FortiSASE vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform comparison

Fortinet and Zscaler are both solutions in the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) category. Fortinet is ranked #6 with an average rating of 7.6, while Zscaler is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.6. Fortinet holds a 7.3% mindshare in SASE, compared to Zscaler’s 11.3% mindshare. Additionally, 88% 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 Jul 27, 2025

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform and FortiSASE are strong competitors in the security solutions category. Zscaler is perceived to have an edge due to its seamless integration capabilities and comprehensive security features.

Features: Zscaler's standout features include its robust single-side logon capability, seamless VPN connectivity, and integrated security features such as CASB and DLP. It also excels in ease of use, scalability, and integration with cloud services. FortiSASE is notable for its strong SD-WAN, endpoint protection, and consolidated management interfaces, enhancing user accessibility.

Room for Improvement: Zscaler users suggest improvements in speed, SCMP support, and control over DLP functionalities. Pricing is also a concern, with suggestions that it may not align with the perceived value. FortiSASE users recommend enhancing security features, clientless access, and addressing connectivity issues. Both solutions could improve technical support and the price-service balance.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Zscaler is appreciated for its cloud compatibility and ease of use in hybrid environments. Customer support, however, receives mixed reviews. FortiSASE is praised for its effortless deployments and positive hybrid environment support, though simplification and response time improvements are desirable for both.

Pricing and ROI: Zscaler is regarded as expensive with high user-based licensing and gateway costs, yet it delivers significant ROI through operational noise reduction and security improvements. FortiSASE has variable regional costs and is often seen as more affordable, especially in education sectors, though pricing concerns exist when scaling to full SASE solutions.

To learn more, read our detailed FortiSASE vs. Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

FortiSASE vs. Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

July 2025

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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 September 2025, in the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) category, the mindshare of iboss is 2.0%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of FortiSASE is 7.3%, up from 5.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform is 11.3%, down from 14.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform	11.3%
FortiSASE	7.3%
iboss	2.0%
Other	79.4%

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)

Featured Reviews

Matt Crockford

Head of Cybersecurity at SES Water

It's easy to roll out, and their understanding of our business made it seamless

One aspect we value about iboss is its simplicity. Their customer service is brilliant, and they are super responsive and knowledgeable. It's easy to roll out, and their understanding of our business made it seamless. We were impressed by the solution's mental health function, which can detect if someone needs help. It scans what users are browsing and flags warning signs so we can check to see if they are okay. We've had to use it a couple of times. The user interface is highly intuitive. Our IT team picked it up with minimal training. It's arranged so that it's easy to find where things are. Another advantage is the single pane of glass console, which gives you visibility into what's happening. We're not fully there yet because we haven't implemented zero trust, but we're excited about the possibilities from the demos we've seen. We launched a POC of iboss' ChatGPT Risk Protection feature two weeks ago. AI is a great tool, but you need to be careful what you put into it. My biggest fear is employees inputting sensitive corporate information or customer PII data into one of these chatbots. I was impressed by our trial of the feature. It's exactly what we wanted. Now, when a user goes to ChatGPT, there's a banner warning them not to share information, and we can block conversations containing customer data like bank details and email addresses. I don't want to stop people from using it, but we need visibility. We've only tried it on a test group of 15 people. You can configure it to look for specific keywords or integrate it with your DLP policy if you have that configured

Read full review

Yusuke Murasato

IT Network, Security Engineer at Zuken Netwave

Efficient access control and authorization with easy configurations

The important aspects are twofold. One is authorization, and the second is access control. FortiSASE can operate in a cloud environment with client certificates for authorizations and access control using features like PostureCheck. The service assesses device security, checking updates on antivirus software and confirming Windows OS specifications. I can use it anywhere I want as long as I have an Internet connection. It's very easy to configure the environment.

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Sumit Bhanwala

architect at Tata Consultancy

Cloud-based platform simplifies device and data center management

I find it to be good. The solution is cloud-based with the latest inspection engines, which I find to be amazing. We are less dependent on data centers and device management, which reduces our efforts significantly. It improves our device management, data center management, and updating devices. We need fewer engineers for this management, and it reduces time and efforts for data center management, device upgrades, and IT support.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

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

"iboss is among the few products providing inline filtering where no application is needed on the device."

"iboss is among the few products providing inline filtering where no application is needed on the device. It operates on the network side and is not device-based. This feature was one of the main reasons why we stayed with them for so long."

"First of all, the security policies are essential. I do not have to rely solely on Active Directory for our users."

"Its initial setup was straightforward."

"iboss is easy to use despite its complexity. Multiple engineers manage it, but it's significantly more straightforward to administer than traditional VPNs and web proxies."

