CyberArk vs BeyondTrust (2026): PAM Features, Deployment and Pricing Compared

CyberArk and BeyondTrust are both enterprise privileged access management (PAM) suites, but they lead with different strengths. CyberArk is strongest as a central credential vault and session isolation layer across very large, mixed estates, with a wider identity and application secrets portfolio around it. BeyondTrust is strongest where privileged access meets the outside world and the endpoint: VPN-less remote access for vendors and admins, and removing local admin rights from Windows, macOS and Linux machines. Most buyers choose on which of those problems is more urgent, then check coverage, deployment and cost.

This comparison looks at architecture, the product lineups, endpoint and remote access, secrets, deployment, pricing models and where Delinea (formerly Thycotic and Centrify) fits. For the full field of vendors, see our guide to the best privileged access management software.

CyberArk vs BeyondTrust at a glance

Area	CyberArk	BeyondTrust
Core strength	Credential vault, rotation and isolated privileged sessions	Privileged remote access and endpoint privilege management
Vault and rotation	Privileged access product, self-hosted or SaaS	Password Safe, self-hosted, appliance or SaaS
Session management	Proxy-based isolation and recording for RDP, SSH, web and database sessions	Session proxy and recording in Password Safe; brokered sessions in Privileged Remote Access
Vendor and remote access	Offered as a SaaS remote access module	Privileged Remote Access, a flagship product with deep remote access heritage
Endpoint privilege	Endpoint Privilege Manager for Windows, macOS and Linux	Endpoint Privilege Management for Windows, macOS, Unix and Linux
Application secrets	Conjur and secrets tooling for DevOps and cloud	Primarily focused on human, vendor and endpoint access
Wider identity portfolio	Workforce identity, SSO and MFA products	Identity threat detection and remote support tools
Typical buyer	Large regulated enterprises with dedicated PAM teams	Enterprises and mid-market teams focused on vendor access and endpoints
Pricing model	Quote-based, modular	Quote-based, modular

Is CyberArk better than BeyondTrust?

Neither is better across the board. CyberArk is usually the stronger fit when the priority is a single, heavily audited vault for thousands of privileged accounts across mainframe, Windows, Unix, network devices and multiple clouds, with sessions isolated so admin workstations never touch targets directly. BeyondTrust is usually the stronger fit when the priority is giving vendors and internal admins secure access without a VPN, and stripping local admin rights from a large endpoint fleet. Many enterprises end up running pieces of both, or one vendor’s suite with another vendor’s point product.

How do the product lineups compare?

CyberArk

• Privileged access management: the vault, central policy manager for rotation, and session manager for isolated, recorded connections. Available self-hosted or as a SaaS service.
• Endpoint Privilege Manager: removes local admin rights and controls application elevation.
• Secrets management: Conjur and related tools deliver credentials to applications, containers and CI/CD pipelines.
• Remote access for vendors: VPN-less, just-in-time access for third parties.
• Workforce identity: SSO, MFA and lifecycle tools that let CyberArk pitch a broader identity security platform.

BeyondTrust

• Password Safe: vaulting, rotation, discovery and session management.
• Privileged Remote Access: brokered access for vendors and admins with approvals, credential injection and recording.
• Endpoint Privilege Management: least privilege on Windows and macOS workstations and on Unix and Linux servers.
• Remote Support: attended and unattended support sessions for service desks.
• Identity security insights: detection of risky identity configurations and privilege paths.

Vaulting and session management

Both products discover privileged accounts, store credentials in an encrypted vault, rotate them on schedule or after use, and broker recorded sessions so admins never see the password. The differences are in emphasis.

CyberArk’s session layer is designed around isolation: the admin connects to a hardened jump host that opens the session to the target, so malware on the admin’s workstation cannot reach the server directly. It has a long-standing, broad connector library for unusual targets, which matters in estates with legacy systems.

BeyondTrust Password Safe covers the same core workflow and pairs naturally with Privileged Remote Access when sessions come from outside the network. Buyers often describe it as quicker to stand up for common Windows and Linux targets. Test both against your own unusual targets during a proof of concept, since connector coverage is where gaps show up.

Endpoint privilege management: which is stronger?

Both vendors offer mature endpoint privilege products that remove local admin rights and elevate approved applications, with application control and just-in-time admin for exceptions. BeyondTrust’s product has long covered Unix and Linux server privilege (sudo replacement and command control) alongside workstations, which appeals to mixed server estates. CyberArk’s endpoint product integrates with its vault and threat detection and is often bought as part of a wider CyberArk program. If endpoint privilege is your main driver, run a pilot on a representative group of power users and developers; policy tuning effort decides success more than feature lists.

