Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Cisco Secure Access

Headscale is an open source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server. It coordinates a WireGuard-based overlay network by exchanging node keys, assigning addresses, and managing routes and sharing within a tailnet.

Key Features

• Implements core control-plane functions for a Tailscale-compatible network (tailnet)
• Node registration and coordination via Tailscale clients
• WireGuard key exchange and IP address management
• User/namespace boundaries and machine sharing between users
• Route advertisement and management for subnet routing
• Designed for a single tailnet suited to personal use or small organizations

Use Cases

• Run a private Tailscale-compatible VPN without relying on the hosted control server
• Connect homelab, servers, and remote devices via a WireGuard-based overlay network
• Provide secure remote access and subnet routing for a small team or community project

Limitations and Considerations

• Focused on a narrow scope: a single tailnet rather than large multi-tenant deployments
• Some Tailscale features may be unavailable or behave differently depending on client support and Headscale version

Headscale is a practical choice for self-hosters who want the Tailscale experience with an open control plane. It emphasizes a lean, hobbyist-friendly approach while supporting common coordination features needed for a private overlay network.

NetBird is an open-source private networking platform that creates a WireGuard-based overlay connecting devices across environments without configuring VPN gateways. It provides centralized access control and a management UI for policy enforcement across Linux, macOS, Windows, Android and iOS.

Key Features

• Kernel WireGuard integration
• Admin Web UI
• SSO & MFA support
• Public API
• Cross-platform clients (Linux, Mac, Windows, Android, iOS)
• Peer-to-peer connections with auto peer discovery
• Access control - groups & rules
• Setup keys for bulk provisioning
• NAT traversal with TURN fallback
• Identity provider integrations
• Activity logging
• Self-hosting via Docker and docker-compose
• Private DNS
• Docker-based quickstart script

Use Cases

• Secure remote access to private resources across distributed teams
• Site-to-site private networks across cloud/infrastructure
• Least-privilege access control with per-group policies via IdPs

Limitations and Considerations

• Self-hosted deployments require a publicly accessible Linux host and opening specific ports; NAT traversal can fail in strict networks, in which case a TURN relay is used

Conclusion

NetBird unifies a WireGuard-based overlay with centralized access control and identity-aware policies, enabling zero-configuration, scalable private networks across heterogeneous environments. It supports cloud-hosted or self-hosted deployments with an admin UI and REST API for managing peers and policies.

Pangolin is an identity-based remote access platform built on WireGuard that securely routes traffic to private and public resources across multiple networks. It combines VPN-style connectivity with browser-based reverse proxy access to applications, using zero-trust access controls.

Key Features

• WireGuard-based tunnels to connect remote networks (“sites”) without exposing ports or requiring public IPs
• Browser-based access to web applications via identity- and context-aware tunneled reverse proxy
• Client-based access to private resources (for example SSH, databases, RDP, and network ranges)
• Granular zero-trust access controls so users only reach explicitly allowed resources
• SSO and OIDC support, plus additional authentication options such as PIN and passwords
• Centralized dashboard to manage applications across networks, with access logging and policy enforcement
• Automatic TLS/SSL certificate handling for proxied apps

Use Cases

• Provide secure access to internal tools (Grafana, Bitwarden, admin panels) across offices, cloud VPCs, and edge locations
• Replace or complement traditional VPNs with per-application access and stronger identity enforcement
• Publish self-hosted web apps safely without directly exposing the underlying network

Limitations and Considerations

• Dual-licensed: Community Edition under AGPL-3, with separate enterprise/commercial licensing terms

Pangolin is well-suited for teams and homelabs that need identity-aware access to distributed networks and apps. It emphasizes minimizing network exposure while still enabling convenient browser and client access to protected resources.

OAuth2 Proxy is a flexible reverse proxy and middleware component that adds OAuth2/OIDC authentication in front of web applications. It integrates with many identity providers and forwards verified identity information to your upstream services.

