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IBM Security zSecure vs Idira Privileged Access Manager comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 2, 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 zSecure
Ranking in Mainframe Security
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
8.8
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Idira Privileged Access Man...
Ranking in Mainframe Security
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
230
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 August 2026, in the Mainframe Security category, the mindshare of IBM Security zSecure is 14.7%, down from 21.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Idira Privileged Access Manager is 5.7%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Mainframe Security Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Idira Privileged Access Manager5.7%
IBM Security zSecure14.7%
Other79.6%
Mainframe Security
 

Featured Reviews

it_user635553 - PeerSpot reviewer
Mainframe Systems Programmer with 51-200 employees
Provides administration of the RACF database. We can identify and remove old security database records.
* The zSecure Admin provides us with a much more user-friendly administration of the RACF database. * TopSecret and ACF2 are also supported (if they were ordered). * The Database Cleanup utility feature: Used for identifying and removing old security database records that are no longer relevant or being used.
Atul-Gujar - PeerSpot reviewer
CyberArk manager at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Secures critical infrastructures with essential user session audit records
A potential area for improvement is enhancing support for cluster environments and distributed Vaults. Clients in multiple countries that need central access have different challenges that require better solutions from CyberArk. For financial services, CyberArk can improve incident response by ensuring fast support for critical priority tickets to meet compliance requirements. Providing more documentation on CyberArk is recommended for new team members to enhance their troubleshooting capabilities. I understand it's up to the client, but 99% fail to change the demo key, so it's crucial for CyberArk to emphasize changing the key and documenting it as part of the installation process.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The zSecure Admin provides us with a much more user-friendly administration of the RACF database."
"Technical support is optimal."
"The productivity and consistency in our organization has been improved by the ability to easily generate reports and a common interface for the security administrators."
"It's highly secure and very flexible. It gives us all types of storage options and it gives us a high level of security."
"We have been able to manage application credentials in CyberArk, whether they come as a custom plugin or straight out-of-the-box."
"With this product and the protection it offers, you can witness ROI immediately."
"CyberArk is good as a technology partner for ensuring that we maintain a strong security posture throughout our digital transformation."
"All features of the CyberArk PAS solution are valuable."
"Session monitoring includes recordings of all activities performed."
"CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is excellent for meeting compliance and regulatory requirements."
"What I appreciate about CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is that it is not only for password security; we can also manage their applications and platforms, and whenever a user logs in, end-to-end protection is handled, including monitoring user activity through PSM servers and reacting to threats with Privileged Threat Analysis."
 

Cons

"There should be more supplied reports and CARLa samples."
"I would like to see improvements in the certification (SSL). It must be less complicated."
"The reporting feature needs to improve."
"Technical support from the vendor is the worst and that is one reason I stopped using CyberArk."
"I think they can improve account onboarding. For instance, you have to use the Password Vault utility, whereas in Thycotic I think there is a feature in the user interface that allows you to upload your account with an Excel file. So I'd like to have a similar thing in CyberArk."
"The stability depends on the infrastructure it is installed on, which is important because CyberArk does not have the hardware appliance."
"The support services could act faster when people reach out to resolve issues."
"I would like to see a simplification of the product."
"CyberArk PAM could greatly benefit from an under-the-hood update; integrating machine learning algorithms could provide predictive insights."
"The initial setup of CyberArk Privileged Access Manager difficulty depends on the environment that you are implementing it into. However, it typically is simple."
"The product is complex and requires extensive configuration."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"I'm a technician so I don't handle the licensing for CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, but I know that the price for the core license is about €140 per year. There's another type of license, the external vendor license, and that's about €600 and you can manage twenty devices. From what I know, the price for one device in a subscription is about €65 per year. You can buy the CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager too, or you can buy some other application or application license with CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, but all other features, such as the Analytics Server is included in the basic CyberArk license. With WALLIX, you need to buy separate licenses for the features."
"I focus more on the technical side, but I hear customers say that if CyberArk was more affordable, they might have acquired more licenses. Some clients consider alternative solutions due to pricing concerns."
"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."
"I would rate CyberArk's pricing a nine out of ten, with one being cheap and ten being expensive. It's one of the most expensive solutions in the market, but it's worth it."
"CyberArk is one of the best PAM solutions and one of the most expensive, but it works better than the others, so the pricing is fair."
"The price of this solution is quite reasonable."
"CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is more expensive than its competitors, such as BeyondTrust, Delinea, and ManageEngine PAM360."
"There are no additional costs other than the standard licensing fees."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
19%
Computer Software Company
17%
Insurance Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Construction Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business59
Midsize Enterprise42
Large Enterprise175
 

Questions from the Community

How does IBM Security zSecure handle encryption and secure transmission of data?
zSecure, a suite of products, simplifies security management on z/OS and z/VM with an intuitive interface, surpassing ISPF panels and RACF commands. It focuses on enhancing technology management, n...
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...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for CyberArk Privileged Access Manager?
My thoughts on the pricing of CyberArk Privileged Access Manager depend entirely on the vendors' requirements. If they want their things to be secure, they have to spend accordingly. We have four t...
What needs improvement with CyberArk Privileged Access Manager?
I believe account discovery and rolling support need to be improved. Account discovery is important when integrating with other systems, as other PAM solutions can perform account discovery and onb...
 

Also Known As

No data available
CyberArk Privileged Access Security, CyberArk Enterprise Password Vault
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Swiss Re
Rockwell Automation
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Security zSecure vs. Idira Privileged Access Manager and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
908,344 professionals have used our research since 2012.