BeyondTrust and CyberArk can both secure privileged access, but their different product structures make the best fit depend on your environment and priorities. Your team may be trying to protect administrator accounts, control endpoint tasks, or manage outside access. Those needs call for different tools and skills.
CyberArk’s acquisition gives organizations a timely reason to review its roadmap, but its standalone platform remains available. The decision also depends on where identity and privilege sit across your cloud, devices, and servers. A platform that covers your main risks still has to fit your team’s ability to run it.
We compare product scope, security controls, deployment needs, and costs so you can build a shortlist around real workflows. Start with your risks, then check what each product requires from your staff and budget.
Key Takeaways
- BeyondTrust may fit teams focused on endpoint privilege, asset discovery, and remote access.
- CyberArk may suit teams seeking account-focused controls and wider identity-security options.
- Map required features to specific products before comparing vendor quotes.
- Test both platforms with the same accounts, systems, and access paths.
- Treat the choice as a fit decision based on access risks, deployment capacity, and budget.
What Does PAM Need to Control?
A PAM program has to control both powerful accounts and the specific tasks that can temporarily require extra rights. Privileged account and session management (PASM) is a method of securing privileged accounts and monitoring the sessions that use them.
Privilege elevation and delegation management (PEDM) grants scoped rights for defined tasks on managed devices. These approaches address different risks, but both can belong in one privileged access management program.
Use this checklist to find where your security gap starts:
- Privileged accounts and credentials that need protection.
- Sessions that need approval, oversight, or a record.
- Endpoint tasks that need temporary elevation.
- Application use that needs policy control.
Start with the risk that could cause the most harm: a stolen privileged credential or an everyday endpoint task with too much power.
PASM focuses on accounts and the sessions that use them. PEDM limits what users or applications can do on managed endpoints. For example, an employee might need an approved task to install a tool without gaining broad administrator rights.
A common baseline is to deploy PASM first, then add PEDM where endpoint elevation needs call for it. Your security plan can include both, but the first step should match the risk your team faces most often.
Start by identifying whether your most exposed risk is a privileged credential or an everyday endpoint task that requires elevation.
BeyondTrust vs CyberArk: What Changed After the Acquisition?
CyberArk is now owned by Palo Alto Networks, while BeyondTrust remains an independent vendor. The change is ownership, not an end to CyberArk’s standalone Identity Security platform.
Palo Alto Networks completed its CyberArk acquisition on February 11, 2026. CyberArk shareholders received $45.00 in cash and 2.2005 shares of Palo Alto Networks common stock for each CyberArk ordinary share.
CyberArk’s products remain available as a standalone platform while integration into Palo Alto Networks’ security ecosystem is underway. CyberArk was founded in Israel in 1999 and is headquartered in Petach-Tikva, Israel.
| Question | CyberArk | BeyondTrust |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Palo Alto Networks | Independent vendor |
| Acquisition status | Acquired February 11, 2026 | No acquisition stated |
| Current platform status | Standalone platform, integration underway | Independent product platform |
The deal’s terms gave eligible CyberArk shareholders $45.00 plus 2.2005 Palo Alto Networks shares for each ordinary share. That corporate change may affect future product links, support paths, and sales processes.
Your team should ask how product updates, support, and account management will work during integration. Compare the answers with your own procurement and service needs, not just the vendor’s long-term plans.
For a purchase decision, assess the product roadmap and support model your team needs rather than assuming the acquisition has ended standalone availability.
Which Products Make Up Each PAM Platform?
Both vendors divide capabilities across named products, but CyberArk’s core PAM functions and BeyondTrust’s overlapping products are arranged differently. Product names matter because one license may not cover every control your team needs.
Map each required capability to the product or bundle that supplies it. CyberArk splits PAM functions across tools, while several BeyondTrust products have overlapping functions.
CyberArk’s core Privileged Access Manager is separate from its identity governance and administration and secrets-management products. Those products can be added as bolt-ons, so the base PAM product does not represent every option in the wider lineup.
CyberArk Privileged Access Manager
CyberArk Privileged Access Manager includes an enterprise password vault, Privileged Session Manager, Privileged Vault Web Access, and Central Policy Manager.
The password vault stores privileged credentials. Privileged Session Manager handles privileged sessions, while Privileged Vault Web Access provides a web interface. Central Policy Manager supports policy-based management of privileged accounts.
CyberArk’s identity governance and administration and secrets-management products are available as bolt-ons. If your scope includes application secrets or identity governance, list those needs separately from core PAM.
CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager
CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager provides endpoint privilege elevation and delegation management. It can address defined tasks that need more rights on managed devices, rather than serving as the same product as core PAM.
For a full scope, check whether your users need account controls, endpoint elevation, or both. A single product name should not stand in for the entire product set.
BeyondTrust’s PAM Product Set
BeyondTrust’s main products include Privileged Remote Access, Password Safe, and Endpoint Privilege Management. Their functions overlap, so a team may find related capabilities across more than one product.
Privileged Remote Access supports remote access needs, while Password Safe focuses on password and session controls. Endpoint Privilege Management covers endpoint elevation. The first two are available together in the “Total PASM” bundle.
Some products can be bought together, but a single purchase may not provide every capability across a lineup. Ask which named tool supplies each control and whether the quote includes it.
Before comparing quotes, map each required capability to the specific product or bundle that supplies it.
How Do the Core Security Features Compare?
Both platforms cover the core PAM job, but buyers should compare how each capability is delivered across the product lineup. Product scope can differ even when two vendors use similar feature names.
Compare the licensed tools behind each control, not just the platform label. BeyondTrust lists password management, session management, credential storage, remote access, privilege elevation, threat detection, and centralized reporting.
| Capability | BeyondTrust | CyberArk |
|---|---|---|
| Credential protection | Password Safe, secure credential storage | Enterprise password vault |
| Session oversight | Password Safe, session management | Privileged Session Manager |
| Remote and third-party access | Privileged Remote Access, Password Safe | Confirm product scope for required access |
| Privilege elevation | Endpoint Privilege Management | Endpoint Privilege Manager |
BeyondTrust also lists secure remote access for users and third parties. Password Safe supports SSH and RDP session workflows, while Privileged Remote Access is a separate named product.
CyberArk’s enterprise password vault and Privileged Session Manager cover account and session controls. Endpoint Privilege Manager addresses elevation. Ask how each tool fits your required workflow and licensing scope.
Threat detection and centralized reporting appear in BeyondTrust’s stated feature set. Treat those as demo points, not proof that both vendors implement them in the same way.
Ask each vendor to demonstrate the same privileged workflow from credential request through session close and audit review.
Which Environments and Systems Can Each Platform Support?
Start the compatibility check with the systems and deployment environments your team actually operates. Your real inventory matters more than a broad claim about platform coverage.
BeyondTrust supports Unix, Linux, macOS, and Windows across cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments. Check each CyberArk product against your systems because its PAM functions are split across tools.
Cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments
Cloud systems can include hosted servers and services your team does not manage like local machines. Hybrid setups combine cloud and on-premises assets, which may use different access paths and identity controls.
On-premises systems still matter when administrators need access to internal servers or devices. List those systems separately from cloud resources, then test the deployment model for each product in your planned scope.
CyberArk’s PAM functionality spans multiple tools, so check deployment needs product by product. A platform-level compatibility statement may not answer how each tool fits your environment.
Operating systems and endpoints
Use this checklist to make the review specific:
- Operating systems and versions in scope.
- Endpoint and server mix.
- Cloud and on-premises assets.
- Internal users and external parties who need access.
Include workstations, servers, and any managed devices used by outside support staff. A team that only checks server operating systems may miss endpoint elevation needs.
Coverage can differ by product and deployment model. Confirm which user groups, systems, and assets each planned license will manage, especially when a workflow crosses cloud and on-premises systems.
Validate the exact operating-system versions and deployment model for every product you plan to license.
How Do Policy Controls Support Audits?
Audit readiness depends on showing who used privileged access, what policy applied, and what happened during the session. Clear evidence can help your team explain how controls worked.
Session records and credential-use logs can link an account to an approved access path. Policy records can also show why a user received access and what limits applied.
These records can support evidence gathering for SOC 2 and security work aligned with the NIST Zero Trust Architecture. They do not, by themselves, guarantee compliance or certification.
NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 includes controls for access control, audit and accountability, and monitoring. Its security and privacy controls offer examples for shaping audit questions.
Identity control is also expanding to nonhuman users. CyberArk introduced identity-security controls for AI agents in December 2025. BeyondTrust AI Agent Security became generally available on October 21, 2026.
AI agents can use connected tools to take steps toward a goal, rather than only returning a response. Keep human approval for high-impact actions, and review work before relying on it.
Test whether the audit trail can answer your own control questions without manual reconstruction from several tools.
