Cloudflare One vs StrongDM comparison

Read 5 StrongDM reviews

1,645 Views
313 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cloudflare One

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 5, 2026

Cloudflare One and StrongDM compete in the zero-trust security space but focus on different areas. Cloudflare One holds an advantage in network security with its extensive protection features, whereas StrongDM surpasses in access management with its detailed permission controls.

Features: Cloudflare One delivers strong network security with threat prevention and comprehensive network access controls. It enhances protection against various cyber threats and offers tools for secure network connection. StrongDM provides robust access management with detailed audits and flexible policy controls, leading as a choice for advanced access management needs.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cloudflare One simplifies deployment within cloud environments through its accessible cloud-based solutions and expansive deployment resources. StrongDM supports both on-premise and cloud deployments efficiently, offering personalized support that optimizes installation, especially in environments with complex access requirements.

Pricing and ROI: Cloudflare One is structured for scalability, delivering considerable ROI in network security enhancements focused on data protection. StrongDM's higher initial costs offer returns through its superior access management functionalities, favored by enterprises that prioritize intricate access control and auditing features.

To learn more, read our detailed Cloudflare One vs. StrongDM Report (Updated: April 2026).

Cloudflare One vs. StrongDM

April 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 893,221 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Cloudflare One

Ranking in Access Management

11th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Email Security (20th), Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (13th), Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (20th), Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) (12th), Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection (7th), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (12th), Bot Management (3rd), ZTNA as a Service (9th), ZTNA (4th), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (10th), Remote Browser Isolation (RBI) (3rd)

StrongDM

Ranking in Access Management

18th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Privileged Access Management (PAM) (18th)

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Access Management category, the mindshare of Cloudflare One is 3.7%, up from 3.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of StrongDM is 0.7%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Access Management Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cloudflare One	3.7%
StrongDM	0.7%
Other	95.6%

Access Management

Featured Reviews

Cobe Van Coller

Network Architect at IP Dimension

Cloud security has improved remote access and has reduced costs for smaller client sites

I have used Cloudflare One's Identity-Aware Proxy, and it is quite straightforward from what I have seen so far. The app registration on the Azure side integrates fully into Cloudflare, and I am very satisfied with that part because it is easy to set up. The integration of Cloudflare One's Secure Web Gateway and Zero Trust Network Access works without any issues. That part is pretty automatic, and if you complete the rest of the setup, it comes together by itself with no issues from my side. What makes it nice is that we can actually start replacing on-site firewalls at this stage for the smaller clients because it does not matter if they go to a coffee shop or work from home; they are still secured by the same connection. The hops get shorter and you get better latency. We have done testing to see if it is better. One thing that we did notice with our proof of concept with our current client is that they have people connecting from the UK. When they used their previous VPN solution, uploading CAD drawings and other files to the server took a long time. They mentioned that it is much quicker on Cloudflare One's solution. I definitely believe that is part of the improved performance, and I am satisfied with that as well. What is nice about Cloudflare One is that it makes the setup easier and also easier to train technicians to maintain it. Compared to legacy systems, we do not need to get fancy firewalls in place that are costly. That is definitely also a cost-saver with Cloudflare One.

Read full review

reviewer2804475

Iam Engineer at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

Access management has improved privileged logins while still needing fewer crashes and less upkeep

The best features in StrongDM are the password rotation capabilities, which I think are pretty cool, and also how you can literally log in to any of the privileged servers through a single platform. You just copy-paste the IP and the port number and log in over there through RDP, so I think that's pretty cool. I have used CyberArk before, but I think StrongDM as a product has pretty good potential. My impression of the credential-less access control is that it's pretty good because it reduces the attack surface. Basically, if you cannot see the password and everything, even the privileged users cannot see the password. It's a password-less system where you just log in to the servers without knowing your password, and even if you know your password, it's probably going to be rotated after a while. So, I think that's a pretty good use case for reducing the attack surface and maintaining zero trust throughout an identity perimeter. StrongDM helps with runtime features in a twenty-four-seven dynamic environment. Whenever I try to access at maybe two a.m. or three a.m. at night and I have a production issue on a server located in a different continent, I can access it right at that moment. I think the application works pretty much like a charm. It's readily available, and I think the runtime feature is pretty cool, although the application sometimes crashes when it's downloaded locally on your machine. Regarding pricing, I find StrongDM to be definitely cost-efficient. We used to use CyberArk before, but StrongDM is more cost-effective, which is why we are using it. Our director is a board member at StrongDM, allowing us to utilize the product and the flexibility it provides, which tailor-suits our needs based on the organization and is something we do not get from other PAM products.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It's the endpoint exposition. We don't need to expose our VPN server to the internet and need a zero-test solution. I can apply some conditional access to the endpoint that's connecting to our network to check their security policies or the security condition of their workstation. Once the workstation is trying to connect to my internal network, then I would like to check the discrete condition of these endpoints that are trying to access my internal network. We created some conditional access. We have CrowdStrike, to check if the CrowdStrike is installed, to check if it's updated, and to check for Windows updates. We created some conditional policies to check it."

