Founded 2011 · $60M raised · Momentum 61/100 (Mandos)

Certifications: FedRAMP, FIPS 140

**Best for:** Cloud-first teams wanting browser-based admin access

Product page: https://cybersectools.com/tools/keeper-security-keeperpam

#### At a glance

- Vendor: Keeper Security
- Headquarters: Chicago, United States
- Founded: 2011
- Deployment: Cloud
- Company size: SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise
- NIST CSF: Protect, Detect
- Starting price: Contact sales

#### Our take

Keeper Security KeeperPAM is a cloud-native, zero-knowledge PAM platform for servers, web apps, databases and workloads. It joins password management, secrets management, connection management, zero-trust network access and remote browser isolation in one interface. Admins start browser-based sessions over SSH, RDP, VNC, HTTPS and database protocols with no firewall or ingress changes, and just-in-time access can rotate credentials after access ends.

It works with Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, SailPoint, Saviynt, Wiz, Tenable and Terraform.

KeeperPAM belongs here for cloud-first teams, because it needs no inbound firewall rules and runs from the vault people may already use. It fits companies of any size, including smaller ones. Before you sign, ask exactly how servers and managed accounts are counted in the license, since that decides how cost grows with your estate.

#### Keeper Security KeeperPAM main features

- Privileged account and asset discovery
- Just-in-Time access without standing privileges
- Privileged session management
- Multi-protocol session recording and playback
- Automated password rotation
- Zero-trust gateway access without firewall changes
- KeeperAI session threat detection
- MFA on cloud and on-prem systems

#### Keeper Security KeeperPAM main integrations

Microsoft ConductorOne, SailPoint, Saviynt, Wiz, Tenable, PuTTY, MySQL Workbench, Oracle SQL Developer, SQL Server Management Studio, pgAdmin, Terraform, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Model Context Protocol (MCP), Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, Ping Identity, IBM Verify, Google Workspace, OneLogin, Auth0, Microsoft ADFS, AWS, CloudGate UNO, Duo SSO, F5, HENNGE, IBM Security, Imprivata Enterprise Access Management, JumpCloud, PingOne, RSA SecurID Access, Rippling

#### What customers say

Sentiment: 62% positive · 8% mixed · 30% negative (from first-hand public reviews and comments, 2025 to 2026).
Most praised: Integrations, Remote access, Support.
Most criticized: Missing features, Support.

KeeperPAM lets admins reach servers over RDP and SSH through a small gateway instead of a VPN, and because it is built into the Keeper vault, people connect without ever seeing the password. Customers say support responds fast, though the many permission options make the first setup confusing. The bigger worry is a 2026 licensing change that bills every server and managed account as a separate identity, so costs climb quickly as you add machines, which has several customers planning their exit.

#### Before you buy

Where it is strong:

- Zero-knowledge, cloud-native design
- Sessions without firewall or ingress changes
- KeeperAI can end suspicious sessions

Ask in the demo:

- Ask how the Keeper Gateway is made highly available, since sessions depend on it
- Check discovery coverage beyond local infrastructure, AWS and Azure
- Ask how KeeperAI decides a session is suspicious and whether it can start in alert-only mode

### 6. Saviynt Privileged Access Management

**[Saviynt](https://mandos.io/data/companies/saviynt?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=shortlist-md&utm_campaign=explore-in-mandos)**. PAM solution with zero standing privilege and just-in-time access controls

El Segundo, United States · Founded 2010 · $1.1B raised · Momentum 80/100 (Mandos)

Certifications: SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, FedRAMP, PCI DSS

**Best for:** Organizations joining identity governance and PAM

Product page: https://cybersectools.com/tools/saviynt-privileged-access-management

#### At a glance

- Vendor: Saviynt
- Headquarters: El Segundo, United States
- Founded: 2010
- Deployment: Hybrid
- Company size: SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise
- NIST CSF: Identify, Protect, Detect
- Pricing: Contact sales

#### Our take

Saviynt Privileged Access Management gives central visibility and control over privileged identities across cloud, SaaS, DevOps and infrastructure. It replaces permanent privileged access with policy-driven, just-in-time access, a zero standing privilege model. It manages admins and contractors, and non-human identities such as service accounts, applications and agents. Vaulting, session recording and remote privileged access are controlled from one panel.

It connects with AWS, SAP, ServiceNow, CrowdStrike, Wiz and Zscaler.

It earns its place as the governance-led option, because PAM and identity governance share one model, so access reviews and privileged access stay in step. That fits a company that already runs, or plans to run, Saviynt for governance. If you only need a vault and session control, weigh whether you want the governance layer at all.

