IBM Security Secret Server vs Idira Privileged Access Manager comparison

Why PeerSpot?

IBM and Idira by Palo Alto Networks are both solutions in the Privileged Access Management (PAM) category. IBM is ranked #20 with an average rating of 8.0, while Idira by Palo Alto Networks is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.6. IBM holds a 1.5% mindshare in PAM, compared to Idira by Palo Alto Networks’s 8.6% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Idira by Palo Alto Networks users who would recommend it.

IBM Security Secret Server

Read 8 IBM Security Secret Server reviews

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1,357 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Idira Privileged Access Man...

Read 231 Idira Privileged Access Manager reviews

27,682 Views
11,073 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

IBM Security Secret Server

Idira Privileged Access Man...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 2, 2026

Idira Privileged Access Manager and IBM Security Secret Server compete in the privileged access management space. Idira seems to have the upper hand due to its robust session handling and adaptability features.

Features: Idira Privileged Access Manager is recognized for its powerful session monitoring, strong audit capabilities, and seamless SIEM integration. Real-time session management is a standout feature. IBM Security Secret Server excels in credential management and session recording, offering easy integration with cybersecurity frameworks. Its effective monitoring and comprehensive recording capabilities are particularly valued.

Room for Improvement: Idira users note the need for better plugin connectors and broader device integration without custom development. Enhancements in session monitoring search and SAML or AWS account integrations would be beneficial. IBM could benefit from improved local support, a lighter architecture, and enhanced shared storage features to automatically sync passwords across servers, reducing scripting needs.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Idira offers versatile deployment options, including on-premises, hybrid, and public cloud environments but is noted for slower technical support response times. IBM supports mainly on-premises and hybrid setups, with users praising its knowledgeable support, though there are concerns about responsiveness. Overall, IBM's support is seen as effective.

Pricing and ROI: Idira is perceived as expensive, yet customers believe its cost is justified by leadership in the market. It provides a robust feature set for large organizations. IBM is viewed as a mid-range option, priced relative to its enterprise features, offering balanced pricing. While Idira may require a higher initial investment, both provide solid ROI through enhanced security and reduced breach risks.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Security Secret Server vs. Idira Privileged Access Manager Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Security Secret Server vs. Idira Privileged Access Manager

September 2026

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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

IBM Security Secret Server

Ranking in Privileged Access Management (PAM)

20th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

5.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Idira Privileged Access Man...

Ranking in Privileged Access Management (PAM)

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

231

Ranking in other categories

User Activity Monitoring (1st), Enterprise Password Managers (2nd), Mainframe Security (1st), Operational Technology (OT) Security (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Privileged Access Management (PAM) category, the mindshare of IBM Security Secret Server is 1.5%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Idira Privileged Access Manager is 8.6%, down from 16.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Privileged Access Management (PAM) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Idira Privileged Access Manager	8.6%
IBM Security Secret Server	1.5%
Other	89.9%

Privileged Access Management (PAM)

Featured Reviews

AsifIqbal

Chief Information Security Officer at a insurance company with 501-1,000 employees

Privileged access monitoring has strengthened identity control and improved security posture

I find the monitoring and recording parts of IBM Security Secret Server to be the most valuable features. Password vaulting is somewhat typical, but I rate monitoring and recording as very good features, along with ease of deployment. The reporting tools in IBM Security Secret Server have helped me identify vulnerabilities. From the monitoring part, you can somewhat cover the identity vulnerability aspect. However, for identity vulnerability, I think the best approach is to use IAM rather than PAM. It is easy to integrate IBM Security Secret Server with cybersecurity frameworks, which is a very important aspect. When we are improving our attack surface, identity is the most important thing that we need to cover, and PAM will play a very crucial role in improving our cybersecurity framework and architecture. The main benefits that IBM Security Secret Server provides for me include complete control over the privileged identities, which are the main sources that can have the privilege to make numerous changes on the system. If we protect these identities through PAM and provide elevation on their accounts when required, then we can improve our security posture and infrastructure security.

