Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Cloudflare Access comparison

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Lookout Logo
259 views|197 comparisons
71% willing to recommend
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4,417 views|2,441 comparisons
100% willing to recommend
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3,042 views|2,555 comparisons
100% willing to recommend
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary
Updated on Jul 31, 2023

We compared Cato Networks and Cloudflare Access across several parameters based on our users' reviews. After reading the collected data, you can find our conclusion below:

  • Ease of Deployment: Cato Networks offers a quick and simple initial setup that can be completed in just a few minutes or hours. In contrast, Cloudflare Access also has an easy and straightforward setup, but it does require some networking knowledge.
  • Features: Cato Networks provides useful features like continuous VPN, centralized control, web filtering, and antivirus capabilities. In contrast, Cloudflare Access is well-known for its DDoS protection, connectivity to data centers, and the ability to work from various locations.
  • Room for Improvement: Cato Networks can improve their security measures by adding web application firewalling and enhancing intrusion detection. Meanwhile, Cloudflare Access should work on improving its pricing and providing better support for customers on the free plan.
  • Pricing: Cato Networks and Cloudflare Access have different pricing structures for their setup costs. Cato Networks' cost depends on bandwidth and socket type, while Cloudflare Access has mixed opinions on pricing. Cato Networks is perceived as pricier but provides flexibility, whereas Cloudflare Access is viewed as moderately expensive by some and highly affordable by others.
  • ROI: Cato Networks provides noticeable cost savings and efficiency improvements within a year, resulting in a clear return on investment. On the other hand, the ROI of Cloudflare Access varies based on specific use cases and the effectiveness of its implementation.
  • Service and Support: Cato Networks' customer service has been praised for being attentive and proactive, although there have been some issues with inconsistent assistance and internal communication. On the other hand, Cloudflare Access has garnered positive feedback for its exceptional and remarkable technical support.

Comparison Results: When comparing Cato Networks and Cloudflare Access, Cato Networks is commended for its simple setup process, extensive features, competitive pricing, and responsive technical assistance. However, there is room for improvement in terms of security measures, networking features, and language options. Conversely, Cloudflare Access is appreciated for its easy setup, DDoS protection, flexibility, and security features. It is worth mentioning that the pricing of Cloudflare Access can be a concern, and support for free plan users is lacking. 

To learn more, read our detailed Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs. Cloudflare Access Report (Updated: March 2024).
767,995 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"On the outside, the main differentiation is because Lookout ingest. They have ingested basically all of the apps for the last ten years and all the versions of all the apps, and we have that in a corporate database that allows us to do very large-scale machine learning and analysis on that data set. That's not something that any of the competitors really have the capability to do because they don't have access to the data set. A lot of the apps you can no longer get them because that version of the app is five or six years old, and it just doesn't exist anywhere anymore, except within our infrastructure. So, the ability to have that very rich dataset and learn from that dataset is a real differentiator.""The solution is stable.""The protection offered by the product is the most valuable feature. It detects vulnerabilities or traps on our users' phones and then prompts them to clean up their devices. Tools we used previously would only discover, which required us to gather information on the backend, so Lookout is a welcome upgrade.""The most valuable features are the antivirus as a whole, the anti-malware, and all of the protection features that scan our enterprise devices."

More Lookout Pros →

"The solution is a simple WAN solution. We've onboarded the socket on the Cato platform, and it provides connectivity. There is no complex routing.""Cato offers all the functionality found in other solution. The life cycle management is always very stable.""What I found most helpful in Cato Networks is that it works out of the box. One of its main advantages is that it's a simple product to deploy. You subscribe, and you're ready to run.""The scalability is quite good.""It is quite simple and easy to use.""The query and the SD-WAN are useful features of the solution.""We appreciate the optimization and acceleration of the performance of SDP users.""The WAN aggregation feature is the most valuable."

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"Cloudflare, in my opinion, was easy to implement.""It's the endpoint exposition. We don't need to expose our VPN server to the internet and need a zero-test solution. I can apply some conditional access to the endpoint that's connecting to our network to check their security policies or the security condition of their workstation. Once the workstation is trying to connect to my internal network, then I would like to check the discrete condition of these endpoints that are trying to access my internal network. We created some conditional access. We have CrowdStrike, to check if the CrowdStrike is installed, to check if it's updated, and to check for Windows updates. We created some conditional policies to check it.""For Cloudflare Access, I am using the free plan...The most valuable feature is their protection.""Enables me to work from two locations.""The tool also offers good scalability, and the dashboard, along with real-time analytics, is very good."

