Infisical vs. CyberArk
Looking for a CyberArk alternative? CyberArk covers secrets, certificates, and privileged access, but requires Windows servers and certified specialists. Infisical is a simple, developer-friendly platform.
The CyberArk way
Windows servers, hardening, and certified admins for every product.
- Add Roles and Features
- Install the Vault on a dedicated, hardened server with no other software
- Add Roles and Features
- PSM-01
- Upgrade the Vault, then PVWA, then CPM and PSM: Maintenance window, Saturday 10 PM
- CPM on Connector-02: Stopped after Windows update
- Certificate Manager database
- PAM Sentry exam: Pearson VUE, 9:00 AM
- Sam, platform team: Only Priya can patch the PSM servers and she's out until Monday. Can the upgrade wait?
The Infisical way
Simple security infrastructure anyone can run.
What's the difference between Infisical and CyberArk?
CyberArk requires Windows Server and certified admins. Infisical is a developer-friendly platform to automate secrets management, certificate renewal, and privileged access without specialist engineers.
Evaluate
Infisical- Try the free tier from the dashboard, with nothing to set up
- Self-host the MIT-licensed open-source version
CyberArk- Get a quote through sales, with privileged access licensed per user
- Determine what Palo Alto Networks' acquisition means for the product's future
Deploy/integrate
Infisical- Use managed cloud, or self-host on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, AWS ECS, or Google GKE
- Run one gateway to reach private networks
CyberArk- Install the Vault, PVWA, CPM, and PSM on separate hardened Windows servers
- Add Windows Server, IIS, and SQL Server for Certificate Manager
- Upgrade every component in order, starting with the Vault
Migrate/onboard
Infisical- Import existing secrets from AWS, Azure, GCP, or Vault when you connect
- Issue certificates through Certificate Manager while you move
CyberArk- Map every app's accounts to separate Safes, platforms, and Conjur policy
Control access
Infisical- Scope roles to an environment or folder
- Grant just-in-time access with approvals and Slack notifications
CyberArk- Set Safe member permissions in the PVWA
- Manage secrets access as Conjur policy in YAML
Operate
Infisical- See dev, staging, and prod side by side and edit values in the dashboard
- Run apps locally with secrets injected by the CLI, no .env files
CyberArk- Wait for a certified admin to change Safes, platforms, or policy
- Keep certified admins on staff, from Defender to Guardian
Automate
Infisical- Rotate database, cloud, and SaaS credentials on a schedule
- Issue dynamic secrets for 30+ targets
- Sync secrets to 40+ destinations
CyberArk- Rotate with the CPM on a Windows server, then sync to Secrets Manager
- Issue dynamic secrets for AWS and GCP only
- Buy Secrets Hub to sync to AWS, Azure, and Google secret stores
Scale
Infisical- Add certificates, privileged access, and KMS on the same platform and gateway
CyberArk- Add Windows PSM servers as concurrent sessions grow
Infisical vs. CyberArk at a glance
CyberArk covers secrets, certificates, and privileged access if you have Windows servers and certified admins. Infisical runs on Linux or in the cloud without specialists.
