StrongDM helps us control who can enter our servers, but access does not end at the login screen. We also need to know what people can do once they get inside. That's why we're reviewing StrongDM competitors.
Some tools focus on server access, while others cover cloud accounts, admin rights, and passwords. We'll look at what each tool offers, where it falls short, and which one makes sense for our team without paying for features we will never use.
Why Teams Are Reopening the StrongDM Decision
StrongDM has a new owner. Delinea bought the company on March 5, 2026. StrongDM is now part of Delinea. However, it still operates as a separate product for now. Its existing application, APIs, and customer access processes remain unchanged. This change may lead teams to review StrongDM alternatives before making their next decision.
- New Ownership: StrongDM is now part of Delinea. Customers who chose it for its independent direction may want to review that choice.
- Product Changes: Delinea plans to bring StrongDM into its platform during 2027. This makes future integrations and product updates worth watching.
- Different Needs: Some teams need more than server access. They may also need control over employee accounts, cloud permissions, and admin rights.
We don't have to leave a working product. But we should know what may change before signing another long-term contract.
StrongDM vs Teleport: Where They Actually Differ
StrongDM and Teleport both protect servers, databases, and Kubernetes, but work differently. Both StrongDM and Teleport use proxy-based infrastructure to secure access. StrongDM routes connections through gateways, relays, and proxy clusters. Teleport focuses on identity-based access, using short-lived certificates and role-based access controls. In StrongDM vs Teleport, the real difference is how each handles trust and access.
- Where StrongDM Fits: StrongDM may suit teams that want one place to manage access, check database activity, and see what users do during a session. It helps us keep access under control and know how it is being used.
- Where Teleport Fits: Teleport may suit engineering teams that prefer certificate-based access and more control over their setup. It connects a user's identity to the systems they can reach.
Neither tool is right for every team. We should choose the one that gives people the access they need, without giving them more than their work requires. After all, access is a trust, and trust should come with responsibility.
Where StrongDM and Teleport Differ From Broader IAM Platforms
StrongDM and Teleport focus on infrastructure access. But employees also need access to business apps, older software, and privileged systems. Managing all these permissions through one identity setup can be difficult.
A broader IAM and PAM platform can help cover this gap. We should not expect one tool to solve every access problem. Different systems have different needs, and access should match the responsibility of each user.
For example, a company may need to:
- Connect Older Applications: Some internal apps do not support modern SSO. Rather than replacing working software, we can add an identity layer to manage who gets access.
- Control Application Permissions: Access to an app should not mean access to every feature inside it. We should give people only the permissions they need to do their work.
- Remove Access Across Systems: When someone leaves, their access should be removed from every connected app and system, not just one server. Responsibilities may end, but forgotten permissions can leave the door open.
Trust comes with responsibility. We should give people the access needed for their work, protect everything placed in our care, and make sure that access is removed when it is no longer needed. This is an important point to consider when comparing teleport competitors.
How We Picked These StrongDM Competitors
We went through each product before adding it to the list. Our focus was on what the tool actually does, which systems it protects, and where it may fall short. This also helped us review teleport alternatives on fair grounds.
- Infrastructure Coverage: We looked at the systems each tool supports, including servers, databases, Kubernetes, and cloud platforms. Support for internal apps also mattered.
- Access Control: Giving access is only one part of the job. We also looked at user roles, approval steps, temporary access, and how teams remove permissions when they are no longer needed.
- Visibility: A team needs to know what happens after access is given. We checked for activity logs, session records, and reports that show who used a system.
- Deployment and Fit: Some teams want a cloud service, while others prefer to run software on their own servers. We kept both needs in mind and considered the types of teams each tool supports.
StrongDM Competitors at a Glance
10 StrongDM Alternatives and Related Access Security Platforms Compared
Teleport
Teleport is one of the closest alternatives for teams that want to protect engineering access without relying on long-lived passwords and SSH keys. It supports servers, databases, Kubernetes, desktops, and internal applications.
