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Cybersecurity · head to head

HashiCorp Boundary vs NEXGEN Asset Management

HashiCorp Boundary logo

HashiCorp Boundary

Cybersecurity

Identity-aware session broker for infrastructure access without distributing credentials

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
NEXGEN Asset Management logo

NEXGEN Asset Management

Government

Combined EAM and CMMS for utilities and municipalities with Esri GIS at the centre of the asset register

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only HashiCorp Boundary has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: HashiCorp Boundary hashiCorp was acquired by IBM in February 2025 and Enterprise licensing now runs through IBM Passport Advantage; IBM has already retired HCP Vault Secrets, so Boundary's roadmap depends on IBM portfolio decisions rather than HashiCorp's own product strategy.; NEXGEN Asset Management pricing keys off asset count, so a routine GIS resegmentation that splits mains into more records can raise your subscription without adding a single user or work order.
  • They diverge on capability: HashiCorp Boundary covers Identity-based access, NEXGEN Asset Management covers Esri GIS integration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HashiCorp Boundary and NEXGEN Asset Management actually diverge.

Attributes where HashiCorp Boundary and NEXGEN Asset Management differ
AttributeHashiCorp BoundaryNEXGEN Asset Management
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, WebWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in HashiCorp Boundary

  • Identity-based access
  • Just-in-time credentials
  • Dynamic host catalogues
  • Session recording
  • Transparent sessions
  • Multi-hop workers
  • Audit logging
  • Terraform provider

Only in NEXGEN Asset Management

  • Esri GIS integration
  • Risk and criticality
  • Condition assessment
  • Capital planning
  • Work orders
  • Mobile field app
  • Service requests
  • Inventory and purchasing

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

HashiCorp Boundary

  • A platform team replacing shared SSH keys and a bastion host so that leavers lose access the moment they are removed from the identity providernot NEXGEN Asset Management
  • Granting contractors time-boxed database access without ever issuing them a credential they could keepnot NEXGEN Asset Management
  • An estate where autoscaling replaces hosts continuously and a static access list is always out of datenot NEXGEN Asset Management
  • Producing session recordings as evidence for an audit that requires proof of who touched production and what they rannot NEXGEN Asset Management

NEXGEN Asset Management

  • A water utility that must show a board why a specific main is being replaced this year rather than nextnot HashiCorp Boundary
  • A city public works department consolidating a GIS asset inventory and a paper work order process into one systemnot HashiCorp Boundary
  • An airport authority tracking condition assessments across airside and landside assets with capital forecastingnot HashiCorp Boundary
  • A district that needs citizen service requests to become tracked work orders with an auditable historynot HashiCorp Boundary

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

HashiCorp Boundary

  • HashiCorp was acquired by IBM in February 2025 and Enterprise licensing now runs through IBM Passport Advantage; IBM has already retired HCP Vault Secrets, so Boundary's roadmap depends on IBM portfolio decisions rather than HashiCorp's own product strategy.
  • Enterprise pricing is not published anywhere, and the features most organisations actually need for compliance, notably session recording, are Enterprise only, so the free community edition is rarely the version you end up buying.
  • It solves access to infrastructure, not to applications; browser-based internal tools, SaaS admin consoles and APIs need a separate control, so Boundary is one component of a zero-trust programme rather than the whole thing.
  • Running it yourself means operating controllers, worker nodes and a Postgres database in a highly available configuration, and if that control plane is down nobody can reach production, which makes it a new critical dependency.
  • It is materially easier to adopt if you already run Vault and Terraform; teams without that ecosystem face a steeper learning curve than a device-based mesh product like Tailscale, for a similar access outcome.

NEXGEN Asset Management

  • Pricing keys off asset count, so a routine GIS resegmentation that splits mains into more records can raise your subscription without adding a single user or work order.
  • Nothing is published and the vendor is small, so the reference set you can call is limited and mostly Californian and North American public agencies.
  • The interface is dated compared with modern CMMS products, which hurts adoption among field crews who compare it to consumer apps on their own phones.
  • GIS integration is the product strength and also its dependency; agencies without a maintained ArcGIS asset layer face a data preparation project before NEXGEN is useful.
  • As a small vendor it carries acquisition risk, and in this segment acquisitions have repeatedly meant a product frozen while it is folded into a larger portfolio.

