Fortinet FortiProxy vs Zscaler Internet Access comparison

Fortinet and Zscaler are both solutions in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category. Fortinet is ranked #11 with an average rating of 7.8, while Zscaler is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.6. Fortinet holds a 2.3% mindshare in WSG, compared to Zscaler’s 10.0% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 98% of Zscaler users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) and Fortinet FortiProxy are key competitors in the cybersecurity industry, particularly in internet access security solutions. ZIA appears to have the upper hand due to its comprehensive security features and low latency global server access, whereas Fortinet is favored for its affordability and granular policy controls.

Features: Zscaler Internet Access offers secure web gateways, data loss prevention, and cloud access security broker (CASB) capabilities. Its cloud-native approach also provides low-latency global server access, making it scalable and reliable. Fortinet FortiProxy focuses on user-friendly attributes, detailed access policies, and DNS filtering, ensuring compliance with security protocols while offering visibility into user behavior.

Room for Improvement: Zscaler could enhance user and role-based access integration and improve local data center availability in specific regions. Fortinet requires improvement in its web filtering capabilities and could benefit from an intrusion prevention system. Its documentation and remote support services also need enhancements. Both products need stronger AI/ML integration and more adaptable pricing models.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Zscaler supports versatile deployment models across public, private, and hybrid cloud environments. However, it faces mixed reviews regarding customer service response times. Fortinet FortiProxy is primarily on-premises, with deployment considered straightforward and support being reliable, albeit sometimes needing clearer scheduling and direct vendor intervention.

Pricing and ROI: Zscaler Internet Access is known for higher costs but justified by robust security features and scalable cost efficiency, yielding good ROI for larger enterprises. Its pricing is considered steep for smaller businesses. Fortinet FortiProxy is budget-friendly, offering effective features for moderate needs, thus being more cost-effective for smaller-scale implementations.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiProxy vs. Zscaler Internet Access Report (Updated: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiProxy vs. Zscaler Internet Access

June 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

iboss

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category, the mindshare of iboss is 3.4%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiProxy is 2.3%, down from 5.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zscaler Internet Access is 10.0%, down from 14.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Secure Web Gateways (SWG) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Zscaler Internet Access	10.0%
iboss	3.4%
Fortinet FortiProxy	2.3%
Other	84.3%

Secure Web Gateways (SWG)

Featured Reviews

Ashok Ananthula

Senior Consultant Proxy Engineering at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Cloud gateway has strengthened remote web security and now needs better Mac and ISP support

The problem our organization had is that iboss failed for the Mac devices. It is not able to give a successful agent for the Mac agents. That is where in 2025, we had to migrate to the Palo Alto-based platform. If your use case is for just Windows laptops,you can consider this platform as an option One issue is the data center resiliency part. In India especially, they are not tied up with the Tier 1 ISPs like Tata or Airtel; they were having Tier 2 ISPs and encountered many issues reaching few major sites that my organization depends on, and they were having problems that they could not fix quickly. They also lack a mechanism to route that traffic within their data center; rather, they ask customers to make a pac file change to route it to Singapore explicitly. It would be better if they route from their backend , i mean even if I send it to India DC, they should be able to route it internally to make that work; however, they fail to do that and ask the customer to route it in the pac file. Another suggestion is that in China, they do not have the proper setup; they used to have numerous problems with slowness and lack of premium circuits in China as well. That leads to multiple sites working slowly with latency-related issues. So the main issue is the ISP-related problems that need to be solved.

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Emmanuel Dasho

Cyber Security Engineer | Network/Security at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Ease of configuration and seamless integration enhance operational efficiency

The App Control feature in the Fortinet FortiProx * Deep Packet Inspection (DPI): FortiProxy analyzes traffic at the application layer to detect applications even if they use non-standard ports or are encrypted. * Application Signatures: Uses FortiGuard’s application signature database (constantly updated) to recognize thousands of applications. * Policy Enforcement: You can create policies to Allow, Block, Monitor, or Shape (QoS) based on application type, category, or specific apps.

