Top 10 Free PAM Solutions in 2025

There are no fully-pledged, plug-and-play PAM solutions that are completely free for use in production environments. However, a few vendors offer free solutions with PAM capabilities for low-scale deployments. Some (e.g., Devolutions Password Hub)  also have paid business plans with approval workflows/reporting. 

Here, I sorted these tools based on the level of PAM support:

How “PAM-like” are these tools?

See the explanation for PAM capabilities.

🟢 Limited PAM platform: Offers multiple PAM core features (vaulting, access control, audit), usable as a lightweight PAM solution.

🟡 PAM component: Offers one or two core PAM features and requires integration with other tools.

⚪ PAM utility: Single-purpose tool that supports PAM indirectly (e.g., audit, privilege elevation, rotation).

Most free tools  (like sudo) only cover a subset of core Privileged Access Management (PAM) functions. In many cases, these solutions require integration/DIY. Here’s a breakdown of which free tools support which key capabilities:

Features of free PAM solutions

• Vaulting: Stores and controls access to privileged credentials (passwords, keys, tokens).
  
• Privilege elevation: Temporarily grants higher-level permissions (e.g., admin) based on policy.
  
• Session access: Provides secure, audited access to systems (e.g., SSH, RDP) without exposing credentials.
  
• Audit logs: Capture detailed records of access and actions for accountability and compliance.
  
• Automated password rotation: Periodically or automatically updates credentials to reduce the risk of misuse.

Top 10 free privileged access management solutions

Thycotic Secret Server – Free Edition

Thycotic Secret Server is a vault-based PAM solution. It’s a scaled-down version of Thycotic’s enterprise Secret Server, offering secure password storage, access control, and encryption.

Secret Server Free offers core PAM capabilities like vaulting and access control. However, lacks enterprise features like session management and automation features. 

A distinct feature of Thycotic Secret Server is its session launch support, which allows users to securely initiate Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and PuTTY (SSH and Telnet) sessions without ever seeing or manually entering the associated credentials. By brokering the connection directly from the vault, this approach significantly reduces the risk of password leaks.

Licensing: Provides a perpetual free license with 10 user seats for long-term use.

✅ PAM capabilities provided:

• Credential vaulting: Securely stores up to 250 privileged account passwords using military-grade encryption
  
• Role-based access control: Assigns permissions to users and groups to manage who can access or modify credentials
  
• Audit logging: Tracks access and usage of stored credentials for compliance and oversight
  
• Active Directory integration: Enables centralized user authentication and permission management
  
• Session launch support: Integrates with RDP and PuTTY for direct remote access without exposing credentials

❌ Limitations as a PAM solution:

• No session monitoring or recording: Cannot observe or capture live privileged activity
  
• No just-in-time access: Lacks time-limited or temporary privilege elevation features
  
• No approval workflows: Does not support credential checkout with manager approval
  
• No privileged account discovery: Cannot scan environments to identify unmanaged privileged accounts
  
• Limited scalability: Designed for small teams; lacks features and scale needed for enterprise environments

Devolutions Password Hub Free

Devolutions Password Hub Free is a vault-based PAM alternative that focuses on secure credential vaulting, role-based access, and activity logging. 

Best for administrators and IT/DevOps teams that require an auditable vault without the complexity of full PAM systems. However, enterprises seeking full PAM capabilities (e.g., JIT access, session monitoring, brokering) should consider using Devolutions PAM.

✅ PAM capabilities provided:

• Credential vaulting
• Role-based access control
• Activity logging and audit trails

❌ Limitations as a PAM solution:

• Privileged account discovery
• Session monitoring or recording
• Just-in-time access provisioning
• Credential checkout or approval workflows
• Live privileged session brokering or control

KeePassXC + KeeAgent

KeePassXC is a personal, local-only password manager. When paired with KeeAgent, it supports SSH key forwarding, but overall, it lacks core PAM features like centralized control, auditing, and access governance.

✅ PAM capabilities provided:

• Credential vaulting: Stores passwords in a local, encrypted database on the user’s device
• SSH key forwarding: Uses KeeAgent to securely forward SSH keys to compatible clients like PuTTY

❌ Limitations as a PAM solution:

• No centralized access control: Cannot manage users, roles, or shared credentials across a team
• No audit logging: Does not track credential usage or generate access reports
• No session monitoring or recording: Cannot observe or log privileged session activity
• No access request workflows: Lacks request/approval mechanisms for elevated access
• No password rotation or enforcement: No support for automatic credential updates or complexity policies
• Not enterprise-ready: Lacks scalability and compliance features expected in a PAM platform

Vault by HashiCorp (Community Edition)

HashiCorp has introduced two new security solutions: Boundary Enterprise (explained below), a Privileged Access Management (PAM) platform, and HCP Vault Secrets, a SaaS-based secrets management solution.

Vault Community Edition is a DevOps-focused secrets management platform. The solution is currently in beta.

Vault focuses on managing secure access for systems and applications, handling machine-to-machine authentication and credential delivery through policies and APIs. 

