AWS Direct Connect vs Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Palo Alto Networks are both solutions in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #10 with an average rating of 9.0, while Palo Alto Networks is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.4. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 1.8% mindshare in EIV, compared to Palo Alto Networks’s 6.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Palo Alto Networks users who would recommend it.

AWS Direct Connect

Read 12 AWS Direct Connect reviews

2,012 Views
1,952 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Prisma Access by Palo Alto ...

Read 65 Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks reviews

30,127 Views
6,025 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

AWS Direct Connect

Prisma Access by Palo Alto ...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks offers cloud-based security services, while AWS Direct Connect provides dedicated network connectivity to AWS. Users are generally happier with the support offered by Prisma Access, but AWS Direct Connect is preferred for its features and reliability.

Features: Prisma Access is valued for its comprehensive security functions, easy management, and expansive policy control. AWS Direct Connect is praised for its low latency, high bandwidth, and efficient connection options. While both have strong features, AWS Direct Connect is highlighted for performance and connectivity, making it preferred for use cases requiring robust network performance.

Room for Improvement: Prisma Access users suggest improvements in integration with third-party tools and occasional performance issues. AWS Direct Connect users identify challenges with the complexity of setup and limited monitoring tools. Prisma Access needs enhancement in integration and performance aspects, whereas AWS Direct Connect requires better ease of use and monitoring capabilities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Prisma Access is noted for its straightforward deployment and strong customer support. AWS Direct Connect, though effective once deployed, has a more complex setup procedure but also receives commendations for its customer service. Prisma Access stands out for easier deployment, whereas AWS Direct Connect’s complexity during setup is a notable drawback.

Pricing and ROI: Prisma Access users mention relatively higher initial setup costs but acknowledge good ROI due to comprehensive security features. AWS Direct Connect users benefit from favorable pricing for network demands but acknowledge a steep learning curve. While Prisma Access may appear costlier upfront, its ROI is seen as justifiable due to its extensive security benefits, whereas AWS Direct Connect is seen as cost-effective for network performance and connectivity.

To learn more, read our detailed AWS Direct Connect vs. Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

AWS Direct Connect vs. Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks

September 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

AWS Direct Connect

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

10th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Prisma Access by Palo Alto ...

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (5th), Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) (1st), ZTNA as a Service (4th), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of AWS Direct Connect is 1.8%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks is 6.4%, up from 5.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks	6.4%
AWS Direct Connect	1.8%
Other	91.8%

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Featured Reviews

reviewer2231871

Product Manager at a comms service provider with 201-500 employees

Offers secure high-bandwidth connectivity without internet-related risks

Regarding the benefits from the multiple virtual interfaces in the product, there is no interface for the product; it is just a connection that we have. It is an ethernet connection we offer. The customer, from the customer side to AWS, receives an ethernet point-to-point connection, and that is it. The interface and everything along with the communication with AWS, the customer has to do by themselves to build the routes and everything. The connection speed that our clients are using ranges from 100 megabits up to 10 gigabits. The main concern is the port costs. Clients do not report technical problems, so it is mainly always an issue of money. The solution is nice, but sometimes they avoid it because the port costs are high. This is not a problem AWS has exclusively; Azure has the same costs, and these port costs are quite expensive. I would rate this review as an 8 out of 10.

Read full review

IgorPinter

Director at PULSEC

Zero-trust access has improved remote security and now simplifies cloud-based firewall management

Regarding the integration part for Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks, the integration with identity providers is pretty much good. It is basically firewall as a service, so it performs well. I completed the integration without any issues. What Palo Alto Networks can do better for Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks is probably to have the point of presence available in more locations. The point of presence from the Serbia region has the nearest POP in Frankfurt, which is an issue since it is your gateway—when you start browsing the internet, you go through a commercial connection in Germany. They definitely need to spread the service in other countries.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It is a highly scalable solution."

"AWS Direct Connect allows me to connect our on-premise infrastructure directly with AWS infrastructure."

"AWS Direct Connect offers higher security options by avoiding internet-related problems such as DDoS attacks and provides stable bandwidth."

"The platform's most valuable feature for us is its robust network performance."

"AWS Direct Connect is highly secure and much faster compared to normal network infrastructure."

"AWS Direct Connect provides a secure and encrypted connection over the internet."

"AWS VPN is cost-effective and affordable; it has the security regulation with 3DES protocol, and they have the security protocol required to encrypt the information in the link."

"The most valuable feature of Direct Connect is its low latency to the users."

