Satori vs. IBM Guardium
Compare IBM Guardium DAM and Satori, and discover why companies choose Satori for their database activity monitoring.







Key differences between Satori and IBM Guardium DAM
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Easy onboardingSatori's scalable platform and agentless deployment enable companies to onboard in weeks with minimal resources.IBM Guardium DAM requires agents and manual configurations, leading to a longer deployment process involving multiple teams. |
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Low cost of ownershipSatori's agentless deployment means lower long-term costs due to reduced maintenance needs.Guardium DAM requires frequent updates. |
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Predictable pricing modelSatori's pricing is simple and predictable, based on number of active data users.IBM Guardium DAM has a complex pricing structure, based on database volume, number of databases, and specific features - leading to higher costs overall. |
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Easy onboardingSatori’s scalable platform and agentless deployment enable companies to onboard in weeks with minimal resources. Guardium DAM requires agents and manual configurations, leading to a longer deployment process involving multiple teams. | ||
Low cost of ownershipSatori’s agentless deployment means lower long-term costs due to reduced maintenance needs. IBM Guardium DAM requires frequent updates. | ||
Predictable pricing modelSatori’s pricing is simple and predictable, based on number of active data users. IBM Guardium DAM has a complex pricing structure, based on database activity volume, number of databases, and specific features – leading to higher costs overall. |
“When users get immediate, secure access to data, it removes one of the biggest blockers for AI & analytics.”

Sanjeev Mohan
VP Data & Analytics, Gartner (Ex)
Proactive security capabilitiesIn Satori, it's quick to transition from monitoring to policy enforcement, including dynamic masking, fine-grained access control, and just-in-time data access.Guardium DAM takes a more reactive security approach with a focus on traditional monitoring. |
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Modern security architectureBuilt from the ground up as a unified data security platform (DSP), Satori supports modern data technologies and security controls. |
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Application user mappingSatori can identify real users behind generic database connections, even in BI tools.IBM Guardium DAM lacks advanced user-mapping capabilities, making it harder to track individual activity in shared database connections. |
Proactive security capabilitiesIn Satori, it’s quick to transition from monitoring to policy enforcement, including dynamic masking, fine-grained access control, and just-in-time data access. Guardium DAM takes a more reactive security approach with a focus on traditional monitoring. | ||
Modern security architectureBuilt from the ground up as a unified data security platform (DSP), Satori supports modern data technologies and security controls. | ||
Application user mappingSatori can identify real users behind generic database connections, even in BI tools. Guardium DAM lacks advanced user-mapping capabilities, making it harder to track individual activity in shared database connections. |
“Satori allowed us to implement need-to-know access to protect sensitive customer PII and financial data without slowing down the pace of innovation and growth.
We implemented Satori in days and required no changes to our data warehouse or BI solution.”

Diedrick van Liere
CTO, Wealthsimple
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Key Capabilities
Centralized Data Access Control
Satori lets you manage data access and security policies from a centralized platform, saving time and reducing risks.


Data Discovery & Classification
Satori automatically and continuously discovers all data assets and classifies sensitive data to enforce security and access policies dynamically.
Data Access Governance
Satori’s data access governance capabilities, allow users to know who has the potential to access data in an instant. With Satori, go beyond visibility and get real-time monitoring and enforcement.


Data Activity Monitoring
Use Satori to meet compliance and security requirements with full visibility and control over sensitive data.
Real-time Enforcement
Satori is the only platform that allows you to both map and monitor data exposure risks, and automate actions to eliminate them.

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Frequently Asked Questions
What is IBM Guardium DAM’s pricing model?
Gardium’s pricing model is complex, based on multiple factors such as volume of database activity, number of databases, and specific features used. See our pricing page to learn more about Satori’s pricing and features, or set up a quick introductory meeting here.
Who are IBM Guardium DAM’s competitors?
Guardium DAM’s competitors are mainly other tools in the Database Activity Monitoring space.
What Guardium DAM alternatives exist?
Data teams often look for alternatives to Guardium DAM when they realize they need more out of their Database Activity Monitoring tool. Many teams move to Satori from Guardium when they need proactive security features like:
- Fine-grained access control on BI tools or operational data stores
- Continuous, custom data classification on structured and semi-structured data
- Policies that are automatically applied to new tables based on user access rules
- Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) capabilities
- Self-service data access through an intuitive data portal, Slack integration, or CLI
How long does it take to deploy Satori?
Deploying Satori is not as time-consuming as deploying legacy tools like Guardium DAM. Deployment typically ranges from a few days to weeks, depending on which deployment method is chosen. Satori’s efficient setup time allows our customers to implement end-to-end data access with built-in security and compliance, quickly.