Bastion

Paid#21 of 34 in SSH Server Software

Bastion: A broad self-hosted control layer for privileged SSH and RDP operations. Ranked #21 of 34 in SSH Server Software by our editors (7.1/10); pricing: Pricing on request; best for privileged SSH/RDP operations.

7.1/10★★★★☆Editor score

Contact Bastion

Bastion7.1 Contact Bastion

At a glance

• Editor score
  7.1 / 10
• Pricing
  Pricing on request
• Best for
  Privileged SSH/RDP operations
• Deployment
  Self-hosted
• Facts checked
  21 Sep 2026

• Where it wins

  • Browser-based SSH/RDP with approvals, recording and live viewing
  • Password rotation, tamper-resistant logs and SIEM export
  • Role-based access plus centralized Linux and Windows patch management

• Where it doesn't

  • Pricing and scope are discussed during a trial deployment
  • Self-hosted deployment runs in the customer's infrastructure
  • Broader privileged access features may exceed SSH-only needs

Our verdict on Bastion

Bastion is a self-hosted privileged access management platform for IT teams and managed service providers managing Linux and Windows servers. It centralizes browser-based SSH and RDP access, with per-server permissions, role-based access control and time-limited approvals. The vendor positions it for organizations managing approximately 20 to several hundred servers, making it a fit for teams that need governed access across a server estate rather than a basic SSH endpoint alone.

Its strongest distinction is the depth of control around privileged sessions. Administrators can record SSH and RDP sessions, view them live, rotate passwords automatically and retain tamper-resistant audit logs. SIEM audit-event export supports connection with existing security monitoring workflows, while time-limited approvals add a defined access window. These capabilities make Bastion relevant where reviewable access, session oversight and centralized auditability matter as much as connectivity.

Bastion also extends beyond access management through centralized Linux and Windows patch management. Agents connect outbound from managed servers, while the platform runs in the customer’s infrastructure across web, Windows and Linux environments. According to the vendor’s commercial approach, price and scope are discussed during a trial deployment based on server count and environment rather than presented as fixed plans. Choose Bastion when self-hosting and a wider privileged-operations scope align with your requirements; teams seeking only a narrowly focused SSH server may find its broader controls unnecessary.

Your product? Our editors can test Bastion in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →

Bastion pricing

Bastion fact sheet

Alternatives to Bastion

• OpenSSHA broad, open-source SSH toolkit for remote login, file transfer, forwarding, and key management.9.4
• DDropbearA free, compact SSH server for lean self-hosted Unix and Cygwin deployments.9.2
• CoreSSH ServerA self-hosted SSH/SFTP server with strong administration and access controls.9.0

See all Bastion alternatives →

Featured on iTechGuides

Bastion is listed in our SSH Server Software directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

<a href="https://www.itechguides.com/products/bastion/"><img src="https://www.itechguides.com/best/badge/bastion.svg" alt="Featured on iTechGuides" width="230" height="46"></a>

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update