Console alternatives after the Palo Alto Networks acquisition (2026): access requests and offboarding
Console alternatives for access requests and offboarding after Palo Alto Networks bought Console: 7 tools compared on Google Chat, apps without SCIM and laptops.
Updated 4 November 2026 · Simon Mestdagh · We sell Caspian, one of the options below.
Palo Alto Networks announced on 1 September 2026 that it had acquired Console and will fold it into Cortex, its security operations platform. If you used Console mainly for access requests and offboarding, pick by three questions: where do employees ask (Slack, Teams, Google Chat), can the tool act in apps without SCIM, and does it cover the laptop. For small IT teams that want access plus laptops in one place, we recommend Caspian (ours). For Slack-first access requests with browser-based provisioning, AccessOwl. For enterprise governance, Lumos. For a full help desk, Siit.
TL;DR
- Palo Alto announced the deal 1 September 2026. Price not disclosed; TechCrunch reported $500 million in cash and stock, citing two people. Palo Alto declined to comment.
- Palo Alto says Console's technology goes into Cortex. As of late October 2026, Console alternatives posts from Skillset and Siit found no published roadmap for IT service management customers.
- The five existing "Console alternatives" lists compare help desks. This page compares the access job: requests, provisioning into apps without SCIM, offboarding, and the laptop.
Which Console alternatives handle access requests and offboarding?
Prices and features from each vendor's public pages, read 4 November 2026.
| Tool | Where employees ask | Apps without SCIM | Laptop / device | Offboarding | Public price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caspian (ours) | Slack, Teams, Google Chat, web | Yes, through the app's API or browser automation | Yes: works next to your MDM or manages Macs directly | Accounts, access inside apps, laptop | See free; €10 per active user/month excl. VAT |
| AccessOwl | Slack, web dashboard | Yes, service accounts and browser automation, 400+ apps | No device management | Workflows on Basic and up | $4.50 to $6.00 per user/month, $250/month minimum; provisioning add-on $2.50 |
| Lumos | AppStore, Slack, Teams, CLI, ITSM | Through its integrations | No | Yes, one-click offboarding | Quote only |
| Siit | Slack, Teams, email | Through workflows and integrations | Integrates with Jamf, Intune, Iru, JumpCloud | Templates: deactivate accounts, reset MFA, request wipe | From $23 per admin/month |
| Okta Workflows | Okta dashboard, plus what you build | Only if you build a connector flow | No | Flows you build | Okta Starter $6/user/month with 5 flows; Essentials $17 with 50 |
| Serval | Slack, Teams, email, portal | Workflows generated as code | No | Workflows you generate | Quote only |
| Risotto | Slack, Teams, email | Through integrations (Okta, Google Workspace, Jamf) | Integrates with Jamf, Intune | App access with approvals | Not public |
Sources: accessowl.com/pricing, accessowl.com/slack, lumos.com/products/appstore, siit.io console alternatives, 29 Oct 2026, okta.com/pricing, Risotto, 30 Oct 2026.
What happened to Console?
Palo Alto Networks announced the acquisition on 1 September 2026 and did not disclose terms. TechCrunch reported on 2 September 2026 that the price was $500 million in cash and stock, citing two people, against a $157 million PitchBook valuation and $29 million raised. Palo Alto said it will integrate Console into Cortex, giving it "the arms and legs to deliver autonomous security outcomes across the entire enterprise" (Nikesh Arora, as quoted by TechCrunch). Network World describes the same Cortex plan. No end-of-life has been announced.
How is this different from the other Console alternatives lists?
The lists from Skillset (23 Oct), Rezolve.ai (15 Oct), Risotto (30 Oct), Siit (29 Oct) and Harmony compare AI help desks: ticketing, knowledge bases, HR and Finance requests. Each is written by a vendor that recommends itself, as this page does. None of them leads on three things that decide an access tool for a small IT team:
- Google Chat. Skillset's comparison lists Google Chat as a Console channel and not a Skillset one. Of the tools above, only Caspian lists it.
- Apps without SCIM. Many apps keep SCIM behind an enterprise tier. A tool that only provisions over SCIM leaves those apps as manual tasks.
- The laptop. Offboarding is not done while the laptop still has the apps and the person's session. Help desks route that to the MDM; few do it themselves.
Which one should you pick?
- You are 50 to 500 people, Mac-first, one or two IT people: Caspian. Access requests, apps without SCIM and the laptop in one tool, with a public price. Bias noted: we sell it.
- You live in Slack and only need app access, not devices: AccessOwl. Clear pricing and provisioning without SCIM.
- You need access reviews and governance at enterprise scale: Lumos.
- You want a full help desk for IT, HR and Ops: Siit, or Risotto on top of Jira or Freshservice.
- You already pay for Okta Essentials and have someone who builds flows: Okta Workflows.
What should you check before you move?
Read your Console renewal for minimum commitments and bundling (Siit's post makes the same point). Export your playbooks and approval policies. List which apps Console provisioned over SCIM and which it handled another way, because those are the ones a new tool must cover. Then run one joiner and one leaver end to end in a trial before you sign.
What does Caspian read, and with which rights?
Seeing is read-only: Caspian reads apps, accounts and devices from the systems you connect, such as Google Workspace, Okta, Slack or your MDM. Changing anything (granting access, removing an account) needs write rights you grant per app, and every change is logged. Caspian was pen-tested by Workstreet in August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Did Palo Alto Networks buy Console?
Yes. Palo Alto Networks announced on 1 September 2026 that it acquired Console and will integrate it into Cortex.
How much did Palo Alto pay for Console?
Not disclosed. TechCrunch reported $500 million in cash and stock, citing two people; Palo Alto declined to comment.
Is Console being shut down?
No end-of-life has been announced as of 4 November 2026. The stated direction is security operations inside Cortex.
What is the best Console alternative for access requests?
For small IT teams that want access requests, apps without SCIM and laptops in one tool, we recommend Caspian, which we sell. For Slack-only app access, AccessOwl.
Which Console alternatives work in Google Chat?
Of the tools compared here, Caspian. The others list Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Disclosure: Caspian is our product. Competitor facts come from their public pages on the dates shown; tell us if something changed and we will fix it.
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