Zero trust network access software replaces a broad VPN with access to named applications and servers, checked per user and per device.
This guide ranks twelve products, from specialists to SASE bundles and overlay networks, by ninety-day setup effort, the bill once users, machines or modules grow, exit, independence from large vendors, and fit.
Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
In short
What zero trust network access software does
Zero trust network access software grants users and devices access to specific applications or servers after identity checks, rather than the whole network, limiting what a stolen login reaches.
Each zero trust network access tool was put through the same five questions, in sequence: how hard is setup, what does it really cost, how does data come back out, can you leave, and who is it for. A separate rule reserves the first three places for challengers and moves the household names to place 4 and below. Reasons for the choice of tests, and for skipping a score out of ten, can be read on the how we work page.
Positioned as a ZTNA replacement for VPNs, with published per-user tiers
Ranked #1 of 12 in Best Zero Trust Network Access Software in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingNorth America
The pricing page runs from a free Starter plan to Enterprise. Teams offers 15% off annual billing, and Teams and Business both show a 14-day trial; Starter lists none.
On the product side the homepage names direct-to-resource connectivity, DNS and content filtering and just-in-time access requests, with Terraform, Pulumi and an API for automation. Integrations appear only as generic categories such as identity providers, MDM or EDR and SIEMs, so confirm your own stack before a pilot.
What stands out
VPN replacement
Just-in-time access
Terraform and Pulumi
Where it costs you
Each paid tier carries a user ceiling, so a company near 500 people must negotiate Enterprise terms.
The Home plan is restricted to non-commercial use, so it cannot serve as a company pilot.
Right for
Companies swapping a remote-access VPN for per-resource access with a forecastable bill
Wrong for
Organisations above 500 users wanting a listed price
United StatesFree plan for up to 5 users; published per-user tiers for Teams and Business; 14-day trials; Enterprise sold through sales
Clientless zero trust proxy with open source core and policy as code
Ranked #2 of 12 in Best Zero Trust Network Access Software in 2026.
Free tierOpen sourcePublished pricingElsewhere
Beyond the open source core, Pomerium ships a CLI, a Kubernetes Ingress Controller and a Terraform provider. Named features are clientless zero trust, policy as code, Kubernetes access and airgapped SSH access with recording.
The personal plan is meant for personal use only, so a company pilot would start on the Business trial. Business costs less billed annually than monthly. Enterprise has custom pricing and a demo route, and the copyright line names Pomerium, Inc.
What stands out
Apache 2.0 core
Policy as code
Kubernetes access
Where it costs you
The Business plan stops at 5 clusters, 100 routes and 100 policies, so large estates drift towards the custom Enterprise plan.
Rules live in code, which asks for engineering time before the first policy exists.
Right for
Engineering teams wanting a code-defined access proxy for internal apps and Kubernetes
Wrong for
Teams without engineers to write and maintain access policies
Not stated by the vendorFree personal plan; published per-user Zero Business plan with a trial; Enterprise custom
Per-user and per-machine tiers in euros, with Germany named in the terms
Ranked #3 of 12 in Best Zero Trust Network Access Software in 2026.
Free tierSelf-hostablePublished pricingEurope
NetBird's free plan covers up to 5 users and 100 machines. Team costs 6 euro and Business 12 euro per user per month; both show unlimited users and 100 machines plus 10 per user, with extra machines at 0.50 euro a month.
Enterprise has unlimited users and machines at custom pricing. Team and Business show a Try for free button with no trial length. The terms are by NetBird GmbH, under the jurisdiction of Germany, and no registered address appears.
What stands out
Machine-based limits
Euro pricing
Self-hosting mentioned
Where it costs you
Machine counts drive the cost, because paid tiers include 100 machines plus 10 per user and every further machine is billed.
The pricing page gives no trial length, and self-hosting is mentioned without a price or terms.
Right for
Small teams that count devices rather than people and want euro prices
Wrong for
Buyers who need ZTNA feature detail confirmed before testing
GermanyFree plan for up to 5 users; published per-user Team and Business plans; Enterprise by contact; self-hosting mentioned
Infrastructure identity platform with just-in-time access, priced on usage
Ranked #4 of 12 in Best Zero Trust Network Access Software in 2026.
