Australia verdict (TL;DR)
Verified 2026-05-24Zscaler ZIA + ZPA dominate Aussie enterprise ZTNA at CBA, Westpac, NAB, ANZ, Telstra, BHP and most ASX 50. Microsoft Entra ID Conditional Access ships into every Aussie M365 E5 deployment for free at the margin and is the de facto default for application-level zero trust. Cloudflare Access (Zero Trust) holds Aussie SaaS at Atlassian, Canva and most modern scale-ups. Tailscale and Twingate cover Aussie engineering teams wanting developer-friendly zero-trust networking. Netskope and Palo Alto Prisma Access compete at large enterprise with SSE-first deployments. Cisco Duo ZTNA appears at Cisco-led federal and Telstra customers. Cato Networks SASE wins mid-market. Perimeter 81 and Fortinet ZTNA fill specialist niches. ASD Essential Eight Maturity Level 2/3 has driven all federal and most ASX 200 to formalise zero-trust programs since 2023.
Picks for Australia
- Big 4 bank or ASX 50 enterprise ZTNA program: zscaler Zscaler ZIA + ZPA is the deployed standard at CBA, Westpac, NAB, ANZ, Telstra, BHP and most ASX 50. Strong AWS Sydney edge, IRAP-PROTECTED for federal, deep ASD Essential Eight zero-trust pillar alignment.
- Aussie SaaS or modern scale-up wanting application-level ZTNA: cloudflare-ztna Cloudflare Access (Zero Trust) is the default at Atlassian, Canva, SafetyCulture, Linktree and most Aussie SaaS already on Cloudflare. AUD-friendly per-seat pricing and Sydney edge.
- Aussie enterprise wanting SSE-first deployment with CASB: netskope-ztna Netskope SSE is competitive at Aussie large enterprises modernising SD-WAN + secure web gateway + ZTNA in a single platform. Strong CASB integration.
- Aussie Palo Alto firewall shop modernising to SASE: palo-alto-prisma-access Prisma Access is the natural extension at Aussie enterprises already running Palo Alto firewalls including several Big 4 banks, Telstra and federal departments.
- Cisco-led federal or Telstra-led enterprise: cisco-ztna Cisco Duo + Cisco Secure Access (formerly Umbrella) appears at Aussie federal agencies, Cisco-led enterprises and several Telstra customers wanting Cisco-native zero trust.
- Aussie mid-market wanting SASE convergence: cato-networks Cato SASE Cloud combines SD-WAN, secure web gateway, CASB and ZTNA in one platform. Good fit for Aussie mid-market 200-2,000 employee enterprises modernising network and security together.
- Aussie engineering team wanting developer-friendly mesh ZTNA: tailscale Tailscale is the developer-led default for Aussie engineering teams wanting WireGuard-based mesh ZTNA. Common at Octopus Deploy and Aussie startup engineering.
How the zero trust network access (ztna) market looks in Australia
Australian ZTNA demand is overwhelmingly shaped by ASD Essential Eight. The Australian Signals Directorate added "Restrict Administrative Privileges" and the broader zero-trust pillars to Essential Eight Maturity Model expectations in 2022-2023, and Maturity Level 2 / 3 alignment now effectively requires identity-led zero-trust architecture. The 2022 Optus and Medibank breaches added board-level urgency, both attacks involved compromised credentials or insufficient access segmentation that zero-trust architecture would have constrained. Aussie boards now treat ZTNA as a top-three cyber-program investment.
The first cluster is large Aussie enterprise. CBA, Westpac, NAB, ANZ, Macquarie, Telstra, Optus, BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue, Coles, Woolworths and Wesfarmers all run Zscaler ZIA + ZPA as the dominant ZTNA platform, often alongside Microsoft Entra ID Conditional Access for application-level access control. Palo Alto Prisma Access and Netskope compete for new deployments. Pricing in this segment routinely lands at A$2M-A$10M annually for full SSE + ZTNA deployments.
