Zscaler vs. Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access
You can't secure the cloud and mobility with a legacy network approach. See why a purpose-built SSE protects users and data more effectively.
Zscaler delivers true zero trust
The Palo Alto Networks SSE platform places you on a network, which allows for dangerous lateral movement of threats
Zscaler
Eliminates lateral threat movement.
Zscaler runs a highly distributed multitenant proxy architecture that protects hybrid work wherever it’s done, on-premises or in the cloud, with proven scale to 500+ billion daily transactions per day across 160+ data centers. Zscaler minimizes the attack surface, prevents compromise, eliminates lateral threat movement, and stops data loss.
Prisma Access/NGFW SASE
Increases attack surface and risk of lateral threat movement.
Palo Alto Networks is encumbered by legacy IP-centric architecture rooted in a firewall-based approach to security, which increases—not decreases—the attack surface, limits traffic inspection at scale, and creates lateral threat movement risk.
Zscaler offers proven operational excellence
The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange™ platform delivers a resilient, cloud native SSE architecture without performance drops or key technology exclusions.
Zscaler
TLS decryption for 100% of traffic. Fast performance.
Zscaler enables TLS decryption for 100% of customer traffic with zero performance degradation and 99.999% availability SLA for core SSE components (ZIA, ZPA, ZDX). The Zscaler platform is built on resilient cloud infrastructure, extended with hybrid services, that provides continuity during blackouts, brownouts, and catastrophic events.
Prisma Access/NGFW SASE
Limits traffic inspection and degrades performance.
Monolithic single-tenant VMs and cloud edge to core backhaul architecture degrade performance. Relying on hyperscalers to run core services complicates troubleshooting and imposes shared responsibility for resilience across three parties. Beware of key SLA exclusions related to scaling and high availability.
Zscaler is the leader in adoption and satisfaction
Selecting an SSE is a big decision. Look for a vendor with a proven track record.
Zscaler
With 15+ years of experience, Zscaler inline security substantially reduces risk.
7,700+ customers trust Zscaler, including 40% of the Fortune 500 and 30% of the Global 2000. Zscaler is a 3-time Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for SSE as well as a 10-time Leader in the Magic Quadrant for SWG, with a customer net promoter score of over 70.
Prisma Access/NGFW SASE
Basic URL filtering does not translate into customer adoption for SSE.
While it boasts a large firewall customer base, Palo Alto Networks has struggled with customer adoption for Prisma Access for SSE—primarily due to deployment challenges inherited from its firewall-centric design.
More reasons to choose Zscaler over Palo Alto Networks
Zscaler
Prisma Access/NGFW SASE
Zero trust network access
Zero trust pioneer
Zscaler pioneered zero trust user-to-app connectivity, offering the only ML-based segmentation with models trained on billions of signals and custom app access patterns. Zscaler ZTNA comes with a native clientless isolation environment for third-party access to protect apps and data from risky users.
VPN-based architecture
The GlobalProtect client is insecure by design, using corporate-issued IPs from VPN pools—making them reachable and thus breachable. Palo Alto Networks offers basic clientless third-party access without support for key features like isolation.
Threat inspection
Proven inline proxy
The cloud native Zscaler architecture enables AI-powered full inline TLS inspection, quarantine, and sandbox, with 250,000+ daily threat updates.
Passthrough architecture
Single-tenant NGFW design and passthrough architecture limit zero-day threat detection and response efficacy. Beware of limited ability to inspect encrypted traffic at scale.
Data protection
Comprehensive, complete solution
With built-in ML-powered auto data discovery, Zscaler's data protection secures hybrid user, workload, and IoT/OT traffic for data-at-rest and data-in-motion with inline email, endpoint DLP, and TLS inspection at scale.
Discovery and data-at-rest challenges
Palo Alto Networks requires a patchwork of point products for even basic data protection coverage. Manual data classification and lack of support for endpoint DLP leave security gaps and hinder operational efficiency. Beware of file limitations (size and type) due to legacy firewall architecture.
Digital experience management
Complete visibility
Zscaler Digital Experience™ (ZDX™) provides end-to-end visibility and insights across devices, networks, and apps—both on-premises and in the cloud. Native integrations with ITSM solutions (e.g., ServiceNow) further streamline and automate workflows.
Architectural blind spots
A complex web of interconnectivity between Palo Alto Networks, customers, and IaaS (where Prisma runs) prolongs MTTR and delays root cause analysis. The rudimentary solution lacks mature workflow integrations with leading ITSM providers.
CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORIES
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Let our experts show you how Zscaler offers simpler, more effective SSE than Prisma Access/SASE to protect your users and data.