How Much Does BeyondTrust PAM Cost?
BeyondTrust PAM pricing is quote-based, but typical annual contract ranges give buyers a starting budget by deployment size. Scope drives the quote, so treat these figures as typical ranges, not fixed list prices.
A small deployment with one module typically costs $30,000-$80,000 annually. Larger deployments with more users and modules can exceed $250,000 each year.
Typical annual contract ranges
| Deployment | Typical scope | Modules | Typical annual contract range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 50-200 users | 1 | $30,000-$80,000 |
| Mid-market | 200-1,000 users | 2-3 | $80,000-$250,000 |
| Enterprise | 1,000+ users | Multiple, premium support | More than $250,000, sometimes $500,000+ |
Small deployments in this range use one module. Mid-market deployments use two or three modules. Enterprise contracts cover multiple modules and typically include premium support.
What changes the quote?
BeyondTrust modules are generally priced separately. Costs depend on module choice, deployment model, user or endpoint count, and contract term.
A three-year contract often receives a 15-30% discount compared with annual terms. Premium support typically adds 10-20% to annual costs, while bundled modules can save 10-20% compared with individual purchases.
Typical annual contract ranges can help set a planning budget, but your quote reflects the products and terms you select. Privileged Remote Access pricing is custom and depends on deployment requirements.
Ask for each module and support level to appear as a separate line, so your team can compare like-for-like options. Keep the user or endpoint count consistent across quotes.
Request a quote against a fixed user or endpoint count, module list, deployment model, contract length, and support level.
What Should You Check Before Deployment?
The smoothest rollout starts with a clear inventory of who owns each privileged system and how administrators reach it. Map the real path, including directory checks and session tools, before wide deployment.
Test your own access routes and directory setup in the demo. A sample environment may not reflect how your staff connect to servers or approve access.
Work through this five-item checklist before expanding the rollout:
- Identify the owner for each privileged system.
- Map privileged accounts and managed assets.
- Test RDP and SSH workflows.
- Verify AD or LDAP integration.
- Assign staff to manage policy changes and daily administration.
BeyondTrust Password Safe supports SSH and RDP proxy sessions. Its SSH and RDP connection setup covers proxy connections and approval handling.
Check whether administrators can reach systems without seeing managed-account credentials. Include outside support users if they need privileged remote access, and test their approval path.
Staff need time to handle policy updates and ongoing management after launch. A tool can work technically and still stall if no one owns those routine tasks.
Pilot one representative workflow with its directory and session controls before expanding across the environment.
Which Platform Fits Your Team’s Use Case?
Choose BeyondTrust when the priority is asset-centered control and endpoint or remote-access coverage; choose CyberArk when account-centered control and policy flexibility lead. The strongest fit depends on which risk your team needs to address first.
Favor BeyondTrust for asset discovery, endpoint privilege, or secure remote access for third parties. Favor CyberArk when account-focused control and flexible policy enforcement across a large, complex environment matter most.
One distinction is the starting point for management. BeyondTrust takes an asset-focused approach and uses scans to identify assets. CyberArk takes an account-focused approach and identifies privileged accounts.
Use these three cases to shape your shortlist:
- Asset-first control: assess BeyondTrust’s asset discovery and endpoint tools.
- Account-first control: assess CyberArk’s account controls and policy options.
- Mixed needs: test both lineups against the same workflows.
A team with many outside technicians may place secure remote access near the top of its requirements. A large environment with complex account rules may give more weight to account policy and governance.
Mixed needs call for a workflow test, not a quick decision based on product labels. Check whether each proposed product set handles both the main risk and the next most important task.
Score each option against the highest-risk use case first, then check whether the same product set covers the secondary needs.
What Does CyberArk Conjur Add?
Conjur adds a secrets-management option for teams that need to handle application and machine credentials alongside privileged access. Secrets management focuses on credentials used by software, services, and other nonhuman identities.
Conjur has a free self-hosted open-source tier and two paid editions. Those choices differ in hosting and billing, so match them to how your applications create and use secrets.
Conjur OSS is free, self-hosted, and licensed under LGPL v3.0 and Apache 2.0. Version 1.24.0 was released in November 2025, followed by version 1.27.0 in May 2026.
CyberArk’s paid editions are Secrets Manager, Self-Hosted and Secrets Manager, SaaS. Both editions use quote-only pricing, while the SaaS edition is billed per identity.