| Feature |  | CyberArk |
|---|---|---|
| Open sourceWhether the source code is public and auditable for your team. | MIT-licensed, 29,000+ GitHub stars | Conjur Open Source |
| Self-hostingRunning the product in your dedicated cloud or on-premises infrastructure. | Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, AWS ECS, or Google GKE | Windows Server for PAM and certificates |
| Managed cloudA version the vendor hosts and operates for you. | US and EU regions | |
| Components to runWhat your team needs to deploy and maintain. | One platform, plus a gateway | Windows servers for the Vault, PVWA, CPM, and PSM, and more |
| Expertise to runWhat you need to deploy and operate the tool. | Any engineer, via dashboard or CLI | Certified admins, from Defender to Guardian |
| Secret structureHow secrets are organized. | Projects, environments, and folders | Policy branches you declare in YAML |
| Secret rotationRevoking the old credential and issuing a new, valid one (on a schedule or on demand). | 30+ types, built in | Through PAM's CPM, synced to Secrets Manager |
| Dynamic secretsShort-lived credentials created on demand and revoked automatically when they expire. | 30+ targets, including databases and Kubernetes | AWS and GCP only |
| Syncs and integrationsPushing secrets wherever apps run e.g. cloud secret stores and CI/CD. | 40+ destinations | AWS, Azure, and Google, through Secrets Hub |
| KubernetesDelivering secrets into workloads running on Kubernetes. | Operator, CSI provider, or injector | |
| Access controlRules for who can see things or make changes. | RBAC and ABAC, down to a folder | Conjur policy in YAML |
| Approval workflowsRequiring sign-off for sensitive changes or access. | ||
| SAML SSOSigning in through an identity provider like Okta or Microsoft Entra ID. | ||
| SCIMCreating and removing user accounts via your identity provider. | ||
| Audit logsA record of who did what for security reviews and compliance. | Searchable, and streams to Splunk, Datadog, Sentinel, and more | |
| Certificate productWhether certificate management is a product of its own, or part of something else. | Full lifecycle management, on the same platform | Certificate Manager, formerly Venafi |
| Certificate infrastructureWhat you need to install in your network. | Nothing beyond the platform and gateway | A VSatellite, or Windows Server, IIS, and SQL Server |
| Renewal, alerts, and syncsAlerting when certificates will expire, renewing them automatically, and installing them where they're used. | 13+ destinations, no agent on the target | A driver library, plus PowerShell drivers you write |
| Privileged access productWhether privileged access is a dedicated product. | Databases, servers, Kubernetes, clouds, and Windows | Privilege Cloud or PAM Self-Hosted |
| Runs in your networkWhat you need in your network so the product can reach your systems. | One gateway, outbound connections only | A Windows Connector for CPM and PSM, hardened by GPO |
| Agent security productWhether the vendor has a dedicated product built to secure AI agents. | Agent Vault, plus agent access in PAM | Idira Secure AI Agents, an identity broker for agents |
| Credentials kept from the agentWhether an agent holds plaintext credentials or not. | Brokered, so the agent never holds them | Only for MCP servers it brokers |
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know. Can't find an answer? Talk to our team.
Infisical runs secrets, certificates, and privileged access on one platform engineering teams run themselves on any infrastructure or as a managed cloud service. CyberArk's self-hosted components run on Windows servers, and CyberArk certifies the admins who deploy and run them.
For most of its self-hosted products, yes. PAM Self-Hosted installs the Vault on a dedicated Windows server, and the PVWA web console, CPM, and PSM on separate Windows servers, with IIS for the PVWA and Remote Desktop Services for the PSM. Privilege Cloud moves the Vault to SaaS, but the CPM and PSM still run on Windows Connector servers in your network. Infisical runs as a managed cloud service or on Docker, Kubernetes, or Linux.
CyberArk requires trained admins and separate infrastructure in your network. CyberArk runs certification programs for its admins, including a dedicated Secrets Manager exam. Privilege Cloud needs a Windows Connector server for its CPM and PSM. Self-hosted Secrets Manager needs a Leader, two Standbys, and Followers, and Certificate Manager needs a VSatellite or a Windows and SQL Server cluster. Infisical runs as one platform, with one gateway to reach private networks.
Yes. Palo Alto Networks acquired CyberArk and launched Idira, a security platform built on CyberArk's products. Products now carry Idira names. Existing customers keep using the platform as before, but there's no clarity for the long-term future of the brand and its products. Acquisitions also frequently impact further product development towards deeper tie-ins with the new ownerships.
Through its privileged access suite, but not in Secrets Manager itself. Secrets created in Secrets Manager stay static, so anything needs to be rotated in Privilege Cloud or PAM Self-Hosted and synced to Secrets Manager. Its dynamic secrets cover AWS and GCP. Infisical rotates database, cloud, and SaaS credentials and issues dynamic secrets for 30+ targets on one platform.
