ACF2 vs Idira Privileged Access Manager comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Broadcom and Idira by Palo Alto Networks are both solutions in the Mainframe Security category. Broadcom is ranked #4, while Idira by Palo Alto Networks is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.6. Broadcom holds a 12.2% mindshare in MS, compared to Idira by Palo Alto Networks’s 5.5% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Broadcom users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Idira by Palo Alto Networks users who would recommend it.

ACF2

Read 6 ACF2 reviews

1,485 Views
950 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Idira Privileged Access Man...

Read 231 Idira Privileged Access Manager reviews

27,682 Views
277 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

ACF2

Idira Privileged Access Man...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 2, 2026

Idira Privileged Access Manager and ACF2 compete in security management. Based on features and customization capabilities, ACF2 appears to offer superior value for complex enterprise requirements.

Features: Idira Privileged Access Manager provides intuitive automation, seamless integration, and robust session management. ACF2 provides comprehensive control for mainframe security, detailed access policies, and effective user authentication procedures.

Room for Improvement: Idira Privileged Access Manager could enhance reporting features, expand on mainframe integration, and develop more advanced threat detection. ACF2 could benefit from improving user interface design, simplifying complex configuration processes, and reducing deployment time for non-mainframe environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Idira Privileged Access Manager is appreciated for its straightforward deployment and responsive customer service. ACF2 may present a steeper learning curve during deployment due to its detailed mainframe focus, requiring specialized support.

Pricing and ROI: Idira Privileged Access Manager is known for competitive pricing and favorable ROI through quick performance gains. In contrast, ACF2 involves higher initial costs but promises long-term security benefits and comprehensive management returns.

To learn more, read our detailed ACF2 vs. Idira Privileged Access Manager Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

ACF2 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

ACF2

Ranking in Mainframe Security

4th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Database Security (12th)

Idira Privileged Access Man...

Ranking in Mainframe Security

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), Privileged Access Management (PAM) (1st), Operational Technology (OT) Security (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Mainframe Security category, the mindshare of ACF2 is 12.2%, down from 13.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Idira Privileged Access Manager is 5.5%, up from 4.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Mainframe Security Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Idira Privileged Access Manager	5.5%
ACF2	12.2%
Other	82.3%

Mainframe Security

Featured Reviews

reviewer1077621

IT Examiner at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

A reliable, scalable product for security and auditing of our mainframe environment

It is a good product. It has been used for years. As long as it is configured correctly, it is a very stable product. It depends on how an institution or a company configures it. It depends on an institution's risk appetite. You need to make sure it is configured as per the concept of least privilege, and the logging features, detection and control mechanism, and other things like that are enabled. If you configure it to give access to the public, then there could be compromises. You should also have someone who independently checks it to make sure that it is configured keeping security in mind. If it has been configured for a while, when there are enhancements to the product or when you enhance it, you need to make sure that security is also looked at, and it is configured according to an institution's security policies. I would rate it a nine out of 10.

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Singaravelu C

CyberArk Engineer at Tata Consultancy

Provides full visibility into user activity and ensures secure end-to-end access across critical systems

In CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, I see room for improvement as I am working in the on-premises networks, and now we are also having the cloud-based PAM. So there, everything is maintained by the CyberArk Privileged Access Manager team, and we are only maintaining the PSM servers. So it is already upgraded from the on-premises network to the cloud network. If you ask me what we can implement beyond that, I just need a few minutes to think about what new things, because it is already an end-to-end security on-premises itself. Now, when it comes to PCloud, Privileged Cloud, it is more secure than the on-premises networks because most of the things are handled using the cloud itself. So it is an already upgraded version; we do not need to implement something new. But if you think in that way, we can have a chance to implement our things. If anything could be improved in CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, I think we could build a small agent AI in my team, we could give access to these logs—the Vault logs, PSM logs, and CPM logs. Whenever the system is going down, the AI will automatically check. If we actually implement agent AI in CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, it will check the logs, and if any errors are coming, it automatically triggers alerts and gives the solution. That is the best improvement I can think of because these days, most things are done by agent AI. So if we also implement this agent AI in CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, we can add more features.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is a good product."

"I love their support. The support is great. They are number one."

"The most valuable feature is strict and reliable access control to CICS Resources."

"Excellent real-time reporting that saves time and resources."

"We use this tool to quickly assign privileges to different users as soon as they come in."

"By providing a high level of access control to the z/OS systems, ACF2 allows us to maintain tight controls on dataset and system access and helps us keep unauthorized users from accessing PHI or PII data."

"Logging and monitoring are most valuable. It is for the mainframe environment, and it is at the forefront for security and resilience."

"Know that this tool is a great tool, a good tool to use, because you can quickly automate, quickly provision, and deprovision new users, which is essential when you are bringing new people onboard."

More ACF2 pros

"Regardless it's a good solution, it works, and the bank is happy with it."

"It has the ability to scale out. We have scaled out quite a bit with our product and use of it to get to multiple locations and businesses, so it has the breadth to do that."

"The technical support is very good and helpful."

"If your business/organization has crown-jewel data, this is the tool to use."

"It is best suited for mid to large-size enterprises; it is priced well, it is the market leader, and I think that it's the best solution."

"CyberArk Password Vault is super stable once you are on a tried and true platform version."

"It allows users to self-provision access to the accounts that they need."

