Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

Akeyless vs DemandStar

Akeyless logo

Akeyless

Cybersecurity

Runtime identity security at agentic scale

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
DemandStar logo

DemandStar

Government

Bid distribution network that is free for government agencies and charges the suppliers instead

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Akeyless pricing is usage-based and complex, requires sales consultation; DemandStar coverage is opt-in by agency, so a supplier paying for a state tier receives only participating agencies and must still monitor other portals for the rest.
  • They diverge on capability: Akeyless covers Secrets management, DemandStar covers Free for agencies.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Akeyless and DemandStar actually diverge.

Attributes where Akeyless and DemandStar differ
AttributeAkeylessDemandStar
Pricing modelUsage-based pricing units that vary by product moduleFree for agencies, per year by geographic coverage for suppliers
PlatformsCloud, Hybrid, On-PremisesWeb
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Akeyless

  • Secrets management
  • Machine identity
  • AI agent identity
  • Certificate management
  • Privileged access management
  • Multi-vault governance
  • Encryption and KMS
  • Password manager

Only in DemandStar

  • Free for agencies
  • Commodity code matching
  • eBidding
  • Plan holder lists
  • Supplier registration
  • Geographic subscription tiers

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Akeyless

  • Securing AI agents with dedicated identity trackingnot DemandStar
  • Managing machine-to-machine credentials at scalenot DemandStar
  • Automating PKI and certificate lifecyclenot DemandStar
  • Implementing just-in-time privileged accessnot DemandStar

DemandStar

  • A city purchasing officer who wants wider bid distribution without running a procurement to buy softwarenot Akeyless
  • A contractor who works in three adjacent counties and wants notifications only for that footprintnot Akeyless
  • An agency needing sealed electronic bid submission to replace paper deliveries to the clerknot Akeyless
  • A supplier testing whether public sector work is viable before committing to a national subscriptionnot Akeyless

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Akeyless

  • Pricing is usage-based and complex, requires sales consultation
  • Free tier is very limited with restricted access
  • No transparent pricing published for enterprise features
  • Pricing model varies significantly by product module

DemandStar

  • Coverage is opt-in by agency, so a supplier paying for a state tier receives only participating agencies and must still monitor other portals for the rest.
  • The free supplier tier charges around 5 US dollars per bid document download, which turns an apparently free plan into a metered one as soon as you actually pursue opportunities.
  • State pricing ranges from roughly 100 to 1,499 US dollars with the variation driven by agency density, so suppliers cannot predict cost from geography alone.
  • Because agencies pay nothing, they have little leverage over the roadmap and features are driven by what makes supplier subscriptions sell.
  • The brand is being folded into Euna OpenBid following the Euna Solutions consolidation, so suppliers and agencies should expect the name and portal to change.

Pricing, plan by plan

Akeyless

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited feature access
    • Restricted usage quotas
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Custom pricing based on usage
    • Unlimited resource quotas
    • Full feature access

DemandStar

Free
  • Government agencyFree
    • Post unlimited solicitations
    • Access the supplier network
    • eBidding and plan holder lists
  • Supplier freeFree
    • Bid notifications for one agency of your choice
    • Bid document downloads charged around 5 USD each
    • Supplier profile and registration
  • Supplier county$60/year
    • All participating agencies within one county
    • Unlimited bid document access for that county
    • Approximate rate, varies by county
  • Supplier state$100/year
    • All participating agencies within one state
    • Priced from around 100 to 1,499 USD depending on agency density

Which should you pick?

Choose Akeyless if

  • You need secrets management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Hybrid, On-Premises.
  • You also want machine identity.
Akeyless review

Choose DemandStar if

  • You need free for agencies.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want commodity code matching.
DemandStar review

Questions people ask

Is Akeyless or DemandStar better?
Neither clearly leads. Akeyless starts at Free and DemandStar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Akeyless or DemandStar?
Akeyless starts at Free and DemandStar at Free.
Does Akeyless or DemandStar run on more platforms?
Akeyless runs on Cloud, Hybrid, On-Premises. DemandStar runs on Web.
Can I use Akeyless for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Akeyless best used for?
Akeyless is most often used for securing ai agents with dedicated identity tracking, managing machine-to-machine credentials at scale, automating pki and certificate lifecycle, implementing just-in-time privileged access. Of those, securing ai agents with dedicated identity tracking and managing machine-to-machine credentials at scale are not what DemandStar is typically brought in for.
What can Akeyless do that DemandStar cannot?
Akeyless covers Secrets management, Machine identity, AI agent identity, Certificate management. DemandStar covers Free for agencies, Commodity code matching, eBidding, Plan holder lists.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Akeyless: What pricing model does Akeyless use?

Akeyless uses usage-based pricing units that vary by product. For example, Secrets Management is priced by clients, Certificate Management by managed certificates, Encryption by transactions, and PAM by users. Contact sales for a custom quote.

Source
DemandStar: Is DemandStar free for governments?

Yes, entirely. Agencies post solicitations and access the supplier network at no cost; suppliers fund the platform.

Akeyless: Does Akeyless support hybrid deployment?

Yes, Akeyless offers Pure SaaS cloud-managed deployment and Hybrid SaaS with on-premise gateways and zero-knowledge encryption for sensitive environments.

Source
DemandStar: What do suppliers pay?

Free for one agency with roughly 5 USD per document download, about 60 USD a year per county, 100 to 1,499 per state, and 2,699 for national coverage.

Akeyless: How does Akeyless handle AI agent identities?

Akeyless provides dedicated AI agent identity tracking with runtime access control, allowing organizations to manage AI agent access separately from human and machine identities.

Source
DemandStar: Who owns DemandStar?

Euna Solutions, the public sector portfolio formerly known as GTY Technology, which also absorbed Bonfire and Ion Wave.

DemandStar: Does it cover every agency?

No. Only agencies that have opted in, which is the main limitation for suppliers buying wide coverage.

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