Unlike traditional PAM tools, it’s not built to control how people log into servers or desktops, but rather to help software access sensitive information securely in the background.

✅ PAM capabilities provided:

• Credential vaulting: Stores secrets such as passwords, API keys, SSH keys, and certificates in encrypted storage
  
• Access policies and RBAC: Enforces fine-grained access control through token-based and identity-integrated policies
  
• Audit logging: Captures access and action for security reviews and compliance
  
• Secure API-first delivery: Enables controlled access to secrets via REST APIs and CLI, best for DevOps and automation workflows

❌ Limitations as a PAM solution:

• No session brokering or monitoring: Does not provide RDP/SSH session launch, recording, or live oversight
  
• No just-in-time (JIT) user elevation: Can generate ephemeral credentials but does not manage human privilege elevation directly
  
• No approval workflows: Lacks built-in request/approval flows for privileged access
  
• No user behavior analytics (UBA): No visibility into how credentials are used in human-interactive sessions
  
• Not optimized for human administrator access: Primarily built for programmatic access and infrastructure automation

Teleport (Community Edition)

Teleport enables identity-based, certificate-driven access to infrastructure (SSH, RDP, Kubernetes, databases, web apps) with built-in session recording and role-based access control (RBAC). 

While it doesn’t include traditional credential vaulting, it aligns with core PAM principles by enforcing least privilege, auditability, and authentication.

Examples of how to implement PAM workflows with Teleport:

• Replace static credentials with short-lived certificates:
  Instead of sharing SSH keys or passwords, Teleport issues ephemeral certificates (a type of access that doesn’t require permanent access credentials) after user login via SSO (e.g., GitHub, SAML, Okta). These certificates are time-bound and automatically expire.
  
• Enforce least privilege with role-based access control (RBAC):
  Define Teleport roles that map to infrastructure access (e.g., read-only database access). This ensures users only get access to what their role allows.

✅ PAM capabilities provided:

• Identity-based session brokering: Grants access to SSH, RDP, databases, Kubernetes, and web apps without shared credentials.
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Enforces permissions using identity providers like GitHub or AD.
  
• Session recording and replay: Captures SSH, desktop, and app interactions with playback support.
  
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) support: Provides per-session MFA without needing device management.

❌ Limitations as a PAM solution:

• No enterprise SSO or full RBAC integrations: Community edition only supports basic identity providers like GitHub.
• No credential vaulting: Does not securely store passwords or secrets (certificate-based only)
  
• No privilege elevation workflows: Doesn’t allow just-in-time elevation of human privileges
  
• Limited access request control: Some JIT and approval workflows exist, but full enterprise controls are missing
  
• Session control: Offers recording, but lacks live moderation, proxies, or injected controls
  
• Audit reporting: Logs are available, but lack built-in analytics or compliance dashboards

Boundary Community Edition (HashiCorp)

Boundary Community Edition is an identity-based session brokering tool that provides secure remote access without exposing credentials.

While it aligns with some core PAM principles like least privilege and session isolation, it lacks core PAM features.

It is open-source, supports automation and DevOps integrations via REST APIs.

Offers two editions:

• Boundary (Community Edition): Session access broker with limited PAM capabilities.
• Boundary Enterprise: Full-featured PAM solution.

Free vs paid: Key differences

✅ PAM capabilities provided:

• Identity-based access brokering: Grants access to infrastructure without VPNs or shared credentials
  
• Just-in-time session access: Enables time-limited access without storing credentials on endpoints
  
• Role-based access control (RBAC): Enforces policies via identity providers like Okta or Azure AD
  
• Session isolation: Restricts users to approved systems via brokered connections

❌ Limitations as a PAM solution:

• No session recording: Cannot log or replay user activity
  
• No credential vaulting or injection: Requires external tools like Vault for secret handling
  
• No account discovery: Doesn’t scan for privileged accounts
  
• No approval workflows: Lacks built-in request and approval steps for access
  
• Basic audit logging: Provides event logs but lacks full compliance reporting

LAPS (Local Administrator Password Solution) – Microsoft

Microsoft LAPS fits into PAM as a password rotation utility for Windows environments. It automatically manages and randomizes local administrator passwords on AD-joined machines.

However, it lacks broader PAM features like session control, approval workflows, or credential vaulting beyond Active Directory. It’s a narrow tool for hardening local admin access.

✅ PAM capabilities provided:

• Automated password rotation: Automatically sets unique, random local admin passwords on each AD-joined machine
• Credential vaulting (in AD): Stores passwords securely in Active Directory attributes, accessible only to authorized users
• Policy enforcement: Ensures passwords meet organization-defined expiration and complexity policies
• Auditable via AD logs: Changes can be tracked through native Active Directory logging
• No agent required: Built-in support on modern Windows versions with Group Policy control

❌ Limitations as a PAM solution:

• No session access or recording: Does not manage or monitor how credentials are used during login sessions
• No user-level privilege elevation: Cannot grant temporary admin rights to standard users
• No access request workflows: Lacks a built-in request/approval process for retrieving passwords
• No role-based access control: Access is granted via AD permissions, but lacks PAM-grade RBAC granularity
• Not cross-platform: Works only with Windows and AD-joined machines
• No centralized dashboard or analytics: Requires scripting or third-party tools for visibility at scale

Netwrix Bulk Password Reset

Netwrix Bulk Password Reset enables administrators to remotely reset local administrator and user passwords across multiple Windows machines simultaneously, without requiring them to log into each device. 