Key Features

• Works as a standalone reverse proxy or as an authentication middleware in front of existing proxies/load balancers
• Supports OAuth2 and OpenID Connect, including a generic OIDC provider and dedicated implementations for common providers
• Validates users by email, domain, and (for supported providers) groups
• Forwards authenticated identity details to upstream apps via HTTP headers (for example username and group information)
• Can also serve static files when used as a standalone reverse proxy

Use Cases

• Add single sign-on in front of internal tools without modifying the applications
• Protect multiple services behind a central reverse proxy using a shared authentication layer
• Gate access to dashboards and admin panels with provider-backed identity and group-based access

Limitations and Considerations

• Requires correct reverse-proxy/header configuration to avoid trusting spoofed identity headers from untrusted networks
• Provider feature support varies; group/role extraction depends on the chosen provider implementation

OAuth2 Proxy is commonly used to standardize authentication for self-hosted and internal web apps with minimal application changes. It is well-suited for environments that already rely on OAuth2/OIDC identity providers and need a lightweight authentication gateway.

OpenVPN is an open-source VPN daemon that implements SSL/TLS-based secure tunneling for creating encrypted network connections. It supports both certificate-based and pre-shared-key modes, virtual TUN/TAP interfaces, and is portable across major operating systems.

Key Features

• TLS/SSL-based authentication and encryption using the OpenSSL ecosystem
• Supports multiple modes: SSL/TLS client-server, static key (pre-shared), routed (tun) and bridged (tap)
• Works with TUN/TAP virtual network interfaces for flexible routing and bridging
• Extensive configurability via command-line options and config files; sample configs and scripts included
• Cross-platform codebase with primary implementation in C and build support for Unix-like systems and Windows
• Multiple authentication and integration options for Access Server (local, PAM, RADIUS, LDAP, SAML) and extensible scripting hooks
• Build and packaging support via Autotools and CMake; project maintained on a public Git repository

Use Cases

• Secure remote-access VPN for employees connecting to corporate networks
• Site-to-site encrypted tunnels to link branch offices or cloud networks
• Enabling secure access to internal services and resources from untrusted networks

Limitations and Considerations

• PKI and certificate management can be complex for new administrators; external tooling or guides are typically required
• Users seeking minimal latency and very small codebase may prefer newer kernel-level protocols (e.g., WireGuard) for some use cases
• Reliance on external crypto libraries (OpenSSL and alternatives) increases the importance of timely dependency updates and security maintenance

OpenVPN remains a mature, feature-rich VPN implementation with a long history and broad platform support. It is suited to a wide range of secure tunneling needs but requires careful operational management for PKI and dependency security.

Cloudflared is the Cloudflare Tunnel client used to create and manage tunnels that expose local or private services to the Internet through Cloudflare's edge network.

It authenticates to your Cloudflare account and routes traffic from the Cloudflare network to your origin with TLS, providing an added layer of security and control.

Key Features

• Easy-to-install agent with low performance overhead
• Command-line configuration
• Built-in DDoS protection
• Load balancing across origin pools with Cloudflare Load Balancer
• Encrypted tunnels with TLS (origin-side certificates)
• Application and protocol-level error logging

Use Cases

• Provide secure remote access to internal applications via Cloudflare Access (Zero Trust)
• Quickly expose local development environments for previews using Quick Tunnels
• Improve remote performance and reliability with Argo Smart Routing across the Cloudflare network

Firezone is an open source zero-trust access platform designed to replace traditional VPNs with identity-aware, least-privilege connectivity. It uses WireGuard-based tunnels and a gateway/relay architecture to securely connect users to specific resources instead of whole networks.

