Cloudflare Access vs Dropbear
Cloudflare Access
cloudflare.comDropbear
matt.ucc.asn.auSide by side
| Figure | Cloudflare Access | Dropbear |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $7/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Spec score · SSH Server Software | 8.9 (#3) | 8.3 (#9) |
| Purpose | Cloudflare Access is a zero trust network access solution for self-hosted apps, SaaS applications, and infrastructure that checks identity, device posture, and context for each request. | Dropbear is a relatively small SSH server and client. |
Plans
Cloudflare Access
- Free PlanFree
- Pay-as-you-go$7 a month
- Contract PlanPrice not published
- Cloudflare One free planFree
In their own words
Cloudflare Access
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).