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Cisco Umbrella vs Netskope vs Zscaler Internet Access comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
7.2
Cisco Umbrella enhances security, reduces costs, and integrates easily, offering quick deployment and significant financial returns within a year.
Sentiment score
8.4
Netskope offers cost-effective cloud security with significant savings, ease of use, and high returns, outperforming Zscaler financially.
Sentiment score
5.7
Zscaler Internet Access drives cost savings by reducing on-premises needs, enhancing security, and cutting hardware and staffing costs.
Cisco is a big brand in the networking domain, but in security, they are pushing a lot and improving day by day.
Chief Technology Officer at Binary Global Limited
From my point of view, the biggest return on investment when using the solution is that it makes it a lot easier to delegate some of the tasks that were traditionally used, such as building policies on the firewalls and doing it through Cisco Umbrella.
Network Engineer at a tech consulting company with 501-1,000 employees
The biggest return on investment when using Cisco Umbrella for me is the ease of use of the fact that we've deployed this with our Cisco VPN Secure Client, so every computer has the Umbrella module in it.
Senior Network Engineer at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
I have seen a return on investment with Netskope as we saved a lot of time by catching all the threats and thoroughly understanding the cases.
At Vertica, Apj Solutions Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
The managed service aspect of Zscaler Internet Access has allowed for reduced staffing costs, resulting in a saving of approximately 20-25% compared to prior expenses.
Sr. Cloud Security Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
8.0
Cisco Umbrella offers professional, reliable customer support with expertise, though some users desire faster response times and streamlined processes.
Sentiment score
7.1
Netskope's customer service is generally rated good to very good, with mixed feedback on response times and escalation speed.
Sentiment score
6.5
Zscaler Internet Access customer service is responsive and knowledgeable, with high ratings but occasional scheduling and resource issues.
I would rate customer support ten out of ten due to the excellent assistance throughout the POC process.
Manager Cyber Security Department at Mana
Cisco's support is fantastic, providing assistance when needed, especially during the initial installation process.
Director at Infosonik Systems Ltd
If I don't need to go to support all the time, that means the product is working fine, so I'm very happy with them.
Network Engineer at a tech consulting company with 501-1,000 employees
They align the right people at the right time to solve our problems, providing focused support.
Chief Information Security Officer at Jubil
Most of the time, being fairly IT-savvy means most issues can be resolved internally, and when a ticket is opened, it's for something really complicated.
Systems administrator at PERSAN S.A.
The support team is excellent, and I would rate them nine out of ten.
Cyber security consultant at L&T Technology Services
The technical support for Zscaler Internet Access is rated around seven out of ten due to some response time issues and the engagement model.
Sr. Cloud Security Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Zscaler Internet Access customer service is really very good.
Product Owner at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
I find customer support to be quite adequate
Group IT Manager at a wholesaler/distributor with 10,001+ employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.2
Cisco Umbrella offers a scalable, adaptable, and efficient solution for various company sizes, simplifying user and site management.
Sentiment score
7.7
Netskope is adaptable and flexible, excelling in scalability for medium to large organizations with strong infrastructure support.
Sentiment score
7.2
Zscaler Internet Access offers scalable cloud solutions for easy expansion, with some challenges in cost, bandwidth, and deployment complexity.
Cisco Umbrella scales incredibly with the growing needs of my organization.
Network Engineer at a construction company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Cisco Umbrella scales really well with the growing needs of my company, bringing the ability to ensure that people are safe and connected.
Senior Network Engineer at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Cisco Umbrella scales effectively with the growing needs of my company; it's excellent, and I have experienced no issues.
