# CyberArk Alternatives: 6 PAM Options Compared

Source: https://startwithidentity.com/articles/cyberark-alternatives/
Last updated: 2026-10-16
License: content by Start with Identity. Cite the source URL.

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The most common reason to evaluate CyberArk alternatives in 2026 is not a capability gap. It is that CyberArk no longer exists as an independent vendor.

Palo Alto Networks [completed the acquisition](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/company/press/2026/palo-alto-networks-completes-acquisition-of-cyberark-to-secure-the-ai-era) on 11 February 2026 and [retired the brand](https://investors.paloaltonetworks.com/news-releases/news-release-details/palo-alto-networks-introduces-idira-next-generation-identity) on 12 May 2026, relaunching the portfolio as Idira. For organisations that chose CyberArk specifically because it was a neutral specialist rather than part of a larger platform, the reason for that choice is gone.

That does not make it the wrong product. It is still the deepest privileged access platform available. But it changes what you are buying, and it is a fair thing to reprice at renewal.

## Start by naming which problem you have

The two halves of this category are not substitutes.

**Credential vaulting and session control** is what auditors recognise: vault the privileged accounts, isolate and record the sessions, produce the evidence. [Delinea](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/pam/delinea/), [BeyondTrust](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/pam/beyondtrust/) and [One Identity Safeguard](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/pam/one-identity-safeguard/) all play here.

**Infrastructure access** aims at the opposite outcome: issue short-lived certificates so standing credentials never exist. [Teleport](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/pam/teleport/) is the remaining independent specialist. This is lighter, better liked by engineers, and not what a bank examiner expects to see.

Buying the wrong half is the expensive mistake, not picking the wrong vendor within a half.

## The closest like-for-like: Delinea

Now the largest independent PAM vendor, with [FedRAMP High](https://delinea.com/news/delinea-achieves-fedramp-high-authorization-for-secret-server) for Secret Server since July 2026 and over 400 million dollars in reported ARR. Its March 2026 acquisition of StrongDM closes much of its historical developer-access gap. Where it still trails is the very largest, most complex estates, and auditor familiarity at that tier.

Read [CyberArk vs Delinea](https://startwithidentity.com/compare/cyberark-vs-delinea/) for the direct comparison.

## Breadth without the platform: BeyondTrust

Comparable enterprise range, with stronger secure remote access and endpoint privilege management. A genuine alternative if unified remote access matters as much as vaulting. See [CyberArk vs BeyondTrust](https://startwithidentity.com/compare/cyberark-vs-beyondtrust/).

## Cost-conscious: Keeper and ManageEngine

[Keeper Security](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/pam/keeper-security/) and [ManageEngine PAM360](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/pam/manageengine-pam360/) are materially cheaper and materially shallower. Below a few hundred privileged users that trade usually makes sense.

## Before you decide

Reduce standing privilege before buying anything. A vault protecting 400 permanent admin accounts is a smaller win than removing 300 of them, and it changes what you need from any of these. See the full [CyberArk review](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/pam/cyberark/) and the [PAM tools scorecard](https://startwithidentity.com/rankings/best-pam-tools/).