How Wardengate compares
Infrastructure access solutions are not all the same. See how a gateway-first privileged access platform stacks up against VPN paths, legacy PAM, and jump host fleets — then drill into head-to-head guides for each alternative.
to first brokered session
Helm or Compose deploy — not a six-month agent rollout
gateway for every protocol
SSH, RDP, databases, and Kubernetes through one policy engine
audit export bundles
Evidence your GRC team can hand to auditors without reconstruction
control plane option
Run on your infrastructure — no mandatory SaaS lock-in
What to look for
Infrastructure access solutions are not all the same
A quick read across representative alternatives. For a full head-to-head breakdown — feature tables, fit signals, and migration guidance — open the dedicated comparison for each vendor or pattern.
| Capability | Wardengate | Legacy PAM | VPN perimeter | SSH bastions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Completeness of offering | ||||
| SSH, RDP, database, and Kubernetes brokering | Yes | Partial | No | Partial |
| IdP-driven identity lifecycle (joiner / mover / leaver) | Yes | Yes | Partial | No |
| Session recording at the enforcement point | Yes | Partial | No | Partial |
| Structured audit exports (SOC 2, PCI, ISO mappings) | Yes | Partial | No | No |
| Ease of use | ||||
| No agents required on target hosts | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Native SSH / RDP / DB clients (no forced portal) | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted or managed deployment | Yes | Partial | Partial | Yes |
| Days to first brokered session | Yes | No | Partial | Yes |
| Security | ||||
| Identity-bound sessions (not shared keys) | Yes | Partial | No | No |
| Credentials brokered — never on operator laptops | Yes | Partial | No | No |
| Just-in-time, approval-gated elevation | Yes | Partial | No | No |
| Blast radius limited to named targets per session | Yes | Partial | No | Partial |
| Pricing & ownership | ||||
| Open-source tier available | Yes | No | Partial | Yes |
| Customer controls data residency | Yes | Partial | Partial | Yes |
| Scales with estate — not per-seat tax alone | Yes | No | Partial | Yes |
Partial indicates capability exists but is unevenly deployed, requires extra agents or SKUs, or depends on configuration outside the alternative's core product.
Head-to-head guides
Wardengate vs. alternatives
Deep dives for teams evaluating a specific incumbent — with comparison tables, migration fit signals, and FAQs.
Wardengate vs.
VPN
Replace standing VPN paths for privileged access with identity-bound gateway sessions.
Read comparisonWardengate vs.
CyberArk
Gateway-first brokering without the vault-first complexity tax.
Read comparisonWardengate vs.
Teleport
Multi-protocol privileged access beyond SSH and Kubernetes.
Read comparisonWardengate vs.
AWS SSM
Cross-cloud privileged access beyond Session Manager.
Read comparisonWardengate vs.
Password vault
Session brokering when checkout portals are not enough.
Read comparisonWardengate vs.
Legacy PAM
Gateway-first design vs agent-heavy vault suites.
Read comparisonWardengate vs.
SSH bastions
Replace jump host fleets with one identity-bound gateway.
Read comparison
Evaluating alternatives?
Map your incumbent to a gateway model
Bring your current access stack and compliance scope. We will show what transfers, what simplifies, and what your operators will feel day to day.