Move one application at a time, starting with secrets. Import its secrets into an Infisical project, give its workloads machine identities, and switch them to the CLI, an SDK, or the Kubernetes Operator. Issue certificates through Certificate Manager while applications move, then add privileged accounts behind an Infisical gateway. Retire each CyberArk product once nothing depends on it.
CyberArk, now Idira, offers Secure AI Agents, which gives agents an identity and routes their access to MCP servers through a broker. Infisical Agent Vault uses a credential brokering approach to give agents access to services without holding credentials. For databases, servers, and clusters, Infisical PAM gives agents the same roles, approvals, and session recording as people.
How to migrate from CyberArk to Infisical
Most teams move one application at a time, starting with secrets, so both run side by side until the last workload moves.
- 01
Import one application
Recreate its layout as an Infisical project with environments and folders, then import its secrets in the dashboard, CLI, or API.
- 02
Switch its workloads
Give workloads machine identities and replace what workloads call on startup.
- 03
Move certificates
Have Certificate Manager sign an Infisical intermediate CA, then switch to Infisical's own CAs or public CAs.
- 04
Add privileged access
Deploy a gateway, add database, server, and Kubernetes accounts, and set up access requests and session recording.
- 05
Retire CyberArk
Once nothing reads from a CyberArk product, decommission it.
Our team can help you plan and run the migration.
Start managing secrets, then add certificates, privileged access, KMS, or agent access.
Add products when you need them, on the platform you already run.
- OpenAI: API, Codex
- Let's Encrypt
- Vercel
- Gemini CLI
- Apache Airflow
- Spring Boot
- OpenCode
- DigiCert
- Jenkins
- Terraform: Terraform, Terraform Cloud
- Render
- Azure: Key Vault, App Configuration, DevOps, Entra ID, CLI
- NetScaler
- Databricks
- KMIP
- GoDaddy
- Pulumi
- Okta
- Ansible
- Cloudflare: Workers, Pages, Custom certificates
- Sectigo
- Laravel
- Hermes
- SAP HANA
- ClickHouse
- OpenRouter
- Supabase
- Docker
- Snowflake
- Venafi
- Rails
- Humanitec
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- OpenClaw
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- Northflank
- Redis
- Datadog
- Google Cloud: Secret Manager, Certificate Manager, IAM, KMS
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- Bitbucket
- Claude Code
- Railway
- dbt Cloud
- Windows Server
- Chef
- .NET
- PostgreSQL
- AWS: Secrets Manager, Parameter Store, Certificate Manager, Elastic Load Balancing, Private CA, IAM, KMS, CloudHSM, ECS, Amplify
- Linux servers
- Auth0
- Oracle: Oracle Database, OCI Vault
- Octopus Deploy
- Fly.io
- MySQL
- F5 BIG-IP
- LDAP
- TeamCity
- Qovery
- Nutanix Prism Central
- Microsoft: Active Directory, AD CS
- Windmill
- LiteLLM
- Netlify
- RabbitMQ
- Spacelift
- Kubernetes
- CircleCI
- GitLab
- SQL Server
- Stripe
- DigitalOcean
- GitHub: GitHub, GitHub Actions
- Couchbase
- MongoDB: MongoDB, MongoDB Atlas
- Heroku
- SSH
- Salesforce
- HashiCorp Vault
- Travis CI
- Kemp LoadMaster
- Next.js
- Django
- Sigstore Cosign
- Elasticsearch
- Secrets ManagementToday
- Certificate ManagementWhen you need it
- Privileged Access ManagementWhen you need it
- KMSWhen you need it
- Agent VaultWhen you need it
Talk to our team
Starting with Infisical is simple, fast, and free.
- Secures 10 billion secrets every day
- SOC 2, HIPAA, and FIPS 140-3 compliant
- Open source, in our cloud or yours
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