"Our most valuable features would probably be key rotation, the SKM or SSH key manager, and account discovery."

More Idira Privileged Access Manager pros

Cons

"Reporting can sometimes include false positives."

"They can work on its ability to work in a distributed environment."

"It needs longer rules. The max rule is 32K."

"They can work on its ability to work in a distributed environment. It's a mainframe product. As many companies move to the cloud, depending on what cloud models they choose, such as a public, hybrid, or private cloud, it should be deployable. I am not sure if it can be deployed on those platforms. It has been there since the '50s or '60s, and it's still scalable. It has survived all these years, and it's scalable to many platforms, but I don't know about the cloud."

"Initial setup could be complex if you rely on contractors to help with implementation."

"The user access review could also be improved. It produces a lot of false positives."

"I would like my team and me to be able to use simple browsers, like Chrome, to be able to access mainframe data and provision users using the browser."

"CyberArk reporting is notoriously poor, offering about 5 reports out of the box. I am certified in Delinea, which includes 60 reports plus a custom report generator out of the box. Improved reporting would be beneficial."

"One area for improvement is the user interface. It needs significant enhancements."

"I believe account discovery and rolling support need to be improved."

"It can be integrated with other systems, but it is not easy to integrate. It takes too long to integrate it. Its integration should be easier and simpler."

"I would prefer that this is a fully-managed service, rather than have to manage the software ourselves and keep it up to date."

"When something comes out, it's generally airtight and works as advertised. However, sometimes they are a little bit slow to keep up with what's coming out. In 2017, for example, they released support for Windows Server 2016, which had been out for a year or so."

"One thing that could be improved is to create of a better alternative for fixing group policy fees. We currently use Microsoft, but they have introduced new policies that may not be compatible."

"The usual workload is sometimes delayed by the solution."

More Idira Privileged Access Manager cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"If you want a Ferrari, it will cost you. The solution is really nice, so it costs the client, but in the long run, it is very good. If you buy a solution that costs a lot to maintain because it is not stable, and you are frequently asking for consultant support, it costs more."

"Compared to other solutions, it is costly."

"From a client perspective, CyberArk's pricing is fair but there is a significant increase each year. They should limit the price increase because this could potentially drive customers to other partners. Price changes should be at defined intervals. There should not be sudden jumps."

"This solution is considered to be more expensive than others out there on the market today."

"I have heard from my leaders that CyberArk is costlier in terms of licensing. The support and maintenance are also costly. We use their premium support, but for the price we pay, we do not get the value."

"The SaaS version of CyberArk Enterprise Password Vault is very expensive, but the on-premises version is relative, e.g. depending on the size of the environment, it can be a bit pricey, but it's relatively okay compared to the others."

"The price of CyberArk support could be a little bit less. Otherwise, pricing is fine."

"Since CyberArk is at the top of the Gartner list, the cost is indeed on the higher side, but customers must discern which entities are essential to purchase. They should weigh the cost against the quality received."

More Idira Privileged Access Manager pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

16%

Outsourcing Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Outsourcing Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	4

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

Questions from the Community

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Earn 20 points

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?

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 creat...

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Mainframe Security

October 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Idira Privileged Access Manager

October 2026

Download Idira Privileged Access Manager product report

Also Known As

CA ACF2

CyberArk Privileged Access Security, CyberArk Enterprise Password Vault

Overview

ACF2 offers robust access control and security management for mainframe environments, supporting quick rule adjustments and effective monitoring, aiding in resource allocation and system resilience.

ACF2 is designed for the mainframe, providing stringent access control for CICS resources and effective user security management. Known for its default NOACCESS setup and straightforward access rules, it enables real-time log reporting and efficient monitoring. The platform supports quick rule changes, minimizing resource allocation time, which enhances security and resilience. Despite its strengths, ACF2 can improve by enhancing its Eclipse and browser interfaces and reducing manual processes. Desired improvements include flexible rules, better support for distributed environments, longer rule capabilities, and enhanced cloud deployment options. Organizations primarily use ACF2 to secure z/OS operating systems, manage user authentication, and access profiles and resources, maintaining updated versions for optimal security and efficiency.

What are the key features of ACF2?

Strict Access Control: Securely manages access to CICS resources with default NOACCESS.
User Security Management: Provides robust control over user privileges and security.
Swift Privilege Assignment: Enables quick assignment of user privileges for efficiency.
Real-Time Event Logging: Facilitates comprehensive log reporting and monitoring.
Rule Modification: Quickly adjusts rules to meet evolving security needs.

What benefits should users expect from ACF2?

Enhanced Security: Strengthens mainframe application security through strict access management.
Operational Efficiency: Reduces resource allocation time with swift rule changes.
Comprehensive Monitoring: Supports efficient logging and event reporting for security oversight.
Resource Resilience: Contributes to system resilience by optimizing resource allocation and control.

In industries relying on mainframes, such as finance and telecommunications, ACF2 is implemented for safeguarding z/OS environments by managing access and authentication processes securely. Companies maintain the latest version to ensure stringent protocol adherence, maximizing operational efficiency.

Broadcom

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

Sky, Rogers Communications

Rockwell Automation

Buyer's Guide

ACF2 vs. Idira Privileged Access Manager

September 2026

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Find out what your peers are saying about ACF2 vs. Idira Privileged Access Manager and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.

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