The Teleport Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Teleport in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Teleport
The Insider’s Guide
Identity-based access to servers, databases and Kubernetes
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among remote desktop apps, read from Teleport’s own pages.
Made by Gravitational Inc. · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Teleport’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Teleport’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 21 of the 85 other remote desktop apps we grade
Teleport is an infrastructure access platform that gives people, machines and AI agents short-lived, identity-based access to SSH and Windows servers, Kubernetes clusters, databases and internal apps. It is offered as a free open-source Community Edition and as paid Enterprise Cloud or Self-Hosted editions.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Teleport, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Enterprise pricing is a form away, FIPS and strict-compliance features need a paid licence, and it isn't for controlling employee desktops.
- 1
Best for secure access to servers and infrastructure
Teleport controls access to servers, databases and clusters, with a free Community Edition you deploy yourself.
- 2
There is a free plan
Community Edition is free and open source; you deploy and run it yourself.
- 3
It runs on 4 platforms
Web, macOS, Linux and Windows.
- 4
Access to infrastructure
Connects to SSH and Windows servers, Kubernetes clusters, databases and internal apps through one access layer.
- 5
Just-in-time access
Privileges are ephemeral and expire, with access requests used to grant them, instead of standing credentials.
- 6
Machine and workload identity
Automated services can connect to protected resources using certificate-based identity instead of long-lived secrets.
- 7
A 2.2 GPA, above 21 of 85
That is against the other remote desktop apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Nothing Teleport does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 2 things listed below take a company.
Teleport at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day trial of Teleport Enterprise
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux
- Made by
- Gravitational Inc.
- Category
- Remote Desktop
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for secure access to servers and infrastructure
Teleport controls access to servers, databases and clusters, with a free Community Edition you deploy yourself. Enterprise pricing is a form away, FIPS and strict-compliance features need a paid licence, and it isn't for controlling employee desktops.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Enterprise has no published price, so value can't be judged and sits at C. Community Edition is free but you run it yourself, which needs a server. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Community Edition is free and open source, but you deploy and maintain it. Enterprise has a 14-day trial. |
| Features | B | Infrastructure access, just-in-time access, machine identity, audit and governance and a desktop client cover the core of the job. |
| Ease of use | D | No store rating on record. You deploy and operate the cluster and wire it to your identity provider. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, Windows, Mac and Linux with the Teleport Connect desktop client, plus GitHub, Slack and Kubernetes. No phone apps are listed. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Teleport is for
- Fits if you run servers and clusters and want audited, short-lived access to them
- Works for engineering teams happy to self-host the Community Edition
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want to remotely control desktops, as it targets infrastructure access
- Watch out: Enterprise pricing isn't published and the pricing page asks for a form
- Watch out: FIPS support and strict-compliance features need a paid Enterprise licence
- Tight if you lack ops staff, as the Community Edition must be deployed and maintained by you
Good to know
Good for
- Engineering teams replacing bastion hosts and shared credentials
- Teams that want a free open-source edition to self-host
- Regulated organizations needing audit trails and FIPS support
Worth knowing
- Enterprise pricing is not published; the pricing page asks for a form to get a quote.
- FIPS support and strict-compliance features need a paid Enterprise license.
- Community Edition must be deployed and maintained by you.
- It is aimed at infrastructure access, not remote control of employee desktops.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
2
plans to choose from
Teleport has a free plan.
Enterprise has no published price, so value can't be judged and sits at C.
Community Edition
$0
Free and open source, self-hosted. The docs say editions differ in features, deployment options and support.
Enterprise
Custom
Cloud or self-hosted. Price on request from sales; the site says it is based on active users and protected resources.
The free plan
Community Edition is free and open source; you deploy and run it yourself.
Trying it first
14-day trial of Teleport Enterprise
Read from goteleport.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows and Linux
Identity-based access to servers, databases and Kubernetes. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable.
Infrastructure access, just-in-time access, machine identity, audit and governance and a desktop client cover the core of the job.
- Access to infrastructure
- Connects to SSH and Windows servers, Kubernetes clusters, databases and internal apps through one access layer.