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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

"The security aspect of the solution, particularly the malware behind it, is excellent. That's something that really helped us out. It's not just a simple proxy that just blocks the insights of potential threats that come on behind it. They do malware detection and that helps us a lot."

"This product is solid, fairly easy to use, and reliable."

"The iboss system is highly reliable. The false positive rates are small compared to some other systems we've experienced through other partner agencies who use competing solutions."

"iboss has significantly lowered the number of security incidents. It is crazy how much it blocks and how much it is aware of the outside danger."

"Because of iboss, I did not have to assign web filtering tasks to my techs on a daily basis."

"iboss is definitely very good in terms of service."

"Granular setup, which was able to set different levels of filters using the OUs in the AD."

"Iboss is a solution that prevents advanced persistent threats, and has a zero tolerance for attacks."

More iboss pros

"I liked the tool's ability to provide detailed access control. For example, we could allow users to watch YouTube videos but not post comments. This level of control wasn't available in FortiGate."

"It seamlessly integrates with various security products, enhancing threat intelligence and improving indicators of compromise."

"It helps to secure the networks at the DNA level and ensure proper identification and filtering of DNS traffic."

"The App Control feature in the Fortinet FortiProxy Deep Packet Inspection (DPI): FortiProxy analyzes traffic at the application layer to detect applications even if they use non-standard ports or are encrypted."

"The tool's most valuable feature is traffic inspections."

"The solution's stability is good."

"The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiProxy are its simplicity and performance."

"It is a really stable solution."

More Fortinet FortiProxy pros

"Since this is a cloud based product, we don't have to bother about the hardware or physical status and space."

"We enjoy all of the proxy capabilities and the capability to integrate into the SIEM/SOC solution."

"I would recommend Zscaler Internet Access due to its ease of use and deployment, with a user-friendly interface."

"Zscaler Internet Access integrates effectively, especially with the high-level IP services."

"The solution replaces multiple vendor technologies with one which makes it worth the cost."

"What I like most about Zscaler Web Security is that we can have our users protected from internet threats and viruses even when they're not connected to our network."

"Zscaler has helped to reduce the time we spend managing security policies, significantly lowered the number of FTEs needed to manage the environment, and has definitely helped reduce the number of infected devices in our organization by proactively preventing attacks."

"The most valuable features of Zscaler Internet Access include its capacity to scale, the security implementation capabilities, the ability to integrate public IPs related to clients so traffic presents on the internet as a client, and the facility to interoperate with SSEs while maintaining the same security mechanisms from on-premises to cloud environments."

More Zscaler Internet Access pros

Cons

"Iboss is growing so fast that it is often hard for them to keep up with the challenges."

"SSL decryption: We had issues with learners using apps instead of using web browsers. This type of encryption is tough for any appliance in a BYOD environment."

"It is stable, but due to growth, it can sometimes be less stable than wanted."

"Their on-premise hardware's network interface is capped at one gigabit, which is sort of a problem. If you stand a filter up where all traffic flows through that, according to them, in order to go above a gigabit, you have to have multiple devices, which in today's IT seems a little bit silly. They could easily put in an SFP port into their device that could accommodate 10 gigs or at least offer a box."

"I am currently doing a PoC of the zero trust aspect of it. Compared to other similar solutions, it is hard to get around each feature. It takes a while to get used to it."

"Our iboss subscription access should be more secure with an OTP or VPN etc. It is easy to gain access if, for example, hackers obtain my username and password."

"The solution could be stronger on the integration side and offer more cloud applications like G Suite or Oracle."

"Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, iboss is not cheap, and that's my only concern."

More iboss cons

"Its web filtering capabilities could be improved."

"For me it may be the wildcards for URLs whitelist or blacklist, somehow the page loads."

"Integration with existing infrastructure was generally easy, especially if you had tools like LDAP. However, I had to go through a lot of documentation as it was my first time working with a proxy server. We did experience some issues with certain web applications not working properly after implementing Fortinet FortiProxy."

"Its power supply process for some of the proxies needs improvement."

"The hardware version is stable, but the VM version is not stable and contains bugs that cause issues."