Self-hostablePricing on requestElsewhere
Teleport calls itself the Infrastructure Identity Platform. Its pitch pairs just-in-time access with zero standing privileges, so access is requested and then expires. Pricing is stated as active users and protected resources, with deployment on-premises, in the cloud or hybrid.
The community section links to a GitHub repository with 20k stars, though the licence is not stated on the page. Headquarters are listed in Oakland, California, under Gravitational Inc., with no country named.
What stands out
Just-in-time access
Zero standing privileges
Cloud or on-premises
Where it costs you
Cost cannot be known in advance, because only a form leads to prices.
Integrations are named only as generic SSO and MFA support plus Auth0 in a customer quote, so check your own identity stack.
Right for
Platform teams that want standing privileges removed and can budget after a quote
Wrong for
Buyers who want to read a price before talking
Not stated by the vendorUsage-based on active users and protected resources; quoted through a form; on-premises, cloud or hybrid
Session-logged access to databases, SSH and Kubernetes, now part of Tailscale
Ranked #5 of 12 in Best Zero Trust Network Access Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
Border0 lists zero trust access, granular application access control, passwordless SSO, session logs and replay, and centralised logging. Named infrastructure is AWS, Azure, GCP and on-premises; named tools are Terraform, GitHub, Okta and a SIEM.
The resources it covers are databases, SSH servers, Kubernetes clusters and servers. The homepage carries a Start for free today button, but no tier limits or trial length. The footer copyright reads 2024 and shows no location.
What stands out
Joined Tailscale
Session replay
Database and SSH access
Where it costs you
The homepage shows no plan names, prices or tier limits, so cost cannot be estimated.
The product now belongs to Tailscale, so its roadmap sits with another company.
Right for
Teams guarding databases and SSH with session replay, who accept an ownership change
Wrong for
Buyers who need stated prices and a company location
Not stated by the vendorNo plans or prices shown on the homepage; a start button gives no tier or trial detail
Access policies and tunnels to private resources, with a free plan
Ranked #6 of 12 in Best Zero Trust Network Access Software in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingElsewhere
The Access product page describes an application connector that links resources to Cloudflare without a publicly routable IP address, with tunnels deployed through the UI, API or CLI. Policies can be customised and tied to identity providers and device posture.
Logs can be exported to a SIEM or cloud storage through Logpush, and Terraform handles automation. The free plan is called free forever and suits proof-of-concept tests; pay-as-you-go is billed annually per user, and the contract plan is custom.
What stands out
Free plan
Clientless access
Terraform support
Where it costs you
The free plan shows a 50-user limit, so a growing company moves to a paid rate quickly.
The wider Cloudflare One bundle is priced by contact, so its total cannot be costed from the site.
Right for
Small teams wanting clientless access to web, SSH and VNC resources at no cost
Wrong for
Organisations seeking a fixed price for the whole SASE bundle
Not stated by the vendorFree plan for small teams; published per-user pay-as-you-go rate; contract plan custom
Cloud-based secure access platform combining Connect Secure and zero trust gateways
Ranked #7 of 12 in Best Zero Trust Network Access Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
The homepage describes Ivanti Neurons for Secure Access as a unified, cloud-based platform for secure access. Its dashboard shows a real-time view of gateways, users and sessions.
Functions listed are anomalous behaviour detection, automated threat detection with user threat scores, centralised gateway upgrades and restarts, and automatic classification of mission-critical apps. Visitors are invited to contact Ivanti for a personalised demonstration. The only country reference is a customer service contact with the area served set to US.
What stands out
Connect Secure
ZTA gateways
User threat scores
Where it costs you
Without a price or trial, any test begins in a meeting with Ivanti.
The page calls the platform cloud-based and never mentions an on-premises option, so confirm hosting in writing.
