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Delinea Secret Server vs Symantec Privileged Access Manager comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 6, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Delinea Secret Server
Ranking in Privileged Access Management (PAM)
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
62
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Password Managers (8th), Secrets Management Tools (5th)
Symantec Privileged Access ...
Ranking in Privileged Access Management (PAM)
11th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
53
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Privileged Access Management (PAM) category, the mindshare of Delinea Secret Server is 3.5%, down from 6.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Privileged Access Manager is 2.0%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Privileged Access Management (PAM) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Delinea Secret Server3.5%
Symantec Privileged Access Manager2.0%
Other94.5%
Privileged Access Management (PAM)
 

Featured Reviews

SP
Adjunct Assistant Professor at a university with 5,001-10,000 employees
Robust credential management has improved security and simplifies privileged access control
I would characterize common frustrations related to Delinea Secret Server rather than using the term dislike. One area is the complexity for the administrative part. While it is straightforward in core values, configuring advanced policies, custom templates, and other areas including discovery scans and detailed reporting have a steep learning curve and may require extra training. The user interface and terminology present another challenge. Some users feel that the user interface can feel dated or overly complex, with terminology around secrets and folder structures taking time to master. Pricing perception is another point where some costs are mixed, while many others find Delinea Secret Server more affordable and flexible than tier one competitors. However, smaller teams still view enterprise licensing as a significant investment. I have observed poor technical support, particularly in multiple reviews. The support can be slow, limited, and sometimes unhelpful when troubleshooting complex configurations or stability issues. Aggressive or untransparent sales practices also present a concern. Some customers on G2 have cited frustrations with hidden costs, such as unexpected EC2 instance fees and core features being unbundled or oversold during contract negotiation. Complex implementation and setup is another significant challenge. The initial configuration, deployment, and managing advanced policies or connectors requires specialized expertise that most organizations do not have, and the steep learning curve compounds this issue. Users transitioning to the cloud-hosted version frequently complain that the updated interface and permissions structure feel slow and problematic compared to the legacy on-premise setup. Integration and API challenges represent the final area of concern. The platform points out challenges with API tokenization and external system integration, and the lack of documentation is one of the key points I would highlight. This limitation affects the ability to integrate with external systems effectively.
Muzi Lubisi - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior technical Consultant at CA Africa
Secure management of sensitive servers and seamless applications with direct linking
The credential injection feature is highly valued, particularly for RDP sessions. A majority of customers use it for RDP, and a couple for Linux servers. The broader capabilities, including access to multiple systems, web-based applications, and clustering, have never posed an issue. The threat analytics aspect is also a robust feature that analyzes all pertinent information.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Ease of use because of its monolithic software."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the random changing of passwords."
"The most valuable feature is the subscription on offer, as we like the policies that can be put in place, the password duration backup part and even the pipeline are useful, the solution offers useful APIs as well, we find the initial setup to be simple, it's scalable, the stability is great, the pricing is good, and support is helpful."
"The secret template, password rotation, and recording sessions are the most valuable."
"Delinea Secret Server has positively impacted my organization as it helps us with our security and hardening."
"Support is helpful."
"I have found most valuable the automatic scheduled password rotation and remote desktop monitoring. Additionally, the documentation is readily available and easy to find and the dashboard is straightforward."
"I find it really easy and computer confident, and the experience with the product is really good. Additionally, customizations are easy."
"The tool helps us manage local, domain, and service accounts, and it helps us meet compliance standards."
"Now, all the privileged access is tunneled through PAM."
"Used for securing privileged accounts."
"Stability is solid as a rock."
"The system is very stable."
"Password Management and Session Recording. The simplicity and ease that it is to be up and running out-of-the-box is very much appreciated."
"The possibility to control the remote activity and establish different policies, because it depends on the position of workers, how much access they needed, and in what platforms they connect, and the possibility to separate this in an easy way is very useful."
"I like the fact that passwords are checked-in automatically."
 

