Perimeter 81 Review (2024): Features, Pricing and Alternatives – Source: www.techrepublic.com

Perimeter 81 is a cloud-based network security solution designed to help organizations boost security on corporate networks. The solution takes network security beyond the capabilities of traditional VPNs and firewalls, with over 50 Points of Presence (PoPs) worldwide and a range of security features. These features include a zero-trust architecture, advanced malware protection and device posture check.

Continue reading to learn more about Perimeter 81 and what it offers as a network security solution.

Perimeter 81 pricing

Perimeter 81 offers four paid plans: Essentials, Premium, Premium Plus and Enterprise.

Here’s a brief overview of their feature and price differences:

The Perimeter 81 pricing structure is similar to some of its competitors, like NordLayer. For example, the annual billing in the Premium and Premium Plus cost $12/user/month and $16/user/ month respectively. Meanwhile, their equivalents in NordLayer—Core and Premium—cost $11 per user/month and $14 per user/month respectively.

Perimeter 81 is costlier when you place it side by side with Twingate, whose highest pricing is $10 per user/month for annual billing.

While there is no free trial available, each Perimeter 81 plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Additionally, you can request a demo to join a call and receive a 15-minute walkthrough of the VPN.

Is Perimeter 81 safe?

Perimeter 81 has a lot of advanced security features that make it a safe VPN for different organizations. The tool features multi-factor authentication (MFA), prompting employees to pass through a multi-step account login process before gaining access to a company’s resources. Perimeter 81 offers Single Sign-On (SSO), which integrates with solutions like Azure, Google Suite, LDAP or OKTA to streamline safe login for company employees working remotely. However, SSO isn’t available on the Essentials plan.

The solution also employs AES-256 encryption using IPsec or WireGuard protocols and supports network security features such as split tunneling, web filtering, a firewall and an Always On VPN option. Another notable security feature is Automatic Wi-Fi protection, which ensures that employees don’t get access to company resources when their connection is exposed.

One major safety concern about Perimeter 81 is its logs policy. The provider keeps IP log data for up to 60 days before it is deleted. However, Perimeter 81 claims only the workspace admin has access to that data.

See: 6 Best Anonymous (No-Log) VPNs for 2024

Key features of Perimeter 81

Below are some features of Perimeter 81 you may find interesting.

Agentless Application Access

Perimeter 81’s Agentless Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) works by giving employees or third-party contractors limited access to a company network. The feature can grant specific employees access through the browser to a particular application—not the wider company network. This helps admins monitor employee or third-party contractor access to company networks to know where and how access occurs.

DNS Filtering

This feature limits users’ access to unauthorized websites that could harm a company’s network infrastructure. It helps IT teams determine which content or IP address will be whitelisted or blacklisted on employees’ devices.

Device Posture Check (DPC)

DPC ensures the company’s most important resources are secured by granting access strictly to only devices that meet the security posture requirements. Perimeter 81 DPC rules can check Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS and Linux devices before and during network access, and remove devices where there is a discrepancy between user policy and posture.

Advanced Malware Protection

Perimeter 81’s malware protection feature uses a combination of signature-based detection, heuristics and advanced machine learning to identify and block malware and zero-day attacks. It also allows admins to easily track user exposure to malicious content with extensive reports.

Perimeter 81 pros

• User interface is easy to understand.
• Integrates with many third-party solutions like Azure, Google Suite, LDAP and OKTA.
• 50+ global data centers.
• Offers unsegmented network access.
• Supports multiple platforms and operating systems.
• Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Perimeter 81 cons

• Free trial and free version not available.
• Vital security features limited in some plans.
• Keeps IP logs for up to 60 days depending on plan.

Perimeter 81 alternatives

While Perimeter 81 can be a good security solution for most organizations, there are still other noteworthy alternatives to check out if you feel Perimeter 81 doesn’t fit your needs. Below are two we’ve analyzed.

NordLayer

NordLayer is a secure remote access solution from Nord Security. NordLayer’s paid plan enables you to create secure connections between remote devices and corporate networks. One added advantage NordLayer has over Perimeter 81 is the 24/7 live/email support provided across all its plans. Perimeter 81 offers live support on higher plans only.

Twingate

If you’re a small team or an individual on a budget and looking for a good network security alternative to Perimeter 81 that offers a free plan, Twingate might be a good pick. The tool is a cloud-based service that provides secure remote access to an organization’s networks. Pricing starts at $5/user/month for annual billing. This is much cheaper than Perimeter 81, which starts at $8 per month. Additionally, the tool offers a 14-day free trial across all its premium plans.

Who is Perimeter 81 for?

Perimeter 81 is for medium to large organizations with employees who require secure remote access to their company’s internal network. From my review, Perimeter 81 might not be suitable for smaller businesses unless you’re willing to pay for the higher plans to have access to its full security features.

Review methodology

My review of Perimeter 81 is based primarily on the user experience, integration capabilities and security features. Most of my analysis was done by collecting information from the Perimeter 81 website, where I reviewed and compared their capabilities with other similar services like NordLayer and Twingate. I also looked into user feedback on the product from popular review sites to gain insights into what users are saying about the solution.

I rated Perimeter 81 using an internal algorithm to get a rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars. The scoring was based on Perimeter 81 on its own and in relation to other VPNs available today.