What is Privileged Access Management Software?

When managing user accounts, companies should set a clear divide between customer-generated accounts and internal ones. The benefit of doing this is twofold. First, customer accounts and internal users have vastly different needs and requirements for your business. Second, compartmentalization helps prevent cross-contamination. More simply, if something goes wrong in your customer account management system, it won’t affect your internal account management system or vice versa. Thankfully, different management systems exist specifically to focus on customer account management and internal accounts. While customer identity and access management (CIAM) software is built for handling your business’ customer-facing accounts and account security, privileged access management (PAM) software focuses on managing and securing your business’ own internal user accounts. PAM solutions also differ in a drastic way from CIAM solutions by dealing with access to critical systems (e.g., databases, servers, domains, and networks) as well as handling IT admin accounts. Key Benefits of Privileged Access Management Software Manage employee access privileges to key business systems Centralize storage of employee information Monitor employee behavior, web-based threats, and unapproved internal actors Customize access privileges for users Monitor employee account behavior

Why Use Privileged Access Management Software?

There are many security benefits to PAM solutions. Older methods of key sharing and word-of-mouth communication are not sufficient in protecting information and business-critical systems. These tools will help security professionals and administrative personnel better track who in their organization has access to what and may document their actions or behaviors within privileged systems or applications. Security — Privileged access management tools centralize the storage credentials and administration of access. Without IAM tools, this data can be more vulnerable to threats if it is not properly safeguarded. IAM tools are fortified with authentication features to limit viewing to only those administrators with granted access. These tools will also provide alerts for potential threats or users who have accessed sensitive data without permission. Administration — Administrators can create databases, document user account histories, and view approved privileges, all of which helps to simplify the onboarding process. Administrators can quickly create new accounts and approve applications for new users to access. Some products even offer templates to have ready when adding employees to specific roles. The same goes for those no longer employed; administrators can quickly restrict their privileges or delete their account. Cloud application management — Many cloud applications have the ability to connect dozens of applications, user credentials, and access privileges. Large, enterprise-sized companies will benefit greatly from having a cloud-based database that securely contains this sensitive data. Many products come with prebuilt integrations for hundreds of applications, while others may require customization or simply offer a limited variety of applications.

Who Uses Privileged Access Management Software?

Administrative professionals — Administrators—typically security administrators—will most often be the ones using privileged access management solutions. Other system admins may find use in PAM solutions as well, since certain roles may need more or less access to different business systems, pending their role. Service providers — Third-party service providers will often manage cloud services directly and may need to integrate with other business systems or networks. Privileged access management tools allow for role-based access control to limit what information and systems can be accessed by third-party services providers or other external entities requiring access to sensitive information or business-critical systems. Human resources — HR professionals may use privileged access management solutions to delegate access to internal employees or new hires during the onboarding process. Many PAM tools integrate with directory services and identity servers and other identity management solutions to integrate identity information and simplify privileged account management. These accounts may be set up for access to applications, cloud services, databases, or any other IT system requiring privileged access. Internal employees — These are the end users accessing applications and networks by the allowance of administrative or security staff. These individuals may only interact with the PAM solution in that they use the credentials to access information. But some tools may provide a dashboard or access portal with information about what applications, networks, services, and databases they have been approved to access.

Page 4 | Best Privileged Access Management (PAM) Software: User Reviews from November 2026

Smallstep Platform

Smallstep is a certificate management and device identity platform that helps organizations automate encryption, authentication, and access control across devices, users, and workloads. It provides a unified approach to establishing digital trust using cryptographic certificates rather than passwords or shared secrets. Smallstep is designed for IT, security, and DevOps teams that manage distributed infrastructure across on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments. It supports use cases such as device identity verification, Wi-Fi and VPN access control, SSH access management, and secure workload communication. Core Capabilities Certificate Authority and Lifecycle Automation: Step CA Pro serves as an enterprise-grade Certificate Authority (CA) supporting automated issuance, renewal, and revocation of X.509 and SSH certificates. It includes high-availability deployment options, registration authority mode, active revocation (OCSP), and integration with existing PKI and CLM platforms. Device Identity Management: Uses ACME Device Attestation (ACME DA), developed in collaboration with Google and Apple, to verify device authenticity through hardware-backed cryptographic attestation. Hardware-Bound Credentials: Leverages Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) and Secure Enclaves to generate and store private keys that cannot be exported or cloned. Zero Trust Enablement: Integrates with major identity and device management systems such as Okta, Jamf, Intune, and Workspace ONE to provide certificate-based authentication for Zero Trust network access. Cross-Platform Compatibility: Supports macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and ChromeOS devices for unified management across heterogeneous environments. Common Use Cases Managing device-based authentication for Wi-Fi (WPA3 Enterprise / EAP-TLS) and VPNs Automating TLS certificates for internal applications, databases, and APIs Enabling SSH access with short-lived certificates tied to user and device identity Implementing hardware-backed credentials for Zero Trust architectures By replacing password- or token-based authentication with certificate-based verification, Smallstep helps organizations enforce strong cryptographic assurance across devices and systems, improving security posture while reducing administrative overhead.

Average Rating: 4.2/5.0

Total Reviews: 10

How Do G2 Users Rate Smallstep Platform?

Has the product been a good partner in doing business?: 8.3/10 (Category avg: 9.3/10)
Reporting: 7.3/10 (Category avg: 8.8/10)
Approval Workflows: 6.2/10 (Category avg: 8.8/10)
Audit log: 7.1/10 (Category avg: 8.8/10)

Who Is the Company Behind Smallstep Platform?

Seller: Smallstep
Year Founded: 2016
HQ Location: San Francisco, US
LinkedIn® Page: www.linkedin.com
29 employees on LinkedIn®

Who Uses This Product?

Company Size: 40% Large, 30% Medium

What Do G2 Reviewers Say About Smallstep Platform?

AI-generated summary from verified user reviews

Pros

Users find Smallstep Platform's ease of use invaluable for straightforward certificate management across various devices.
Users value the secure access offered by Smallstep, enhancing device identity management with ease and cross-platform support.
Users value the effortless access control of Smallstep, appreciating its reliability and seamless cross-platform functionality.
Users value the ease of accessibility with Smallstep Platform, streamlining certificate management and enhancing device identity securely.
Users appreciate the cross-platform compatibility of Smallstep, enhancing security across various devices seamlessly.

Cons

Users find the expensive pricing of Smallstep Platform problematic, especially after exceeding 50 endpoints.
Users find the complex setup of Smallstep Platform challenging, especially when integrating with older systems and requiring technical knowledge.
Users find the documentation complex, making setup challenging and time-consuming, especially for advanced configurations.
Users find the integration difficulty frustrating, especially with legacy systems and initial setup challenges for device identity.
Users find the poor documentation challenging, as it complicates understanding of certificates and zero-trust models.

What Are Recent G2 Reviews of Smallstep Platform?

"Great for Cloud Certificates, but Setup Isn’t Always a Breeze"

Rating: 4.0/5.0 stars

— Kesit Budi K.

Best Privileged Access Management (PAM) Software - Page 4

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