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Mahmudul Hoque Khan

Lead Engineer at intelQong Technology

Centralized access has improved privileged control and visibility yet still needs better integrations

While the access control capabilities are useful, streamlining some configuration and policy management workflows could enhance the user experience for administrators. A simpler interface for creating access policies and quickly identifying unusual activities would make day-to-day administration more efficient. Stronger integration with existing identity data and secret management could be a significant improvement for Idira Privileged Access Manager. Deeper integration with cloud solutions would make it easier to correlate privileged access activity with other security events. I would also appreciate more flexible reporting and dashboards so administrators can swiftly see access patterns and unusual privileged access from a single view.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The main benefits that IBM Security Secret Server provides for me include complete control over the privileged identities, which are the main sources that can have the privilege to make numerous changes on the system, and if we protect these identities through PAM and provide elevation on their accounts when required, then we can improve our security posture and infrastructure security."

"This product has been able to cover most of the requests from our customers."

"What I like best about IBM Security Secret Server is its single-access console. It's also easy to manage and fulfills the requirements with the least resistance."

"Centralized Password Management: Our client has more than 400 geographical locations and approximately ten employees work at each location."

"It is one of the most well-known names in this field."

"Access to privileged, shared credentials is simplified by optimizing the whole workflow and approval processes."

"One of the most valuable features is scalability, and how it allows you to scale it without affecting the underlying core components."

"As a PAM solution, Secret Server performs all the use cases in our environment."

More IBM Security Secret Server pros

"CyberArk PAS is our go-to solution for securing against the pass the hash attack vector and auditing privileged account usage."

"The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it's the best in the market. I haven't seen any other PAM solutions better than CyberArk Enterprise Password Vault."

"CyberArk Privileged Access Manager’s ability to safeguard credentials for our organization is very important because it helps in managing the keys to the kingdom, especially the privileged access for various platforms."

"We found the initial setup to be easy."

"Creating policies and the password rotation feature have been valuable. We don't have to memorize our password for the ADM account."

"The main, most valuable aspect is its capability to secure our environment."

"The flexibility of integrating with other technologies is important because of a lot of applications - a lot of COTS products - are not supported when we are bringing the application IDs. The CyberArk platform provides a lot of opportunities to do customization."

"This solution is quite efficient."

More Idira Privileged Access Manager pros

Cons

"I mention that password vaulting and password rotation in IBM Security Secret Server are basically the same thing, and it becomes somewhat complex when integrating a different system with them because it requires API development."

"Secret Server should have the ability to discover privileged accounts in the servers, like the administrator or users, from SQL and Oracle without having to import a script."

"What needs improvement in IBM Security Secret Server is support. The local partner provides good support, but IBM itself doesn't. Most of the time, the IBM support team does not aggressively resolve issues reported through chat or the IBM website."

"The newer interface is maybe confusing old customer that using previous one from their point of views, I think they will need little pass of time to be familiar with."

"It would be preferable if the full proxy was included in the IBM Security Secret Server."

"The newer interface is more difficult to use than the previous one, and consequently, new users might need more training."

"The nonclustered index is working in an area with a problem that needs improvement."

"Unfortunately, the technical support is not very responsive because we purchased it from IBM; however, the actual support comes from Thycotic."

More IBM Security Secret Server cons

"Sometimes critical issues require follow-ups, as the support team doesn't always recognize the urgency of a critical ticket immediately."

"The issue of technical support is crucial, as there are not many specialized partners available in Brazil to provide this service. While English language support is of good quality, there is a significant shortage of partners capable of meeting the demand locally."

"There are upwards of six components you need to set it up. And you might need anywhere from two to five servers. It takes some work to set that up, especially in a larger environment."

"Over the past seven years, I have seen a lot of ups and downs with the product, but now I am happy with the version that we are using now."

"CyberArk has to continue to evolve with that threat landscape to make sure that they're still protecting those credentials that are owned by those that have privileged accounts in the firms."

