Choosing a PAM Bastion for SME in 2026: Wallix vs CyberArk vs Keeper

Admin accounts = primary target of attacks. PAM (Privileged Access Management) password vault + privileged session supervision is becoming essential, even for SMEs. 2026 comparison.

Why PAM for SME in 2026

• NIS2 art. 21 requires documented privileged access management
• Cyber insurance increasingly requires PAM as prerequisite
• Control external contractors: recorded sessions + revocable
• Compliance audit (ISO 27001, GDPR art. 32) simplified

1. Wallix Bastion (Wallix, France)

• Pricing: ~€120–300/target/year depending on volume + setup
• Strengths: French vendor, ANSSI CSPN certification, on-prem or SaaS deployment, native session recording, VPN-less access (HTML5 in-browser RDP/SSH)
• Limitations: moderate learning curve, customization sometimes demanding
• Ideal for: French SME, sensitive sectors, OIV, ANSSI compliance

2. CyberArk Privileged Access Manager (CyberArk, USA)

• Pricing: ~€250–500/target/year, significant setup
• Strengths: world-leading enterprise reference, vast ecosystem (600+ integrations), operational maturity, maximum vault security
• Limitations: high cost, complexity (overkill for <50 targets), US origin (Cloud Act)
• Ideal for: mid-market/large SME multi-environment + enterprise certification requirements

3. Keeper PAM (Keeper Security, USA)

• Pricing: ~€5–10/user/month (Enterprise) + PAM add-on
• Strengths: accessible pricing, modern console, MFA + SSO integration, KeeperConnection Manager for secure sessions, fluid mobile apps
• Limitations: no ANSSI certification, advanced session features less rich than Wallix/CyberArk
• Ideal for: SME 10–100 seats seeking modern PAM without enterprise complexity

Comparison table

Criterion	Wallix	CyberArk	Keeper PAM
Origin	France	USA / Israel	USA
ANSSI CSPN cert	Yes	No	No
Password vault	Yes	Yes (reference)	Yes (excellent)
Session recording	Yes (video + keyboard)	Yes	Yes (Connection Manager)
VPN-less HTML5	Native	Possible	Yes
Deployment	On-prem or SaaS	On-prem or SaaS	SaaS primarily
Indicative cost SME 30 targets	~€6,000–12,000/year	~€10,000–18,000/year	~€3,000–6,000/year

Recommendation by profile

• French SME sensitive sector / OIV / NIS2 essential: Wallix Bastion (sovereignty + ANSSI)
• International mid-market or US subsidiary: CyberArk (enterprise reference)
• Modest budget SME + SaaS-first ecosystem: Keeper PAM (value for money)

Conclusion

PAM is no longer reserved for mid-market: €5,000–12,000/year puts an SME in a security posture aligned with NIS2. Wallix = sovereign choice by default in France. KOLOSALTech supports audit + selection + PAM deployment for SMEs with 10–200 users.