Cloudflare Access vs Zscaler Private Access comparison

Cancel
You must select at least 2 products to compare!
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary
Updated on Jul 31, 2023

We compared Zscaler Private Access 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: Zscaler Private Access's setup process is generally considered to be straightforward and simple, although it can be complex in certain areas. It may necessitate the assistance of Zscaler-certified personnel or professional services. Cloudflare Access's initial setup is reported to be easy and straightforward, with no difficulties encountered. However, effective implementation does require some networking knowledge.
  • Features: Zscaler Private Access is highly regarded for its reliability, regular cloud enhancements, and robust safeguarding of applications. Cloudflare Access receives acclaim for its defense against DDoS attacks, intuitive interface, and ability to customize access control rules. 
  • Room for Improvement: Zscaler Private Access could improve its notifications, interface, security, stability, reporting capabilities, architecture, service integration, and licensing approach. Cloudflare Access should address pricing concerns, provide direct sales options, improve support for free plan users, and offer more training materials.
  • Pricing: Zscaler Private Access's setup cost depends on the number of users and desired features. Some reviewers find it moderate while others find it expensive, with additional charges for each user. In contrast, Cloudflare Access has differing opinions on pricing, with some finding it slightly expensive and others finding it very affordable.
  • ROI: Zscaler Private Access has a moderately positive ROI rating, while Cloudflare Access's ROI varies based on factors like use case and implementation effectiveness.
  • Service and Support: Zscaler Private Access's support has mixed feedback, with some customers not requiring assistance and others giving it high ratings. On the other hand, Cloudflare Access is commended for its customer service, as customers appreciate the help they receive.

Comparison Results: Based on the reviews, Zscaler Private Access and Cloudflare Access have similar initial setup processes, although Zscaler is slightly more complex. Zscaler is commended for its stability, cloud updates, and robust application protection, while Cloudflare is appreciated for its DDoS protection and user-friendly interface. Zscaler's pricing is considered reasonable, while Cloudflare's pricing is a worry. The opinions on Zscaler's technical support are mixed, whereas Cloudflare's support is generally well-regarded. In summary, Zscaler is viewed as dependable and efficient, while Cloudflare offers strong protection and convenient connectivity.

To learn more, read our detailed Cloudflare Access vs. Zscaler Private Access Report (Updated: March 2024).
765,386 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
"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.""Enables me to work from two locations.""Cloudflare, in my opinion, was easy to implement.""The tool also offers good scalability, and the dashboard, along with real-time analytics, is very good.""For Cloudflare Access, I am using the free plan...The most valuable feature is their protection."

More Cloudflare Access Pros →

"The VPN is great for the stability on offer and for the cloud updates and insights you can get.""Zscaler Private Access is a platform that eliminates the complexity of VPN configuration.""The most valuable features of Zscaler Private Access are reliability, scalability, and availability.""I like the web filtering capabilities.""The most valuable feature of Zscaler Private Access is we do not have to connect to a VPN, it is seamless. It is more convenient for us because we use one agent to cover the internet and VPN access.""The most valuable feature of Zscaler Private Access is the categorization of the dynamic URLs which keeps the customer's environment protected. The threats and the malware are correctly categorized.""The product's most valuable features are cloud-based services and secure internet access. We don't have to set up any physical appliances.""The user interface of Zscaler Private Access is excellent. With proper knowledge and expertise, one can efficiently handle intricate enterprise environments without feeling overwhelmed. This leads to exceptional productivity for managed service providers. The user experience is remarkably streamlined, enabling the management of even the most complex enterprise setups without any excessive complications."

More Zscaler Private Access Pros →

Cons
"For the topic of improvement, providing some training material is one of my suggestions.""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.""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 →

"The stability could be improved.""Zscaler Private Access's reporting is poor. We should have more insight into the reports regarding what is blocked and allowed.""SCMP support would be one of the biggest improvements in my opinion. More speed improvements are also required.""Setup is a bit complex because there are many steps that need to be taken before onboarding and activating the solution.""We'd like to have two-factor authentication that is quite simple.""Zscaler Private Access could improve by improving external access. If external parties want to access locally to my company's services, we need to onboard them into our domain, otherwise, it doesn't work. Additionally, if their company also has Zscaler Private Access, then it doesn't work. They need to log in with our domain ID, not their company ID.""I can't speak to any missing features.""The pricing for Private Access seems to be on the expensive side, and I believe they should consider making it more competitive with other solutions."