Pricing, plan by plan

HashiCorp Boundary

Free
  • Boundary Community EditionFree
    • MPL 2.0 open source
    • Self-hosted controllers and workers
    • Identity-based target access
  • Boundary Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Session recording and playback
    • Multi-hop and transparent sessions
    • Multi-tenancy via scopes

NEXGEN Asset Management

On request
  • NEXGEN Asset Management$undefined/year
    • Tiered pricing based on the number of assets under management
    • Implementation, GIS integration and data migration quoted separately
    • Mobile module licensed alongside the core platform

Which should you pick?

Choose HashiCorp Boundary if

  • You need identity-based access.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Web.
  • You also want just-in-time credentials.
HashiCorp Boundary review

Choose NEXGEN Asset Management if

  • You need esri gis integration.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want risk and criticality.
NEXGEN Asset Management review

Questions people ask

Is HashiCorp Boundary or NEXGEN Asset Management better?
Neither clearly leads. HashiCorp Boundary starts at Free and NEXGEN Asset Management at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HashiCorp Boundary or NEXGEN Asset Management?
HashiCorp Boundary has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for HashiCorp Boundary and On request for NEXGEN Asset Management.
Does HashiCorp Boundary or NEXGEN Asset Management run on more platforms?
HashiCorp Boundary runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Web. NEXGEN Asset Management runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use HashiCorp Boundary for free?
Yes. HashiCorp Boundary has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. NEXGEN Asset Management starts at On request.
What is HashiCorp Boundary best used for?
HashiCorp Boundary is most often used for a platform team replacing shared ssh keys and a bastion host so that leavers lose access the moment they are removed from the identity provider, granting contractors time-boxed database access without ever issuing them a credential they could keep, an estate where autoscaling replaces hosts continuously and a static access list is always out of date, producing session recordings as evidence for an audit that requires proof of who touched production and what they ran. Of those, a platform team replacing shared ssh keys and a bastion host so that leavers lose access the moment they are removed from the identity provider and granting contractors time-boxed database access without ever issuing them a credential they could keep are not what NEXGEN Asset Management is typically brought in for.
What can HashiCorp Boundary do that NEXGEN Asset Management cannot?
HashiCorp Boundary covers Identity-based access, Just-in-time credentials, Dynamic host catalogues, Session recording. NEXGEN Asset Management covers Esri GIS integration, Risk and criticality, Condition assessment, Capital planning.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HashiCorp Boundary: Is Boundary open source?

The community edition is, under MPL 2.0. Boundary Enterprise is commercial and is now sold through IBM Passport Advantage.

NEXGEN Asset Management: How is NEXGEN priced?

On a tiered model based on the number of assets under management, quoted per agency. Nothing is published.

HashiCorp Boundary: Does it replace a VPN?

For infrastructure access, largely yes. It grants a session to a specific target rather than putting the user on a network, but it does not cover browser-based internal applications.

NEXGEN Asset Management: Do we need Esri ArcGIS?

Not strictly, but the product is designed around it and most of the value assumes a maintained GIS asset layer.

HashiCorp Boundary: What does Boundary Enterprise cost?

HashiCorp does not publish Boundary pricing. It is quoted, and since the IBM acquisition it is transacted on IBM licensing paper.

NEXGEN Asset Management: Does it handle capital planning?

Yes. Risk, criticality and condition scores feed multi-year renewal forecasts intended for board and council submissions.

HashiCorp Boundary: Do I need Vault to use it?

No, but the just-in-time credential brokering that makes Boundary worthwhile depends on Vault or an equivalent secrets store.

NEXGEN Asset Management: Is there a mobile app?

Yes, a map-based field application with offline capability, licensed alongside the core platform.

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