More AWS Direct Connect pros

"Prisma Access provides better app performance, allows all the traffic that's really needed for applications and internal resources without any impact on the hardware, and can be continuously scaled in case more resources are needed."

"For anybody who is looking for a contained-based solution, I definitely recommend this product."

"Overall, the security provided by Prisma Access is very good."

"Prisma Access provides comprehensive security. It provides URL filtering, application control, SSL, DLP, etc. It provides complete security for the cloud environment."

"I've evaluated multiple solutions on the market but to quarantine and clean a malware file is something I haven't seen anywhere else."

"All of these come into play and give us peace of mind that this platform is best-in-class in terms of security features and tool integration."

"The solution improved the consistency of our security controls and the BCP, there has been a 20 percent reduction in TCO, and Prisma Access also enabled us to deliver better applications by centralizing security management."

"Overall, the security that Prisma Access provides definitely meets our security requirements."

More Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks pros

Cons

"Its terminologies are challenging to interpret."

"The platform's stability needs improvement."

"AWS Direct Connect should support cross-cloud connections, such as migrations between Azure and AWS, for disaster recovery purposes on different cloud platforms."

"I would like to see better traffic visibility and higher throughput security, especially for organizations that require more than what the current limit allows."

"AWS Direct Connect is straightforward and performs well for me."

"It is complicated to do additional BGP configuration for the product."

"One area that needs improvement is the cost of the ports, which is a concern as these charges are quite high."

"Having more locations could improve the convenience of using the service."

More AWS Direct Connect cons

"The only drawback at the moment is that a cloud solution like Prisma Access requires Palo Alto Panorama, which is normally a VM that sits in your data center."

"The Cloud Managed Prisma Access needs some more enhancement."

"There is a lack of integration with third-party solutions like CrowdStrike or SentinelOne in Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks. Although they have a tight ecosystem with their products, opening up for integration with other solutions would be beneficial."

"Sometimes a third-party outage could impact the whole operability."

"The user interface could be better. They need to work a little bit on the console. It is similar to their firewalls but not exactly. They need to clean it up a bit."

"The initial support team is not very good. Most of the time, I have found that they are one to three years experienced only. They don't have network expertise. They know about Palo Alto products but don't know how to troubleshoot the issues. We have to guide them most of the time to troubleshoot correctly since their approach is not developed."

"Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks should consolidate the portals into a single portal. It is slow and takes more than ten seconds to load a page."

"The BGP filtering options on Prisma Access should be improved."

More Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an expensive solution."

"It has reasonable pricing in terms of the features offered."

"In terms of pricing, considering that it is a two or three years old solution, they should apply big discounts for the next two or three years. This approach will be better for them to capture the market."

"It is pretty expensive. We have to balance the cost of some features. They need to work on some of the services and products, price-wise."

"There's no reason not to buy the enterprise version that gives you unlimited PoPs, but you must understand the limitations you impose on yourself if you do that. If you go crazy, that allowlist will be too big for Kubernetes clusters."

"The pricing is very friendly. It's not confusing to figure out your workload and how much you'd be paying for the solution."

"This is not an expensive product and everything is included with one license."

"It is a little expensive. Because it is one of the best in the market, it is a little bit more expensive than other vendors."

"The price has been good for the ROI during these difficult times for the cruise industry. There are no hidden costs; what the product offers is what you get."

"The licensing cost is about 18,000 euros."

More Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

19%

Outsourcing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

Healthcare Company

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Outsourcing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	26
Midsize Enterprise	20
Large Enterprise	27

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with AWS Direct Connect?

One area that needs improvement is the cost of the ports, which is a concern as these charges are quite high. It is primarily a budget issue because while the solution is effective, the port costs ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for AWS Direct Connect?

Our customers primarily use AWS Direct Connect for hybrid cloud solutions. They have parts of their equipment in their on-premise data center, while also using AWS infrastructure for backups, datab...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering AWS Direct Connect?

See all answers

What is the better solution - Prisma Access or Zscaler Private Access?

We looked into Prisma Access before choosing Zscaler Private Access (ZPA). Palo Alto’s Prisma Access is a secure access service edge (SASE) designed to deliver network security in a cloud-deliver...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks?

From my experience, Palo Alto is more expensive compared to solutions like Netskope and Triscale.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks?