Key Features

• Granular, group-based access policies for applications, subnets, and networks
• Peer-to-peer, end-to-end encrypted tunnels with NAT traversal (hole punching)
• Lightweight gateway component deployable in your infrastructure
• Optional relay (STUN/TURN) to facilitate connectivity when direct paths fail
• SSO and identity provider integration, including OIDC-based authentication
• Admin portal for managing users, resources, and policies
• Audit/activity logging for visibility and compliance needs

Use Cases

• Secure access to internal web apps, databases, and services without exposing networks
• Remote workforce connectivity as an alternative to OpenVPN-style VPN deployments
• Contractor or partner access with strict, least-privilege, policy-based controls

Limitations and Considerations

• Production self-hosting is not officially supported and internal APIs may change rapidly
• Officially distributed clients may not always be compatible with a custom self-hosted control plane build

Firezone fits teams that want a modern, identity-aware approach to private access with WireGuard performance characteristics and centralized policy management. It is especially useful when you need to reduce broad network access while keeping connectivity fast and manageable.

iodine is a tunnel application that transports IPv4 traffic through DNS, using a client and server to create a virtual network interface and route IP packets over DNS queries and replies. It is commonly used in constrained networks where direct internet access is blocked but DNS is still permitted.

Key Features

• Client/server IP-over-DNS tunnel using a TUN/TAP virtual interface
• Works across multiple platforms (Linux, BSDs, macOS, and Windows)
• Supports multiple DNS record types for transport, with autodetection for best throughput
• Automatic probing of fragment/packet sizes to optimize performance
• Challenge-response login and basic peer filtering to reduce unauthorized injection
• Can fall back to raw UDP tunneling when direct UDP to port 53 is possible

Use Cases

• Remote connectivity from restricted networks that only allow DNS traffic
• Creating a temporary backchannel for administration and troubleshooting
• Running a second-layer VPN or SSH-over-tunnel for more secure transport

Limitations and Considerations

• Carries IPv4 payload only; tunneled traffic is not encrypted by default
• Throughput is constrained and often asymmetric, depending on DNS relays and policies
• Client and server typically need matching versions due to protocol compatibility

iodine is a pragmatic tool for establishing connectivity over DNS when other protocols are blocked, offering portability and performance-focused DNS transport choices. For security-sensitive scenarios, it is best used as a transport for an encrypted layer such as VPN or SSH.

Warpgate is a transparent bastion host and privileged access management (PAM) service for securing access to internal SSH, HTTPS, MySQL, and PostgreSQL targets. It authenticates users, forwards connections directly to the target service without client wrappers, and provides auditing through an admin web UI.

Key Features

• Native listeners for SSH, HTTPS, MySQL, and PostgreSQL, with transparent forwarding to target services
• Role-based access control (RBAC) with precise user-to-service assignments
• Session recording with live view and replay for auditing
• Built-in admin web UI to manage users, targets, access, and session history
• SSO and 2FA support, including OpenID Connect and TOTP
• Single-binary deployment with minimal operational dependencies

Use Cases

• Secure controlled access to production servers and databases without VPNs or jump host configuration
• Audited contractor or third-party access with session replay and command-level visibility
• Acting as a proxy entrypoint for internal HTTPS services (including developer tooling endpoints)

Limitations and Considerations

• Default session history storage uses SQLite, which may not fit all scaling/HA requirements

Warpgate is suited for teams that need strong access controls, auditability, and SSO-backed authentication for infrastructure services while keeping client connections fully standard. It is particularly useful when you want bastion-like security without broad network access exposure.

OPNsense is an open source firewall and routing platform used to secure and manage networks. It combines a web-based management interface with a systems backend and API to configure firewalling, routing, and related network services.

Key Features

• Web-based GUI for firewall, routing, and system management
• Built-in API for automation and integrations
• VPN capabilities for secure remote access and site-to-site connectivity
• Captive portal support for guest and managed network access
• Traffic shaping and policy-based controls for bandwidth management
• Extensible platform with additional services typically used at the network edge

Use Cases

• Perimeter firewall and router for a home lab or small business network
• VPN gateway for remote workers or inter-site connectivity
• Guest Wi-Fi access control using a captive portal

Limitations and Considerations

• Some advanced features and tooling are reserved for the Business Edition

OPNsense is well-suited for users who want a modern, verifiable, and configurable firewall/router stack with a strong web UI and automation-friendly API. It can serve as a central edge device for both homelab and professional network deployments.

OpenZiti is an open-source, programmable zero trust networking platform for connecting applications using an identity-based overlay network instead of IP-based trust. It provides a fabric (mesh), edge components, and SDKs/tunnelers to securely connect users, devices, and services with policy-driven access.

