Bowtie Private Access

Bowtie Private Access is a hybrid access product for organizations connecting staff devices to private resources. It best suits teams that want private access, web filtering and network segmentation under one policy engine. Basic is a useful small-team entry point, but Essentials is where broader deployment and automation begin.

Overview

Bowtie establishes encrypted connections directly between devices and private resources, without routing traffic through a middleman network. Its access policies grant authenticated access according to user or device characteristics, making it a focused choice for organizational access rather than a general-purpose consumer VPN.

The product uses WireGuard encryption. Bowtie says keys are generated and stored in the customer’s environment and traffic does not pass through its cloud. That design may appeal to organizations that want control over key custody and traffic paths.

Key features

The Zero Trust policy engine controls access to private resources, while the always-on agent connects supported client devices. Supported application protocols include TCP, UDP and ICMP. Device posture checks are supported, but device posture policies are an Enterprise inclusion, so teams needing them should budget for that tier.

Bowtie Internet Access applies web filtering and policy enforcement on-device rather than through a centralized gateway. Its policy engine can also unify overlapping networks and segment them. Together, these capabilities suit organizations that want private access and network controls managed alongside web filtering, rather than assembled as separate products.

Essentials adds API access and a Terraform provider for deployment automation and integration with existing tooling. Enterprise adds MDM deployment through providers such as Jamf and Kandji, plus SIEM integration and event logging. SSO options include Okta and Entra ID; documented configurations also cover GitHub, GitLab, SAML, AWS Identity Center and Google IDP.

Pricing

Basic: free, billed Free forever. It includes the Zero Trust Policy Engine, always-on agent, Smart DNS and SSO authentication, with a cap of 3 users, 2 devices per user and 2 controllers. That makes it a no-cost fit for a small proof of concept or very small team, but its user and controller ceilings make it restrictive for expansion.

Essentials: $11 a month, billed per user / month. It raises capacity to 1000 users, 3 devices per user and 4 controllers, and adds Private Access & Internet Access, API access, a Terraform provider, email support and community support. This is the practical tier for growing teams that need automation, though the device and controller caps remain relevant for larger or more complex deployments. Support includes site chat and access to a public Slack community.

Enterprise: custom pricing, with unlimited users, devices and controllers. It adds priority support with an SLA and shared Slack channel, MDM deployment, device posture policies and SIEM integration. This is the appropriate tier for organizations that need uncapped capacity or those enterprise controls; teams without those requirements can avoid paying for them by staying on Essentials.

Platforms

Bowtie lists iOS, Linux, macOS, web and Windows support. Client downloads are provided for Mac, Windows and Linux. The hybrid deployment model and agent-based access suit managed device fleets, while the broader platform list includes iOS and web.

Who it's for

Bowtie is strongest for organizations that need policy-based private access together with on-device web filtering and network segmentation, especially those prioritizing customer-controlled encryption keys and traffic that avoids Bowtie’s cloud. Small teams can start on Basic, while growing teams get substantially higher user capacity and automation on Essentials. It is less compelling for a team seeking only basic private connectivity or one that needs a higher Basic-tier device or controller allowance.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Direct encrypted connections, customer-environment key storage and traffic that does not pass through Bowtie’s cloud give organizations control over important parts of the access path.
• Pros: Private access, on-device web filtering and network segmentation share a policy engine, which can reduce the need to manage these controls separately.
• Pros: Essentials includes API access and Terraform, while Enterprise adds MDM and SIEM integrations for larger deployments.
• Cons: Basic stops at 3 users, 2 devices per user and 2 controllers, which is a low ceiling for teams that outgrow a small deployment.
• Cons: Essentials still limits each user to 3 devices and deployments to 4 controllers; uncapped capacity and posture policies require Enterprise custom pricing.
• Cons: The documented client downloads are for desktop operating systems, so organizations should confirm their client needs against the broader platform support before choosing.

Alternatives

Zero Trust Network Access Software is a useful category overview for comparing the field. Consider Cloudflare Access if its free plan for under 50 users or $7.00 per month pay-as-you-go plan better suits your budget and team size. Twingate is another freemium option with a free Starter plan for up to 5 users. Choose NetBird if a free allowance of up to 5 users and 100 machines, or its Team plan at €6 a month, better fits your scale or currency preference. Boundary offers a free Community Edition and a custom-priced HCP Boundary Standard plan. Pomerium may suit a small deployment with its Personal Free allowance of 10 users, 10 routes, 5 policies and 2 service accounts, or a team considering Business at $7 a month. AWS Verified Access is a paid alternative with a free desktop Connectivity Client for non-HTTP(S) applications. Cloudflare Gateway has a free plan for 50 users with up to 24 hours of standard log retention, plus Pay-as-you-go at $7 a month. OpenVPN CloudConnexa is another freemium option with a Starter plan that includes 5 seats.

Verdict

Choose Bowtie Private Access if your organization wants private-resource access, on-device web filtering and network segmentation together, with customer-environment key storage and no traffic through Bowtie’s cloud. Basic works for a tightly bounded small team; Essentials is the stronger fit for growth and automation. Look elsewhere if its device and controller limits constrain your deployment or Enterprise is needed for posture policies, MDM or SIEM.