Remote Infrastructure Access Tools -- CyberArk Alternatives
Remote infrastructure access tools enable secure connectivity to servers, databases, Kubernetes clusters, and cloud resources without relying on traditional VPNs or exposing credentials. While CyberArk provides remote access through its Privileged Session Manager and Vendor Privileged Access Manager, modern alternatives offer more developer-friendly approaches with direct protocol support, transparent proxying, and identity-based access controls. These solutions are particularly relevant for distributed teams, DevOps workflows, and third-party vendor access scenarios.
Create a comprehensive catalog of all infrastructure resources that require remote access including servers, databases, Kubernetes clusters, cloud accounts, and internal applications. Define which teams and roles need access to each resource and through which protocols.
Deploy the access platform's proxy, gateway, or agent infrastructure to provide connectivity between users and target resources. Configure network routing to ensure all remote access flows through the access platform rather than direct connections or VPNs.
Define access policies based on user identity, team membership, and role. Configure just-in-time access workflows where users request access for specific resources and durations. Integrate with your identity provider for single sign-on and multi-factor authentication.
Configure session recording, command logging, and query-level auditing for all remote access sessions. Set up real-time alerts for suspicious activity such as privilege escalation attempts, access to sensitive data, or unusual access patterns.
Migrate users from VPNs, shared credentials, and direct access to the new platform. Provide self-service access request interfaces and documentation. Gradually decommission legacy access methods as teams adopt the new platform, ensuring no access paths bypass the central controls.
Free (Community) / From $20/resource/month (Enterprise)
Teleport provides the most comprehensive remote infrastructure access with native support for SSH, Kubernetes, databases, Windows desktops, and web applications through a unified, certificate-based access plane. Its open-source model and developer experience are unmatched.
From $70/user/month
StrongDM excels at providing transparent remote access where users connect through native clients with full audit logging. Its proxy architecture supports databases, servers, Kubernetes, and cloud resources with minimal workflow disruption.
Free (OSS) / HCP Boundary from $0.20/session
HashiCorp Boundary provides identity-based remote access with dynamic service discovery and credential brokering through Vault. It is the best choice for dynamic infrastructure environments managed with Terraform.
Custom enterprise pricing
BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access provides enterprise-grade remote access for both employees and third-party vendors with session monitoring, granular permissions, and comprehensive audit trails.
From $10,000/year (Secret Server) / Custom enterprise
Delinea Connection Manager provides remote access capabilities integrated with Secret Server for credential management, offering a traditional but effective approach to remote privileged access with session monitoring.
Open-source identity-based infrastructure access platform
Free (Community) / From $20/resource/month (Enterprise)
Engineering teams needing modern, developer-friendly infrastructure access
People-first infrastructure access platform with full audit logging
From $70/user/month
Teams needing simple, auditable infrastructure access with minimal workflow disruption
Open-source identity-based access management for dynamic infrastructure
Free (OSS) / HCP Boundary from $0.20/session
HashiCorp ecosystem users needing identity-based remote access
Unified privilege management and secure remote access platform
Custom enterprise pricing
Organizations needing combined privilege management and secure remote access
Cloud-ready PAM platform built on Secret Server and privilege management
From $10,000/year (Secret Server) / Custom enterprise
Organizations wanting a faster PAM deployment with lower complexity
CyberArk provides remote access through its Privileged Session Manager, which proxies sessions through a jump server and manages credentials centrally. Modern platforms like Teleport and StrongDM take a different approach by providing direct, identity-based access without credential vaulting, using short-lived certificates or transparent proxying. The modern approach offers better developer experience and faster access, while CyberArk provides deeper credential management and session control.
Yes. Teleport, StrongDM, and HashiCorp Boundary are specifically designed to replace VPNs for infrastructure access. They provide more granular access controls (resource-level rather than network-level), better audit logging, and improved user experience. Unlike VPNs, which grant broad network access, these tools provide access only to specific resources based on identity and policy, following zero trust principles.
BeyondTrust has the strongest dedicated vendor access capabilities through its Privileged Remote Access product, purpose-built for third-party access. Teleport and StrongDM support vendor access through their standard access request workflows with time-limited grants. CyberArk offers Vendor Privileged Access Manager for this use case. For organizations where vendor access is a primary concern, BeyondTrust or CyberArk offer the most mature solutions.
Teleport supports SSH, Kubernetes, databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, and more), Windows Remote Desktop, and web applications. StrongDM supports SSH, RDP, databases, Kubernetes, and HTTP resources. HashiCorp Boundary supports SSH and database protocols with credential brokering. CyberArk PSM supports SSH, RDP, database clients, and web applications. For the broadest protocol support in a modern platform, Teleport and StrongDM lead.
Open-source identity-based infrastructure access platform
ComparisonPeople-first infrastructure access platform with full audit logging
ComparisonOpen-source identity-based access management for dynamic infrastructure
CategoryCompare modern PAM alternatives to CyberArk including Teleport, StrongDM, and HashiCorp Boundary. Zero-trust, identity-based infrastructure access for cloud-native teams.
CategoryCompare enterprise PAM alternatives to CyberArk including BeyondTrust, Delinea, and ManageEngine PAM360. Full-featured privileged access management platforms.
Use CaseCompare the best privileged access management alternatives to CyberArk. Comprehensive PAM tools for credential vaulting, session management, and compliance.
Use CaseCompare zero trust access alternatives to CyberArk. Modern platforms for identity-based, least-privilege access to infrastructure and applications.
Use CaseCompare compliance and audit alternatives to CyberArk. Solutions for meeting SOC 2, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and other regulatory requirements for privileged access.