---
title: "Infisical vs. Venafi"
description: "How Infisical compares with Venafi, now CyberArk Certificate Manager: deployment, drivers, renewal and delivery, what the CyberArk and Palo Alto acquisitions mean, and how to move off Venafi gradually."
canonical: "https://infisical.com/compare/infisical-vs-venafi"
last-reviewed: "2026-10-09"
source-index: https://infisical.com/llms.txt
---

# Infisical vs. Venafi

Looking for a Venafi alternative? Infisical automates certificate lifecycles for your entire infrastructure out of the box, and can issue through Venafi while you move.

## What's the difference between Infisical and Venafi?

Venafi (now CyberArk Certificate Manager) is a capable enterprise certificate platform, but requires Windows Server/SQL infrastructure, specialists, and custom work to run. Infisical automates certificate lifecycles on your entire infrastructure.

| Stage | Infisical | Venafi |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluate | Try the free tier with an internal CA, ACME automation, and the certificate dashboard; Self-host the MIT-licensed open-source version | Get a quote, then plan the implementation with professional services; Evaluate the roadmap and long-term reliability after two acquisitions in two years |
| Deploy/integrate | Use managed cloud in EU or US regions; Self-host on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, AWS ECS, or Google GKE; Use a gateway to reach private networks | Self-host a cluster on Windows Server, IIS, and SQL Server; Run a VSatellite in your network for the SaaS version |
| Migrate/onboard | Issue through Venafi while you move to cause no migration outages; Discover every certificate on your network, whoever issued it | Build a full policy tree before issuing your first certificate; Hire professional services or specialized engineers to implement it |
| Operate | Manage every certificate in one dashboard, no matter who issued it; Renew, revoke, or reissue from the dashboard or API | Work through policy folders and application objects for each certificate; Wait on a ticket queue when a push fails |
| Automate | Renew certificates automatically, with no agent on the target; Get a Slack, email, PagerDuty, or webhook alert before expiries; Sync certificates to 13+ destinations, including F5 and NetScaler | Write PowerShell drivers for targets the library doesn't cover; Keep driver scripts identical on every server in the cluster |
| Scale | Add secrets, privileged access, AI agent security, or KMS on the same platform | Monitor how acquisitions affect product development |

## Infisical vs. Venafi at a glance

Venafi covers the full certificate lifecycle if you have the infrastructure, drivers, and specialists to run it. Infisical automates certificate management out of the box.

### Platform and deployment

Where each product runs, what it's built on, and what it covers.

| Feature | Infisical | Venafi |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | MIT-licensed, 29,000+ GitHub stars | Proprietary |
| Self-hosting | Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, AWS ECS, or Google GKE | Windows Server, IIS, and SQL Server |
| Managed cloud | US and EU regions | SaaS, with a VSatellite in your network |
| Components to run | One platform, plus a gateway | A Windows cluster, SQL Server, and PowerShell drivers |
| Product scope | Certificates, secrets, privileged access, AI agents, and KMS | Certificates. Code signing and secrets are separate products in CyberArk |

### Certificate authorities

Which CAs sign public and private certificates.

| Feature | Infisical | Venafi |
|---|---|---|
| Private CA hierarchy | Yes | Yes |
| External and public CAs | Public, private, and Venafi itself, in one inventory | Yes |

### Issuance and enrollment

How servers, devices, and apps request certificates.

| Feature | Infisical | Venafi |
|---|---|---|
| ACME | Yes | Yes |
| EST | Yes | Yes |
| SCEP | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |

### Lifecycle automation

Finding, tracking, renewing, and installing certificates.

| Feature | Infisical | Venafi |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate discovery | Yes | Yes |
| Inventory | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic renewal | No agent on the target | Through drivers or self-maintained PowerShell scripts |
| Expiry alerts | Slack, PagerDuty, email, or webhooks | Email, PagerDuty, or webhooks |
| Certificate syncs | 13+ destinations, no agent on the target | A driver library, plus PowerShell drivers you write |

### Access and governance

Who can see and change what, access requests and approvals, and audit logs.

| Feature | Infisical | Venafi |
|---|---|---|
| Access control | Yes | Yes |
| SAML SSO | Yes | Yes |
| Audit logs | Yes | Yes |

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Infisical a Venafi alternative?

Yes. Infisical runs its own CAs and can issue from public and enterprise CAs (including Venafi). It discovers certificates on your network, renews them, and pushes them to where they're served. Venafi covers the same lifecycle, but requires a Windows and SQL Server cluster or an in-network VSatellite. Most organizations also need implementation help, custom PowerShell drivers, and/or a dedicated PKI team with specialized engineers.

### What is Venafi called now?

Venafi was acquired by CyberArk in 2024 and became CyberArk Certificate Manager. Palo Alto Networks then bought CyberArk in 2026. Palo Alto now calls the SaaS version Next-Gen Trust Security. The self-hosted version is Certificate Manager, Self-Hosted. Palo Alto Networks hasn't published a detailed roadmap for Venafi's products.

### What does the Palo Alto Networks acquisition mean for Venafi customers?

Roadmap, packaging, and pricing now follow Palo Alto Networks. Palo Alto says the self-hosted products keep receiving investment. Many teams use a change of ownership as the moment to review their options.

### Does self-hosted Venafi need Windows Server and SQL Server?

Yes. Self-hosted Venafi exclusively runs on Windows Server with IIS and Microsoft SQL Server, usually as a cluster of servers sharing one database. Infisical self-hosts on Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, AWS ECS, or Google GKE, with PostgreSQL and Redis.

### How much does Venafi cost?

Venafi is sold by quote, and self-hosted licensing counts certificates by the application instances that use them. The real cost is often in running it: a Windows and SQL Server cluster, implementation with outside help, upgrades, and PowerShell drivers for targets the library doesn't cover. Infisical works out of the box, has a free tier, and offers an MIT-licensed open-source version.

### Can I move off Venafi gradually?

Yes. Infisical can issue certificates through a self-hosted Venafi instance, through a gateway, or have Venafi sign an Infisical intermediate CA. Teams move one application at a time while Venafi keeps issuing, then switch to Infisical's own CAs.

## Start managing certificates, then add secrets, privileged access, KMS, or agent access.

- **[Secrets Management](https://infisical.com/platform/secrets-management)**: Store, rotate, and deliver secrets.
- **[Certificate Management](https://infisical.com/platform/certificate-management)**: Issue, renew, and track every certificate.
- **[Privileged Access Management](https://infisical.com/platform/pam)**: Time-bound access without shared credentials.
- **[KMS](https://infisical.com/docs/documentation/platform/kms/overview)**: Encrypt and sign data through an API.
- **[Agent Vault](https://infisical.com/platform/agent-vault)**: Give AI agents access without handing them credentials.

## How to migrate from Venafi to Infisical

Infisical can issue through Venafi while you move, so most teams switch one application at a time.

1. **Connect Venafi.** Connect self-hosted Venafi through a gateway, or have Venafi's SaaS sign an Infisical intermediate CA.
2. **Discover certificates.** Run discovery across your networks to see what's deployed and when it expires.
3. **Move one application.** Point an application's ACME, EST, or SCEP client at Infisical, and sync its certificates to where they're served.
4. **Switch CAs.** Issue from Infisical's own CAs or the public CAs you already use as each application moves.
5. **Retire Venafi.** Once nothing renews through Venafi, decommission it.

Our team can help you plan and run the migration: [talk to an expert](https://infisical.com/talk-to-us).

## Get started

- Start free: https://app.infisical.com/signup
- Talk to an expert: https://infisical.com/talk-to-us
- All comparisons: https://infisical.com/compare.md