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Cisco ScanSafe Web Security SaaS [EOL] vs Zscaler Internet Access comparison

Cisco and Zscaler are both solutions in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category. Additionally, 100% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 98% of Zscaler users who would recommend it.
Zscaler Internet Access
Read 60 Zscaler Internet Access reviews
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98% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary
We performed a comparison between Cisco ScanSafe Web Security SaaS [EOL] and Zscaler Internet Access based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Fortinet, Zscaler and others in Secure Web Gateways (SWG).

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To learn more, read our detailed Secure Web Gateways (SWG) Report (Updated: July 2026).
Buyer's Guide
Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
July 2026
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Helped 909,701 peers since 2012

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

Cisco ScanSafe Web Security...
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Zscaler Internet Access
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
60
Ranking in other categories
Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (3rd), Internet Security (2nd)
 

Featured Reviews

Samir Shah - PeerSpot reviewer
Samir Shah
CEO / Managing Director at Infinity Access Technologies Pvt Ltd
Easy to implement with good security and scanning
The software is scalable, no doubt about that. As such, the customers that we have given this software to had previously scaled up. Still, with a new version, we were able to satisfy them without any issue. Cisco is continuously working on making the software better, stronger, and compliant with the latest vulnerabilities. Their main aspect is to have software or hardware that is scalable. There is never an issue with the scalability. I'd rate it five out of five in terms of the ability to scale. This is a data center, so there are a lot of services that are being accessed from different departments. As far as users are concerned, they don't have more users within the data center. However, when it comes to accessing various services from the data center, it is sizeable. There may be 4,000 service requests happening daily. There may not be more than 50 users in general.
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Mohan Janarthanan - PeerSpot reviewer
Mohan Janarthanan
Associate Vice President at Novac Technology Solutions
User access management and threat prevention are enhanced with user-friendly controls
The best features Zscaler Internet Access offers include application control, tenant segregation, and PoP center regions which have low availability zones. The internet access is very successful and bandwidth speed is excellent. It also has application-based control, URL-based control, and SSL inspection capabilities, which are very useful. Additionally, the in-depth CASB segregation is very beneficial to us. One unique feature I found helpful is the tenant level restrictions, which we use to only access our organization's tenant level mail IDs, drives, and specific tenant level access while restricting public access. Zscaler Internet Access has positively impacted our organization as we have noticed substantial outputs and income. It has improved our security environment control and endpoint protection. It prevents numerous web attacks through its AI/ML incorporated capability which identifies malware, threats, and viruses. It has a toggle button to enable features entirely at the tenant level for all users onboarded into Zscaler Internet Access, resulting in much better outcomes.
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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is an easy solution to implement, the web security is great, the filtering of different URLs has been very helpful, it also acts as a firewall which is quite helpful in terms of security, we've used it for content scanning and filtration in the data center, since this is on the cloud the cost has gone down, it's got good features and is easily manageable, and Cisco is rather well-known and robust."
"The cyber security features they offer are most trusted."
"The web security is great."
"The solution is super stable because it is made up of a bunch of mega proxies."
"It is valuable to be able to block whole categories or groups at one time."
"We enjoy all of the proxy capabilities and the capability to integrate into the SIEM/SOC solution."
"Zscaler Internet Access has positively impacted my organization by reducing the dependency on on-premises hardware and improving security posture, enabling faster user onboarding, and providing better performance for remote users."
"Having a centralized firewall that protects the whole topography is quite awesome when you also have users that are not on the plan because it actually improves visibility of those users."
"The data loss prevention feature is the most valuable. It stops our users from inadvertently leaking our customers' data to the Internet or anywhere else it shouldn't go."
"Zscaler, however, leads the local market in value versus functionality."
"Zscaler Internet Access is less expensive than competitors like Palo Alto, offering a premium service justified by security enhancements and cost-effective scalability."
"The policies are very intuitive and easy to configure, with very little possibility of messing things up."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is SWG traffic."
More Zscaler Internet Access pros
 

Cons

"Setup is not that difficult, but it really requires proper technical training."
"The licensing could be better. They are an expensive product."
"The solution is not supported because it is legacy and almost out of market."
"Cisco has good technical support although sometimes our clients would like it to be better in some areas."
"Zscale is providing a proxy IP, and most government sites will block traffic from a proxy. Also, we see some performance issues on the cloud side during DC failover."
"An improvement would be if they could provide an out-of-the-box experience, like 20 to 30 features all ready to go. In comparison, LogRhythm offers out-of-the-box features. With Zscaler Internet Access, there is firewall IPS, multiple security services, filtering, DLP, and CASB browser isolation. These are things that all users are going to be using. However, when an administrator or architect would start building this, I would definitely need to engage professional services to help clients do it."
"Zscaler should continue to make the user interface better. They should also improve the backup network and continue to expand it so that it can handle larger numbers of customers."
"They could provide more time for the onboarding the training of an IT person."
"The solution is quite expensive. It's around double what others are offering."
"Zscaler Internet Access needs to integrate more ISPs. It is good to have more than three ISPs."
"The current reports can, therefore, be somewhat improved and simplified."
"We'd like to have more plugins and integration."
More Zscaler Internet Access cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"It is a few pounds per user per month."
"The tool is moderately priced."
"We have found the solution to be expensive."
"We pay around 6,500 INR per user per year, which is very expensive. I would rate Zscaler's pricing one out of five."
"There are multiple bundles: enterprise, business, and transformation. Transformation includes all the features, but recently I've seen a few more line items that are additional costs. Overall, it's expensive."
"Zscaler is transparent about its pricing model."
"The solution is a little bit expensive. On a scale of one to five, I would rate it as a three."
"Because it's a cloud solution, we pay on a yearly basis. It is affordable and includes tech support and all features."
More Zscaler Internet Access pricing and cost advice
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise9
Large Enterprise39
 

