Cloudflare Access vs Nebula
Cloudflare Access
cloudflare.comNebula
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Cloudflare Access | Nebula |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $7/mo | $1/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 4 |
| Spec score · Business VPN Software | 8.9 (#12) | 8.3 (#36) |
| 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. | Nebula is a self-hosted overlay networking tool for connecting hosts with on-demand encrypted tunnels across IP networks. |
Plans
Cloudflare Access
- Free PlanFree
- Pay-as-you-go$7 a month
- Contract PlanPrice not published
- Cloudflare One free planFree
Nebula
- Managed Nebula FreeFree
- Nebula (self-hosted open source)Free
- Managed Nebula Pro$1 a month
- Managed Nebula EnterprisePriced on request
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).