More Cloudflare Access Pros →

Cons
"We just submitted an enhancement request reflecting the main area we want to see improvement in; the APIs. Currently, we're able to build dashboards, but it's somewhat backward because we use our MDM API to create them. Lookout should provide API to customers so we can query our data and use it in our cloud, and this is the only outstanding area for improvement with the product right now.""The stability depends on the service from where you access it. Because sometimes, the place you are in, you have Gateway. You don't have Gateway. The gateway is overutilized. At the end, you need to go through their gateways. And this is the key point here. You have a tracking point. If it's not well orchestrated, and it scales up as you add more to the existing team, you will suffer""From the analysis that we've done, they do seem to be maybe a step behind in trying to enter the market with a new solution. But when they do pick up, they do come out with some good products.""Lookout was moving into the SSE space. And so their work on SecureWeb Gateway and SD-WAN is still sort of evolving."

More Lookout Cons →

"For a packaged solution, needing external intervention or a system integrator to get other features not offered by Cato Networks could be an area for improvement. Cato Networks does what it's meant to do and is even overstretching capabilities when introducing new features. The product can only have very few features added on top of what its currently doing. Managed service providers can deliver the extra features you'd need. It's a set of managed services, and what Cato Networks does is very comprehensive. So, for the time being, when the actual incarnation of the SASE solution is deployed, Cato Networks is a very effective product. Naturally, technology will evolve, so everybody knows that in three, four, or five years, there will be a new kid on the block, a new game. Still, at the moment, Cato Networks only needs to improve a little regarding SASE delivery. The product is doing very well, but one feature the Cato Networks team is doing right is preparing for the future through deploying the SSE 360, so the security service is at that edge. It's an excellent strategy to prepare for the future. SSE 360 is what Cato Networks should invest in the most to keep prospering.""They should include a web application firewall feature in the solution.""The tool needs to be more granular. Its reports are not very in-depth.""The product may be complex for users with few years of experience.""Cato Networks could improve their intrusion detection. There is not a lot in place.""The solution is not cheap.""I would like to see better integration with identity providers.""The solution could be made more user friendly for the administrator to use the portal. It is difficult to use it for people who are not experienced with Cato Networks."

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"They don't have a person to provide support for customers using the solution under their free plan.""When there are any dynamic changes in complex applications, the tool takes a lot of time, making its analytics-related area a major matter of concern where improvements are needed.""For the topic of improvement, providing some training material is one of my suggestions.""The pricing is an area that can be improved. Pricing, as far as I recall, was the source of our problems."

More Cloudflare Access Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "The pricing is fair; it's comparable to our previous solution, and we carried out multiple POCs and POVs (proof of value). The product is worth the money we pay for it."
  • "Lookout is definitely on the lower end when it comes to price point and that seems to be the only differentiator. The technology is in place in this space and it's really about who is coming in at the better price point now."
  • "In terms of feature performance versus cost, they're a good value."
  • "The licensing costs are good. Prisma has much more options and support for security, but it has a higher cost. For example, Lookout costs 2/3rd of Prisma's licensing price."
  • More Lookout Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "The price is not an issue for us, as it is priced more competitively than some other vendors."
  • "If you compare with VeloCloud, the price is the same or even cheaper."
  • "You pay yearly based on the speed of your network. If you increase the speed of your network, you increase the cost for your throughput. It is by bandwidth for the most part and then licenses for VPN. There is some per-seat licensing for VPN access, but the majority of it is minimal. It is like $30 a year per client. The rest is based on how much bandwidth you'll use. You pay for that upfront for the year, and if you have to increase it, you increase it, and then they let you send more data through. There are no additional costs in addition to the standard licensing fees."
  • "Cato Networks seems more expensive than Cisco Meraki."
  • "The pricing of this solution depends on what you need. It is based on bandwidth."
  • "I rate the price of Cato Networks a four out of five."
  • "Cato Networks is an expensive product, but it works out of the box, so that's the usual trade-off, make versus buy. If you decide to buy a product that doesn't require much programming, then you'd want to go for Cato Networks, which will work naturally, and immediately without any complex setup. However, the product is a little bit more expensive than the competitors. On a scale of one to five, I'd rate the pricing for Cato Networks as four."
  • "The product is very competitively priced, and that's compelling. They don't charge the customer based on the operational cost like other brands such as Palo Alto. Cato has its own fully-fledged cloud, with their own data centers, equipment, and so on, which is an advantage. I rate the solution five out of five for affordability."
  • More Cato SASE Cloud Platform Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "The prices are slightly expensive."
  • "The pricing is somewhere in the middle. I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten."
  • "My company has to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the solution. There are no hidden charges apart from the licensing costs of the solution."
  • More Cloudflare Access Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:The licensing costs are good. Prisma has much more options and support for security, but it has a higher cost. For… more »
    Top Answer:The solution could improve identity integration as well. Zero trust, it's a good start as a zero-trust solution… more »
    Top Answer:The solution is a simple WAN solution. We've onboarded the socket on the Cato platform, and it provides connectivity… more »
    Top Answer:We use the solution as a WAN, but we plan to optimize it by incorporating security features like zero trust for enhanced… more »
    Top Answer:In terms of security, we are planning to deploy more features and our current usage is primarily focused on branch… more »
    Top Answer:The tool also offers good scalability, and the dashboard, along with real-time analytics, is very good.
    Top Answer:The price of Cloudflare Access is the same as compared to Akamai, but I get better performance from Cloudflare. My… more »
    Top Answer:My company has many complex applications. When there are any dynamic changes in complex applications, the tool takes a… more »
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    CipherCloud
    Cato Networks
    Learn More
    Overview