Questions from the Community

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Which is the better security solution - Cisco Umbrella or Zscaler?
Cisco Umbrella and Zscaler Internet Access are two broad-spectrum Internet security solutions that I have tried. Zscaler Internet Access is a good option for carrying out multiple security functi...
See all answers
Which is better, Zscaler internet access or Netsckope CASB?
We researched Netskope but ultimately chose Zscaler. Netskope is a cloud access security broker that helps identify and manage cloud applications, protecting your sensitive data from exfiltration....
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zscaler Internet Access?
We have not purchased Zscaler Internet Access through the AWS Marketplace; the licensing process was handled separately by our financial and management team.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Cisco Umbrella vs Cisco ScanSafe Web Security SaaS [EOL] Logo
Cisco Umbrella vs Cisco ScanSafe Web Security SaaS [EOL]
Compared 30% of the time
Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway vs Cisco ScanSafe Web Security SaaS [EOL] Logo
Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway vs Cisco ScanSafe Web Security SaaS [EOL]
Compared 28% of the time
iboss vs Cisco ScanSafe Web Security SaaS [EOL] Logo
iboss vs Cisco ScanSafe Web Security SaaS [EOL]
Compared 17% of the time
More Cisco ScanSafe Web Security SaaS [EOL] Competitors
Cisco Umbrella vs Zscaler Internet Access Logo
Cisco Umbrella vs Zscaler Internet Access
Compared 28% of the time
Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Zscaler Internet Access Logo
Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Zscaler Internet Access
Compared 6% of the time
Netskope vs Zscaler Internet Access Logo
Netskope vs Zscaler Internet Access
Compared 5% of the time
Fortinet FortiGate vs Zscaler Internet Access Logo
Fortinet FortiGate vs Zscaler Internet Access
Compared 4% of the time
Prisma Access Browser vs Zscaler Internet Access Logo
Prisma Access Browser vs Zscaler Internet Access
Compared 3% of the time
More Zscaler Internet Access Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
July 2026
Cisco ScanSafe Web Security SaaS [EOL] reportDownload Cisco ScanSafe Web Security SaaS [EOL] product report
Buyer's Guide
Zscaler Internet Access
July 2026
Zscaler Internet Access reportDownload Zscaler Internet Access product report
 

Also Known As

ScanSafe Web Security SaaS
ZIA
 

Overview

Cisco ScanSafe is a cloud hosted web filtering service which enables you to create, enforce and monitor Web usage policies. Layering real time rule-based filters with up-to-date and accurate categorization database, Web Filtering enforces your organization's acceptable usage policy, protecting you from the legal liabilities of inappropriate content, reducing bandwidth congestion and improving employee productivity.

Cisco

Zscaler Internet Access provides internet security through cloud-native architecture, ensuring threat protection and traffic management without relying on traditional VPNs and firewalls.

It enhances security by offering features such as CASB and DLP. With its cloud-native proxy architecture, it facilitates seamless security with reduced latency and high availability. Organizations value the scalability and centralized policy management, integrating seamlessly with existing systems for remote work. It ensures secure traffic management by delivering advanced threat protection and support for applications through SSL inspection and sandboxing. Enhanced measures for DLP, better integration with tools like MFA, and optimized reporting are areas for growth.

What are the key features?
  • Website Filtering: Controls access to harmful sites to protect users.
  • SSL Inspection: Shields against threats bypassing traditional defenses.
  • Cloud Sandbox: Provides advanced threat protection through testing.
  • CASB: Offers cloud application visibility and security enforcement.
What benefits should users seek?
  • Scalability: Easily adjusts to growing requirements without manual intervention.
  • Centralized Management: Simplifies policy implementation across locations.
  • Seamless Integration: Reduces need for traditional VPNs by integrating with remote infrastructure.

Many industries leverage Zscaler Internet Access for securing internet traffic and safeguarding against threats like malware and DDoS attacks. It is integral as a secure web gateway to fulfill data loss prevention, bandwidth control, and filtering needs, allowing remote users robust access and protection globally. Companies employ it alongside existing tools for proper security and policy enforcement.

Zscaler
 

Sample Customers

Arup Group, Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha, K&L Gates, New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Transplace
Ulster-Greene ARC, BanRegio, HDFC, Ralcorp Holdings Inc., British American Tobacco, Med America Billing Services Inc., Lanco Group, Aquafil, Telefonica, Swisscom, Brigade Group
Buyer's Guide
Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
July 2026
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