StrongDM alternatives now that StrongDM is part of Delinea

Delinea bought StrongDM in March 2026, and since October 30 there's no public price for it. At its last published rate, 15 users cost $12,600 a year. The same 15 users cost $8,625.60 a year on HCP Boundary's recording tier, $3,600 on Infisical PAM, and $1,800 plus storage on shellz, which records Linux sessions only. Teleport, Pomerium Enterprise and KeeperPAM are quote-only.

Get started free How shellz workslast verified November 3, 2026

Choose shellz if

You mainly bought StrongDM for Linux session recordings and don't need a gateway for every protocol.
You need a published price. 15 Commercial members cost $1,800 a year before storage.
Sessions must be recorded even when someone connects straight to the server and skips the proxy.
Recordings must be encrypted before upload, with the option to keep the decryption keys only on your team's passkeys.

Choose StrongDM (Delinea) if

You control access to databases, Kubernetes, RDP and cloud consoles, as well as Linux servers.
You rely on temporary access grants or the credential vault. shellz has neither.
Your current contract covers the term you need. Delinea says contracts, prices, billing and renewals are unchanged for now.
You already run Delinea Secret Server and want one vendor for passwords and access.

At a glance

List prices and recording scope, checked November 3, 2026
Capability	shellz	StrongDM (Delinea)	Infisical PAM	HCP Boundary
Public price	$10 a month per team member, plus $1 per stored GB	None since October 30, 2026; Essentials was $70 per user a month	$20 per user a month (Pro)	$47.92 per user a month (tier with recording)
Who counts as a user	Team members	Any person or service account that connects	People	Any person or service account active that month
15 users, per month	$150 plus storage	$1,050 at the last Essentials price	$300	$718.80
15 users, per year	$1,800 plus storage	$12,600	$3,600	$8,625.60
Free option	Yes, up to 10 devices and the last 50 recordings	No, 14-day trial	No, 14-day trial	No, $500 starting credit
Records direct SSH to the server	Yes, records on the server	No, only sessions through the proxy	No, only sessions through the gateway	No, only sessions through a worker
Console and local logins	Yes	No	No	No
SSH recording	Yes, full replay plus transcript	Yes, included in Essentials	Partial: a searchable log of input and output, no replay	Yes, replay
Other protocols	No (Docker sessions on Linux only)	Yes: databases, Kubernetes, servers, web apps	Yes: databases and Kubernetes; Windows and RDP on Enterprise	Partial: RDP only
Password vault or credential handling	No	Yes	Yes, with password rotation	Yes, through HashiCorp Vault
Recording retention on the listed plan	Unlimited on Commercial	Not published	30 days on Pro	Your bucket, your policy

The options

01shellz
Records on the server, so it catches every way in: SSH sessions and remote commands, SFTP, console logins, su -, desktop terminals, tmux and docker exec. If someone logs in a way that skips the recorder, the session is killed and flagged. Recordings are encrypted before upload and signed, so you can prove later they weren't edited.
best for
Teams that bought StrongDM mainly for SSH session recordings and want a lower, published price.
pricing
Free for 10 active devices. Personal Pro is $12 a year. Commercial is $10 a month per member plus $1 a month per stored GB, with unlimited devices and retention.
watch out
You still need something to control access. shellz has no password vault or temporary access grants, doesn't record RDP, databases or Kubernetes, and has no SIEM export or public API. It has no SOC 2 report of its own yet.
02StrongDM under Delinea (staying)
Now sold as Delinea Runtime Authorization. Delinea says existing domains, clients and install scripts keep working while it merges the product into its platform during 2027.
best for
Existing customers with a contract in force who use its broad protocol coverage.
pricing
Quote only. AWS Marketplace still lists Essentials at $840 per user a year and Enterprise at $1,200.
watch out
Expect price changes at renewal. The StrongDM Help Center closes after November 13, 2026, and support moves to Delinea's portal.
03Teleport
The closest feature match to StrongDM, available as Teleport Cloud or self-hosted. It records SSH on each server through its own SSH service.
best for
Engineering teams that want one access system for servers, Kubernetes, databases and Windows desktops.
pricing
Community Edition is free for companies with fewer than 100 staff and under $10 million in revenue. Larger companies get a quote.
watch out
Above Community Edition there's no list price, so allow time for a quote. Only connections that go through Teleport are recorded.
04Infisical PAM
A gateway sits between users and SSH servers, databases, Kubernetes and cloud consoles, and records each session. Pro includes approvals, password rotation, SSH certificates and command blocking.
best for
Cost-conscious teams that want a vault, access requests and recording at a public price.
pricing
$20 per user a month on Pro, for up to 50 servers or databases and 30 days of recordings. Enterprise is quoted.
watch out
SSH sessions are a searchable text log you can't replay. Windows and RDP need Enterprise, and Pro stops at 50 resources.
05HCP Boundary
HashiCorp's access proxy, with Vault supplying credentials. Recordings are signed files stored in your own S3 or MinIO bucket.
best for
HashiCorp Vault users who want SSH and RDP through a proxy, with signed recordings in their own bucket.
pricing
$47.92 per user a month for the tier with session recording, $23.96 without.
watch out
Service accounts count as users. Recording on HCP needs a proxy server you run yourself. The free Community Edition was archived in October 2026.
06Pomerium
A proxy that checks who the user is before letting them reach web apps or SSH. Enterprise records SSH sessions to your own storage.
best for
Teams that mainly need single sign-on in front of web apps and SSH, with recording later.
pricing
$7 per user a month billed annually ($9 monthly). SSH session recording is Enterprise only, at a custom price.
watch out
The $7 plan doesn't record sessions, so get an Enterprise quote before comparing.
07Keeper KeeperPAM
A gateway you run handles SSH, RDP, VNC and database sessions. Keeper says your gateway encrypts recordings and Keeper can't decrypt them.
best for
Companies already on Keeper's password manager that want PAM from the same vendor.
pricing
Quote only. Sold on its own or as a per-user add-on to Keeper Business or Enterprise.
watch out
SSH recordings download as files you replay in a terminal. Direct logins that skip the gateway aren't recorded.