Right for
Organisations already using Connect Secure that want gateway and session visibility
Wrong for
Buyers needing price or hosting detail before a demo
Not stated by the vendorDemo-led; the homepage states no price or trial
SASE platform with Private Access over a global private backbone
Ranked #8 of 12 in Best Zero Trust Network Access Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
Check Point's page lists four parts: Private Access, Internet Access, SaaS Security and SD-WAN. Internet Access covers web and DNS filtering and malware protection, and the vendor claims on-device inspection makes browsing 10x faster.
The architecture is described as cloud-based and hybrid, with on-device and cloud inspection options. The only trial-like link leads to Talk to an Expert and a blog post. The copyright reads 1994-2026, with no headquarters on the page.
What stands out
Private Access
SD-WAN
Hybrid inspection
Where it costs you
Pricing sits behind Talk to an Expert, and the page mentions no trial.
Private Access is one of four modules, so confirm what a ZTNA-only purchase would include.
Right for
Buyers wanting private access plus web filtering and SD-WAN from one supplier
Wrong for
Teams seeking a standalone ZTNA product with listed prices
Not stated by the vendorSales-led through Talk to an Expert; the page lists no price or trial
Cloud-delivered bundle with Secure Private Access as its ZTNA component
Ranked #9 of 12 in Best Zero Trust Network Access Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
Secure Private Access is described as zero trust application access that replaces traditional VPNs. Around it sit Secure Web Gateway, SaaS Security, Prisma Agent, browser isolation and a firewall service. Related products are Prisma Browser, Prisma SD-WAN and Strata Cloud Manager.
The page says firewalls deploy automatically in the cloud and mentions a hyperscale backbone. Its Get Started button leads to test drives, not an explicit trial, and only a Palo Alto Networks copyright notice appears.
What stands out
Secure Private Access
Bundled SASE
Remote browser isolation
Where it costs you
The page lists no price, so budgeting needs a sales meeting.
The bundle names six services, which is more scope than a team replacing only a VPN may want.
Right for
Security teams consolidating web gateway, browser isolation and ZTNA under one contract
Wrong for
Buyers wanting only application access and a stated price
Not stated by the vendorSales-led; the page lists no price, and Get Started links to a test-drive resource
Virtual network layer with a personal plan and device-based monthly tiers
Ranked #10 of 12 in Best Zero Trust Network Access Software in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingElsewhere
The Personal plan allows 10 devices, 1 network, 1 network admin and 10 users. Essential adds unlimited users, 10 networks and 5 admins for a monthly fee, with extra devices at 2.00 dollars each.
Scale includes 100 devices, unlimited networks and 10 network admins, with additions at 1.80 dollars. Essential shows a Start Free button but the page describes no trial period. Enterprise and Quantum have custom pricing and no trial. Terms are governed by California law.
What stands out
Device-based pricing
Network admins
Personal plan
Where it costs you
Extra devices are billed one by one on Essential and Scale, so the monthly total follows fleet size.
The Personal plan is limited to non-commercial use and 10 devices, so company pilots begin on a paid plan.
Right for
Small technical teams linking devices across sites who count machines, not users
Wrong for
Buyers expecting an access-policy feature list on the vendor page
Not stated by the vendorFree personal plan; published monthly tiers with per-device fees; Enterprise and Quantum quoted
Self-hosted overlay network with certificate identity and a hosted option
Ranked #11 of 12 in Best Zero Trust Network Access Software in 2026.
Free tierSelf-hostablePublished pricingElsewhere
Nebula carries TCP, UDP and ICMP between hosts over a TUN adapter, with a groups-based host firewall. Host certificates provide identity, and rules can use certificate security groups. Packages exist for Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android and FreeBSD.
Defined Networking was founded in 2020 by Nebula's creators and offers the hosted Managed Nebula; the docs state no location. Hosts need at least one Lighthouse to traverse NAT, so plan for that machine from the start.
What stands out
Overlay network
Certificate identity
Lighthouse hosts
Where it costs you
The docs page names no licence for the code on GitHub, so legal review starts from the repository.
At least one Lighthouse host must run so hosts can find routes, which is infrastructure you operate.
Right for
Engineers who will run an overlay network and certificates themselves
Wrong for
Teams wanting application-level access policy rather than a network layer
Not stated by the vendorFree hosted tier up to 100 devices; self-hosted tool; Managed Nebula adds certificate management, SSO and a web UI
Open source self-hosted Tailscale control server for a single tailnet
Ranked #12 of 12 in Best Zero Trust Network Access Software in 2026.