Senior Network Engineer at Boys Town
They declare an SLA regarding delays, making it a solid solution.
Network Security Manager at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
The solution is easy to scale for our use case and we have approximately 8,500 users working with it.
Chief Information Security Officer at Jubil
With the pricing structure that they currently have, it is only for big customers.
Product Owner at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
I find Zscaler Internet Access to be highly scalable, which was one of the reasons for choosing it.
Group IT Manager at a wholesaler/distributor with 10,001+ employees
Zscaler Internet Access is scalable and has points of presence across the globe to ensure low latency and reliable connections.
Sr. Cloud Security Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.3
Cisco Umbrella is praised for its stability, reliability, minimal maintenance, and quick resolution of rare connectivity issues.
Sentiment score
7.9
Netskope is highly stable and reliable, with minor issues resolved swiftly, maintaining performance and user satisfaction.
Sentiment score
7.4
Zscaler Internet Access is globally stable and secure, with minor regional latency issues, and straightforward deployment praised by users.
I have not experienced any major stability issues with Cisco Umbrella.
Director at Infosonik Systems Ltd
Cisco Umbrella Secure Access is pretty stable in my mind, and we have not seen many glitches that would have interrupted services at customer locations.
Chief Technology Officer at Binary Global Limited
The stability and reliability of the Cisco Umbrella platform have been great.
Senior Network Engineer at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Regarding pricing, Netskope is quite expensive, but when compared with other solutions, it's somehow justified because it has better categorization and more granular features regarding web protection, as it allows control of HTTP methods.
Systems administrator at PERSAN S.A.
Netskope has proven to be stable, which is reflected in my rating of nine out of ten.
Cyber security consultant at L&T Technology Services
Zscaler Internet Access is stable and capable of building resilient architectures.
Sr. Cloud Security Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Zscaler Internet Access is very stable, and I would rate its stability as nine out of ten.
Group IT Manager at a wholesaler/distributor with 10,001+ employees
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco Umbrella needs enhancements in reporting, integration, user-friendliness, protection, licensing, infrastructure, and support for an improved user experience.
Users seek enhanced SaaS visibility, integration, features like identity protection, better pricing, support, policy management, and threat detection.
Zscaler Internet Access needs improved integration, reporting, user interface, support, pricing, scalability, and feature enhancements for better overall performance.
Making it more flexible and easy to deploy, particularly when integrating with other technologies like Active Directory and proxies, would be beneficial.
Manager Cyber Security Department at Mana
The product can only shield a small area, making it less effective for larger spaces or multiple users.
Director at Infosonik Systems Ltd
I have to write an email to Umbrella support to get assistance, unlike the other products where I can call the Cisco technical assistance center and get an engineer.
CTO at Next Technologies Ltd
Specifically, the use of AI/ML for anomaly detection and dealing with signatureless advanced threats would be beneficial.
Senior Product Manager - Cyber Security for Middle East, Central Asia and Africa Region at Ivanti
There is a pressing need to expand this to 64,000 sessions.
Cyber security consultant at L&T Technology Services
It is important for the solution to correctly categorize websites as genuine or non-genuine, fitting them into the right category.
Chief Information Security Officer at Jubil
The response time and engagement model for technical support could be improved to handle complex outages more efficiently.
Sr. Cloud Security Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
In future updates, I would like to see some of the features bundled into the existing product set, perhaps more AI features and a refreshed interface.
Cyber Security Architect at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Zscaler Internet Access has introduced AI control for tools such as ChatGPT, providing options to restrict to text-only input without file or image uploads through CASB restriction controls.
Associate Vice President at Novac Technology Solutions
 