- Short-Lived Certificates: Teleport issues certificates linked to user or service identities. They expire automatically, reducing the need to manage permanent credentials.
- Session Auditing: Teams can record SSH, Kubernetes, desktop, and database sessions. Administrators can review activity later when investigating an incident.
Infisign
Infisign is worth considering when privileged infrastructure access is not the only concern. Its IAM and PAM solutions cover application access, SSH and RDP access, authentication for legacy applications, and privileged access controls. It is another option for teams that want to manage application identities and privileged access through one platform. However, it is not a direct replacement for StrongDM's infrastructure access platform.
- Privileged Access: Infisign supports secure SSH, RDP, and key-based access. Teams can manage privileged access across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments.
- Just-in-Time Access: Employees and vendors can receive temporary elevated permissions when needed. This helps reduce standing access that remains active long after a task ends.
- Legacy Application Support: Its NAG feature extends SSO to on-premises applications, while MPWA supports applications that do not offer native SSO. This is useful when replacing older software is not an option.
- Audit and Access Control: Infisign offers privileged session audit trails, conditional access, and application-level permission controls. Its platform also includes more than 6,000 pre-built integrations. However, the available integrations and their features may vary depending on the application and business needs.
HashiCorp Boundary
Boundary is a good choice for teams that want to give users identity-based access to private systems without providing direct network access. Its HCP and Enterprise editions support both cloud and on-premises infrastructure. However, Boundary Community Edition was deprecated in October 2026 and is no longer actively maintained.
- Credential Injection: Boundary can retrieve credentials from a secure store and inject them into a session. Users do not need to see or handle the underlying password.
- Time-Limited Sessions: Administrators can set access rules and session limits. Higher editions also support session recording and playback.
BeyondTrust
BeyondTrust is suited to organizations that need strong control over remote administrator and vendor access. It focuses on securing the connection as well as monitoring what happens during it.
- Vendor Access: Outside technicians can connect to approved systems without needing shared passwords or traditional VPN access. Administrators can control which systems they can reach.
- Session Monitoring: Teams can record sessions, review user actions, and end risky connections. This is useful when third parties work with critical business systems.
CyberArk
CyberArk is a strong choice for large organizations with many privileged accounts and strict security needs. Its platform covers credential storage, access control, and privileged session security.
- Credential Vaulting: Privileged passwords and SSH keys can be stored and managed in a central vault. Automated rotation helps reduce the risk of old or exposed credentials.
- Privileged Session Control: Security teams can monitor and record sessions, review suspicious activity, and terminate risky connections. Its just-in-time capabilities also help reduce permanent administrator access.
Britive
Britive focuses on cloud-native privileged access. It is worth a look when teams manage permissions across several cloud providers and want to avoid leaving broad access active.
- Dynamic Permissions: Britive can create temporary permissions across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and OCI. Access is removed when the task ends.
- Runtime Control: Its platform also covers machine identities and AI agents. Teams can apply policies when access is requested instead of relying only on permissions granted earlier.
P0 Security
P0 Security is built around the idea that cloud permissions should not remain active just because someone needed them once. It helps teams discover access and grant temporary permissions through defined rules.
- Access Discovery: Its identity graph maps users, roles, resources, and permission links across cloud systems. This helps teams find stale or excessive access.
- Automated JIT: Users can request access through Slack, CLI, or the web console. P0 can provision approved permissions and remove them automatically when they expire.
1Password Privileged Access
1Password Unified Access includes Apono's just-in-time access governance technology. This follows 1Password's acquisition of Apono on June 15, 2026. It is worth considering for teams that want to manage and control access for employees, machines, and AI agents.
- Temporary Permissions: Access is created in the target system when someone needs it. Permissions are limited to the task and removed when the work ends.
- Access Governance: Requests, approvals, grants, and revocations are recorded. Teams can use this information to review who received access and why.
