HashiCorp Boundary vs Teleport: What are the differences?

HashiCorp Boundary and Teleport are both secure access management tools that are used to authenticate and authorize access to infrastructure and resources. Let's explore the key differences between them.

1. User Interface: HashiCorp Boundary provides a web-based user interface for managing policies, roles, and access configurations. On the other hand, Teleport offers both a command-line interface (CLI) and a web-based interface for managing access.

2. Architecture: Boundary and Teleport have different architectural approaches. Boundary uses microservices architecture, where different components (such as the controller and worker) communicate via APIs. In contrast, Teleport follows a more traditional architecture with separate components for authentication, authorization, and proxy services.

3. Scalability: Teleport is designed to handle large-scale environments with thousands of nodes and users. It uses a distributed architecture with a clustering mechanism for high availability and scalability. Boundary, on the other hand, is currently limited to a single controller and worker configuration, making it less suitable for larger environments.

4. Network Protocols: Teleport offers support for a broader range of network protocols, including SSH, Kubernetes, and HTTPS. Boundary, on the other hand, primarily focuses on providing secure access to TCP and HTTP(S) services.

5. Integration with HashiCorp Ecosystem: Boundary is built to seamlessly integrate with other HashiCorp products, such as Consul and Terraform. This integration allows for easier management and automation of access control policies. Teleport, although not part of the HashiCorp ecosystem, provides integration with common identity providers and access management tools, making it more versatile in terms of integration options.

6. Auditing and Recording: Teleport offers advanced auditing and session recording capabilities. It captures and logs user actions during a session, allowing for comprehensive audit trails. Boundary, on the other hand, currently lacks built-in auditing and recording features, making it less suitable for environments with strict compliance requirements.

In summary, Boundary focuses on providing Zero Trust access to dynamic infrastructure environments by authenticating and authorizing users based on identity, application, and context, while Teleport offers secure access to SSH servers and Kubernetes clusters with built-in auditing and session recording capabilities.