# cyberark-vs-beyondtrust

Source: https://startwithidentity.com/compare/cyberark-vs-beyondtrust/
Last updated: 2026-09-20
License: content by Start with Identity. Cite the source URL.

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## The honest comparison

[CyberArk](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/pam/cyberark/) and [BeyondTrust](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/pam/beyondtrust/) are both established [privileged access](https://startwithidentity.com/guides/fundamentals/what-is-pam/) platforms with full coverage across vaulting, session management, and endpoint privilege, and they meet in most enterprise evaluations.

CyberArk, which we score 4.7, is the depth option: the most complete vaulting story, the widest coverage of hard cases including operational technology and legacy estates, and the certification breadth that regulated buyers and their auditors recognize. It is also no longer independent, with Palo Alto Networks having closed its acquisition on 11 February 2026, and that changes what you are buying into over a three-year term.

BeyondTrust's strength is closest to the endpoint. Its privilege elevation and delegation management on Windows and macOS, and its secure remote access for third-party vendors and support staff, come from a longer heritage in those problems than most vault-first competitors have.

Both are quote-priced, both carry meaningful implementation effort, and both are oversized for organizations that have not yet reduced [standing privilege](https://startwithidentity.com/glossary/zero-standing-privileges/).

## When CyberArk wins

- The largest and most complex privileged estates across cloud, on-premises, and OT
- Deepest credential vaulting and session management requirements
- Regulated environments where certification breadth and auditor recognition matter
- You are consolidating on Palo Alto Networks and want the platform alignment

## When BeyondTrust wins

- Removing local administrator rights across a large Windows and macOS fleet is the core programme
- Third-party and vendor remote access needs strong brokering, recording, and approval workflow
- You want privileged access and remote support from one vendor rather than two
- Independence from the Palo Alto Networks portfolio strategy has value to you

## Pricing

Both are quote-based and modular, and neither publishes comparable numbers. CyberArk prices across vaulting, session management, secrets, and cloud privilege; Privilege Cloud reduces operational cost relative to self-hosting but licensing still accumulates across modules. BeyondTrust prices similarly across its privileged access, endpoint privilege, and remote support lines.

In both cases implementation services and ongoing administration are the larger long-run number. Model three years with the [TCO calculator](https://startwithidentity.com/tools/tco-calculator/), and get quotes that name modules and services days explicitly.

## Verdict

For the deepest enterprise vaulting and the most regulated environments, [CyberArk](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/pam/cyberark/), with the Palo Alto ownership question asked openly. For programs centred on endpoint privilege removal and third-party remote access, [BeyondTrust](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/pam/beyondtrust/). See [CyberArk vs Delinea](https://startwithidentity.com/compare/cyberark-vs-delinea/) for the mid-market alternative, [best PAM tools](https://startwithidentity.com/rankings/best-pam-tools/) for the wider field, and [how to choose a PAM solution](https://startwithidentity.com/guides/buyer-guides/how-to-choose-a-pam-solution/).