#### Saviynt Privileged Access Management main features

- Privileged access discovery
- Continuous monitoring for excessive privileges
- Vaulting
- Session recording
- Remote privileged access
- Just-in-time access
- Zero standing privilege
- Privileged identity governance

#### Saviynt Privileged Access Management main integrations

AWS, SAP, ServiceNow, CrowdStrike, Wiz, Zscaler

#### Before you buy

Where it is strong:

- Zero standing privilege with just-in-time access
- Continuous discovery of excessive privileges
- Covers human and non-human identities, including agents

Ask in the demo:

- Ask how deep session recording goes compared with the governance features
- Confirm what you get without Saviynt identity governance already in place
- Check connector coverage for your on-premises targets

### 7. Securden Unified PAM

**[Securden](https://mandos.io/data/companies/securden?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=shortlist-md&utm_campaign=explore-in-mandos)**. Unified PAM platform for privileged account, session, endpoint and vendor access management

Paramus, United States · Founded 2018 · $12M raised · Momentum 55/100 (Mandos)

Certifications: SOC 2, ISO 27001

**Best for:** Lean IT teams wanting PAM, endpoint and vendor access together

Product page: https://cybersectools.com/tools/securden-unified-pam

#### At a glance

- Vendor: Securden
- Headquarters: Paramus, United States
- Founded: 2018
- Deployment: Hybrid
- Company size: SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise
- NIST CSF: Protect, Respond
- Starting price: Contact sales

#### Our take

Securden Unified PAM manages privileged accounts, credentials and access across IT infrastructure. Discovery covers Windows, Linux, Mac, databases and applications. It rotates passwords for admin accounts, service accounts and SSH keys, and brokers RDP, SSH and SQL sessions with recording and playback. Endpoint privilege management removes local admin rights, and vendor access needs no VPN, agents or firewall changes.

It connects with Active Directory, Azure AD, AWS, Azure Key Vault, Duo and YubiKey.

Securden is the all-in-one pick for lean IT teams, because vault, sessions, endpoint privilege and vendor access come in one product that fits small companies too. That saves you from buying and running three products. If you are a large enterprise, check how it scales across many sites and how deep its cloud coverage goes.

#### Securden Unified PAM main features

- Privileged account discovery across Windows, Linux, Mac, databases, and applications
- Automated password rotation for admin, service accounts, and SSH keys
- Remote session management with RDP, SSH, SQL connections
- Privileged session recording and playback
- Endpoint Privilege Management with local admin rights removal
- Just-in-time access with approval workflows
- Vendor privileged access management without VPN
- Self-service password reset for AD and Azure AD

#### Securden Unified PAM main integrations

Active Directory, Azure AD, AWS, Azure Key Vault, Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, RADIUS, Duo, YubiKey

#### Before you buy

Where it is strong:

- Endpoint privilege management removes local admin rights
- Vendor access with no VPN, agents or firewall changes
- Self-service password reset for Active Directory and Azure AD

Ask in the demo:

- Ask whether PAM, endpoint privilege management and vendor access share one console and licence
- Confirm how vendor sessions reach internal targets without firewall changes
- Check how session recordings are stored, kept and searched as volume grows

## How they fit your cybersecurity program (NIST CSF)

NIST CSF 2.0 has six functions: Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover. The grid shows which functions each pick maps to in our record, so you can see where a solution sits in your program and what it leaves to other controls.

All 7 solutions map to Protect. 1 of 7 maps to Identify. 4 of 7 map to Detect. 2 of 7 map to Respond. None map to Govern or Recover.

| Solution | Govern | Identify | Protect | Detect | Respond | Recover |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All solutions on this list | 0 of 7 | 1 of 7 | 7 of 7 | 4 of 7 | 2 of 7 | 0 of 7 |
| BeyondTrust Modern PAM | – | – | 1 of 5 (Identity Management, Authentication, and Access Control) | 1 of 2 (Continuous Monitoring) | – | – |
| Idira | – | – | 1 of 5 (Identity Management, Authentication, and Access Control) | – | – | – |
| Delinea Secret Server | – | – | 2 of 5 (Identity Management, Authentication, and Access Control, Data Security) | 1 of 2 (Continuous Monitoring) | 1 of 4 (Incident Analysis) | – |
| One Identity Safeguard | – | – | 1 of 5 (Identity Management, Authentication, and Access Control) | – | – | – |
| Keeper Security KeeperPAM | – | – | 1 of 5 (Identity Management, Authentication, and Access Control) | 1 of 2 (Continuous Monitoring) | – | – |
| Saviynt Privileged Access Management | – | 1 of 3 (Asset Management) | 1 of 5 (Identity Management, Authentication, and Access Control) | 1 of 2 (Continuous Monitoring) | – | – |
| Securden Unified PAM | – | – | 1 of 5 (Identity Management, Authentication, and Access Control) | – | 1 of 4 (Incident Analysis) | – |

Each cell shows how many of the function's NIST CSF 2.0 categories the solution maps to, with the category names.

