Head to head · 2026

CyberArk is a suite of products.
AuthNull is one.

Privileged session management, just-in-time access, vault and rotation for Linux, Windows and databases - with MFA on everyday logins included, in one product with a published price.

CyberArk is now Idira, part of Palo Alto Networks.

CyberArk
The enterprise PAM suite
VS
AuthNull
Leads 4 · ties 4 of 11
The layer you switch on
Quote only
No published price list
price
$499/mo
Published bands · one-month free trial
Several
PAM, Workforce Identity, EPM, Secrets Manager
products to buy
One
Every capability in every band
Vault + PSM servers
Self-hosted, or Privilege Cloud with connectors
what you run
One gateway
Plus the DC Sensor or DB agent where needed
Separate product
Workforce Identity
MFA on logins
Included
AD, databases and network gear
See the published priceWalk it with an engineer
One productPublished priceCoexists with CyberArk
What a PAM buyer gets

Five things you were going to buy a PAM for - pick one and compare.

Same job, one gateway

Recorded admin sessions through one gateway host.

If you're shopping for PSM and PSMP, this is the same job: every SSH and RDP admin session is brokered, verified with MFA, recorded and can be ended live. AuthNull does it with one gateway host and nothing on the servers behind it.

Gateway-only pathMFA on connectRecording and replayLive termination
See Sessions
CyberArk
Mature session isolation and recording on dedicated PSM servers - self-hosted, or in Privilege Cloud with connectors.
AuthNull
One gateway host. Direct ssh is refused once enforced, so the gateway is the only way in.
Coverage picker

Tick what you run. See what each one covers.

Pre-set to the Linux and database paths most teams start with. The link updates with your picks, so you can send it to your team.

Your estate
AuthNullcovers 2 of 2
  • Linux SSH sessionsCovered
  • Database sessionsCovered

Everything you picked is covered.

CyberArkcovers 2 of 2
  • Linux SSH sessionsCovered
  • Database sessionsCovered

Everything you picked is covered.

CyberArk (now Idira, Palo Alto Networks) coverage is based on public sources as of October 2026. “Separate product” means it is covered by a CyberArk product other than its PAM. Where both cover a path, the difference is what you install and what you pay - see the table below.

AuthNull vs CyberArk · full comparison

Everything a PAM does, plus what CyberArk sells separately.

11 dimensions: where AuthNull leads, where the two are even, and - so you can trust the rest - the areas CyberArk covers and we don't.

Capability
CyberArk
AuthNull
Login and policy
Leads 2 of 2
MFA on the login
AD · databases · RADIUS
Separate product
MFA for workforce logins comes from Workforce Identity (Adaptive MFA), a separate product from its PAM.
Included
MFA on everyday logons, held at the DC by the DC Sensor, plus databases and RADIUS. Bring your own Duo or Okta.
AD conditional access
who · where · when
Separate product
Adaptive, risk-based MFA policy comes with Workforce Identity, a separate product from its PAM.
Included
Allow, MFA or deny by user, group, OU, source, time and machine - held at the DC for on-prem AD, no Entra needed, in the same product as PAM.
Buying and rollout
Leads 2 of 2
Pricing model
can you read the price
Quote only
No published price list. Each product is quoted by sales.
Published
Flat published bands - $499/mo up to 500 identities - with a one-month free trial on any plan.
Time to live
first enforced path
Depends on scope
Varies widely - published customer stories range from weeks for a first use case to a year or more for a full rollout.
Days
One gateway host and a policy. Enforcing on the paths the auditor flagged within the week.
Privileged access
Even on all 4
Session gateway and recording
SSH · RDP · databases
Yes
Privileged Session Manager (PSM, and PSMP for SSH) records admin sessions on dedicated PSM servers.
Yes · one gateway
Every SSH and RDP admin session goes through one gateway, verified with MFA and recorded. Nothing installed on servers.
Just-in-time access
time-boxed admin rights
Yes
Just-in-time access and a zero-standing-privilege model across its privileged access products.
Yes · same policy engine
A JIT policy sets who can request which role, on which systems, for how long. Requests are approved by policy or a person, and expire on their own.
Vault and rotation
server · service · DB passwords
Yes
The Vault and password rotation are CyberArk's original product.
Yes · in every band
The vault holds server, service and database passwords and rotates them on schedule or after each use. People never see them.
SSH key management
keys · certificates
Yes
Issues short-lived SSH certificates through its session manager, so hosts trust a CA instead of individual keys.
Yes · in every band
Issue, distribute and revoke SSH keys or short-lived certificates from the console.
Where CyberArk goes further
Windows privilege elevation
PEDM · endpoint least privilege
Leads
Endpoint Privilege Manager controls which applications and commands run as admin on Windows and macOS.
Not today
No Windows PEDM. AuthNull puts MFA on runas, but does not decide which commands may run elevated.
Secrets for applications
API keys · workload secrets
Leads
Secrets management for applications, CI/CD and workloads (Conjur and Secrets Manager).
Not in scope
Not in scope. AuthNull vaults the credentials people use, not the secrets applications fetch.
Cloud entitlements
CIEM · AWS · Azure · GCP
Leads
Cloud entitlement management and secure cloud access for AWS, Azure and GCP.
Not in scope
Not in scope - AuthNull covers the on-prem logins your IdP can't see.

AuthNull leads on 4 of 11 dimensions and ties on 4. CyberArk leads on the other 3 - Windows privilege elevation, secrets for applications and cloud entitlements - and if you need those, it is the better buy.

Get this as a scorecard
What you skip

You were told to “get a PAM”. You weren't told to buy a suite.

Most teams need recorded admin sessions, no standing admin rights and a vault on the servers and databases they run - plus MFA on the logins attackers start with. AuthNull does all of it in one product. Here's what you skip.

Compare the real cost
  • skipBuying a second product for MFA on everyday logins
  • skipWaiting for a quote before you can see the price
  • skipSession servers to size and patch - one gateway does the job
  • skipTwo consoles and two policy engines for MFA and PAM
How teams start

Prove it on the finding. Expand when it works. Keep CyberArk where it's better.

01 / this week
Put the flagged paths behind the gateway

Start with the Linux servers and databases the auditor asked about: MFA on connect, every session recorded, direct access refused.

02 / next month
Remove standing admin rights

Create JIT policies for sudoers, Domain Admins and DBA roles, and move shared passwords into the vault with rotation on.

03 / at renewal
Decide with numbers

Already on CyberArk? Keep it for Windows PEDM, application secrets or cloud entitlements if you need them - we'll tell you straight.

Moving off CyberArk entirely? Read how a Fortune 100 company did it →

Recorded admin sessions, no standing access and MFA on every login - in one product.

Walk your environment with an engineer in 20 minutes, or start the free month. We'll show you what we cover today - and be honest about what we don't.

Walk your environmentStart the free month