More Zscaler Private Access Cons →

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 →

  • "Pricing for Zscaler Private Access is moderate. It's acceptable, though I can't give you the exact price currently. It's not too expensive, and on a scale of one to five, I would rate it a four out of five in terms of pricing."
  • "The cost is expensive. It depends on the number of users."
  • "My company is a Zscaler Private Access partner, so the customers pay for the license fees."
  • "The price is competitive."
  • "In terms of market positioning, I would describe Zscaler Private Access as offering optimal pricing. Based on our experience, Cato Networks tends to be slightly more expensive."
  • "Zscaler Private Access is extremely expensive."
  • "The solution is expensive."
  • "The technical support is good."
  • More Zscaler Private Access Pricing and Cost Advice →

    report
    Use our free recommendation engine to learn which ZTNA as a Service solutions are best for your needs.
    765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    Questions from the Community
    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 company has to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the… more »
    Top Answer:My company has many complex applications. 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… more »
    Top Answer: 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… more »
    Top Answer:The most valuable features of Zscaler Private Access are reliability, scalability, and availability.
    Top Answer:Zscaler Private Access needs to improve its collaboration with applications without compromising security. The solution needs to improve native security, seamless protection, and user experience… more »
    Ranking
    8th
    out of 34 in ZTNA as a Service
    Views
    2,700
    Comparisons
    2,286
    Reviews
    5
    Average Words per Review
    406
    Rating
    8.8
    2nd
    out of 34 in ZTNA as a Service
    Views
    7,395
    Comparisons
    5,837
    Reviews
    16
    Average Words per Review
    414
    Rating
    8.6
    Comparisons
    Learn More
    Overview

    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.

    Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) is a top ZTNA service solution that redefines private application access with advanced connectivity, segmentation, and security capabilities to protect your business from threats while providing a great user experience.

    Zscaler Private Access Features

    ZPA has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:


    • Risk-based policy engine: Continuously validate access policies based on user, device, content, and application risk posture with a powerful native policy engine to ensure only valid, authenticated users can access private applications.


    • Unified client and clientless access: Choose the optimal method of protection for your hybrid environment. Client-based access ensures managed users are protected even when they are off the corporate network through a lightweight agent, the Zscaler Client Connector. Clientless access provides unmanaged users with frictionless app access from any device and web browser, no client needed.


    • Browser access: Allow BYOD and third-party users to freely use their own devices to seamlessly and securely access internal apps leveraging any web browser, no client needed.


    • Disaster recovery: Uninterrupted access to mission-critical applications even during a black swan event with a customer-controlled business continuity solution creating the access path to critical private applications through ZPA Private Service Edge.


    Zscaler Private Access Benefits

    There are many benefits to implementing ZPA. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:


    • Boost hybrid workforce productivity: Fast, seamless access to private apps whether you’re at home, in the office, or anywhere else.
    • Mitigate the risk of a data breach: Minimize the attack surface and lateral movement by making applications invisible to attackers while enforcing least-privileged access.


    • Stop the most advanced adversaries: First-of-its-kind private app protection minimizes the risk of compromised users and active attackers.


    • Extend zero trust across apps, workloads, and devices: Zscaler Private Access is a complete ZTNA platform that brings least-privileged access to private apps, workloads, and OT/IIoT devices.


    • Reduce operational complexity: The solution’s cloud-native platform eliminates legacy VPNs that are difficult to scale, manage, and configure.


    • Exceptional user experience: By providing consistently fast connectivity that doesn’t require logging in and out of VPN clients, remote users gain a faster, more secure access experience.



    Reviews from Real Users

    ZPA is a solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Some of its major advantages are that it is user-friendly, has good connectivity, and has other helpful features such as web filtering.

    Senthilkumar B., Technical Consultant at a tech vendor, shares what he finds most valuable about the solution. “[It is] user-friendly, easy to customize, and simple to implement.”

    “Its connectivity as a VPN is its most valuable feature,” says Harjinder S., Sr. Architect at a tech vendor.

    Another PeerSpot user, Ben A., Cloud Architect Azure at Thales, mentions “The integration with cloud providers, like Azure or GCP, is easy. The Live Logs are a cool feature. We can directly identify issues and divert user traffic.

    Inderjeet S., Administrator at a tech vendor, says, “[The solution has] “good web filtering and good internet security notifications with a nice interface.” He also adds, “There aren’t too many bugs, and it is easy to debug when necessary. There are good Outlook features available. The scalability has been good.”

    Sample Customers
    23andMe
    NOV, Growmark, Paychex, MAN Energy Solutions
    Top Industries
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company15%
    Financial Services Firm10%
    Government8%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    REVIEWERS
    Manufacturing Company43%
    Financial Services Firm14%
    Comms Service Provider14%
    Outsourcing Company14%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company17%
    Financial Services Firm11%
    Manufacturing Company10%
    Government8%
    Company Size
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business26%
    Midsize Enterprise18%
    Large Enterprise56%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business27%
    Midsize Enterprise9%
    Large Enterprise64%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business21%
    Midsize Enterprise13%
    Large Enterprise66%
    Buyer's Guide
    Cloudflare Access vs. Zscaler Private Access
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Cloudflare Access vs. Zscaler Private Access and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Cloudflare Access is ranked 8th in ZTNA as a Service with 5 reviews while Zscaler Private Access is ranked 2nd in ZTNA as a Service with 21 reviews. Cloudflare Access is rated 8.8, while Zscaler Private Access is rated 8.4. The top reviewer of Cloudflare Access writes "Replaces traditional VPN and enables endpoint exposition ". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Zscaler Private Access writes "A VPN alternative that delivers a zero trust model". Cloudflare Access is most compared with Twingate, Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks, Auth0, Amazon Cognito and Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy, whereas Zscaler Private Access is most compared with Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks, Axis Security, Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, OpenVPN Access Server and Perimeter 81. See our Cloudflare Access vs. Zscaler Private Access report.

    See our list of best ZTNA as a Service 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.