A product helps you reach these outcomes, but it does not make you compliant on its own. Your people and processes do the rest.

## CISO checklist for selecting a Privileged Access Management product

Work through these steps in order, from scoping to signature, to narrow the shortlist to a PAM solution you can defend.

1. **Map every privileged identity: admins, service accounts, cloud roles, vendors, bots and AI agents.** You cannot scope licences or rollout phases without knowing what you are protecting, and service accounts are usually the largest group nobody has counted.
2. **Decide whether vaulting or zero standing privilege leads your programme.** The two models favour different products, and picking one first stops you comparing feature lists that answer different questions.
3. **Confirm discovery covers your real platforms: AD, Linux, databases, network devices, and each cloud you run.** Accounts the solution cannot discover stay unmanaged, and those are the ones attackers find.
4. **Run password rotation on a real service account with dependencies in a proof of concept.** Rotation breaks scheduled tasks, app pools and scripts with hard-coded credentials, so you want to see how the solution finds and updates them.
5. **Check how sessions are controlled: inline proxy or API provisioning, which protocols, and how recordings are searched.** Auditors and incident responders need replayable evidence, and the two architectures give different levels of control.
6. **Confirm break-glass access works when the identity provider or the vault itself is down.** A PAM outage during an incident can lock out the people who need to respond.
7. **Ask how third-party vendors connect and whether they need a VPN, an agent or firewall changes.** Vendor remote access is a common entry point, and a clumsy process pushes teams back to shared accounts.
8. **Confirm session events and alerts reach your SIEM and ITDR in a usable format.** Privileged activity that never reaches the SOC cannot be correlated with endpoint or network detections.
9. **Agree who owns the solution day to day: infrastructure, identity or security.** PAM fails without a named owner for onboarding, policy and exceptions, and that owner shapes which product fits.
10. **Get the licensing model in writing: per user, per target or per module, and what triggers a true-up.** Platform products split capabilities across modules, and growth in targets or identities can change the cost sharply.
11. **Agree a phased rollout plan with the vendor, starting with tier 0 accounts.** Starting with domain and cloud admin accounts cuts the most risk first and gives you an early win to show the board.

**Compare Privileged Access Management solutions side by side**

Features, integrations, NIST coverage and deployment for every Privileged Access Management solution we list, in one table.

[Compare Privileged Access Management solutions →](https://cybersectools.com/compare)

## Other solutions we considered for this shortlist

We looked at 64 products for this list. These did not make the 7 above but are worth a look for the right team.

1. [ThreatLocker Privileged Access Management](https://cybersectools.com/tools/threatlocker-elevation-control) · ThreatLocker
   Application-level admin elevation that removes standing local admin rights on endpoints
2. [Teleport Unified Identity Layer](https://cybersectools.com/tools/teleport-unified-identity-layer) · Teleport
   Unified identity layer for infrastructure access across humans, machines, and AI
3. [ObserveID PAM](https://cybersectools.com/tools/observeid-pam) · ObserveID
   Cloud-native PAM platform for securing and monitoring privileged accounts.
4. [Whiteswan Platform](https://cybersectools.com/tools/whiteswan-platform) · Whiteswan Security
   Identity-first security platform with PAM, ZTNA, and ITDR capabilities
5. [LinuxGuard](https://cybersectools.com/tools/linuxguard-platform)
   Control Plane for Linux Identity
6. [Tanium Jump Gate](https://cybersectools.com/tools/tanium-jump-gate) · Tanium
   Just-in-time privileged access mgmt with session monitoring and audit trails
7. [JumpCloud Modern Privileged Access Management](https://cybersectools.com/tools/jumpcloud-modern-privileged-access-management) · JumpCloud
   Browser-based PAM solution for secure, recorded access to critical assets
8. [Silverfort Privileged Access Security](https://cybersectools.com/tools/silverfort-privileged-access-security) · Silverfort
   Privileged access security platform for discovery, classification & protection
9. [Netwrix Privileged Access Management (PAM)](https://cybersectools.com/tools/netwrix-privileged-access-management-pam) · Netwrix
   PAM solution providing just-in-time access with Zero Standing Privilege

