# keyfactor

Source: https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/pki/keyfactor/
Last updated: 2026-06-19
License: content by Start with Identity. Cite the source URL.

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## Overview

Keyfactor (founded 2001, backed by Sixth Street and Insight) is a leading certificate lifecycle automation and PKI-as-a-service vendor, and the steward of EJBCA, the widely used open-source certificate authority, and SignServer. That combination makes it both a management layer and, through EJBCA, a CA in its own right, giving it broad standing in the [PKI and certificate lifecycle category](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/pki/) and machine identity more generally.

## What it is good at

Certificate lifecycle automation at enterprise scale is the core strength: network and endpoint discovery, automated issuance and renewal, and policy enforcement across large, mixed fleets. EJBCA gives Keyfactor real CA credibility and supports private PKI, IoT, and even quantum-ready use cases. Crypto-agility is a focus, helping teams inventory and rotate keys ahead of algorithm changes and post-quantum migration. Strong [governance and audit](https://startwithidentity.com/guides/fundamentals/what-is-machine-identity/) and flexible SaaS or self-hosted deployment round it out.

## Where it falls short

Keyfactor is firmly enterprise-focused, so small teams that need a handful of public TLS certificates are over-served and will find it heavier and pricier than necessary. Like other CLM platforms, getting full value requires investment in discovery, integration, and policy design. It is not a free, single-purpose tool.

## Pricing

Enterprise subscription, quote-based, scaled by certificate volume, modules, and deployment model. EJBCA Community is open source and free to self-operate. Model your real fleet and renewal cadence with the [TCO calculator](https://startwithidentity.com/tools/tco-calculator/).

## Best for, and who should look elsewhere

Choose Keyfactor when you are automating certificate lifecycle at scale, modernizing PKI, or preparing for crypto-agility and post-quantum. For multi-CA orchestration alternatives, compare [AppViewX](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/pki/appviewx/); for a public CA, [DigiCert](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/pki/digicert/) or [Sectigo](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/pki/sectigo/); for lightweight cloud-native private PKI, [Smallstep](https://startwithidentity.com/vendors/pki/smallstep/).

## Bottom line

A leading choice for enterprise certificate lifecycle automation and PKI modernization, with EJBCA giving it genuine CA depth.