How We Differ from Other
Zero Trust Access Solutions
Most Zero Trust products force you into a single deployment model. PumaGate lets you choose: use our managed gateway for fast deployment, or host the gateway yourself for full data-plane control.
What Makes PumaGate Fundamentally Different
These aren't incremental improvements. They are architectural decisions that change the security equation.
Your Gateway, Your Choice
Use a PumaGate-managed gateway and get started in minutes — or deploy the gateway on your own infrastructure for full data-plane control. Your data center, your VPC, your rack. When you self-host, all traffic stays in your network and only you can access the gateway.
Managed or self-hosted. Start fast with our gateway, move to customer-managed when you're ready — or use both.
Zero-Knowledge Secrets
Credentials, SSH keys, and database passwords are stored exclusively on the gateway or agent with AES-256 local encryption. The control plane never sees, stores, or transmits your secrets. Even a full breach of PumaGate's cloud reveals zero credentials.
We literally cannot access your secrets. Not by design choice — by architecture.
Complete Audit & Session Recording
Every SSH command, RDP session, VNC session, kubectl exec, Telnet session, gRPC call, and database query is recorded and stored on your gateway — never in the vendor cloud. Immutable audit logs, full session replay, and SIEM-exportable events give you forensic-grade visibility without compromising data sovereignty.
Full replay, full control. Recordings stay on your infrastructure — searchable, exportable, yours.
Nine Protocols, One Gateway
SSH, RDP, VNC, Kubernetes, gRPC, Telnet, databases, web applications, and Secure Network Access — all through a single gateway with unified RBAC, session recording, and audit trails. Solo covers SSH + Network Access; Team adds core protocols; Business unlocks all nine protocols. One agent, one gateway, one policy engine.
One platform. Nine protocols. Solo for SSH + Network Access. Team adds core protocols. Business+ for the full suite.
Gateway Restriction Mode
Using a customer-managed gateway? Take it further — enable gateway restriction to enforce that all access flows exclusively through your gateway. PumaGate-managed gateways are fully bypassed, and mTLS with certificate pinning ensures only your gateway is trusted. No traffic ever touches PumaGate infrastructure.
Lock it down completely. When enabled, even PumaGate cannot route traffic through your gateway.
Transparent, Predictable Pricing
Solo starts at $7/month with SSH + Secure Network Access for individuals. Team ($15/user/month) adds RDP, VNC, databases, web apps. Business ($29/user/month) unlocks all nine protocols — including Kubernetes, gRPC, and Telnet — with simple per-user pricing. No surprise fees when you scale.
Simple tiering. Solo for SSH + Network Access. Team adds core protocols. Business+ for all nine protocols.
PumaGate vs. Typical Zero Trust Solutions
See where the architectural differences actually matter.
| Capability | PumaGate | Most Competitors |
|---|---|---|
| Gateway hosting | PumaGate-managed or customer-managed — your choice; self-hosted gateway is only accessible to you | Vendor-hosted only; traffic routes through their cloud |
| Secret storage | Zero-knowledge; secrets stay on your gateway/agent | Vendor stores or proxies credentials in their cloud |
| Protocol coverage | SSH, RDP, VNC, K8s, gRPC, Telnet, DB, Web Apps, Secure Network Access — unified | Typically 1-2 protocols; others need separate tools or extra cost |
| Gateway restriction | mTLS-enforced; block all vendor-hosted gateways | No option to bypass or block vendor infrastructure |
| Session recording | SSH, RDP, VNC, DB queries — all recorded; stays on your gateway | Recordings stored in vendor cloud or limited to certain protocols |
| Vendor breach impact | No credential exposure — zero-knowledge + gateway restriction | Credentials and session data at risk if vendor is breached |
| Pricing model | Solo $7/mo (SSH + Network Access); Team $15/user/mo; Business $29/user/mo — all protocols included | Per-protocol pricing; costs escalate with each protocol |
| Infrastructure as Code | Ansible, Puppet, Terraform modules included | Limited or community-maintained IaC support |
Choose Your Deployment Model
Every organisation has different security requirements. PumaGate adapts to yours — not the other way around.
PumaGate-Managed Gateway
Get started in minutes. PumaGate manages both the control plane and the gateway — zero infrastructure for you to operate.
- Nothing to install or maintain
- Automatic updates and patching
- 99.95% SLA uptime guarantee
- SSH + Network Access on Solo; all nine protocols on Business+
Customer-Managed Gateway
Deploy the gateway on your own infrastructure. Only you can access it. Optionally enable gateway restriction to block all PumaGate-hosted gateways. Available on Team and above.
- Gateway runs in your network, accessible only to you
- Secrets never leave your infrastructure
- Gateway restriction blocks vendor-hosted proxies
- Session recordings stay on your infra
Hybrid Deployment
Combine both models. Use PumaGate-managed gateways for quick access in some environments and customer-managed gateways where compliance demands full data-plane ownership.
- Mix managed and self-hosted gateways per environment
- Unified policy engine across all gateways
- Gradual migration from managed to self-hosted
- Single pane of glass for all access
More Reasons Teams Choose PumaGate
Beyond the architecture, there are practical advantages that make day-to-day operations easier.
SSO for Legacy Applications
Add SAML/OIDC single sign-on to any web application — even legacy apps that don't support it natively. PumaGate's authenticated reverse proxy injects identity headers, giving old apps modern authentication without code changes.
Vault Integration & Local Secrets
Connect to HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, or use PumaGate's built-in encrypted local secret store. Credentials are resolved at the gateway — the control plane never handles them.
Granular RBAC with Teams
Assign permissions at the team, group, or individual level. Define which resources, protocols, and time windows each team member can access. No over-provisioned "admin" accounts.
Smart Alerting & Escalation
Configurable alert rules for failed logins, unusual access patterns, policy changes, and health-check failures. Escalation policies ensure the right people are notified at the right time.
Browser-Based Access
SSH terminals, RDP sessions, VNC sessions, and database consoles — all accessible from the browser. No client software required for end users. IT can enforce access policies without touching user workstations.
Full REST API
Every PumaGate operation is available through a documented REST API. Automate user provisioning, resource management, policy updates, and audit log exports. Build PumaGate into your existing workflows.
Who Should Choose PumaGate?
PumaGate is built for teams who take infrastructure security seriously and refuse to hand over control to a vendor's cloud.
- Security-conscious organisations that need zero-knowledge secret management and want to own the data plane.
- Regulated industries (finance, healthcare, government) that require dedicated managed deployments with data residency controls.
- DevOps and platform teams managing mixed environments with SSH servers, Windows RDP, VNC hosts, databases, and web apps.
- MSPs and managed IT providers who need multi-tenant access management with isolation between customers.
- Compliance teams who need full session recording, immutable audit logs, and SIEM-exportable event data.
- Organisations consolidating tools — replacing separate SSH bastion, legacy VPN, PAM, and remote desktop solutions with one platform.
Ready to Take Back Control?
Start your 14-day free trial and see how PumaGate puts you in control of the gateway, the secrets, and the access path — not the vendor.