Delinea removed StrongDM's public prices on October 30

Delinea, a privileged access vendor, announced the deal in January 2026 and closed it on March 5. Terms weren't disclosed. Since October 30, strongdm.com redirects to delinea.com, and the old pricing page shows Delinea's bundles with no dollar amounts.

Delinea tells current customers that the product keeps running, now as Runtime Authorization, and that contracts, prices, billing and renewals are unchanged for now. The merge into Delinea's platform is planned for 2027.

What 15 engineers cost on each option

These are list prices on annual billing. Add any servers, storage or support you'd run or buy yourself.

StrongDM at its last public Essentials price: $12,600 a year. Service accounts that connect count as users too.
HCP Boundary on the recording tier: $8,625.60 a year, plus any service accounts active in a month.
Infisical PAM Pro: $3,600 a year, if you stay under 50 resources and 30 days of recordings.
shellz Commercial: $1,800 a year, plus $1 per GB of recordings stored each month.
Teleport: free on Community Edition for companies under 100 employees and $10 million in revenue. Otherwise a quote.
Pomerium Enterprise and KeeperPAM: quotes. Pomerium's $7 plan ($1,260 a year for 15) doesn't record SSH.

Get five answers in writing before you sign

Whichever vendor you pick, put these answers in the order form. Promises made on a call won't hold at the next renewal.

What will my per-user price be at renewal, and for how many years is it locked?
Do service accounts and AI agents count as users?
How long are recordings kept, and can I export them in an open format if I leave?
Who can decrypt recordings: the vendor, my team, or both?
Which kinds of connection go unrecorded? A proxy can't see a direct login that goes around it.

shellz replaces the recording part, for Linux

If you need managed credentials or database access, keep StrongDM or another gateway for that. An AI agent that logs in over SSH, SFTP or docker exec is recorded like an engineer. One running as a background service with no login isn't (recording agent sessions). See pricing for rates and the encryption design for your security reviewers.

Questions

Did Delinea acquire StrongDM?

Yes. Delinea announced the deal in January and closed it on March 5, 2026. Terms weren't disclosed.

How much does StrongDM cost now?

There's no public price. The old pricing page redirects to Delinea's bundles, which show no dollar amounts. Essentials was last listed at $70 per user a month on an annual plan, and AWS Marketplace still shows $840 per user a year.

Is StrongDM being discontinued?

Delinea's October 2026 FAQ says no. It keeps running as Runtime Authorization and moves into the Delinea platform during 2027.

What is the cheapest StrongDM alternative with session recording?

Teleport Community Edition is free for qualifying companies. For 15 users, shellz Commercial is $1,800 a year before storage and Infisical PAM Pro is $3,600. The free shellz plan covers 10 active devices and keeps the latest 50 recordings.

Can shellz replace StrongDM?

For Linux session recording, including direct logins, yes. It doesn't control access, store credentials, or cover databases and Kubernetes. If you need those too, compare HCP Boundary and Teleport.

Related comparisons

Sources

Competitor details come from public documentation and pricing pages, last checked on November 3, 2026. Products change; if something here is out of date, tell us at hello@shellz.dev and we will correct it.

~ $ shellz --helpOne command. Two minutes. Every session recorded.

Get started free See pricing

Choose shellz if

Choose StrongDM (Delinea) if

At a glance

The options

01shellz

02StrongDM under Delinea (staying)

03Teleport

04Infisical PAM

05HCP Boundary

06Pomerium

07Keeper KeeperPAM