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IBM Security Secret Server vs Microsoft Purview Privileged Access Management comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Microsoft Purview Privilege...
Ranking in Privileged Access Management (PAM)
18th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.0
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Privileged Access Management (PAM) category, the mindshare of IBM Security Secret Server is 1.4%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Purview Privileged Access Management is 1.6%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Privileged Access Management (PAM) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Purview Privileged Access Management1.6%
IBM Security Secret Server1.4%
Other97.0%
Privileged Access Management (PAM)
 

Featured Reviews

AsifIqbal - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
reviewer2797275 - PeerSpot reviewer
Systems Engineer at a leisure / travel company with 201-500 employees
Access control has improved approvals and tracking and now supports just-in-time administration
Microsoft Purview Privileged Access Management definitely has a good amount of value for me because I associate it in a way that if someone wants to try to do something, they have to get approval. This means someone doing something has to put in what ticket information is relevant so I can keep track of why they are doing it. They are not just going in there with access to do whatever they want to do. It has to be done with a purpose and I think that is a big key point of it. The Just-in-Time access feature has not really helped me a lot more with managing privileged access. I think it is just a matter of how things are set up. If I need to build a server, I have to go in and increase my privileges for an amount of time that is allowed to build the server and then it elapses and then I am kicked out and then the next time I have to do it all over again. This is nice because it keeps track of what is going on. However, it would be nicer if I got a better reporting tool that can show what was happening instead of an email every single time it happens. The access review capabilities of Microsoft Purview Privileged Access Management definitely benefits me so that I have a better understanding of who has access to what and what they are doing at what time.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"One of the most valuable features is scalability, and how it allows you to scale it without affecting the underlying core components."
"Stability-wise, I think it is a very good solution."
"It is one of the most well-known names in this field."
"As a PAM solution, Secret Server performs all the use cases in our environment."
"Centralized Password Management: Our client has more than 400 geographical locations and approximately ten employees work at each location."
"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."
"This product has been able to cover most of the requests from our customers."
"The live recording is a very useful feature."
"The ability to provide just-in-time privileged access and set specific parameters for access duration is highly beneficial."
"The integration with other Microsoft solutions is a standout feature of Microsoft Purview Privileged Access Management."
"Microsoft Purview Privileged Access Management definitely has a good amount of value for me because I associate it in a way that if someone wants to try to do something, they have to get approval."
"The integration with Azure Identity is a significant advantage, as it allows for seamless automation and power app integration."
"Microsoft Purview Privileged Access Management is easy to understand, particularly its menu."
 

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."
"The nonclustered index is working in an area with a problem that needs improvement."
"If you have a hosted PIM in your local environment and you plan to migrate it to some cloud-based environment, then migration will become a painful task."
"It would be preferable if the full proxy was included in the IBM Security Secret Server."
"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."
"Unfortunately, the technical support is not very responsive because we purchased it from IBM; however, the actual support comes from Thycotic."
"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."
"Microsoft Purview Privileged Access Management has made progress in providing insights into generative AI tools being used within organizations, but customers need to further track where sensitive information is being used within AI tooling."
"The Just-in-Time access feature has not really helped me a lot more with managing privileged access."
"Sometimes, its functions, like XLOOKUP in Microsoft Excel, do not find situations properly, especially without the use of pivot tables."
"I do not see any financial benefit after implementing Microsoft Purview Privileged Access Management, however, this question would be better answered by my manager."
"Microsoft Purview Privileged Access Management could improve integration with multiple cloud environments."
"There's room for improvement in Microsoft's documentation, as it often lacks clarity."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"I believe that we paid 35,000 or 40,000 US dollars for it."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Insurance Company
19%
Construction Company
13%
Performing Arts
8%
Outsourcing Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Healthcare Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise2
No data available
 

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...
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...
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...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Purview Privileged Access Management?
I would say some of the things that could probably be improved is probably the reporting aspects. Being able to get a general and easier setup of reporting to show what was enabled for each day by ...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Purview Privileged Access Management?
I utilize Microsoft Purview Privileged Access Management for all of our access inside of Azure and 365, associating different rights to different areas. Whether it is creating, assigning licensing ...
What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Purview Privileged Access Management?
With these two solutions, Microsoft Purview Privileged Access Management and Admin By Request, other than the fact that it is for cloud and for on-premises, there are no other main differences. I w...
 

Also Known As

IBM Secret Server, Secret Server, IBM Security Privileged Identity Manager
Microsoft Privileged Access Management (PAM)
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Security Secret Server vs. Microsoft Purview Privileged Access Management and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
908,800 professionals have used our research since 2012.