Key Features

• Identity-based connectivity with certificate-backed identities and policy-based authorization
• Application segmentation and “deny by default” access controls for services
• Overlay mesh fabric with smart routing and pluggable capabilities
• “Dark” services and routers that can operate without inbound listening ports by using outbound connections into the fabric
• End-to-end encryption options, including application-embedded connectivity via SDKs
• REST management APIs and a web-based admin console for managing the network
• Support for integrating existing apps through tunnelers and proxies when embedding SDKs is not feasible

Use Cases

• Zero trust access to internal applications across hybrid and multi-cloud environments
• Secure machine-to-machine or service-to-service communications without exposing ports
• Replacing or reducing traditional VPN access with per-application access policies

Limitations and Considerations

• Some advanced capabilities (for example, true process-to-process protection) are best achieved when applications embed the OpenZiti SDKs rather than relying only on tunnelers
• Designing policies, identity lifecycle, and PKI can add operational complexity compared to simple IP allowlists

OpenZiti is well-suited for teams that want a flexible, open-source foundation for zero trust application access. It combines a scalable overlay fabric with strong identity controls and multiple integration options, ranging from SDK embedding to tunneling and proxying.

Defguard is an enterprise-grade zero-trust access management platform centered on WireGuard VPN with multi-factor authentication enforced at the VPN protocol level. It also provides integrated identity and SSO capabilities, designed for auditable, private deployments without relying on third-party cloud services.

Key Features

• WireGuard VPN with true connection-level 2FA/MFA (TOTP/email tokens, pre-shared keys) rather than web-only MFA
• Built-in OpenID Connect identity provider for SSO, plus support for external OIDC providers
• LDAP/Active Directory integration with synchronization for users and groups
• User, device, and group management with policy controls (RBAC-style administration)
• Remote user enrollment and onboarding flows, including client configuration distribution
• Forward-auth support for protecting applications behind reverse proxies
• Audit-focused operations with logs and visibility into connected users/devices

Use Cases

• Secure remote workforce access to private networks using WireGuard with enforced MFA
• Replace or complement an existing IdP by acting as an OIDC provider for internal apps
• Centralize user/device onboarding and access policies for multi-site VPN deployments

Defguard fits organizations that need a modern WireGuard-based VPN with strong identity and access controls, while keeping authentication and configuration fully under their own infrastructure.

ShellHub is a centralized SSH gateway that lets teams remotely access and manage Linux servers, containers and embedded devices using a web UI, mobile app or standard SSH clients. It aggregates devices behind a single gateway and provides centralized access controls, logging and session playback.

Key Features

• Native SSH access (supports OpenSSH/standard SSH clients) for web and terminal connections.
• Web-based terminal and mobile access with session recording and built-in replay player.
• Public-key authentication and configurable SSH firewall rules for granular access control.
• SCP/SFTP support and container (Docker) access integration for remote container management.
• Microservices deployment using Docker Compose; production guidance includes HTTPS/NGINX and persistent MongoDB volumes.

(github.com)

Use Cases

• Centralized remote administration of distributed Linux servers and IoT/embedded fleets.
• Secure remote troubleshooting and maintenance of Docker containers and edge devices.
• Compliance and auditing through recorded SSH sessions and audit logs for forensic review.

(shellhub.io)

Limitations and Considerations

• Certain advanced features (enterprise/cloud capabilities) vary by edition: HTTP/Web Endpoints, SAML improvements and some session-recording backend behaviors are highlighted as Enterprise/Cloud features in the project releases. Implementation and storage of large recordings can require S3-compatible storage (e.g., MinIO) for scale. (github.com)

• The recommended self-hosted deployment expects Docker Engine / Docker Compose and a MongoDB service; production setups require additional configuration for volumes, HTTPS termination and proxy protocol handling. (docs.shellhub.io)

ShellHub provides a focused, open-source platform to centralize SSH access for cloud, edge and IoT environments. It is available as a Community (open-source) edition plus paid Cloud and Enterprise editions that add managed and enterprise features.