"Fortinet FortiProxy should integrate AI/ML technologies. Its pricing needs to be more flexible."

"Fortinet FortiProxy should improve by adding more documentation and guides."

"For IT administrators and managers, the reporting features are the main issues that should be addressed in order to improve the performance, security, and effective utilization of the product."

More Fortinet FortiProxy cons

"Do not expect to pay for the service and start using it, like Gmail. Zscaler requires a proper implementation to be done to make it successful."

"The solution is quite expensive. It's around double what others are offering."

"Zscaler Internet Access can improve by having more option for filtering policy which is currently only ip based (location policy)."

"We use other similar products and find them to be a bit more preferable to Zscaler."

"Zscaler Internet Access could improve by adding a VPN feature."

"One thing that they could improve is the ability to import rules from other platforms."

"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."

"The solution is expensive. They recently revised the pricing and packaging. Some of our existing customers have been asking for alternate solutions for a lower price."

More Zscaler Internet Access cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is probably in line with other solutions, but I do not deal with the financial side."

"We have not priced the solution recently, but they were competitive with other vendors in the past."

"It is expensive compared to one of its competitors."

"It is not expensive, and it is also not cheap. iboss is priced right in the sweet spot for the number of features it offers."

"We had the cost of purchasing a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs. However, the following year, the cost of just licensing was similar to what was paid the previous year for a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs."

"The overall pricing for iboss is very competitive and transparent."

"It is a cost-effective solution."

"Price-wise, Fortinet FortiProxy is moderate - not the highest among competitors, but not cheap either."

"It can be considered expensive, with a limited lifespan and support that eventually requires updating to newer solutions."

"The tool's pricing is in the middle."

"The solution is neither too expensive nor very cheap."

"It offers a more cost-effective solution than alternatives like FortiMail, FortiGate, and various Barracuda devices."

"The tool is moderately priced."

"Zscaler is transparent about its pricing model."

"Because it's a cloud solution, we pay on a yearly basis. It is affordable and includes tech support and all features."

"If we need any extra features, the price will increase."

"Licenses are available on a per-host basis. Some features like sandboxing require an additional fee, but most standard features are included in the license."

"Zscaler is an expensive solution, but it's worth the price. Their services are unmatched by competitors. Some may come with half the features that Zscaler can offer and be much cheaper. However, they do not have the global coverage that Zscaler has, and they will not provide the same low latencies and the same speeds that Zscaler can."

"ZIA follows a subscription model pricing and charges you based on the number of users. I would say its price is good."

"The pricing for Zscaler Internet Access could be made cheaper."

More Zscaler Internet Access pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Construction Company

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	9

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	17
Midsize Enterprise	9
Large Enterprise	39

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with iboss?

The problem our organization had is that iboss failed for the Mac devices. It is not able to give a successful agent ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for iboss?

We used iBoss mainly for Internet Access by having an Agent on Windows laptops Primarily because when we try to use i...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for iboss?

I am not involved in pricing, but as per the information I have, during that time, the Blue Coat proxies we were usin...

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What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiProxy?

For me it may be the wildcards for urls whitelist or blacklist, somehow the page loads. Aside from that there no other..

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What advice do you have for others considering Fortinet FortiProxy?

My advice to others who are considering Fortinet FortiProxy is that it is seamless, easy to use, and quite straightfo...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiProxy?

Fortinet FortiProxy is much cheaper compared to other products like Cisco, Palo Alto, and others. It is reasonably pr...

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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. Zs...

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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 ...

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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...