"More additional features as far as the REST is concerned, because we have something which was the predecessor to REST. A lot of the features which were in the predecessor have not necessarily been ported over to REST yet."

"For users to access a system via CyberArk Privileged Session Manager, a universal connector needs to be coded in a language called AutoIT and its support for web browsers is so-so. Other products like Centrify have browser plugins that can help automate the process when using their products."

"CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is more expensive than its competitors, such as BeyondTrust, Delinea, and ManageEngine PAM360."

More Idira Privileged Access Manager cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I believe that we paid 35,000 or 40,000 US dollars for it."

"The price could be better. I think it's a good price for the on-premises environment and the high availability for enterprises the solution provides."

"My rating for the IBM Security Secret Server pricing is seven out of ten. It could be cheaper."

"CyberArk is very expensive and there are additional fees for add-ons."

"It's per-company, license-based."

"The solution is cost-effective for the features."

"It can be an expensive product."

"The main problem for the tool is its licensing. I work for a really big company. When you try to develop this as a service, usually you work with leverage teams who are formed with dozens of members. You might dedicate one FTE, or less, for something, e.g., an antivirus administrator. You might have half an FTE's effort dedicated to administering the antivirus, but then you have a team of about 30 users who might access that ticket. The problem is that CyberArk eliminated the possibility of concurrent users years ago. This is a big problem for companies who work with leverage teams. You need to pay for everyone. 40 licenses are used by 20 or 30 people. This is a big problem because licenses are not precisely cheap."

"The pricing is slightly higher compared to other solutions, but it is reasonable because there are better security features."

"It's expensive, certainly. But CyberArk is the leader in the market with regards to privileged access management. You pay a lot, but you are paying for the value that is being delivered."

"CyberArk provides all the features bundled. This is compared to other vendors who provide them as a different license for each functionality."

More Idira Privileged Access Manager pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Insurance Company

18%

Outsourcing Company

13%

Construction Company

11%

Performing Arts

Outsourcing Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	2

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	59
Midsize Enterprise	43
Large Enterprise	175

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with IBM Security Secret Server?

I believe there is not much that can be improved for IBM Security Secret Server. Providing local support and local vendor availability would be beneficial so we are not dependent on international s...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IBM Security Secret Server?

IBM Security Secret Server serves multiple use cases for us, including the monitoring of privileged users, as well as the recording and password vaulting of their accounts, passwords, and need-base...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering IBM Security Secret Server?

I mention that password vaulting and password rotation in IBM Security Secret Server are basically the same thing, and it becomes somewhat complex when integrating a different system with them beca...

See all answers

How does Sailpoint IdentityIQ compare with CyberArk PAM?

We evaluated Sailpoint IdentityIQ before ultimately choosing CyberArk. Sailpoint Identity Platform is a solution to manage risks in cloud enterprise environments. It automates and streamlines the m...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for CyberArk Privileged Access Manager?

The pricing is reasonable compared to other software options we evaluated, and it is straightforward. However, overall costs depend on deployment size and licensing requirements.

See all answers

What needs improvement with CyberArk Privileged Access Manager?

See all answers

Comparisons

WALLIX Bastion vs IBM Security Secret Server

Compared 25% of the time

Delinea Secret Server vs IBM Security Secret Server

Compared 11% of the time

Fortra's Powertech Identity & Access Manager vs IBM Security Secret Server

Compared 10% of the time

Delinea Privileged Access Service vs IBM Security Secret Server

Compared 4% of the time

Okta Platform vs IBM Security Secret Server

Compared 4% of the time

More IBM Security Secret Server Competitors

Safeguard by One Identity vs Idira Privileged Access Manager

Compared 3% of the time

Keeper Enterprise Password Manager vs Idira Privileged Access Manager

Compared 3% of the time

NetWitness Platform vs Idira Privileged Access Manager

Compared 3% of the time

Teleport vs Idira Privileged Access Manager

Compared 3% of the time

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs Idira Privileged Access Manager