Explore all Privileged Access Management solutions: https://cybersectools.com/categories/pam

## Conclusion

A hybrid estate moving to zero standing privilege points to BeyondTrust Modern PAM or Saviynt Privileged Access Management. Wanting one platform for people, machines and AI agents points to Idira. Shared passwords and audit evidence point to Delinea Secret Server or One Identity Safeguard, while Securden Unified PAM and Keeper Security KeeperPAM suit smaller or cloud-first teams. Whichever you shortlist, prove rotation and break-glass access on your own systems before you sign.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the difference between PAM and IAM?

IAM governs everyday access for everyone: SSO, MFA and provisioning. PAM focuses on the small set of accounts that can change systems, such as domain admins, root, cloud owners and service accounts, and adds vaulting, session control and recording. Platforms like Idira bundle both, but they solve different problems.

### Do I still need a vault if I move to just-in-time access?

Almost always, yes. Just-in-time access removes standing human admin rights, but service accounts, application credentials and legacy systems with hard-coded passwords still need storing and rotating. Settle early which product owns the vault and which owns ephemeral access.

### Can PAM solutions manage service accounts and AI agents?

Most picks on this list handle service accounts, SSH keys and API keys. Idira has a named product area for AI agent identities, and Saviynt Privileged Access Management, Delinea Secret Server and Securden Unified PAM cover agent or AI identities too. Ask what each one enforces at runtime, not just what it discovers.

### Is PAM worth it for a small business?

If you have domain admins, shared server passwords or third parties with remote access, yes. Securden Unified PAM, Keeper Security KeeperPAM and Saviynt Privileged Access Management all list small businesses among the sizes they fit. Cyber insurers increasingly ask about privileged access controls, too.

### Which compliance frameworks does PAM help with?

PAM produces evidence for PCI DSS Requirements 7 and 8, SOX IT general controls, ISO 27001 privileged access controls and the PR.AA function of NIST CSF. Session recordings and access approvals are the artefacts auditors ask for most.

### What should I onboard first?

Start with tier 0: domain controllers, AD admin groups, cloud root and owner accounts, and the PAM solution's own admin accounts. Then move to servers and databases holding regulated data, then vendors, then endpoints. Onboarding by risk tier shows value early and keeps rotation failures contained.

## Sources

These are the pages we reviewed for each pick: the vendor's own product page and website, its market data on Mandos, and every review page we read for customer feedback.