The open-source tier puts hosting and day-to-day operation in your team’s hands. A paid self-hosted edition still runs in your environment, while the SaaS edition uses identity-count billing.
Count which applications and machine identities need secrets access before comparing editions. Their number and growth can shape the fit of a per-identity model.
Compare self-hosting requirements and identity-count billing against the way your applications create and use secrets.
Which CyberArk Competitors Belong on Your Shortlist?
Delinea is a relevant third option when you want to compare CyberArk’s enterprise PAM approach with a platform built around Secret Server. Compare by scope, since vendor names alone do not show whether a product fits your needs.
CyberArk, BeyondTrust, and Delinea were named Leaders in Gartner’s 2025 Magic Quadrant for Privileged Access Management. That finding is market context, not a claim that one vendor suits every team best.
CyberArk vs Delinea
Delinea Secret Server is an alternative to evaluate for a cloud-first or secrets-focused approach. CyberArk remains an option for teams with deep enterprise PAM needs.
Delinea formed through the 2022 merger of Thycotic and Centrify. Compare its deployment model and control scope with your account, endpoint, and application needs.
A fair CyberArk vs Delinea review should test the same workflows with both vendors. Ask how each product handles your target accounts, approval rules, and team responsibilities.
Other PAM vendors worth considering
Other products can widen your shortlist without being direct matches. Consider 1Password Privileged Access, launched on July 28, 2026, alongside ManageEngine PAM360 and OpenText Privileged Access Manager.
These vendors may differ in product scope, deployment choices, and intended users. Compare only the capabilities that matter to your environment, rather than treating every PAM product as interchangeable.
Keep an alternative on your shortlist only when its deployment model and required controls match your team’s actual scope.
Ask each vendor to show the access path your team needs to protect. A short, consistent demo can reveal gaps that a broad feature list may hide.
Keep alternatives on the shortlist only when their deployment model and required controls match your team’s scope.
Conclusion
Your best fit is the platform that protects your highest-risk access paths without exceeding your team’s ability to operate it. BeyondTrust is a strong starting point when endpoint privilege, asset-focused management, and remote access lead your needs.
CyberArk may fit teams that need account-focused enterprise controls and broader identity-security options. The better choice is the one your staff can manage while it protects the access that matters most.
Write down your three most critical privileged workflows and ask both vendors to demonstrate them using your environment’s requirements.
FAQ
What is CyberArk safe?
A CyberArk Safe is a secure logical container for privileged accounts and credentials. It is not a separate PAM platform. Teams use Safes to organize and control access to stored credentials, often by applying permissions to a group of accounts. Ask how Safe structure, permissions, and account ownership would map to your organization before setting up a vault.
Who competes with BeyondTrust?
CyberArk and Delinea are PAM competitors, but their product scopes are not identical. BeyondTrust offers products such as Password Safe, Privileged Remote Access, and Endpoint Privilege Management. CyberArk covers privileged accounts and related identity-security needs, while Delinea Secret Server is another option to assess. Compare each product against your deployment model and required controls.
Is Conjur part of CyberArk?
Yes, Conjur is CyberArk’s secrets-management product family. Its free Conjur OSS tier is self-hosted and licensed under LGPL v3.0 and Apache 2.0. The paid editions are Secrets Manager, Self-Hosted and Secrets Manager, SaaS. Both are quote-only, and the SaaS edition is billed per identity. Choose based on hosting needs and application identity counts.
Is CyberArk an Israeli company?
CyberArk was founded in Israel in 1999 and is headquartered in Petach-Tikva, Israel. Palo Alto Networks completed its acquisition of CyberArk on February 11, 2026. Its Israeli roots and current ownership are separate facts: the company’s headquarters remain in Israel, while Palo Alto Networks owns it. CyberArk’s Identity Security platform remains available as a standalone platform during integration.
Why did Palo Alto buy CyberArk?
Palo Alto Networks positioned the deal as a way to combine identity security with its broader security ecosystem and help “secure the AI era.” Identity controls can matter as organizations add software agents and machine credentials. The strategic aim explains the deal’s stated direction, but it does not guarantee specific product changes or timelines. Buyers should assess the support and roadmap they need.
Who is CyberArk owned by?
Palo Alto Networks owns CyberArk after completing the acquisition on February 11, 2026. Eligible CyberArk shareholders received $45.00 in cash and 2.2005 Palo Alto Networks shares for each CyberArk ordinary share. CyberArk remains available as a standalone Identity Security platform while integration into Palo Alto Networks’ security ecosystem is underway.