Third-party and remote access

This is BeyondTrust’s clearest advantage. Privileged Remote Access grew out of remote support software and is built for vendors who need to reach specific systems without a VPN: they authenticate, the request is approved, credentials are injected, and the session is recorded. CyberArk offers a vendor access product too, delivered as SaaS and integrated with its vault. For organisations with many outside providers such as OT integrators, MSPs or equipment vendors, compare the vendor onboarding experience side by side. Our guide to remote access software covers the non-privileged side of this market.

Secrets for applications and DevOps

CyberArk invests heavily in machine identity: Conjur and related tools manage secrets for containers, Kubernetes and pipelines and can synchronise with cloud-native stores such as AWS Secrets Manager. BeyondTrust focuses more on human, vendor and endpoint access; confirm what the current Password Safe release covers for application credentials if that is on your list. Teams whose main need is app secrets should also look at dedicated tools in our secrets management tools guide.

Deployment and administration

• SaaS or self-hosted: both vendors offer SaaS versions of their core PAM products plus self-hosted options. BeyondTrust also ships physical and virtual appliances.
• Effort: CyberArk implementations are typically larger projects, often run with a certified partner. BeyondTrust deployments can move faster for common use cases, though multi-product rollouts still need planning.
• Identity integration: both support SAML SSO with major identity providers, MFA, directory integration and ticketing integrations for approval workflows.
• Monitoring: both export events to SIEM tools; see SIEM vs SOAR for how that data gets used.

Cloud, SaaS and identity threat coverage

Privileged access no longer lives only on servers. Cloud consoles, infrastructure-as-code pipelines and SaaS admin panels (Microsoft 365, Salesforce, GitHub) now hold as much power as a domain admin. Both vendors have extended into this space. CyberArk offers just-in-time access to AWS, Azure and Google Cloud consoles with zero standing privileges, plus controls for SaaS admin sessions through its secure browser and session tools. BeyondTrust focuses on identity threat detection across Entra ID, Okta and cloud accounts, highlighting risky privilege paths and dormant admin accounts, alongside its remote access and endpoint products.

Ask each vendor three practical questions: how do engineers get temporary cloud console access, how are SaaS admin sessions recorded, and how are over-privileged cloud identities found and fixed? The answers show how far each platform has moved beyond traditional vaulting.

Audit and compliance reporting

Both platforms produce the evidence auditors ask for in SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA and SOX reviews: who accessed which privileged account, when, with what approval, and what they did during the session. Differences show up in the detail. Check whether session recordings are searchable by command or keystroke, how long recordings are retained and where they are stored, whether reports can be scheduled for control owners, and how access certification works for privileged groups. If you already run an identity governance platform, confirm it can pull privileged account data from your chosen PAM tool for quarterly reviews.

CyberArk vs BeyondTrust pricing

Neither vendor publishes list prices. Both sell modular products, so the quote depends on which modules you buy and how usage is counted: named privileged users, managed targets, endpoints with an agent, or concurrent remote sessions. Services for deployment and training often add a meaningful share of year-one cost, especially for larger CyberArk projects. To compare fairly, ask both vendors to quote the same scope for three years and itemise services. Buyer-reported pricing context is on our CyberArk pricing and BeyondTrust Password Safe pricing pages.

What about Delinea (Thycotic and Centrify)?

Many “CyberArk vs BeyondTrust” evaluations include a third name: Delinea, formed from Thycotic and Centrify. Its Secret Server vault is known for usability and faster rollout, Privilege Manager covers endpoint elevation, and the Centrify side brings Linux and Windows server privilege elevation (see Centrify Zero Trust Privilege). In a three-way comparison, Delinea often wins on time to value, CyberArk on depth and breadth, and BeyondTrust on remote and endpoint use cases.

Decision factor	Leans CyberArk	Leans BeyondTrust	Leans Delinea
Largest, most regulated estates	Yes
Vendor and remote access first		Yes
Endpoint and Unix/Linux server privilege		Yes	Yes
Fast rollout with a small team			Yes
Application and DevOps secrets in the same platform	Yes

How to choose between CyberArk and BeyondTrust

1. Name your first-year use case. Vault the domain admins? Remove local admin from 10,000 laptops? Replace vendor VPNs? Each points to a different leader.
2. List your odd targets. Mainframes, network appliances, OT systems and legacy apps expose connector gaps quickly.
3. Run a timed proof of concept. Give both vendors the same scenarios and measure how long setup takes and how many steps admins face.
4. Price three years of the same scope. Include services, infrastructure for self-hosting and expected growth.
5. Talk to the team that will run it. PAM is operated daily; admin experience matters as much as security features.

Want more options? Compare CyberArk alternatives, BeyondTrust alternatives or the side-by-side BeyondTrust Password Safe vs CyberArk PAS page.