“How good is sTrust zero trust really? Is it right for our company?” — we have been asked this a lot lately. Today we will skip the roundabout talk and explain in one go what sTrust is, who it suits, how much it costs, and how it compares with traditional VPN / ZeroTier, so you can decide whether it is worth a try.
What is sTrust
sTrust is a zero trust remote work / secure access (ZTNA/SDP) solution developed and operated by Beijing Siwen Lide. It is built for small and medium-sized businesses in mainland China and goes live in 5 minutes. Its core principle is “never trust, always verify” — unlike a traditional VPN, which opens up the entire intranet once connected, sTrust authorizes which subnets, IPs and ports each user may reach, enforces single-device login, and prevents lateral spread even if one device is compromised.
Which companies it suits
✅ A good fit
- 5–500 employees with remote work, multi-site branch or business-travel intranet access needs
- Currently using ZeroTier / Tailscale but finding connections unstable in China
- Legacy SSL VPN appliance is expiring and you do not want to buy hardware again
- You need to pass MLPS 2.0 (China’s Multi-Level Protection Scheme) and require compliant audit logs
⚠️ Not a good fit
- Large groups with 1,000+ employees (we suggest a major enterprise-grade ZTNA vendor)
- Businesses operating purely overseas with no staff in mainland China (Tailscale works directly)
How it beats traditional VPN / ZeroTier
| Comparison | sTrust | Traditional VPN | ZeroTier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security model | Zero trust · on-demand authorization | Full access once connected | Virtual Layer 2 network |
| Control plane | Domestic data center · ICP-filed | Self-hosted | United States |
| Stability in China | High | High | Medium–Low |
| Hardware investment | 0 (SaaS) | RMB 50,000–100,000 | 0 |
| MLPS compliance | Passes | Depends on deployment | Does not pass |
How much it costs
Free 30-day trial with full features for 5 users; the Standard edition for 30 users is about RMB 7,000/year; the Enterprise edition for 100 users is about RMB 18,000/year; on-premises deployment is available (price negotiable). No hardware purchase is required, and the 3-year total cost is more than 70% lower than a traditional hardware VPN.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is sTrust reliable? Who uses it?
A: It is developed and operated in-house by Beijing Siwen Lide (founded in 2011, 14 years of enterprise IT services, 1,000+ customers) and already serves companies such as Dongfang Tong. Data is stored in an Alibaba Cloud Beijing data center, it meets MLPS 2.0, and audit logs are retained for 30 days.
Q: Is deployment a hassle?
A: Not at all. The administrator registers → configures subnet authorizations → employees receive an SMS to download the client → they log in with a verification code and the configuration is pushed automatically. A 30-person company can have everyone online in 2–3 hours.
Q: Which platforms are supported?
A: Windows / macOS / Android / iOS / Web, plus MikroTik routers for site-to-site connectivity between branches.
Want to try sTrust zero trust?
Free 30-day trial with full features for 5 users: strust.siwenlide.com, or call 400-686-2011.
Further reading: for help choosing among three remote access tools, see “How to Choose Between ZeroTier, Tailscale and sTrust: 2026 Comparison”.