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 9% of the time

Lumen MPLS IP VPN vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 7% of the time

IBM Secure Gateway Service vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Meraki vMX vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 6% of the time

Sangfor SSL VPN vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 6% of the time

More AWS Direct Connect Competitors

Netskope vs Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 13% of the time

FortiSASE vs Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 5% of the time

Appgate SDP vs Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 4% of the time

Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) vs Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 4% of the time

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 4% of the time

More Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

November 2026

Download AWS Direct Connect product report

Buyer's Guide

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks

October 2026

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks report

Download Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks product report

Also Known As

No data available

Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access, Prisma Access, GlobalProtect, Palo Alto GlobalProtect Mobile Security Manager, Prisma SaaS by Palo Alto Networks, Prisma Access

Overview

AWS Direct Connect provides low latency, stable connectivity, and robust performance for secure data transfers between on-premise and AWS, ensuring high availability and cost-effective data management.

AWS Direct Connect is a service that facilitates seamless connectivity between on-premises data centers and AWS, offering low latency, reliable performance, and enhanced security. It is crucial for industries like healthcare and finance due to its ability to ensure secure, efficient data transfers, bypassing internet vulnerabilities. The service supports hybrid cloud setups, enabling centralized management in multi-account environments and offering scalability and failover capabilities. While additional BGP configuration complexities and cross-cloud connection support are needed, AWS Direct Connect remains influential for bandwidth-intensive workload handling.

What are the key features of AWS Direct Connect?

Low Latency: Ensures minimal delay in data transfer.
Stable Connectivity: Offers consistent and reliable connections.
Robust Performance: Provides high network performance and availability.
Security: Uses MACsec encryption and avoids internet vulnerabilities.
Scalability: Supports growing bandwidth needs with flexibility.
Failover Capabilities: Ensures constant connectivity during service disruptions.

What benefits and ROI should be considered when evaluating AWS Direct Connect?

Cost-effective Data Transfers: Reduces expenses related to large data transfers.
Centralized Management: Enhances control in multi-account settings.
Enhancements in Security: Increases protection against potential threats.
Supports Hybrid Cloud Connectivity: Facilitates seamless data center integrations.

Industries like healthcare and finance implement AWS Direct Connect to link on-premises data centers with AWS, supporting hybrid cloud configurations and secure data migrations. It enhances cloud storage transitions and hybrid server settings, directing diverse applications like ERP systems and VoIP. This facilitates efficient instance monitoring and deployment for bandwidth-intensive operations.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks delivers robust security features including secure remote access across apps and traffic monitoring. It integrates smoothly with cloud environments to provide advanced threat protection and visibility into network traffic.

Prisma Access offers a comprehensive suite of security tools designed to protect cloud environments and remote workforces. With its focus on real-time risk identification and threat prevention, Prisma Access provides encrypted tunnels and centralized management for seamless connectivity and enhanced data security. Designed to scale across platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP, it optimizes traffic and connectivity while offering extensive visibility into vulnerabilities. However, integration with third-party products, usability, and support services are areas for development, as users report interface challenges and desire improved scalability and geographic coverage, especially in regions like China and South America.

What are the key features of Prisma Access?

Real-Time Risk Identification: Detects and manages potential threats instantly.
Secure Remote Access: Ensures secure connectivity to applications from anywhere.
Traffic Monitoring: Provides comprehensive oversight of network traffic.
Seamless Integration: Works well with platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP.
Firewall Capabilities: Blocks unauthorized access and threats.
Scalability: Adapts to various cloud environments to meet growing demands.

What benefits should users expect when evaluating Prisma Access?

Reduced Data Breach Risk: Protects sensitive information through encrypted connections.
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies management and configuration tasks.
Centralized Management: Offers a single view for managing all security policies.
Advanced Threat Protection: Regular updates guard against new threats.

Prisma Access is effectively used in industries requiring secure remote access and stringent data protection, such as finance and healthcare. Organizations leverage it to enforce Zero Trust policies, optimize network performance with SD-WAN, and ensure security compliance across multiple platforms.

Palo Alto Networks

Sample Customers

Expedia, Intuit, Royal Dutch Shell, Brooks Brothers

Concord Hospital, State of Colorado, Essilor International, RheinLand Versicherungsgruppe, University of Westminster, Universidade Nove de Julho, SPAR Austria, CAME Group, ZipRealty, Greenhill & Co., IKT Agder, Aviva Stadium, Animal Logic, Management & Training Corporation, Brigham Young University Hawaii, School District of Chilliwack

Buyer's Guide

AWS Direct Connect vs. Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks

September 2026

Free Report: AWS Direct Connect vs. Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks

Find out what your peers are saying about AWS Direct Connect vs. Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.

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