"What makes it nice is that we can actually start replacing on-site firewalls at this stage for the smaller clients because it does not matter if they go to a coffee shop or work from home; they are still secured by the same connection."

"The simplicity of the solution is its valuable features as almost no effort was needed to learn the configurations. It is also one of the cheapest firewalls available in this category."

"It is a stable solution."

"Cloudflare Access is part of the Zero Trust philosophy."

"Cloudflare is simple to use."

"I'm very satisfied with the environment and the dashboard."

"We mostly use Cloudflare WAF, and gets basic Cloudflaire DDoS, caching as extra bonus . We like the factor these features are all integrated into 1 console, simple to manage."

More Cloudflare One pros

"The best features in StrongDM are the password rotation capabilities, which I think are pretty cool, and also how you can literally log in to any of the privileged servers through a single platform."

"All of the logging is handled for us, including for auditing purposes. Looking through the audit logs is not a painful experience."

"I absolutely would say that the best features of StrongDM and what I appreciate about the solution is that time to onboard is absolutely minimal."

"StrongDM replaced the puzzle of different solutions with one single product, which made managing resources more efficient."

"We primarily used StrongDM for access to resources on private networks like EC2 machines, Kubernetes clusters, and various databases."

"The best features in StrongDM are that it is the easiest product in the market for this situation with easy access."

Cons

"Operating and tuning the product is difficult."

"The pricing is an area that can be improved. Pricing, as far as I recall, was the source of our problems."

"For the topic of improvement, providing some training material is one of my suggestions."

"Our customers no longer use Cloudflare because its service is subpar."

"Our subscription plan for the solution has a limitation of bot signatures."

"The initial onboarding was causing us some confusion."

"Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform needs to improve its documentation. It took time to do the implementation."

"The response time for support must be reduced."

More Cloudflare One cons

"We've had a few issues with the stability of this product in the past."

"It would be beneficial to have better control and alignment between frequent updates and improved communication regarding possible negative effects on existing customer bases."

"I rate the stability of the product five out of ten because crashes sometimes happen when we are working on it."

"I think the stability of StrongDM is about four to five due to the occasional crashes that I mentioned."

"My thoughts on the pricing of StrongDM is that it is expensive."

"It would be beneficial to have better control and alignment between frequent updates and improved communication regarding possible negative effects on existing customer bases."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform's pricing is good."

"The pricing of the solution is cheap. The licensing cost is also very low. I rate the cost and pricing a three out of ten."

"The solution's pricing lacks transparency."

"The pricing is somewhere in the middle. I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten."

"The price tag is no longer $200,000, but rather $300,000 to $400,000. It's twice."

"My company has to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the solution. There are no hidden charges apart from the licensing costs of the solution."

"The prices are slightly expensive."

"The solution is not that expensive."

"The licensing is per user per month."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Access Management solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

893,221 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

20%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

15%

University

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	11

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Cloudflare Access?

Cloudflare Access has strong integration with Microsoft, among other platforms. However, when it comes to Kaspersky, we have clients who typically encounter challenges. The usual setup involves con...

What is your primary use case for Cloudflare Access?

Cloudflare Access provides secure access to internal applications for employees, external members of the organization, or third-party providers. It acts similarly to a VPN but uses a different kind...

What advice do you have for others considering Cloudflare Access?

Cloudflare Access is one of the best integrations available. While about two hundred vendors offer similar services, Cloudflare's approach as a SASE solution stands out. Clients prefer a single pla...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for StrongDM?

The leadership chose StrongDM after comparative research, which suggests economic benefits. It was mentioned that while the product is rapidly gaining features, it might become cost-prohibitive for...

What needs improvement with StrongDM?

In StrongDM, I think the installation was hard, and they want to be more flexible in the initial setup. I think they want to add more features like traditional PAM. It is difficult to find document...

What is your primary use case for StrongDM?

My use case involves a company I'm working in that wants to secure the connectivity between the DevOps team and the backend server in the company.

