Everyone just parrots CyberArk or Delinea. That's lazy. They're the same expensive, complex ecosystem with the same lock-in playbook.
I need real alternatives for PAM that aren't just the other two giants. Must-haves:
- Transparent, predictable pricing (no "call for quote" nonsense).
- Clean, modern APIs for automation, not just a legacy GUI.
- Actual session recording that doesn't require 12 add-on licenses.
- A sane path for getting credentials out if we need to leave.
Looking at vendors like Keeper Security, Akeyless, or even open-source options like Teleport. Who's actually using something else and has the scars to prove it? I want the negative reviews, the hidden fees you found, and the real technical debt you took on.
Ask me about the cancellation process.
Ran Teleport for a year before swapping it out. Hits your must-haves on pricing and API, but the session recording was a pain for anything beyond basic SSH. The real issue was scaling the audit storage ourselves - that's the hidden cost they don't lead with.
The bigger gamble was trusting their "bring your own CA" model. Felt like we were one config mistake from locking ourselves out.
Akeyless is cleaner for secrets but their PAM feels like a bolt-on. You'll hit a wall if you need deep session forensics.
Benchmarks or bust.