AWS IAM vs BeyondTrust: What are the differences?

Key Differences between AWS IAM and BeyondTrust

AWS IAM and BeyondTrust are both systems that provide identity and access management (IAM) solutions. However, there are several significant differences between the two platforms:

1. Architecture: AWS IAM is a cloud-based service offered by Amazon Web Services, while BeyondTrust is an on-premise solution. This difference in architecture means that AWS IAM can be easily accessed and managed remotely, while BeyondTrust requires physical installation and management within the organization's infrastructure.

2. Scalability: AWS IAM is highly scalable and can be easily adjusted to accommodate the needs of organizations of any size. It can handle millions of users and access policies without any loss in performance. On the other hand, BeyondTrust may face limitations in scalability, as it relies on the organization's infrastructure for resources.

3. Integration: AWS IAM is deeply integrated with the entire AWS ecosystem, providing seamless access control for various AWS services and resources. BeyondTrust, on the other hand, is designed to integrate with a wide range of on-premise applications and systems, making it suitable for organizations that have a diverse IT infrastructure.

4. Availability: With AWS IAM being a cloud service, it offers high availability and redundancy built into the platform. By leveraging Amazon's global infrastructure, AWS IAM ensures that the service is always accessible and reliable. BeyondTrust, being an on-premise solution, may rely on the organization's infrastructure for availability and redundancy, which could be subject to potential failures.

5. Cost Structure: AWS IAM follows a pay-as-you-go pricing model, where users are billed based on their actual usage. This offers organizations flexibility in managing their IAM costs according to their specific needs. Alternatively, BeyondTrust typically involves upfront costs for licenses, hardware, and ongoing maintenance, which may be less flexible for smaller organizations.

6. Managed Services: AWS IAM is a fully managed service, meaning that Amazon takes care of the maintenance, updates, and security of the platform. This frees up the organization's IT resources and allows them to focus on other critical tasks. BeyondTrust requires the organization to maintain and manage the solution themselves, which could involve additional time, effort, and expertise.

In Summary, AWS IAM and BeyondTrust differ in their architecture, scalability, integration capabilities, availability, cost structure, and managed services. While AWS IAM is a cloud-based, scalable, and fully managed service tightly integrated with the AWS ecosystem, BeyondTrust is an on-premise solution with broader integration capabilities but potentially limited scalability and availability.