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IBM Security Secret Server vs Privileged Access Suite for Unix by One Identity comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 20, 2026

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
Privileged Access Suite for...
Ranking in Privileged Access Management (PAM)
28th
Average Rating
7.6
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

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 Privileged Access Suite for Unix by One Identity is 1.4%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Privileged Access Management (PAM) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
IBM Security Secret Server1.5%
Privileged Access Suite for Unix by One Identity1.4%
Other97.1%
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.
Hicham Barnoussi - PeerSpot reviewer
Managing Partner at Smpl ID
A reliable solution with great password and session management
The setup process depends on the environment of the customer. It's not dependent on the solution. For customers with normal use cases and scenarios, it's a straightforward implementation, but for a customer with more than one environment, they may have BeyondTrust in one environment and Safeguard in another one. When they want to consolidate later, there may be complications. It depends on the devices and assets they would like to have under their PAM solution. The standard time for implementation is four weeks. I rate the setup an eight out of ten. There needs to be a dedicated resource for maintenance.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Centralized Password Management: Our client has more than 400 geographical locations and approximately ten employees work at each location."
"This product has been able to cover most of the requests from our customers."
"The live recording is a very useful feature."
"Stability-wise, I think it is a very good solution."
"As a PAM solution, Secret Server performs all the use cases in our environment."
"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."
"It is one of the most well-known names in this field."
"One of the most valuable features is scalability, and how it allows you to scale it without affecting the underlying core components."
"The technical support for this solution is very good."
"Safeguard is a mature solution and is implemented by a large number of customers."
"Privileged Access Suite's best feature is it's straightforward to use."
"The most valuable features are session and password management."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is that it is easy to use."
 

Cons

"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."
"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."
"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."
"The nonclustered index is working in an area with a problem that needs improvement."
"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."
"Although much has improved in last two years, the GUI for IBM products can be improved."
"There is a new trend of not having any privileged users or accounts."
"Product management should be improved."
"I rate the technical support a six out of ten. The technical support of One Identity depends on the case; if it is product-related, it takes quite a while, and they have to go back to the product management team."
"Privileged Access Suite's interface could be better."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"My rating for the IBM Security Secret Server pricing is seven out of ten. It could be cheaper."
"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."
"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%
Outsourcing Company
13%
Construction Company
12%
Performing Arts
7%
No data available
 

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...
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Also Known As

IBM Secret Server, Secret Server, IBM Security Privileged Identity Manager
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
University of East Anglia, nForce Secure, dunnhumby
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Security Secret Server vs. Privileged Access Suite for Unix by One Identity and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
915,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.