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Cloudflare One

Comparisons

Compared 5% of the time

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform vs Cloudflare One

Compared 3% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Cloudflare One

Compared 3% of the time

FortiSASE vs Cloudflare One

Compared 3% of the time

Twingate vs Cloudflare One

Compared 3% of the time

More Cloudflare One Competitors

Endpoint Privilege Manager vs StrongDM

Compared 21% of the time

KeeperPAM vs StrongDM

Compared 19% of the time

CyberArk Privileged Access Manager vs StrongDM

Compared 18% of the time

HashiCorp Boundary vs StrongDM

Compared 12% of the time

Okta Platform vs StrongDM

Compared 9% of the time

More StrongDM Competitors

Product Reports

Download Cloudflare One product report

Cloudflare One

May 2026

Download StrongDM product report

April 2026

Also Known As

Cloudflare Area 1 Email Security, Cloudflare Bot Management, Cloudflare Gateway, Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform, Cloudflare DDoS, Cloudflare SASE & SSE Platform

No data available

Overview

Cloudflare One is a comprehensive platform for security, performance, and connectivity. It provides features like rate limiting, DDoS protection, and application access, tailored to enhance user experience while securing internet access and accelerating communications.

Designed to integrate security measures with ease of use and scalability, Cloudflare One offers a secure web gateway and zero trust network access. These features ensure seamless setup and operation, making connectivity reliable and protected. Users appreciate its integrated console, intuitive interface, and the ability to manage risk effectively. It offers straightforward deployment, improves latency, and boasts cost-effectiveness. While its onboarding process and documentation need enhancement, its value in content delivery and application shielding is notable. Despite challenges in integrating Cloudflare Access with existing VPNs and the need for better automation and support, it remains vital for DNS and infrastructure protection.

What features make Cloudflare One stand out?

Rate Limiting: Controls the traffic rate to prevent abuse.
DDoS Protection: Shields applications from distributed denial-of-service attacks.
Secure Web Gateway: Provides secure internet access with seamless operation.
Zero Trust Network Access: Ensures secure, application-based connectivity without relying on traditional VPNs.
Access for Connectivity: Facilitates access to internal applications securely.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Security: Robust measures for DNS and browsing protection.
Performance: Enhanced site accessibility and communication speed.
Cost-Effectiveness: Offers competitive pricing for its features.
Ease of Deployment: Straightforward and efficient setup process.

In industries like finance, retail, and technology, Cloudflare One is crucial for enabling secure remote access and protecting web applications against dynamic threats. It supports compliance access policies and enhances content delivery, playing a key role in safeguarding digital infrastructure.

Cloudflare

StrongDM streamlines secure, password-less access, reducing attack surfaces with its zero trust approach. It integrates smoothly with existing systems supporting IP whitelisting and excels in managing runtime features while offering comprehensive audit logging and seamless resource access.

StrongDM provides organizations with enhanced security through features like password rotation and efficient management of access to resources such as EC2 instances, Kubernetes clusters, and databases. Its integration capabilities are complemented by cost-effectiveness compared to competitors like CyberArk. Companies utilize StrongDM for controlling access in dynamic environments, benefiting from audit logging for detailed movement tracking. While users appreciate its efficiency, they also seek improvements in update control and better accompanying documentation. Some express the need for a cloud-native option to address diverse demands, as the current setup can be challenging without comprehensive materials. Flexibility and more traditional PAM features are in demand.

What are StrongDM's key features?

Secure Password-less Access: Facilitates client connections without passwords to reduce attack vectors.
Zero Trust Architecture: Maintains stringent security protocols with a zero trust approach.
Seamless Resource Integration: Works effectively with systems like EC2 and Kubernetes clusters.
IP Whitelisting Support: Enhances third-party resource accessibility with targeted IP controls.
Audit Logging: Provides detailed tracking of user interactions within systems.
Password Rotation: Regularly updates access credentials to boost security.

Why is StrongDM beneficial in reviews?

Cost-Effectiveness: Competitive pricing offers value against alternatives.
Resource Management Efficiency: Simplifies access to complex systems.
Enhanced Security: Protective measures reduce vulnerabilities and ensure secure transactions.
Zero Trust Implementation: Adopts advanced security models right into client operations.
Operational Streamlining: Eases the access management process for multiple environments.

In industries managing sensitive data or requiring regulated access, StrongDM is crucial for securing cloud private networks and managing user access to databases and hosts. DevOps teams benefit from its ability to protect connectivity to backend servers, ensuring identity and access management remains robust and adaptable for companies dealing with frequent changes or expansions.

Sample Customers

23andMe

Information Not Available