    Lookout is a well-established and powerful secure web gateway (SWG) solution that protects more than 200 million users from threats that can result from the penetration of unsecured web traffic into their networks. Lookout is designed to enable organizations to work remotely while maintaining a tight blanket of security over their confidential business data. It provides administrators with security that extends from their endpoints to the cloud service that they are using to run their organization’s network. 

    Users of Lookout are able to proactively detect threats and keep themselves secure from a field of threats that constantly evolves. IT teams can protect their organizations without having to rely on any other security solutions. This singular solution can run on multiple kinds of mobile devices. The privacy of individuals is preserved while keeping compliance rules intact. Additionally, users gain access to a number of tools that enable them to prevent security breaches from taking place.

    Lookout Benefits

    Some of the ways that organizations can benefit by deploying Lookout include:

    • Ease of deployment. Lookout is a solution whose design makes it easy for users to deploy it. It provides users with simple, step-by-step instructions that remove the need for organizations to devote extensive amounts of time to make sure that it is properly set up. Anyone can quickly set up the solution without undergoing technical training. 
    • Built-in support. Users of the Lookout application have access to built-in demos that can teach them how to use various solution features. Instead of spending time trying to figure out the application, users can watch the demo that is most relevant to them and see for themselves how that particular feature is used.
    • Easy-to-use user interface. Lookout’s user interface is laid out in an intuitive way that makes it easy for administrators to navigate. This interface is present in both the mobile and desktop versions of this solution. 
    • Settings customization. Lookout has a built-in settings customization menu. This makes it possible for administrators to easily customize their settings so that they best conform to their needs. 

    Lookout Features

    • Activity monitoring and activity tracking. Lookout’s activity monitoring and activity tracking capabilities enable users to keep a close eye on the activities that are taking place in their networks. IT teams and administrators have the ability to watch their networks for any unusual activity. These features ensure that organizations can keep ahead of any potential threats. They provide the kinds of insights and warnings that make the jobs of those IT teams and administrators much easier and more streamlined. 
    • Encryption. Organizations that employ Lookout can encrypt their networks and keep crucial business data from being read by unauthorized parties. This feature keeps the secrets organizations are trying to keep out of the wrong hands.
    • Anti-virus tools. Lookout provides users with tools to block threats from harming their networks. These tools can successfully block 99.6 percent of threats without raising false alarms. 

    Cato Networks is a leading SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) platform, combining SD-WAN and network security to obtain a cloud-native service. Cato Networks optimizes and secures application access for users and identities. The platform delivers a next-generation secure networking architecture that minimizes legacy IT infrastructures’ complexity, costs, and risks. The goal of Cato Suite is to connect any user to any application securely and optimally.

    Cato Suite runs on a private global network of more than 65 PoPs (points of presence) connected via SLA-backed network providers. The service can connect branches, data centers, users, and clouds. Cato can be deployed in stages to augment legacy network services.

    Cato Suite delivers end-to-end route optimization for WAN and cloud traffic. The architecture is self-healing, enabling a high service uptime.

    Cato Features

    Cato Cloud has a global backbone to deliver a reliable, global network. Here are some key SD-WAN features of Cato Cloud.