Setup Cost

Cisco Umbrella's pricing is fair yet varies, offering value in security coverage with opportunities to bundle for discounts.
Netskope offers competitive pricing with significant value, generally including support, training, and is viable for enterprises seeking robust capabilities.
Zscaler Internet Access pricing is high, with a per-user model, making it cost-effective yet potentially inaccessible for small businesses.
We've bundled that with our firewall stuff and our VPN, which brings the price down and adds the ability to grow.
Senior Network Engineer at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
The only cost associated is the license cost unless additional solutions need to be integrated with Umbrella, which would incur extra costs.
Director at Infosonik Systems Ltd
The prices need to be lower as the current pricing is exceedingly high.
Network Solutions Architect at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Netskope is cost-effective compared to similar solutions like Zscaler.
Senior Product Manager - Cyber Security for Middle East, Central Asia and Africa Region at Ivanti
Zscaler Internet Access is recognized as an expensive solution.
Group IT Manager at a wholesaler/distributor with 10,001+ employees
Zscaler Internet Access is less expensive than competitors like Palo Alto, offering a premium service justified by security enhancements and cost-effective scalability.
Sr. Cloud Security Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Of course, it is an expensive product.
Product Owner at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
 

Valuable Features

Cisco Umbrella offers DNS-based protection, ease of use, and integration, enhancing productivity, security compliance, and visibility across networks.
Netskope provides comprehensive cloud security with intuitive management, robust threat protection, and efficient real-time monitoring and deployment.
Zscaler Internet Access enhances security with URL filtering, SSL inspection, threat protection, and seamless remote management, improving efficiency globally.
The DNS layer security provided by Cisco Umbrella is very effective for our security posture, offering us vast improvements in visibility over DNS queries and potential threats.
Manager Cyber Security Department at Mana
The most valuable feature of Cisco Umbrella is its DNS security.
Network Solutions Architect at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
The best possible thing is that it is very easy to deploy, easy to configure, and very fast to get onboarded with a customer because this is a cloud-based service.
Chief Technology Officer at Binary Global Limited
Netskope is cloud-native, enabling differentiation of tenants in cloud applications, whether they are enterprise or personal, and provides control over shadow IT access.
Network Security Manager at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
The threat protection capabilities are beneficial, especially in reducing the load on email traffic by preventing phishing emails and providing malware protection from advanced threats.
Senior Product Manager - Cyber Security for Middle East, Central Asia and Africa Region at Ivanti
Having these functionalities integrated into one dashboard makes Netskope efficient and user-friendly.
Cyber security consultant at L&T Technology Services
It prevents numerous web attacks through its AI/ML incorporated capability which identifies malware, threats, and viruses.
Associate Vice President at Novac Technology Solutions
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.
Senior Network Engineer at Anthology
The most valuable feature for me is the ability to see how my network and traffic looks with modules like analytics and insights.
Group IT Manager at a wholesaler/distributor with 10,001+ employees
 

Mindshare comparison

Domain Name System (DNS) Security Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Umbrella20.5%
Infoblox Advanced DNS Protection10.7%
Palo Alto Networks DNS Security8.1%
Other60.7%
Domain Name System (DNS) Security
Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Netskope14.4%
Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks14.3%
Cato SASE Cloud Platform10.0%
Other61.3%
Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB)
Secure Web Gateways (SWG) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Zscaler Internet Access12.1%
Cisco Umbrella12.8%
Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks8.8%
Other66.3%
Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
 

Featured Reviews

BB
Senior Network Engineer at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Ensures comprehensive protection with seamless threat logging and efficient policy management
My favorite feature of Cisco Umbrella is probably just the DNS and the fact that when a security threat happens, all of that gets logged in their Umbrella portal, and it's very easy to find who's been accessing the site and how many people have accessed it, so that we can go to them and make sure they're not compromised. The features of Cisco Umbrella benefit my company by providing less time to search for things through logs, to look for what we need. It's just one place to go, and we just search for it, and we find it really fast. The fact that there's a virtual database that has all that information is great on our portal.
AV
Cyber security consultant at L&T Technology Services
User-friendly console integrates robust security features for seamless traffic management
Netskope serves as a single web console carrying out multiple functionalities: Zero Trust Network Architecture (ZTNA), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Web DLP, and firewall services. I can toggle between these features on a single platform, enhancing ease of use. In comparison, Zscaler requires multiple consoles for managing similar features. Having these functionalities integrated into one dashboard makes Netskope efficient and user-friendly.
Mohan Janarthanan - PeerSpot reviewer
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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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Construction Company
5%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business50
Midsize Enterprise30
Large Enterprise51
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise9
Large Enterprise25
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise37
 

Questions from the Community

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. Zs...
Which is the better security solution - Cisco Umbrella or Microsoft Cloud App Security?
Cisco Umbrella is an integral component of the Cisco SASE architecture. It integrates security in a single, cloud-nat...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Umbrella?
The pricing for Cisco Umbrella is fair compared to other platforms out there for DNS security. We acquired it as a bu...
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 ...
What needs improvement with Netskope CASB?
Netskope's pricing is very high compared to other vendors, and compared to Zscaler, Netskope has less capability.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zscaler Internet Access?
It is only for big companies currently and they only focus on that. That is one of the problems to get into the marke...
What needs improvement with Zscaler Internet Access?
The admin UI and documentation for Zscaler Internet Access could be more intuitive for new users, specifically during...
What is your primary use case for Zscaler Internet Access?
Zscaler Internet Access provides secure internet access for users without relying on a traditional on-premises firewa...
 

Also Known As

OpenDNS
Netskope CASB
ZIA
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Chart Industries, City of Aspen, Eastern Mountain Sports, FLEXcon, George Washington University, Jackson Municipal Airport Authority, Ohio Public Library Information Network, PTC, Richland Community College, Smart Motors, Tulane University, VeriClaim
NetApp, Genomic Health, Caterpillar, Apollo, Pandora, Continental Resources, Fractal, infinera, Tesla
Ulster-Greene ARC, BanRegio, HDFC, Ralcorp Holdings Inc., British American Tobacco, Med America Billing Services Inc., Lanco Group, Aquafil, Telefonica, Swisscom, Brigade Group
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Infoblox, Palo Alto Networks and others in Domain Name System (DNS) Security. Updated: March 2026.
885,444 professionals have used our research since 2012.