"It was a very easy product to install. It can be deployed very fast."

"I would rate the technical support of iboss a solid 10 without a shadow of a doubt."

More iboss pros

"Overall, I'd rate the product eight out of ten."

"The technical support from Fortinet is highly commendable, and I rate it as nine out of ten."

"Deep packet inspection is easier to deploy in the FortiSASE environment. It's much simpler to configure one-touch deployment. It was considerably more convoluted to get that to work using FortiClient. All that processing horsepower is happening in Fortinet's cloud infrastructure, reducing the load on our local routers and on-prem FortiGate firewalls."

"It is easy to integrate with Fortinet."

"Its function is related to the licensing framework."

"It is highly scalable."

"I find Fortinet to be competitive with its firewalls."

"We utilize the web filtering part of FortiCASB for our network security."

More FortiSASE pros

"The solution is the best for storage."

"The best feature is the ability to establish the connection between your public network and automatically connect to the intranet connection."

"I find all Zscaler Private Access features valuable because each replaces flawed technologies, such as EPAs being replacements for VPN and PR as a replacement for PAM, so I can't mention only one valuable feature. Overall, Zscaler Private Access is a good solution."

"It is easy to use."

"The VPN is great for the stability on offer and for the cloud updates and insights you can get."

"The product provides a seamless user experience."

"The most valuable features of Zscaler SASE include web filtering, application control, and the private access configuration."

"Yes, it is very stable. I have never seen it go down, not once."

More Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform pros

Cons

"Sometimes, obviously, there are bugs."

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

"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."

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

"Sometimes when you call in support, you get someone who is just following a sheet. It feels like a runaround. You feel that you are running into that support wall."

"For zero trust implementation, we encountered complexity issues, especially with a large infrastructure company ExxonMobil."

"Its pricing could be better."

"The dashboards for local use could be better."

More iboss cons

"I do not recommend FortiSASE for everyone."

"The GUI and connectivity, along with the support offered, are some of the areas of concern in the product where improvements are required."

"The current high-tech version of FortiSASE is not recommended due to its heavy loading."

"While stability is generally good, we faced some difficulties during updates."

"There are some issues at the agent level, and then we have to sign out and sign in."

"The main concern is that if the client is using another firewall, they cannot establish a private channel with the Cisco cloud."

"Improvements should focus on security."

"Security and support are two areas with certain shortcomings in the product where improvements are required."

More FortiSASE cons

"We would like to extend the SASE applications for Zscaler."

"You won't find anything that can help you with the configuration part and other areas related to the product if you search for proper or exact details of Zscaler Cloud DLP online in very easy language."

"We have issues with the tool's maintenance and networking. It should be able to work in offline mode as well."

"Zscaler CASB breaks down at times."

"Occasionally, there are certain delays in report generation."

"We faced certain migration and implementation challenges in executing the tasks, so I would suggest improvement related to the stability of the solution."

"It has massive room for improvement. The Zscaler product itself is okay, but it doesn't give enough granularity for us as an organization to stipulate rules or processes, especially for data-driven services. For instance, we can stick on SSL inspection, but it's just a click box. It doesn't allow us to go any further into the detail of the SSL inspection. We also can't pull it out without having an additional logging server. It just doesn't give us enough granularity. They should give us more control over the interfaces because it is all backend. They weren't very open to discussing their backend architecture with us in terms of their own data centers. They can maybe a little bit more open about what components are there and how the backend infrastructure works alongside Zscaler. Its licensing can be better. Some of the additional licensing costs are quite high, and they should have certain features ready and available as a baseline rather than having to purchase additional licenses for it. Their support should also be improved. I initially had a consultant from Zscaler for its deployment, but the support that I had throughout the deployment of the project wasn't the best."

"The only issue with Zscaler Cloud DLP is that it only gives you DLP protection from web traffic, which is flowing out, while a full-blown DLP solution such as Forcepoint or Symantec gives you DLP coverage for multiple channels. Zscaler Cloud DLP doesn't give you coverage for email, fax, and USB channels, and this is the only challenge or room for improvement in the solution. It's just an extension on top of what you're buying on the proxy, so it's just an added layer, and it doesn't cover DLP on a very broad level. I'm unsure if Zcaler is in the business of competing with a full-blown DLP solution, and if there's a plan to expand the features of Zscaler Cloud DLP beyond the web channel because you'll have to deploy a full-blown agent for it. I'm unsure if this is on the cards because the solution is just an added layer that you get with your proxy. I've asked the Zcaler team whether there's a plan to go full DLP in the future, but I didn't get a positive response. There isn't any feature I'd like added to Zscaler Cloud DLP currently, because anything you could think of that should be in cloud or SaaS solutions is already there, except for machine learning, as it's the only functionality that seems to be lacking in the solution. Machine learning is an additional policy available in other DLP solutions in the market, but my team didn't find it in Zscaler Cloud DLP."

More Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

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

"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."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a three out of ten."

"I rate the product price an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is high price, and ten is low price."

"I rate the product's price a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."

"I can only speak about the pricing for education users because we get discounts. Other users aren't going to get the same price, but FortiSASE is competitive with the other products out there. All the solutions came in at the same price, so it just came down to the product that works best for us."

"My company is a Zscaler Private Access partner, so the customers pay for the license fees."

"The product is a little more expensive than other tools."

"It is an auto-renewal subscription service."

"The pricing is expensive and on the higher end. Honestly, in my opinion, it is not worth the price."

"It's an affordable solution"

"In the long run, cloud services are not inherently costly."

"There is definitely an ROI."

"It's expensive currently. But when purchasing for a large number of users, there's room to negotiate. It's really up to the procurement team."

More Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

18%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Insurance Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	16
Midsize Enterprise	11
Large Enterprise	41

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with iboss?

For zero trust implementation, we encountered complexity issues, especially with a large infrastructure company Exxon...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for iboss?

Previously when I used iboss, we did the POC for iboss for ExxonMobil. Four or five people wanted to move from our ol...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for iboss?

Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, iboss is not cheap, and that's my only concern. There are cheaper alte...

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What do you like most about FortiSASE ?

The integration with the company's existing security infrastructure enhanced our security posture since it was a stra...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for FortiSASE ?

The pricing, licensing, and setup costs of FortiSASE are very advantageous if you are already a Fortinet customer. If...

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What needs improvement with FortiSASE ?

The secured browser of FortiSASE has room for improvement. Palo Alto has a more mature security browser than Fortinet.

See all answers

What is the better solution - Prisma Access or Zscaler Private Access?

We looked into Prisma Access before choosing Zscaler Private Access (ZPA). Palo Alto’s Prisma Access is a secure ac...

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What do you like most about Zscaler SASE?

The most valuable features of Zscaler Private Access are reliability, scalability, and availability.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Zscaler SASE?

The solution needs to improve a lot of aspects.

See all answers

Comparisons

Zscaler Internet Access vs iboss

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco Umbrella vs iboss

Compared 14% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs iboss

Compared 13% of the time

Netskope vs iboss

Compared 13% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate SWG vs iboss

Compared 3% of the time

More iboss Competitors

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs FortiSASE

Compared 19% of the time

Zscaler Internet Access vs FortiSASE

Compared 18% of the time

Netskope vs FortiSASE

Compared 12% of the time

Cisco Umbrella vs FortiSASE

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Secure Access vs FortiSASE

Compared 6% of the time

More FortiSASE Competitors

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

Compared 11% of the time

Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

Compared 8% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

Compared 7% of the time

Netskope Private Access vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

Compared 4% of the time

Cloudflare One vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

Compared 4% of the time

More Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

iboss

September 2025

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Buyer's Guide

FortiSASE

September 2025

Download FortiSASE product report

Buyer's Guide

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

August 2025

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform report

Download Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform product report

Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform

No data available

Zscaler SASE, Zscaler DLP, Zscaler CASB, Zscaler CSPM, Zscaler Browser Isolation, Zscaler Posture Control

Overview

iboss offers a comprehensive security platform designed for diverse use cases such as web filtering, data loss protection, corporate proxy services, and URL filtering.

iboss integrates advanced features to address dynamic security needs, leveraging its strength in SASE, ZTNA, AI initiatives, and cloud integration, while ensuring seamless operations for remote work. It excels in historical forensics, malware protection, and flexible cloud deployments. Users benefit from comprehensive traffic scanning, robust malware detection, and PaaS capabilities that reduce hardware management. An intuitive admin console ensures efficient management with content filtering and low false positives. SSL decryption enhances security, while DLP protects data in AI conversations. Deployment is rapid and scalable, allowing effortless integration with emerging technologies.

What features does iboss offer?

Granular Web Filtering: Provides precise control over web content access.
Traffic Scanning: Monitors data through multiple ports for security breaches.
Malware Detection: Ensures superior protection against malware threats.
PaaS Capabilities: Eliminates need for hardware management.
SSL Decryption: Enhances data protection by decrypting secure connections.
DLP Capabilities: Safeguards data during AI interactions.

What benefits and ROI should users consider?

