NordLayer

OnePAM vs NordLayer

Compare OnePAM's session-level Zero Trust with NordLayer's VPN-first approach. See how per-resource access with audit trails changes infrastructure security.

Feature Comparison

See how we compare across key capabilities

Capability OnePAM NordLayer
Access model
Session-level Zero Trust
VPN-first with ZTNA add-on
Session recording
Full visual recording
No session recording
Database proxy
Native SQL proxy with identity
Not included
Client required
No — browser-based
Yes — NordLayer client
Web app SSO
Built-in authenticated proxy
Not included
Protocol awareness
SSH, RDP, VNC, K8s, gRPC, Telnet, DB, Web native
Network-level tunnels
Audit depth
Session + query level
Connection level only
Pricing
From $5/user/mo
From $8/user/mo

Why Choose OnePAM

Key advantages for secure infrastructure access

Beyond VPN tunnels

  • Session-level access with visual recording
  • Protocol-aware access for SSH, RDP, VNC, K8s, gRPC, Telnet, and databases
  • Identity-verified audit trails per session
  • NordLayer provides tunnels without session visibility
OnePAM shows you what happened in every session — NordLayer just opens tunnels.

No client needed

  • 100% browser-based access
  • No NordLayer client to deploy
  • Works from any device
  • BYOD-friendly
Access everything from your browser — no VPN client to install.

Our Focus

We specialize in secure infrastructure access with full session visibility. We don't try to do everything — we focus on what security and operations teams need most.

  • Consumer-grade VPN for internet privacy
  • Full network-level routing for all corporate traffic
  • Dedicated IP addresses for outbound traffic
Works with your existing tools: OnePAM integrates with your identity providers, alerting tools, and SIEM platforms.

Common Questions

What customers often ask when comparing

NordLayer is simpler to set up
OnePAM deploys in minutes too — and gives you session recording, database proxy, and web app SSO that NordLayer doesn't offer.
We need a VPN for general network access
OnePAM includes WireGuard VPN when VPN-style connectivity is the right fit, alongside browser-based, session-recorded access for most workloads. VPN stays secondary to per-resource access with full recording and audit.
NordLayer has a recognizable brand
NordLayer is known for consumer VPN. OnePAM is built specifically for enterprise infrastructure access with compliance-grade session recording and audit trails.

Is OnePAM Right for You?

OnePAM works best for teams that need secure access with full audit trails

OnePAM is ideal for

  • Organizations needing session recording for compliance
  • Teams wanting browser-based access without VPN clients
  • Companies needing database access auditing
  • Organizations moving beyond basic VPN access

OnePAM gives you Zero Trust access with session recording and database proxy — NordLayer gives you VPN tunnels.

Ready to See the Difference?

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