Open sourceSelf-hostablePricing on requestElsewhere
Headscale is maintained by Kristoffer Dalby and Juan Font. The GitHub repository is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and written mainly in Go. The project describes itself as open source and aimed at self-hosters and hobbyists, with a deliberately narrow scope of one tailnet.
Contributors are asked to discuss changes with the maintainers before submitting them. Nothing on the site describes access policies for a company, support or pricing, so read it as a hobbyist tool.
What stands out
Tailscale control server
BSD-3-Clause
Single tailnet
Where it costs you
It implements one tailnet only, so separate environments would need separate servers.
No company stands behind the project on its site, so there is nobody to sign a contract with.
Right for
Hobbyists and self-hosters who want to run their own Tailscale control server
Wrong for
Companies that need a contracting vendor or several separate networks
Not stated by the vendorOpen source under BSD-3-Clause; self-hosted project with no price stated
Zero trust network access software grants users and devices access to specific applications or servers after identity checks, rather than the whole network, limiting what a stolen login reaches. Rather than compare features, settle the following points one after another.
01
Start with pricing transparency
The split is 6 published against 6 quoted. If you want to compare numbers first, start with Twingate, Pomerium, NetBird, Cloudflare Access, ZeroTier, Nebula.
02
Decide how much the jurisdiction matters
These 12 vendors are established in 3 countries across 3 regions (Elsewhere 10, North America 1, Europe 1). That decides whose disclosure law applies to what the vendor holds, wherever the servers are.
03
Consider whether you want the source
Open source here means Pomerium, Headscale. The price of self-hosting is the time your team spends maintaining it.
Zero trust network access software: VPN replacement or overlay network
The first split in this market is what a product actually is. Twingate, Pomerium and Teleport describe access to named resources: Twingate calls itself a ZTNA replacement for VPNs, Pomerium offers clientless access with policy as code, and Teleport issues time-limited access with no standing privileges.
ZeroTier, Nebula and Headscale are different: ZeroTier sells virtual networks counted in devices, Nebula carries layer 3 traffic with certificate identities, and Headscale is a self-hosted control server for one Tailscale network. They can be built into a zero trust design, but the vendor pages do not present them as ZTNA products. Decide whether you want finished access policies or a network layer you will wrap yourself, then discard the other group before comparing prices.
Ask each vendor to name the access policy model in one sentence
Separate products that publish ZTNA features from plain networks
Decide who will write and maintain policy after launch
ZTNA pricing: users, machines, resources or devices
The billing unit changes who pays more as you grow. Twingate bills per user with caps of 100 on Teams and 500 on Business. NetBird bills per user too but adds a machine allowance of 100 plus 10 per user, and charges for extra machines on paid tiers. ZeroTier counts devices and charges for each one beyond the plan, and Teleport counts active users and protected resources without publishing figures.
Cloudflare Access offers a free plan shown with a 50-user limit, then a per-user rate. Pomerium limits clusters, routes and policies. A company with few staff and many servers is billed very differently from one with many staff and a few servers, so count both before requesting quotes.
List users, machines and protected resources before asking for prices
Check the ceiling on each tier and the next step above it
Ask how extra devices or machines are charged
Cloudflare Access, Prisma Access and Check Point Harmony: ZTNA inside a bundle
Three products here are parts of larger security offerings. Prisma Access puts Secure Private Access next to gateway, isolation and firewall services. Check Point Harmony pairs Private Access with web filtering and SD-WAN. Cloudflare Access is a single product page, but its SASE packaging is priced by contact.
The bundles make sense for a security team consolidating tools under one contract. They are heavy for a team that wants to retire a VPN, because the price page is a sales form and the module list is longer than the need. Ask for a quote that covers only private application access, and for the exit terms if you drop the other modules later.