Cons

"Referring to Secret Server v10, we want the ability to add subfolders to the "Personal Folders" container."
"Installation can sometimes be difficult, depending on the environment."
"Improvements are needed in session management, behavioral analytics, and the reporting segment."
"I formerly used only one service: the remote server. For example, I connected to the Active Directory user and the computer's console. But now, I need to do a remote connection to the domain controller. Maybe it only connects to that tool, the Active Directory users, and the computer management console, but not to the domain controller. Another thing Delinea could add is multi-factor authentication."
"As I am partial to CyberArk, I rate Thycotic Password Reset Server as a nine out of ten, owing to the minor glitches I mentioned."
"The initial setup and deployment can be cumbersome. It's not an easy process."
"They could improve the container platform and SPO."
"Certain features like the Remote Access Service (RAS) Engine and syncing with directory services may still have bugs or limitations, especially in newer platform versions."
"When there are new patches or upgrades, they need to test the new release well so it will not break the functional parts."
"I would like this solution to be simpler. It should have a one-click access that works together with AWS."
"We have encountered stability issues at various software and hardware versions, but we worked with the support team to quickly stabilize our environment."
"It'd be great if you just stuck in your PIV card and Windows popped up, asked you for your password. You typed it in, then it remembered your credentials."
"Bring more technology into the portfolio and being able to collapse those products into a much more integrated way."
"We experience stability issues after every patch upgrade. This is a place where CA needs to improve drastically."
"The service account management functionality needs to be extended to application pools, SQL database, PowerShell scripts, service account discovery, etc."
"The OOTB reporting functionality is lacking."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is very expensive, and its price should be lower."
"When comparing the price of Thycotic Secret Server with other solutions it is reasonable."
"There are different plans and additional licensing costs that can be instituted for add-ons."
"We have an enterprise license as well as a user license and a support license."
"It would be beneficial if it were reduced."
"The tool's pricing is expensive."
"The pricing is standard in this business and we have no complaints about it."
"The solution is low-cost than other vendors."
"I would prefer better licensing options for the 20-100 users we have at a given time."
"The licensing is simple and scalable."
"The version we are using is affordable compared to BeyondTrust, which is maybe three to four times as expensive, but it depends on the features."
"Appliances are relatively cheap, don’t skimp. Make sure you have redundancy, high availability, and enough appliances to manage the concurrent workload."
"Pricing is fair compared to other top vendors."
"The prices are not low, but one can ask for a discount. It’s not the cheapest PAM solution."
"Cost-wise, CA was better compared to others in the market. ​"
"It is more expensive than other solutions on the market."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
Outsourcing Company
18%
Construction Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business25
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise29
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise30
 

Questions from the Community

Looking for recommendations and a pros/cons template for software to detect insider threats
This is an inside-out --- outside-in --- inside-in question, as an insider can be an outsider as well. There is no short answer other than a blend of a PAM tool with Behavioral Analytics and Endpo...
Which PAM tool do you prefer: CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, One Identity Safeguard, Delinea Secret Server, or BeyondTrust Privileged Remote A
For a banking or financial services use case you should check out SplitSecure. Very easy to deploy and use and splits secrets across devices rather than on cloud servers so you get full cryptograph...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Thycotic Password Reset Server?
Pricing for Delinea Secret Server aligns with my expectations, including setup costs, with licensing generally falling in line with what I anticipated for an enterprise solution, making it reasonab...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Symantec Privileged Access Manager?
Due to the nature of the solution, it is hard to gauge, but compared to competitors, the pricing is very good. I would rate it as an eight and a half out of ten.
What needs improvement with Symantec Privileged Access Manager?
Recent releases need improvement in webpage management. For instance, navigating through a webpage that acts like a wizard, where I proceed to the next page and enter more information, is not handl...
What is your primary use case for Symantec Privileged Access Manager?
With the customers that I have so far, I help them broker RDP sessions to sensitive servers, particularly those that manage aspects like physical access. I have also done it for backend databases, ...
 

Also Known As

Thycotic Secret Server, Delinea Password Reset Server
CA PAM, Xceedium Xsuite, CA Privileged Access Manager
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Secure-24, University of San Diego, International Rescue Committee, San Francisco Ballet, Perkins Coie, University of San Diego, D.S.S. Limited, Turbo's Hoet, Eclipse Computing, Cathay Bank, Stellarise, J&R Consulting
NEOVERA, Telesis, eSoft
Find out what your peers are saying about Delinea Secret Server vs. Symantec Privileged Access Manager and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
920,769 professionals have used our research since 2012.