Perimeter 81 Review (2023): Features, Pricing and Alternatives

Perimeter 81 is a cloud-based network security solution designed to help organizations protect their resources using software-defined edge networking, authentication and access control capabilities.

Unlike the typical virtual private network approach to network security, which assumes the user is “safe” once connected to the network, Perimeter 81 adopts the zero-trust network access strategy that combines identity-based access rules, multi-factor authentication, traffic encryption and monitoring to ensure authentication and authorization for each user and device before granting them access to resources. Here is a deep-dive look into Perimeter 81.

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Perimeter 81 fast facts

Pricing:

Starts at $8 per user, per month.

Key features

• Device posture check.
• DNS filtering.
• Identity management capability.
• Multi-factor authentication.
• Integrates with other security solutions.

SEE ALSO: Best VPNs for small business in 2023

Perimeter 81: Pricing

Perimeter 81 offers a tiered pricing model with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Essentials

The Essential plan costs $8 per user, per month when billed annually or $10 per user, per month when billed monthly. To buy this plan, you need a minimum of 10 users, making it suitable for startups. This plan supports two agentless application access and offers up to 14 days log retention.

Premium

Like the Essential plan, you need a minimum of 10 users to buy this plan. It costs $12 per user, per month when billed annually or $15 per user, per month when billed monthly. The Premium plan offers up to 10 cloud firewall policies, 10 agentless application access and up to 30 days’ log retention. It also features single sign-on, always-on VPN and allows up to three user configuration profiles.

SEE ALSO: The top 6 enterprise VPN solutions to use in 2023

Premium Plus

The Premium Plus has more advanced network security capabilities, making it ideal for large businesses. This plan costs $16 per user, per month when billed annually or $20 per user, per month when billed monthly. It supports up to 100 cloud firewall policies, 100 agentless application access, and 10 user configuration profiles.

Enterprise

The Enterprise plan is for businesses with over 50 employees. Contact the vendor for a quote.

Key features

Summarized below are key features you may find interesting in Perimeter 81.

Malware protection

Perimeter 81 offers protection against various types of malware, including trojans, rootkits, viruses, and zero-day exploits. The tool scans web traffic for abnormal behavior and blocks malicious files on your network. It also features a multi-layered detection system, including a database of malware signatures, emulation, heuristics – an algorithmic analysis to detect unusual patterns and behaviors of malware (both hidden and unknown), and machine learning, which is used to detect complex threats such as APTs (advanced persistent threats), ransomware and zero-day attacks.

Web Filtering

Another noteworthy security component of Perimeter 81 is its secure web gateway web filtering capability which allows users to track employees’ web activity, control internet access and block exposure to suspicious sites. This feature allows users to create a web filtering rule that only allows URLs from specific sites – users can determine which sites are “Blocked,” “Warned,” or “Allowed” for different employees and employee roles. Perimeter 81 also provides exportable reports of employees’ web activities for analysis and auditing (Figure A).

Software-defined perimeter

Perimeter 81 uses its software-defined perimeter capability to make an invincible network for a user or device. This method minimizes threats by giving only authorized users access to data or certain information. SDP gateway can be automatically deployed anywhere, enabling simplified, secure, low-latency connections to resources. It also enables encrypted traffic tunnels, which create one-to-one network connections between users.

Monitoring dashboard

The monitoring dashboard allows users to see and track everything on their network. The dashboard consolidates network usage data into a single view, allowing users to see current active sessions, gateways, apps and licenses in use (Figure B).

Figure B: Monitoring dashboard

Zero-trust security

Perimeter 81 operates on a zero-trust framework, meaning that it doesn’t automatically grant access to any user or device, even if they are within the corporate network. Every user and device gets authenticated and authorized before being granted access to resources.

SEE ALSO: 5 Best Chrome VPN Extensions for 2023

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Pros and cons

Pros

• Easy to learn and use.
• Integration with various third-party services, including Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Heroku, Salesforce and Splunk.
• Unified network management capability.
• It offers secure cloud and network access.
• Supports multiple operating systems.

Cons

• Lacks free trial – they only offer a money-back guarantee.
• The advanced features are in higher pricing tiers.
• The Essential plan only has limited support.

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Who is Perimeter 81 best for?

Perimeter 81 is best for businesses shopping for a security solution to protect their remote employees from potentially dangerous connections that can expose the company’s resources to malicious attacks. From the list of capabilities attached to each plan, Perimeter 81 can be considered more suitable for medium to large-scale businesses looking for secure remote networks based on the zero-trust architecture. It is also an ideal choice for companies moving away from the traditional VPN and firewall method of ensuring network security.

Alternatives to Perimeter 81

Although Perimeter 81 is a robust security tool, it may not serve your unique needs. We also analyzed some noteworthy Perimeter 81 alternatives and competitors to help you determine the best solution for your business needs.

SEE ALSO: VPN: Picking a provider and troubleshooting tips

Twingate

Built on zero trust network access architecture, Twingate is a cloud-based security solution designed to help organizations implement granular access controls, allowing administrators to define specific permissions for users and devices. Twingate integrates with other major MDM, EDRs and SIEM providers like CrowdStrike, Azure AD, Next DNS, Jump Cloud and more. Individuals or small teams looking for a free alternative to Perimeter 81 may find Twingate’s free plan beneficial. It is available to up to five users and one admin and also supports up to 10 remote networks. The paid plan also starts at $5 per user per month, making it more affordable than Perimeter 81’s Essential plan.

Visit Twingate

NordLayer

Formerly known as NordVPN, NordLayer is a network security solution that provides internet access security and control access to your organization’s resources. With NordLayer, you can securely access geo-specific content, mask your IP address, and control access to selected content categories and specific apps. NordLayer stands out for its 24/7 support which allows users to get help anytime they encounter issues while using the platform. Pricing for this tool starts at $7/user per month when billed annually or $9/user per month when billed monthly.

Visit NordLayer

Zscaler

Zscaler is a cyber security platform offering secure internet access solutions. The platform operates through a global data center that allows users and applications to securely access organizational resources regardless of location. Zscaler supports multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and browser extension. Unlike the other alternatives on our list, Zscaler doesn’t advertise its pricing on its website.

Visit Zscaler

Review methodology

We analyzed Perimeter 81 based on five key parameters: affordability, features, ease of use, integrations and support. We collected primary data from the vendors’ websites, data sheets and documentation to learn about the platform’s capabilities. We also reviewed current and past users’ feedback on reputable review sites to learn about the platform’s usability, user experience and ability to meet users’ needs.