Scalability: Adapts quickly to growing demands and emerging tech integration.
Rapid Deployment: Reduces time to implement security measures.
User-Friendly Admin Console: Facilitates efficient operations management.
Low False Positives: Increases accuracy of threat detection systems.

iboss finds significant application in sectors such as education, where web filtering for K-12 is crucial, and in corporate environments requiring robust proxy services and URL filtering for network security. Its adaptability is essential in scenarios demanding flexible, decentralized security frameworks, particularly for remote work setups.

iboss

FortiSASE is a comprehensive security solution that combines SD-WAN, security, and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) capabilities in a single platform. It provides secure access to applications and data from any device, anywhere, and at any time. FortiSASE offers advanced threat protection, real-time visibility, and control over network traffic, ensuring that organizations can securely connect their users and devices to the cloud and on-premises resources. With FortiSASE, organizations can simplify their security infrastructure, reduce costs, and improve their overall security posture.

FortiSASE Benefits:

Easy to use and set up
Good value for the price
Provides accurate and reliable results
Compact and portable design
Comes with helpful instructions and customer support

FortiSASE combines the following key elements:

Networking: FortiSASE provides networking capabilities, including SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network), WAN optimization, and network traffic routing. It allows organizations to optimize and secure their network connectivity.
Security: FortiSASE integrates multiple security services, including next-generation firewall (NGFW), secure web gateway (SWG), secure web application firewall (WAF), and zero-trust network access (ZTNA). It offers comprehensive protection against various threats, such as malware, intrusions, and data breaches.
Cloud Security: FortiSASE includes cloud-native security services to protect cloud-based applications and workloads. It offers secure access to cloud services, cloud-based firewalls, and security for multi-cloud environments.
Zero Trust Security: FortiSASE follows the Zero Trust security model, where all users and devices are treated as untrusted and must undergo strict authentication and authorization before accessing resources. It enforces granular access controls and micro-segmentation to limit lateral movement within the network.
Secure Web Access: FortiSASE includes secure web access capabilities, enabling organizations to enforce web filtering policies, block malicious websites, and protect against web-based threats like phishing and malware.
Visibility and Analytics: FortiSASE provides centralized visibility and analytics to monitor network traffic, security events, and user behavior. It helps organizations detect and respond to security incidents and provides insights for ongoing security improvements.

FortiSASE aims to simplify and streamline security operations by integrating multiple security functions and network services into a single platform. This approach allows organizations to reduce complexity, improve efficiency, and enhance overall security posture.

Reviews from Real Users

Peter VanDorp, Cyber Security Analyst and Network Operations Supervisor at a non-tech company, says that "Deep packet inspection is easier to deploy in the FortiSASE environment. It's much simpler to configure one-touch deployment. It was considerably more convoluted to get that to work using FortiClient. All that processing horsepower is happening in Fortinet's cloud infrastructure, reducing the load on our local routers and on-prem FortiGate firewalls."

Jose-Rivera, Account Manager at Telefónica, that FortiSASE is "Reliable with good security and helps with network optimization".

Fortinet

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform acts as a VPN alternative for secure remote access, cloud protection, and zero-trust strategies. It enables secure data transmission, supports remote work, and enhances compliance through a cloud-based architecture, offering improved performance and simplified management.

Designed for organizations seeking secure application access and robust data protection, Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform delivers a comprehensive solution through seamless VPN connectivity, data loss prevention, and SSL inspection. Its cloud integration ensures scalability and reliability, while its interface provides intuitive management. Companies benefit from automatic secure access, minimizing constant authentication needs, and safeguarding sensitive data. The platform allows easy deployment and integration with diverse identity providers, granting granular control for access and application segmentation. Despite powerful capabilities, enhancements are needed in speed, bandwidth, and legacy support, with users noting interface and configuration challenges.

What are the key features of Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform?

Seamless VPN Connectivity: Provides automatic secure access without repetitive authentication.
Strong Security Measures: Offers DLP and SSL inspection for data protection.
Cloud Integration: Ensures scalability and performance optimization.
Granular Access Control: Manages access with application-specific segmentation.

What benefits should companies look for in reviews when evaluating this platform?

Performance: Enhanced connectivity and reduced latency.
Data Protection: Comprehensive DLP and encryption capabilities.
Scalability: Efficient handling of growing organizational demands.
Ease of Deployment: Quick setup and integration with IDPs.

In specific industries, Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange has been implemented to enhance security protocols in fields like finance and healthcare. By prioritizing data protection and compliance, it assists companies in safely managing sensitive information and meeting regulatory requirements. Organizations leverage its features to ensure secure operations across remote and cloud environments, adapting to industry-specific needs with customizable access and security controls.

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

Siemens, AutoNation, GE, NOV

Buyer's Guide

FortiSASE vs. Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

July 2025

Free Report: FortiSASE vs. Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

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