Privileged access without the CyberArk complexity tax
CyberArk built the enterprise PAM category. Wardengate built for teams that need gateway-native brokering, faster time to evidence, and a self-hosted control plane — without a multi-year rollout.
Before
Vault-first rollout
Agents, connectors, checkout portals — months before first session.
With Wardengate
Gateway
One gateway front door — brokering, recording, evidence.
Keep your vault if you need it. Add a gateway that enforces.
to first brokered session
Helm or Compose deploy — not a six-month agent rollout
gateway for every protocol
SSH, RDP, databases, and Kubernetes through one policy engine
audit export bundles
Evidence your GRC team can hand to auditors without reconstruction
control plane option
Run on your infrastructure — no mandatory SaaS lock-in
Gateway vs. vault-first PAM
CyberArk excels at credential vaulting at scale. Wardengate excels at being the enforceable front door — with recording and audit exports built in from day one.
| Capability | Wardengate | CyberArk |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Gateway-first — protocols terminate at the broker | Vault-centric with extensive agent and connector footprint |
| Deployment timeline | Days to first session with Helm or Compose | Months of discovery, PS engagement, and phased rollout |
| Operator experience | Native SSH/RDP/DB clients — transparent gateway | PVWA portal, checkout workflows, and connector dependencies |
| Session evidence | Gateway-native recording with signed export bundles | PSM recording where deployed; uneven coverage across estate |
| Total cost | Open-source tier; enterprise scales with connectors | Per-seat licensing plus professional services |
| Deployment model | Self-hosted or managed — customer controls data residency | Primarily enterprise on-prem or SaaS with vendor lock-in |
When teams switch
Signs Wardengate is the better fit
- CyberArk rollout stalled after the pilot because agents would not cover the estate.
- PSM is licensed but not deployed on every path auditors care about.
- Operators bypass checkout during incidents because the portal adds friction.
- You need a faster path to evidence for SOC 2 or PCI without another PS SOW.
Frequently asked questions
- Can Wardengate replace CyberArk entirely?
- Many teams replace CyberArk for session brokering and recording while keeping an existing vault for static secrets. Wardengate integrates with HashiCorp Vault and other stores for credential injection at connect time.
- What about CyberArk PSM session recording?
- Wardengate records at the gateway — every brokered path, not only targets with PSM agents. Evidence is bound to identity and policy at decision time, with structured exports for GRC tools.
Replacing CyberArk?
Map your current controls to a gateway model
Bring your policy requirements and compliance scope. We will show what transfers, what simplifies, and what your operators will feel day to day.