The best privileged access management tool is the one that matches what you need to protect: shared admin passwords call for a vault, server and database access calls for a session broker, and cloud roles call for just-in-time elevation. This guide compares five tools from their own documentation, as of 19 October 2026.
Safeguard publishes this guide and sells a competing product, so we describe other tools only from their own documentation.
Key takeaways
- PAM is three jobs that tools combine in different ways: vaulting credentials, brokering sessions, and removing standing privileges.
- Pick the job that hurts most today, then check which tools do it without forcing you to buy the other two.
- Several vendors publish no price. Expect a sales call, and ask for a trial first.
- Whatever you pick, start with an inventory of privileged accounts. You cannot vault what you have not found.
What is privileged access management?
Privileged access management (PAM) controls, records and limits the accounts that can change systems: admin logins, root, database owners, cloud administrator roles and service accounts. The goal is that nobody holds powerful access all the time, and every use of it leaves a record.
In practice that breaks into three jobs. A vault stores and rotates credentials. A session broker connects a person to a target without handing over the password, and records what happened. Just-in-time (JIT) elevation grants a role for a task and removes it afterward.
Which PAM tools should a small or mid-size team compare?
Compare tools by the job they do best, not by a single ranking. The table lists what each vendor's own page says as of 19 October 2026. A blank "not stated" means the page we read did not say.
| Tool | What the vendor says it does | Deployment | Pricing as stated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delinea Secret Server | Vault for privileged accounts (admin, root, service, application); discovery, rotation, check-in and check-out, approval workflows, session recording | Not stated on the page read | "Contact us for pricing"; 30-day trial offered |
| Palo Alto Networks Idira (the CyberArk privileged access page now redirects here) | Zero standing privileges, brokered cloud and Kubernetes access, endpoint privilege control, session isolation, vendor access, vaulting and rotation | Agentless, brokered access; cloud, SaaS and on-premises coverage; hosting model not stated | Not stated |
| Teleport | Access to Linux servers, databases, Kubernetes, Windows desktops, web apps and cloud APIs on cryptographic identity; JIT access; session recording | On-premises, cloud or hybrid | "Pay only for what you use: active users and protected resources"; plan prices not on the page read |
| HashiCorp Boundary | Identity-based access to hosts and databases without a bastion or VPN; JIT access; session recording; credential injection through Vault | HCP Boundary (managed control plane) or Boundary Enterprise (self-managed) | Not stated on the page read |
| Infisical Privileged Access | Access requests, approval workflows, session recording | Core platform is MIT licensed and free to self-host; licensed support is part of Enterprise | Pro $20 per user per month (up to 50 resources, 30-day session retention); Enterprise custom |
We could not read BeyondTrust's product pages today (the server refused our request), so we do not describe them here. Check their site directly if they are on your list.
How do vaults, session brokers and JIT tools differ?
A vault protects the secret, a broker protects the connection, and a JIT tool protects the time window. Most products blend two of the three.
Vault tools such as Secret Server focus on the credential lifecycle: find accounts, rotate passwords, require approval to check one out. They fit best where people still log in with shared admin accounts.
Brokers such as Teleport and Boundary sit between the person and the target. The user signs in with the identity provider, and the tool opens the connection, so the user never sees a long-lived password. They fit best for engineers reaching servers, databases and clusters.
JIT products such as Idira describe "zero standing privileges": access is created when a task starts and removed when it ends. They fit best where cloud administrator roles are permanent today.
How do I choose a PAM tool?
Use this checklist to shortlist two or three tools and run a short trial.
- List your privileged accounts: domain admins, root, cloud admin roles, database owners, service accounts, vendor logins.
- Mark which are shared passwords and which are individual identities.
- Decide the first job: vault, broker or JIT. Pick one.
- Check what the tool reaches: Linux, Windows, databases, Kubernetes, cloud consoles, SaaS admin panels.
- Check the identity provider link. Access should start from your SSO and MFA, not a separate login.
- Ask where session recordings live, how long they are kept, and who can view them.
- Ask for the price in writing, including the unit (users, resources, requests).
- Run a two week trial on one team and one system before a wider rollout.
Do I need a PAM tool at all?
Not always on day one. A team with a handful of admins can get most of the benefit from individual accounts, MFA, cloud roles that are assumed temporarily, and a short written list of who holds what. AWS's own IAM guidance recommends temporary credentials for people and workloads over long-term keys, and requiring MFA for users and root.
Add a PAM product when shared accounts persist, when auditors ask for session evidence, or when the admin list outgrows a spreadsheet. Our guide to service account security covers the machine side, which PAM tools often reach later.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between PAM and a password manager?
A password manager stores credentials people retrieve themselves. PAM adds control over who can use privileged credentials, approval, rotation and a record of each session.
Is there a free or open source PAM tool?
Some options exist. Infisical says its core platform is MIT licensed and free to self-host, and Teleport and Boundary publish documentation for self-managed use. Features and licenses differ by edition, so read each vendor's edition table.
Does PAM cover service accounts and AI agents?
Some vendors say so. Delinea lists machine, service and AI accounts, and Idira describes covering vault and rotation for critical system accounts. Confirm exactly which account types a trial can discover.
What is zero standing privilege?
It means nobody holds elevated access by default. Access is granted for a task and removed afterward, which shrinks what an attacker can use if an account is stolen.
Where should I start if I have no PAM tool?
Start with an inventory of admin and service accounts, exported from your identity provider and cloud consoles, then require MFA on all of them. Fix the biggest gaps first and buy tooling second.
Sources
- Delinea Secret Server product page
- Palo Alto Networks Idira privileged access management page
- Teleport documentation home
- Teleport pricing page
- HashiCorp Boundary: what is Boundary
- Infisical pricing
- AWS IAM security best practices
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
