Bowtie Private Access vs Cloudflare Access

Bowtie Private Access creates encrypted connections from devices to private resources without routing traffic through intermediary networks. Its Zero Trust policies grant authenticated access according to user or device characteristics. Bowtie Internet Access adds web filtering enforced on the device rather than through a centralized gateway, while its policy engine can unify overlapping networks and segment access. The product uses WireGuard encryption; Bowtie says keys are generated and stored in the customer's environment and traffic does not pass through its cloud. Basic is free for up to 3 users, 2 devices per user, and 2 controllers. Essentials costs $11 a month per user and supports up to 1000 users, 3 devices per user, and 4 controllers. Enterprise pricing is custom. SSO options include Okta and Entra ID, with configurations also described for GitHub, GitLab, SAML, AWS Identity Center, and Google IDP. Essentials includes API access and a Terraform provider; Enterprise adds MDM deployment and SIEM integration. Bowtie supports iOS, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows, with client downloads for Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Cloudflare Access controls access to self-hosted apps, SaaS applications, and infrastructure by checking identity, device posture, and other context on each request. Policies can grant access at the individual resource level, and applications deny access unless a user matches an Allow policy. It supports SAML- and OIDC-compliant identity providers, including enterprise and social providers, as well as Cloudflare as an identity provider. Contractors, partners, and people using unmanaged devices can connect through a browser with social sign-in or a one-time PIN. Access can replace or supplement a legacy VPN by limiting access to specific applications, and its controls also cover infrastructure such as SSH and RDP. Administrators can manage policies centrally and scale them through APIs and Terraform. Publishing a self-hosted public application requires an active Cloudflare domain with full or partial CNAME setup. The free plan is for fewer than 50 users; paid service starts at $7/user/mo (annual).