Compared 2% of the time

More Idira Privileged Access Manager Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM Security Secret Server

October 2026

Download IBM Security Secret Server product report

Buyer's Guide

Idira Privileged Access Manager

October 2026

Download Idira Privileged Access Manager product report

Also Known As

IBM Secret Server, Secret Server, IBM Security Privileged Identity Manager

CyberArk Privileged Access Security, CyberArk Enterprise Password Vault

Overview

IBM Security Secret Server provides centralized management of privileged credentials, secure access, session recording, and replay. Its pricing model is unique, being based on user count rather than system connections, making it a flexible choice for organizations.

IBM Security Secret Server enhances cybersecurity by integrating with frameworks and offering features like monitoring, high availability, and adaptable reporting. It simplifies password management, automates changes, and ensures compliance with security protocols. The platform is valued for its ease of deployment and user-friendly interface, although it can improve in areas such as the GUI and integration process. Complex high availability and disaster recovery setups are noted challenges, along with nonclustered indexing issues affecting performance. Users desire improvements in local support and migration processes.

What are the key features of IBM Security Secret Server?

Centralized Management: Streamlines credential management across systems.
Session Recording: Allows recording and replay of sessions for forensic purposes.
Integration Capabilities: Enhances security with diverse cybersecurity frameworks.
Adaptable Reporting: Provides tools for customizable reporting.
Single-Access Console: Offers a unified user experience with granular roles.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies deployment and daily operations.
Scalability: User-based pricing model ensures flexibility and cost-efficiency.
Security Compliance: Ensures adherence to security protocols with automated processes.
Audit and Reporting: Robust capabilities for auditing and compliance documentation.
Enhanced Security Posture: Integrates well with existing frameworks to bolster security.

Organizations across various industries implement IBM Security Secret Server for managing privileged access and securing critical systems. It serves financial institutions by providing a secure jump server for accessing core banking platforms and databases. IT managers benefit from workflow approvals and automated password management, ensuring compliance and boosting security posture. The platform's session recording and auditing features are crucial for sectors needing detailed activity documentation.

IBM

CyberArk Privileged Access Manager safeguards privileged accounts through password management, credential rotation, and session recording. With seamless integration and real-time monitoring, it ensures robust security across platforms.

CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is recognized for its extensive capabilities in managing and securing privileged accounts. It offers vital functionalities such as automatic password rotation, real-time session monitoring, and cross-platform integration through APIs and custom connectors. Users find the flexibility in workflows and granular access controls beneficial, particularly in protecting access across cloud and on-prem infrastructures. However, improvements in its interface, installation process, plugin support, and integration with third-party tools are often suggested. Pricing is a concern for many, along with the need for better dashboard reporting, user provisioning, and enhanced documentation. Organizations leverage this tool for encrypting and monitoring critical account activities and automating password management to bolster security.

What are the key features of CyberArk Privileged Access Manager?

Enterprise Password Vault: Provides secure storage and management of enterprise credentials.
Privilege Session Manager: Offers comprehensive session recording and monitoring.
Privileged Threat Analytics: Detects and alerts on potential credential threats.
Integration Capabilities: Easily integrates with multiple systems using APIs and custom connectors.

What benefits or ROI should users expect?

Enhanced Security: Automates and centralizes password management, reducing risk of account misuse.
Compliance Support: Ensures alignment with compliance policies through automated processes.
Operational Efficiency: Streamlines security operations with real-time monitoring and integration.
Adaptability: Protects privileged access across diverse infrastructure setups including cloud and on-prem.

CyberArk Privileged Access Manager finds substantial use in industries such as finance, healthcare, and technology, where the protection of privileged accounts is critical. These sectors rely on its capabilities to manage application credentials securely and provide safe access for developers, administrators, and vendors across various infrastructures.

Idira by Palo Alto Networks

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Rockwell Automation

Buyer's Guide

IBM Security Secret Server vs. Idira Privileged Access Manager

September 2026

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