Zscaler vs Cloudflare Zero Trust -- SASE & Zero Trust Compared
Cloudflare Zero Trust offers the most developer-friendly and cost-effective path to zero trust security, backed by the world's largest Anycast network. Zscaler provides a more mature and feature-complete SASE platform with deeper inspection capabilities and stronger enterprise support, but at significantly higher cost. Cloudflare is closing the feature gap rapidly and is particularly strong for organizations that value API-first configuration and transparent pricing.
Choose Cloudflare Zero Trust if you want enterprise-grade zero trust security with transparent pricing, a free tier for getting started, and developer-friendly Terraform/API configuration. Choose Zscaler if you need the most mature SASE platform with the deepest inline inspection, proven enterprise-scale ZTNA, and comprehensive CASB and DLP capabilities.
| Feature | Cloudflare Zero Trust | Zscaler |
|---|---|---|
| Secure Web Gateway | DNS + HTTP filtering on Anycast | Full inline proxy with deep inspection |
| Zero Trust Access | Cloudflare Access — app-level ZTNA | ZPA — proven enterprise-scale ZTNA |
| Global Network | 300+ cities, Anycast architecture | 150+ data centers, proxy architecture |
| CASB | Growing inline and API CASB | Mature CASB with deep SaaS controls |
| Pricing | Free tier + $7/user/mo | Enterprise-only custom pricing |
| Configuration | Terraform, API, and dashboard | Dashboard and API |
| Browser Isolation | Built-in network vector rendering | Cloud Browser Isolation add-on |
| Email Security | Integrated email security (Area 1) | Requires third-party email security |
Common questions about choosing between Zscaler and Cloudflare Zero Trust.
Cloudflare Zero Trust offers the most developer-friendly and cost-effective path to zero trust security, backed by the world's largest Anycast network. Zscaler provides a more mature and feature-complete SASE platform with deeper inspection capabilities and stronger enterprise support, but at significantly higher cost. Cloudflare is closing the feature gap rapidly and is particularly strong for organizations that value API-first configuration and transparent pricing.
Choose Cloudflare Zero Trust if you want enterprise-grade zero trust security with transparent pricing, a free tier for getting started, and developer-friendly Terraform/API configuration. Choose Zscaler if you need the most mature SASE platform with the deepest inline inspection, proven enterprise-scale ZTNA, and comprehensive CASB and DLP capabilities.
Cloudflare Zero Trust pricing: Free (up to 50 users) / Pay-as-you-go from $7/user/mo / Enterprise custom. Zscaler pricing: Custom enterprise pricing / Per-user subscription. Cloudflare Zero Trust's pricing model is per-user monthly or annual subscription, while Zscaler uses per-user annual subscription pricing.
Yes, you can migrate from Zscaler to Cloudflare Zero Trust. The migration process depends on your specific setup and the features you use. Both platforms offer APIs that can facilitate automated migration. Consider running both tools in parallel during the transition to ensure zero downtime.
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