It is a lightweight utility focused on password rotation, useful as a complement to broader PAM strategies, but not a complete PAM platform on its own. It’s best suited for organizations looking to automate and secure local admin credential management as part of a layered security model.

✅ PAM capabilities provided:

• Remote, bulk local password resets
  
• Supports the least privilege via credential rotation
  
• Reduces risk from shared/local admin accounts

❌ Limitations as a PAM solution:

• Session recording or real-time monitoring
  
• Just-in-time access provisioning
  
• Privileged account discovery
  
• Credential vaulting or approval workflows
  
• Centralized privileged session management

Sudo (Linux/Unix)

The sudo command is a command-level privilege elevation with audit logging and granular controls.

It is a built-in tool on Unix and Linux systems that lets a regular user temporarily act like an administrator. It’s like giving someone a spare key to do a specific task without handing them full control.

The sudo command (short for “superuser do”) is a native Unix/Linux utility that allows a user to execute commands with elevated privileges. 

Instead of logging in as the powerful “root” user, which can be risky, sudo lets you stay in your regular account and just unlock special permissions for certain commands. It also keeps a record of what was done and asks for your password to make sure you’re authorized.

✅ PAM capabilities provided:

• Privileged elevation control: Grants temporary admin rights without requiring full root access
  
• Granular command access: Can restrict users to specific commands with defined parameters
  
• Audit logging: Logs command executions and timestamps for review
  
• Role delegation via groups: Simplifies privilege assignment to users based on group membership

❌ Limitations as a PAM solution:

• No centralized management: Sudoers files must be maintained and distributed manually across systems
  
• No privileged account discovery: Doesn’t identify where elevated access exists
  
• No credential vaulting: Does not secure or rotate privileged credentials
  
• No MFA enforcement: Lacks built-in support for modern authentication workflows unless paired with other tools
• No session monitoring or recording

Netwrix Effective Permissions Reporting Tool

Netwrix Effective Permissions Reporting Tool is a lightweight PAM utility focused on visibility and audit, not control. It’s best for IT and security teams that need to see who has access to what in AD and file shares, especially for audits and enforcing least privilege. 

✅ PAM capabilities provided:

• Identifies inherited vs. directly assigned access
  
• Helps enforce least privilege by flagging unnecessary access
  
• Supports access review and audit readiness

❌ Limitations as a PAM solution:

• Privileged account management or vaulting
  
•  Session monitoring or recording
  
• Just-in-time access provisioning
  
•  Approval workflows for access requests
  
• Privileged access elevation or brokering

Explanation for PAM capabilities

• Credential vaulting: Securely stores privileged credentials in an encrypted vault. Prevents hardcoded passwords and enables access control.
  
• Role-based access control: Limits access based on predefined user roles (e.g., accountant).
  
• Role-based access: Controls user access to credentials and systems based on assigned roles or groups.
  
• Activity logging: Tracks user actions such as vault access, logins, and credential usage. Essential for compliance and auditing.
  
• Secrets management: Manages sensitive credentials (passwords, API keys, tokens) with secure storage and access policies.
  
• Credential rotation via dynamic secrets: Automatically generates time-bound, temporary credentials.
  
• RBAC through policy engines: Uses code-defined policies (e.g., HCL in Vault) to enforce fine-grained access control.
  
• Session recording & audit logging: Captures session activity for auditing and replay. Useful for detecting misuse and meeting compliance.
  
• MFA and RBAC for SSH/K8s/CD services: Adds identity-based access control and multi-factor authentication to infrastructure resources.
  
• Just-in-time access management: Grants temporary, time-limited access to privileged systems. Minimizes standing privileges.
  
• Identity-based RBAC: Uses identity providers (like AD, Okta) to enforce access policies. Enables centralized, user-specific control.
  
• Secure session proxying: Routes user sessions through a gateway to isolate and monitor access. Protects credentials and supports auditing.
  
• Local encrypted vault: Stores credentials securely on a local device. Best for offline or standalone use.
  
• SSH key injection support: Provides secure delivery of Secure Shell (SSH) keys from a vault to a session.
  
• Local admin password rotation: Rotates local admin passwords via Group Policy Objects (GPO), lets IT admins manage settings for users and computers across the network.
  
• Mass credential reset for AD/local accounts: Resets passwords in bulk across systems.
  
• Command-level privilege elevation with local logging: Users can temporarily run admin-level commands without logging.
  
• Least-privilege insight for AD/file system permissions: Scans who has access to what in AD or file shares.