SSH PrivX
PrivX by SSH is a useful option for organizations that want passwordless privileged access across hybrid and cloud environments. It focuses on short-lived credentials instead of relying on permanent administrator passwords.
- Ephemeral Access: PrivX uses short-lived certificates to give users temporary access. This reduces the need to share or store long-term credentials.
- Hybrid Support: It integrates with existing directories and identity systems. Session recording and cloud permission controls add visibility for security teams.
Akeyless
Akeyless is a good fit when the main problem involves secrets, keys, certificates, and machine identities. It is broader than a traditional password vault and supports modern cloud and hybrid systems.
- Dynamic Secrets: Akeyless can create temporary credentials when an application or workload needs access. These credentials can expire or be revoked instead of remaining active indefinitely.
- Machine Identity Security: Teams can manage certificates, keys, and application credentials through one platform. This helps reduce secret sprawl across cloud systems and development pipelines.
Teleport Alternatives When Teleport Is the One You Are Leaving
Leaving Teleport does not mean we need another tool that works exactly the same way. Teleport also offers a free, open-source Community Edition, so we should first check whether the issue is price, setup, or missing features.
Here are four options worth looking at:
- Application Access: Infisign is worth considering when we need privileged access and SSO for older apps that do not support it.
- Credential Control: HashiCorp Boundary helps manage connections without showing passwords to end users.
- Cloud Permissions: Britive and P0 Security help teams give temporary access to cloud roles and resources.
- Open-Source Remote Access: Apache Guacamole supports SSH, RDP, and VNC through a browser. It does not provide all the identity and access controls found in Teleport.
Which StrongDM Competitor Fits Your Situation
The best choice becomes easier when we start with the problem instead of the product name.
- Engineering and DevOps: Choose Teleport if certificate-based access to servers, Kubernetes, and databases is the main requirement.
- IAM and PAM Together: Consider Infisign if we need application SSO, privileged access, legacy app support, and employee access controls in one wider setup.
- Enterprise Security: Enterprise Security: CyberArk or BeyondTrust makes sense when we need mature credential management solutions, vendor access, and detailed session monitoring.
- Cloud-Native Teams: Britive or P0 Security is worth considering when temporary cloud permissions and zero standing privilege matter more than traditional password vaulting.
Put Privileged Access Inside Your Identity Platform
Infrastructure access is only one part of identity security. We also need to manage application logins, employee permissions, vendor access, and older systems that cannot support modern authentication.
Infisign brings these needs closer together through its IAM and PAM offerings.
- One Access Layer: Connect application access and privileged access across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid systems.
- Temporary Privileges: Give employees and vendors elevated access only when their work requires it.
- Legacy Application Support: Extend access controls to older applications that do not support native SSO.
If your access tools are spread across different systems, explore Infisign's PAM platform. Book a demo to discuss your current setup and see how its access controls fit your requirements.
FAQ
1. Who are StrongDM's main competitors?
StrongDM's main competitors include Teleport, Infisign, HashiCorp Boundary, BeyondTrust, CyberArk, Britive, P0 Security, and SSH PrivX. Each serves different access needs.
2. Is StrongDM part of Delinea now?
Yes. Delinea completed its acquisition of StrongDM on March 5, 2026. The product still operates separately for now, with wider platform integration planned during 2027.
3. What is the difference between StrongDM and Teleport?
StrongDM uses a proxy-based access model, while Teleport relies on short-lived certificates and identity-based access. Both support infrastructure security and session auditing.
4. Is Teleport free?
Yes. Teleport offers a free, open-source Community Edition, with some licensing and usage limits. Its Enterprise Cloud and Enterprise Self-Hosted plans include additional features, more deployment options, and commercial support.
5. What is the best open source alternative to Teleport?
Apache Guacamole is a useful open-source option for browser-based SSH, RDP, and VNC access. However, it does not replace Teleport's full identity and access controls.
