Cloudflare Access vs The Bastion
Cloudflare Access
cloudflare.comThe Bastion
ovh.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Cloudflare Access | The Bastion |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $7/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Spec score · SSH Server Software | 8.9 (#3) | 7.6 (#22) |
| Automation | Cloudflare says Access policy administration can be centralized and scaled with APIs and Terraform. | An optional Puppet module handles configuration and prerequisites. |
| Founded | 2009 | 1999 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, CA | Roubaix, France |
| 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. | The Bastion is a single entry point for operational teams to securely connect to infrastructure machines, usually over SSH. |
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).
The Bastion
The Bastion has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.