1. **BeyondTrust Modern PAM** · BeyondTrust: [Product page](https://www.beyondtrust.com/solutions/modern-pam) · [BeyondTrust website](https://beyondtrust.com/) · [Market data on Mandos](https://mandos.io/data/companies/beyondtrust?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=shortlist-md-sources&utm_campaign=explore-in-mandos) · [Gartner Peer Insights: beyondtrust password safe](https://www.gartner.com/reviews/product/beyondtrust-password-safe) · [Gartner Peer Insights: beyondtrust privileged access management platform](https://www.gartner.com/reviews/product/beyondtrust-privileged-access-management-platform) · [Gartner Peer Insights: beyondtrust privileged remote access](https://www.gartner.com/reviews/product/beyondtrust-privileged-remote-access) · [G2](https://www.g2.com/products/beyondtrust-privileged-remote-access/reviews) · [PeerSpot](https://www.peerspot.com/products/beyondtrust-password-safe-reviews) · [Reddit: how do you use pam](https://www.reddit.com/r/cybersecurity/comments/1h38xbi/how_do_you_use_pam/) · [Reddit: privileged access management pam 101](https://www.reddit.com/r/cybersecurity/comments/1m0jz6x/privileged_access_management_pam_101/)
2. **Idira** · Palo Alto Networks: [Product page](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/idira) · [Palo Alto Networks website](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/) · [Market data on Mandos](https://mandos.io/data/companies/palo-alto-networks?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=shortlist-md-sources&utm_campaign=explore-in-mandos) · [G2](https://www.g2.com/products/idira-identity-security-platform/reviews) · [Gartner Peer Insights](https://www.gartner.com/reviews/product/idira-privileged-access-manager) · [PeerSpot](https://www.peerspot.com/products/idira-privileged-access-manager-reviews) · [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/CyberARk/comments/1tb319m/was_cyberark_now_idira/)
3. **Delinea Secret Server** · Delinea: [Product page](https://delinea.com/products/secret-server/) · [Delinea website](https://delinea.com/) · [Market data on Mandos](https://mandos.io/data/companies/delinea?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=shortlist-md-sources&utm_campaign=explore-in-mandos) · [Gartner Peer Insights](https://www.gartner.com/reviews/product/secret-server) · [Reddit: delinea secret server](https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/1l9uerf/delinea_secret_server/) · [Reddit: talked out of delinea secret server so what is](https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/1r1ache/talked_out_of_delinea_secret_server_so_what_is/) · [Reddit: evaluating delinea for pam looking for feedbacks](https://www.reddit.com/r/cybersecurity/comments/1rgywmi/evaluating_delinea_for_pam_looking_for_feedbacks/) · [Reddit: delinea secret server pam](https://www.reddit.com/r/ThycoticSecretServer/comments/1poy0y6/delinea_secret_server_pam/) · [G2](https://www.g2.com/products/delinea-secret-server/reviews) · [TrustRadius](https://www.trustradius.com/products/delinea-secret-server/reviews) · [Reddit: using delinea secret server as lastpasss](https://www.reddit.com/r/Lastpass/comments/108i4bu/using_delinea_secret_server_as_lastpasss/)
4. **One Identity Safeguard** · One Identity: [Product page](https://www.oneidentity.com/one-identity-safeguard) · [One Identity website](https://www.oneidentity.com/) · [Market data on Mandos](https://mandos.io/data/companies/one-identity?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=shortlist-md-sources&utm_campaign=explore-in-mandos) · [Gartner Peer Insights](https://www.gartner.com/reviews/product/one-identity-safeguard-for-privileged-passwords) · [PeerSpot](https://www.peerspot.com/products/safeguard-by-one-identity-reviews)
5. **Keeper Security KeeperPAM** · Keeper Security: [Product page](https://www.keepersecurity.com/privileged-access-management) · [Keeper Security website](https://www.keepersecurity.com/) · [Market data on Mandos](https://mandos.io/data/companies/keeper-security?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=shortlist-md-sources&utm_campaign=explore-in-mandos) · [G2](https://www.g2.com/products/keeperpam/reviews?qs=pros-and-cons) · [Gartner Peer Insights](https://www.gartner.com/reviews/product/keeperpam) · [Reddit: keeperpam is it really 1 nhi per server pam](https://www.reddit.com/r/KeeperSecurity/comments/1u3yjwe/keeperpam_is_it_really_1_nhi_per_server_pam/) · [Reddit: whats the story with keeperpam gateways and](https://www.reddit.com/r/KeeperSecurity/comments/1finzqo/whats_the_story_with_keeperpam_gateways_and/) · [Reddit: keeper pam](https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/1iudlrk/keeper_pam/) · [Reddit: keeperpam poc notes](https://www.reddit.com/r/KeeperSecurity/comments/1o5e46r/keeperpam_poc_notes/)
6. **Saviynt Privileged Access Management** · Saviynt: [Product page](https://saviynt.com/products/privileged-access-management-software-solutions/) · [Saviynt website](https://www.saviynt.com/) · [Market data on Mandos](https://mandos.io/data/companies/saviynt?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=shortlist-md-sources&utm_campaign=explore-in-mandos) · [Gartner Peer Insights](https://www.gartner.com/reviews/product/saviynt-privileged-access-management)
7. **Securden Unified PAM** · Securden: [Product page](https://www.securden.com/privileged-account-manager/index.html) · [Securden website](https://www.securden.com/) · [Market data on Mandos](https://mandos.io/data/companies/securden?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=shortlist-md-sources&utm_campaign=explore-in-mandos) · [G2](https://www.g2.com/products/securden-unified-pam/reviews) · [Reddit: weekly promo and webinar thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/msp/comments/1on34v5/weekly_promo_and_webinar_thread/) · [Reddit: weekly promo and webinar thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/msp/comments/1qgv0gy/weekly_promo_and_webinar_thread/) · [Reddit: protecting privileged accounts authlite pam](https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/s7usxg/protecting_privileged_accounts_authlite_pam/) · [Reddit: remote support tools](https://www.reddit.com/r/msp/comments/uywit0/remote_support_tools/)

---

For AI agents: every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md.

More on the vendors on this list: funding, momentum, hiring and news, plus the full product and company record, are available through the Mandos MCP Server (paid plans), which connects to AI assistants: https://mandos.io/mcp?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=shortlist-md