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Comparisons

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs iboss

Compared 10% of the time

Netskope vs iboss

Compared 9% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs iboss

Compared 9% of the time

FortiSASE vs iboss

Compared 6% of the time

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform vs iboss

Compared 4% of the time

More iboss Competitors

Fortinet FortiGate vs Fortinet FortiProxy

Compared 22% of the time

Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway vs Fortinet FortiProxy

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco Web Security Appliance vs Fortinet FortiProxy

Compared 8% of the time

Blue Coat Secure Web Gateway Virtual Appliance vs Fortinet FortiProxy

Compared 8% of the time

More Fortinet FortiProxy Competitors

Cisco Umbrella vs Zscaler Internet Access

Compared 23% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Zscaler Internet Access

Compared 8% of the time

Netskope vs Zscaler Internet Access

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs Zscaler Internet Access

Compared 4% of the time

Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) vs Zscaler Internet Access

Compared 2% of the time

More Zscaler Internet Access Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

iboss

June 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiProxy

June 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Zscaler Internet Access

June 2026

Download Zscaler Internet Access product report

Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform

FortiProxy

ZIA

Overview

Iboss offers a comprehensive cloud-based security platform valued for its scalability and autonomous features, ensuring robust security with easy deployment and management capabilities.

Renowned for its robust security architecture, Iboss integrates seamlessly within diverse networks, delivering efficient granular filtering and advanced content categorization. Its single pane of glass console provides ease of management, allowing rapid scalability suitable for rapidly deploying environments. Operates in BYOD setups due to inline filtering without device installation. Integration with cloud-based applications enhances user control, and features like SASE, SSL inspection, and ChatGPT risk protection stand as highlights. Despite its strengths, users have pointed out areas for enhancement like direct navigation in reports, SSL decryption, and better cloud integration while having room to improve data loss prevention.

What are the most important features of Iboss?

Scalability: Supports rapid deployment across diverse networks.
SASE: A consolidated approach to secure access.
SSL Inspection: Ensures safe data transmission.
Granular Filtering: Detailed control over accessible content.
Single Pane Management: Unifies control through a centralized console.

What benefits should users consider in reviews?

Cost-effectiveness: Offers competitive pricing with robust features.
Autonomous Operation: Reduces management overhead.
Responsive Support: Provides assistance when needed.
Flexible Deployment: Available for both cloud and on-premises environments.

The usage of Iboss spans educational institutions, specifically K-12, to enforce internet policies, protect data, and support remote work environments. It provides web filtering and security frameworks to ensure safe browsing. Its platform-as-a-service model offers flexibility for both cloud-based and on-premises requirements, integrating seamlessly to deliver enhanced security features suitable for various deployment needs including zero trust, CASB, and network security for work-from-home setups.

iboss

Fortinet FortiProxy provides simplicity and high performance with notable traffic inspections and user-friendly features. It integrates with security products to enhance threat intelligence, ensuring secure and efficient network management.

Fortinet FortiProxy is designed to enhance network security through exceptional traffic inspections, intrusion prevention, and antivirus capabilities. Its user-friendly nature allows for granular application and DNS control, deep packet inspection, and detailed access control. Administrators can implement precise policies to manage web access, integrating seamlessly with other security solutions. Offering proactive alarms and caching capabilities, FortiProxy optimizes bandwidth usage while ensuring robust network defense.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiProxy?

Traffic Inspections: High-performance inspection to secure web traffic.
Intrusion Prevention: Proactively detects and blocks threats.
Antivirus Profiles: Offers robust protection against viruses.
Application and DNS Control: Provides detailed control over applications and DNS settings.
Deep Packet Inspection: Ensures comprehensive inspection of packet content.
Access Control: Enables precise management of user access.

What benefits or ROI should users investigate?

Security Enhancement: Improved protection from web-based threats.
Network Efficiency: Optimized bandwidth through effective caching.
Integration Capabilities: Seamless interaction with other security products.
User-Friendly Management: Simplified administration with granular controls.

In industries focused on maintaining high-level internet security, Fortinet FortiProxy is employed for comprehensive traffic inspections and segmentation. It supports antivirus additions and secure connectivity, serving as a robust web security gateway. Organizations benefit from seamless authentication using Fortinet Single Sign-On, crucial for protecting users from threats and enabling efficient network operations.

Fortinet

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

More than 4,000 global enterprises trust the iboss Cloud Platform to support their modern workforces, including a large number of Fortune 50 companies.

Information Not Available

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

Fortinet FortiProxy vs. Zscaler Internet Access

June 2026

Free Report: Fortinet FortiProxy vs. Zscaler Internet Access

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