- Just-in-time access
- Privileges are ephemeral and expire, with access requests used to grant them, instead of standing credentials.
- Machine and workload identity
- Automated services can connect to protected resources using certificate-based identity instead of long-lived secrets.
- Agent and MCP access control
- The vendor says identity and access control extend to AI agents and MCP tooling.
- Audit and governance
- The platform lists access governance and compliance, with policies and audits managed in one place.
- Teleport Connect desktop client
- The docs describe a desktop client for macOS, Linux and Windows, alongside a web UI and the tsh command line.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
What it works with
- GitHub
- Slack
- Kubernetes
Teleport is made by Gravitational Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
21/85
Other remote desktop apps it is graded above
Teleport's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 21 of the 85 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 13.
It stands best on features (B, above 55 of 85) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 86 remote desktop apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Teleport’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 7 of 85
- CFree plan and trialAbove 19 of 85
- BFeaturesAbove 55 of 85
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 85
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 28 of 85
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Nothing Teleport does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 2 things listed below take a company.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 51 of the 85 other remote desktop apps grade higher. Teleport is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could not
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Teleport’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Twingate, NetBird, Zscaler Private Access, Tailscale and Pritunl
The 5 tools Teleport is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Twingate
Free plan · from $5/mo
Zero trust network access to replace a company VPN.
- Only Teleport lists a web app.
- Only Twingate lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Twingate lists a browser extension.
- 2.6GPA
NetBird
Free plan · from €6/mo
Open-source zero trust networking built on WireGuard.
- Only Teleport lists a web app.
- Only NetBird lists iOS and Android apps.
- NetBird also covers vPN.
- 1.8GPA
Zscaler Private Access
Paid
Zero trust access to private apps without a VPN.
- Teleport has a free plan. Zscaler Private Access does not.
- Only Teleport lists macOS, Linux and Windows apps.
- Teleport is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
Tailscale
Free plan · from $8/mo
Private network that links your devices, servers and teams.
- Only Teleport lists a web app.
- Only Tailscale lists iOS and Android apps.
- Teleport is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.0GPA
Pritunl
Free plan · from $10/mo
Self-hosted open-source VPN server for OpenVPN and WireGuard.
- Only Teleport lists a web app.
- Pritunl also covers vPN.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Teleport free?
Teleport has a free plan. Community Edition is free and open source; you deploy and run it yourself.
How much does Teleport cost?
Teleport lists 2 plans. Community Edition: $0.
What platforms does Teleport work on?
Teleport is available on Web, macOS, Linux and Windows.
Does Teleport have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Teleport is listed for Web, macOS, Linux and Windows.
Does Teleport have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Teleport is listed for Web, macOS, Linux and Windows.
Is Teleport open source?
Yes. Teleport is open source, according to its own site.
What does Teleport integrate with?
Teleport's listing names GitHub, Slack and Kubernetes. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Teleport have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day trial of Teleport Enterprise.
Who makes Teleport?
Teleport is made by Gravitational Inc.
What are the alternatives to Teleport?
The closest alternatives to Teleport in our directory are Twingate, NetBird, Zscaler Private Access, Tailscale and Pritunl.
How does Teleport compare with other remote desktop apps?
Teleport's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 21 of the 85 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 13.
Could I make my own version of Teleport?
Nothing Teleport does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 2 things listed below take a company.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Teleport’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Teleport's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Gravitational Inc. Prices change, so check goteleport.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Teleport, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/teleport
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Teleport: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/teleport
Know someone choosing between remote desktop apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/teleport/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded remote desktop apps after Teleport, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Remote Desktop Insider's GuideEvery one of the 86 remote desktop apps we grade, compared
- Chrome Remote Desktop Insider's GuideGoogle's free remote access to your own computers from a browser3.2 GPA
- DWService Insider's GuideFree browser-based remote access to computers via an agent3.2 GPA
- HopToDesk Insider's GuideFree open-source remote desktop with a paid device dashboard3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Teleport’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Teleport is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Gravitational Inc. Prices and plans change: check goteleport.com before you buy.