CyberArk vs. Okta: Which Is Right for Your Team?

CyberArk and Okta represent two distinct approaches to enterprise identity security. CyberArk specializes in privileged access management with deep security controls for high-risk accounts, while Okta provides comprehensive workforce identity management with broad application integration. Both solutions serve enterprise needs but address different security priorities and organizational requirements.

CyberArk vs. Okta at a glance

Here's how these leading identity platforms compare across key dimensions for IT decision makers.

Overview of CyberArk

CyberArk is a purpose-built Identity Security Platform that evolved from—and remains the market leader in—Privileged Access Management (PAM). The platform has achieved Gartner Leader status for seven consecutive years and provides comprehensive governance, access controls, and threat protection across human, machine, and AI identities.

Key Features:

• Enterprise Password Vault (EPV) for centralized credential management.
• Privileged Session Manager (PSM) with session isolation and recording.
• Application Secrets Management for DevOps credential security.
• On-Demand Privileges Manager (OPM) for just-in-time access.
• Endpoint Identity Security with distributed workforce protection.
• AI-powered continuous authentication and threat detection.
• Zero Standing Privileges architecture.
• Certificate and SSH key management.

Ideal for: Large enterprises with thousands of privileged accounts requiring deep security controls, compliance frameworks, and specialized PAM capabilities.

Overview of Okta

Okta is a cloud-based Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) platform providing enterprise-grade identity and access management for workforce, customer, and AI agent identities. Named a Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader in Access Management for nine consecutive years (2017-2025), Okta delivers core IAM functionality with exceptional ease of use.

Key Features:

• Single Sign-On (SSO) with multi-protocol support across 7,000+ applications.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) with adaptive security policies.
• Universal Directory as a centralized identity store.
• Automated user lifecycle management with SCIM standards.
• API Access Management with OAuth 2.0/OIDC authorization.
• Mobile identity management with device policies.
• ThreatInsight network-wide threat detection.
• Zero Trust security architecture.

Ideal for: Organizations with 100-1,000+ employees needing comprehensive workforce identity management, extensive application integrations, and streamlined user experience.

Side-by-Side Feature Comparison

When to Choose CyberArk vs. Okta

Choose CyberArk if you need:

• Deep privilege security for critical infrastructure and database servers.
• Comprehensive compliance requirements (PCI-DSS, SOX, HIPAA) with detailed audit trails.
• Session recording and isolation for administrative access.
• Machine identity security for DevOps environments and cloud workloads.
• Zero standing privilege architectures with just-in-time access.
• Purpose-built PAM capabilities rather than general IAM features.

Choose Okta if you value:

• Broad workforce single sign-on across thousands of applications.
• Rapid deployment with minimal training and change management.
• Platform-agnostic integration flexibility beyond Microsoft ecosystems.
• Streamlined user experience with 4.6/5 ease of use ratings.
• Comprehensive identity governance for standard employee access.
• Cost-effective scaling for mid-market to large enterprise deployments.

How Siit Integrates With Both Tools

Siit provides production-ready integrations with both platforms to streamline IT service management workflows. While Siit doesn't currently offer a native CyberArk integration, teams using CyberArk alongside Okta or other supported identity providers can still benefit from Siit's workflow automation for access request coordination. For Okta users, Siit offers advanced SAML SSO handling, quick actions for adding users to groups and resetting MFA, plus automatic people data synchronization—all accessible directly from Slack and Teams.

Whether your team uses CyberArk's specialized PAM capabilities or Okta's comprehensive identity platform, Siit eliminates the coordination overhead between identity management and employee support. Transform scattered requests into automated workflows that route approvals, provision access, and update systems automatically—giving your team more time for strategic security initiatives.

Sign up for Siit today and see how automated cross-departmental processes can eliminate manual coordination between your identity platform and employee support operations.