Request a ZTNA-only quote beside the bundle quote
List which bundled modules you would actually switch on
Ask what stays usable if the contract ends
Self-run zero trust access: Pomerium, Headscale, Nebula and Border0
Some buyers want to run the software themselves. The Pomerium Core licence is Apache 2.0, and Headscale uses BSD-3-Clause; the repository for Nebula is on GitHub but its docs page does not name a licence. Running your own control plane saves licence fees and costs engineering hours: Nebula needs a Lighthouse host, Headscale serves a single tailnet, and Pomerium policies are written in code.
Ownership can also move. Border0 now sits inside Tailscale according to its homepage, so contract terms and product naming may change. Before choosing a self-run tool, name who will patch it, who will be on call, and what happens if the maintainers change direction.
Confirm the licence in the repository, not in a blog post
Name an owner for patching and incident response
Check the homepage for ownership changes before committing
What goes wrong most often when buying zero trust network access software
Treating an overlay network such as ZeroTier, Nebula or Headscale as a finished ZTNA product and discovering later that nobody has written the access policies.
Comparing the entry price of Twingate or NetBird without checking the user cap, the machine allowance or the charge for each extra device.
Buying a SASE bundle such as Prisma Access or Check Point Harmony to replace a VPN, then paying for modules that never get switched on.
Starting a pilot on a plan that excludes company use, such as the Twingate Home plan or the ZeroTier Personal plan, and finding the limits only at rollout.
07
Frequently asked questions
8 answers
What is the best zero trust network access software in 2026?
Twingate takes first place among the 12 we reviewed. Twingate sells itself against the VPN and lists every tier on its pricing page: a free Starter plan for up to 5 users, Teams up to 100, Business up to 500, then Enterprise through sales.
A budget is easy to build. The ceilings are the catch, because passing 500 users means a custom contract. Twingate Inc. is a Delaware corporation with a notice address in Redwood City.
Which zero trust network access tools publish their pricing?
The ones that do, with the model each states:
Twingate: Free plan for up to 5 users; published per-user tiers for Teams and Business; 14-day trials; Enterprise sold through sales.
Pomerium: Free personal plan; published per-user Zero Business plan with a trial; Enterprise custom.
NetBird: Free plan for up to 5 users; published per-user Team and Business plans; Enterprise by contact; self-hosting mentioned.
Cloudflare Access: Free plan for small teams; published per-user pay-as-you-go rate; contract plan custom.
ZeroTier: Free personal plan; published monthly tiers with per-device fees; Enterprise and Quantum quoted.
Nebula: Free hosted tier up to 100 devices; self-hosted tool; Managed Nebula adds certificate management, SSO and a web UI.
6 vendors do not print a price.
Is there a free zero trust network access tool?
Twingate, Pomerium, NetBird, Cloudflare Access, ZeroTier, Nebula offer a free tier or a free self-hosted edition.
Where are these zero trust network access software vendors established?
The headquarters are spread over 3 countries and 3 regions, Elsewhere 10, North America 1, Europe 1:
Twingate: United States.
Pomerium: Not stated by the vendor.
NetBird: Germany.
Teleport: Not stated by the vendor.
Border0: Not stated by the vendor.
Cloudflare Access: Not stated by the vendor.
Ivanti: Not stated by the vendor.
Check Point Harmony: Not stated by the vendor.
Prisma Access: Not stated by the vendor.
ZeroTier: Not stated by the vendor.
Nebula: Not stated by the vendor.
Headscale: Not stated by the vendor.
Which zero trust network access tools are open source?
Pomerium, Headscale.
Which zero trust network access tools can you host yourself?
NetBird, Teleport, Nebula, Headscale. The remaining 8 run only on the vendor's servers.
What should you use instead of Twingate?
Pomerium and NetBird are the next two on this page. Pomerium is for Engineering teams wanting a code-defined access proxy for internal apps and Kubernetes; NetBird is for small teams that count devices rather than people and want euro prices.
Who should not buy Twingate?
Organisations above 500 users wanting a listed price. Each paid tier carries a user ceiling, so a company near 500 people must negotiate Enterprise terms..
Sell zero trust network access software and missing from the ranking? Send us a line on what the product does and who buys it. Whether it is added is our decision, though commercial arrangements can also affect it, and the terms of a listing sit on the software advice page.