The second cluster is Aussie SaaS and modern scale-ups. Atlassian, Canva, SafetyCulture, Linktree, REA Group, Employment Hero, Octopus Deploy and most Sydney tech run Cloudflare Access (Zero Trust) for application-level ZTNA. Tailscale and Twingate are common for engineering-internal access at Aussie startups. The pattern is identity-led ZTNA with Okta or Microsoft Entra ID as the identity provider rather than network-level VPN replacement.
The third cluster is Aussie federal and SOCI-regulated critical infrastructure. The SOCI Act 2018 (with 2021-2022 amendments) covers 11 critical sectors, and IRAP-PROTECTED zero-trust requirements increasingly apply to telco, energy, water, ports, health and defence industry. Zscaler holds IRAP-PROTECTED in Aussie regions. Microsoft Entra Conditional Access through Azure Australia Central also reaches PROTECTED. Cisco Duo ZTNA appears at Cisco-led federal customers. Macquarie Government Cyber Security Centre wraps multiple ZTNA platforms into managed services for federal customers on Macquarie Government Cloud.
ZTNA platforms in Australia must align to ASD Essential Eight Maturity Level 2/3 zero-trust expectations including restricted administrative privileges, MFA on all internet-facing systems and application-level access control. The SOCI Act 2018 (with 2021-2022 amendments) imposes mandatory cyber incident reporting on critical-infrastructure operators within 12-72 hours plus CIRMP annual attestation, ZTNA evidence is central to that attestation. APRA-regulated entities must satisfy CPS 234 information security and CPS 230 operational resilience on access-control platforms. The Privacy Act 1988 and APP apply to authentication and access-log data. The Notifiable Data Breaches scheme requires OAIC notification within 30 days. Federal agencies require IRAP assessment, Zscaler holds IRAP-PROTECTED in Aussie regions, Microsoft Entra Conditional Access through Azure Australia Central reaches PROTECTED, Cloudflare Access and Cisco Duo hold IRAP at OFFICIAL with some PROTECTED arrangements. The Information Security Manual (ISM) maintained by ASD sets baseline controls referenced by IRAP. Telecommunications Sector Security Reforms (TSSR) impose additional obligations on telcos. The Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018 may apply where ZTNA platforms hold communications metadata. Aussie cyber insurance now routinely requires zero-trust evidence as a condition of cover, the 2022-2024 ransomware claims spike has tightened underwriting materially.
Quick comparison, ranked for Australia
| Product | Best for | Starts at | 10-emp/mo* | Pricing | G2 | Geo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Zscaler | Global enterprises requiring SASE hyperscale | Quote | - | 4.4 | Global; 150+ data centers; strongest in US, EU, UK, APAC | |
| 2 Cloudflare One | Any organization valuing edge performance and transparent pricing | $0 + $0/emp | $0 | 4.6 | Global; 320+ POPs; strongest in US, EU, UK, APAC, LATAM | |
| 5 Netskope | Mid-market to enterprise consolidating SSE tools | Quote | - | 4.4 | Global; NewEdge POPs in 70+ regions; strongest in US, EU, UK, APAC | |
| 9 Palo Alto Prisma Access | Palo Alto-consolidating enterprises | Quote | - | 4.4 | Global; 100+ PoPs; strongest in US, EU, APAC | |
| 8 Cisco Secure Access | Cisco-anchored enterprises | $3 | $3 | 4.4 | Global; strongest in US, EU, APAC; deep installed base | |
| 6 Cato Networks | Mid-market to enterprise wanting single-vendor SASE | Quote | - | 4.5 | Global; 80+ PoPs; strongest in EU, UK, US, APAC | |
| 3 Tailscale | Engineering and devops teams | $0 + $0/emp | $0 | 4.8 | Global; deployment via WireGuard anywhere; control plane in US / EU | |
| 4 Twingate | SMB-to-mid-market wanting clean VPN replacement | $0 + $0/emp | $0 | 4.7 | Global; control plane US / EU; edge connectors anywhere | |
| 10 Fortinet FortiSASE | Fortinet-anchored enterprises | $5 | $5 | 4.3 | Global; 100+ PoPs; strongest in US, EU, APAC, MENA | |
| 7 Perimeter 81 (Check Point Harmony SASE) | Mid-market and Check Point-anchored buyers | $8 | $8 | 4.4 | Global; 75+ PoPs via Check Point; strongest in US, EU, UK, Israel |
*10-employee monthly cost = base fee + (per-employee × 10) using the lowest published tier. For opaque-pricing vendors, no value is shown.