    • Optimizes traffic flows: The Cato Suite can individually optimize traffic flows in the last mile - from the customer’s location to the point of presence, and also between PoPs. This feature eliminates the need for internet providers to hand off traffic to each other, avoiding the resulting latency and congestion.
    • Controls and manages bandwidth: The software-defined overlay is encrypted across the entire cloud infrastructure. This overlay uses application-aware routing, analyzing latency and loss data to choose the best route according to network conditions. These features, like protocol priority marking, enable the system to ensure the performance of real-time applications.
    • Delivers redundancy and failover: By connecting the points of presence with multiple Tier-1 IPs, Cato builds the redundancy needed to ensure security and highly available service.
    • Cloud-native: Cato is built as a scalable, resilient, and elastic cloud service.
    • Converged: The platform converges SD-WAN and network security into a single infrastructure framework.
    • Secures all edges: Cato Network can secure and optimize traffic from all users, locations, applications, and clouds.

    What challenges does Cato Network solve?

    • Migration to SD-WAN

    MPLS (multi-protocol label switching) networks are usually expensive and limited in their capacity. Cato simplifies migrating to a faster, higher-capacity internet and SASE cloud. Cato SD-WAN appliances enable customers to improve usable capacity and resiliency.

    • Global connectivity optimization

    Customers who suffer from the challenge of high latency and network inconsistency can use Cato to deliver a consistent connection and user experience to access on-premises and cloud applications.

    • Securing branch internet access

    Cato’s complete network security stack connects all branch locations to the Cato cloud, therefore protecting all traffic, both internet-bound and WAN, with enterprise-grade, cloud-based security services. This capability avoids having to backhaul internet traffic to a data center or hub or having to implement stand-alone cloud security solutions.

    • Cloud acceleration and control

    Organizations using Cato notice an acceleration of cloud traffic. Cato achieves this by routing all traffic from the edges to the PoP closest to the data center. Because of the close distance between the two, the latency is near zero.

    Reviews from Real Users

    An IT manager/project coordinator at a healthcare company says that “[Cato is] a cloud-based solution that integrates well with everything. They are the classic SaaS solution.”

    Yeong-Gi L., a network engineer at Snetsystems, notes that “The solution is very stable. The scalability is quite good. Technical support was always helpful and responsive. The integration capabilities are not a problem at all.”

    "The most valuable feature is that it also works as a next-gen firewall because it has security features," says Lorenzo S., senior solutions consultant Lead at MDI.

    Cloudflare Access is a powerful identity and access management solution that provides secure and seamless access to internal resources. It eliminates the need for traditional VPNs and allows organizations to enforce granular access controls based on user identity and device posture. With Cloudflare Access, users can authenticate using their existing identity providers, such as Google or Okta, and access resources without exposing them to the public internet. This ensures that only authorized users can access sensitive data and applications. 

    Additionally, Cloudflare Access provides a unified dashboard for managing access policies, making it easy to enforce security policies across the organization. With its zero-trust approach, Cloudflare Access helps organizations protect their resources from unauthorized access and potential data breaches.

    Sample Customers
    Paysafe, AdRoll, Pet Lovers Centre, Arlington Orthopedics, Humphreys & Partners Architects
    23andMe
    Top Industries
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company19%
    Financial Services Firm10%
    Manufacturing Company10%
    Government6%
    REVIEWERS
    Retailer18%
    Healthcare Company18%
    Insurance Company9%
    Energy/Utilities Company9%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company28%
    Manufacturing Company9%
    Financial Services Firm6%
    Retailer6%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company15%
    Financial Services Firm10%
    Government8%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Company Size
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business22%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise62%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business40%
    Midsize Enterprise25%
    Large Enterprise35%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business25%
    Midsize Enterprise30%
    Large Enterprise45%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business26%
    Midsize Enterprise19%
    Large Enterprise56%
    Buyer's Guide
    Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs. Cloudflare Access
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs. Cloudflare Access and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    767,995 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Cato SASE Cloud Platform is ranked 4th in ZTNA as a Service with 21 reviews while Cloudflare Access is ranked 9th in ZTNA as a Service with 5 reviews. Cato SASE Cloud Platform is rated 8.8, while Cloudflare Access is rated 8.8. The top reviewer of Cato SASE Cloud Platform writes "Useful remote worker VPN, centralized management, and simple on-boarding process". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Cloudflare Access writes "Replaces traditional VPN and enables endpoint exposition ". Cato SASE Cloud Platform is most compared with Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange, Cisco SD-WAN, Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet FortiGate and VMware SD-WAN, whereas Cloudflare Access is most compared with Twingate, Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks, Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange, Auth0 and Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy. See our Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs. Cloudflare Access report.

    See our list of best ZTNA as a Service vendors and best Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) vendors.

    We monitor all ZTNA as a Service reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.