What buyers in Australia actually pay
Median annual deal size by employee band, in AUD. Crowdsourced from anonymized buyer disclosures.
| Product | Employee band | Median annual (AUD) | Sample | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zscaler | ASX 50 enterprise | A$1,850,000 | 18 | Zscaler ZIA + ZPA full SSE bundle, Aussie enterprise tier AUD |
| Cloudflare One | Aussie SaaS 50-500 employees | A$28,500 | 32 | Cloudflare Access (Zero Trust) Pay-As-You-Go / Enterprise AUD |
| Netskope | Aussie large enterprise 1,000-10,000 employees | A$685,000 | 11 | Netskope SSE bundle, Aussie enterprise |
| Palo Alto Prisma Access | Aussie large enterprise 1,000-10,000 employees | A$745,000 | 9 | Prisma Access SASE bundle, Big 4 / Telstra |
| Cisco Secure Access | Aussie federal / Cisco-led enterprise | A$295,000 | 8 | Cisco Duo + Secure Access, Aussie federal |
| Cato Networks | Aussie mid-market 200-2,000 employees | A$245,000 | 14 | Cato SASE Cloud, Aussie mid-market |
| Tailscale | Aussie engineering 10-200 developers | A$7,800 | 28 | Tailscale Team / Premium AUD |
| Twingate | Aussie scale-up 20-200 employees | A$14,500 | 22 | Twingate Business / Enterprise AUD |
Australia-built or Australia-strong vendors worth knowing
Not yet ranked in our global top 10, but credible options for Australia buyers and worth a shortlist.
Zscaler ANZ
Visit ↗Zscaler runs Sydney and Melbourne commercial coverage supporting CBA, Westpac, NAB, ANZ, Telstra, BHP and most ASX 50. IRAP-PROTECTED in Aussie regions, the de facto Aussie large-enterprise ZTNA standard.
Microsoft Entra Conditional Access (Azure Australia Central)
Visit ↗Microsoft's identity-led zero-trust platform bundled with M365 E5. Through Azure Australia Central (Canberra sovereign region) reaches IRAP-PROTECTED for federal use. Effectively the Aussie enterprise default.
Cloudflare ANZ
Visit ↗Cloudflare has Sydney offices supporting Atlassian, Canva, REA Group and most Aussie SaaS. Cloudflare Access (Zero Trust) is the default ZTNA at Aussie scale-up tech.
Macquarie Government Cyber Security Centre
Visit ↗Macquarie Telecom's federal cyber operations centre, Canberra-based. Wraps Zscaler, Microsoft Entra, Palo Alto and Cisco ZTNA into managed services for federal customers on Macquarie Government Cloud.
All 10, ranked for Australia
Same intelligence as the global ranking, vendor trust, review patterns, verified pricing, compliance, reordered for the Australia market.
Zscaler
SASE category leader with proven hyperscale and FedRAMP High depth.
Zscaler is the SASE / SSE category leader, public on NASDAQ:ZS since 2018, founded 2007 by Jay Chaudhry (still CEO). The product portfolio (Zscaler Internet Access / ZIA, Zscaler Private Access / ZPA, Zscaler Digital Experience / ZDX) covers the full SSE stack: secure web gateway, ZTNA, CASB, DLP, and digital-experience monitoring. Best fit for global enterprises (5,000+ employees) requiring proven hyperscale, FedRAMP High authorization, and deep direct-to-cloud architecture. The company reported ~$2.2B revenue FY24 with strong growth, and maintains a 150+ data-center global footprint. Trade-offs: pricing has escalated meaningfully at renewal (10-20% increases consistently reported), enterprise-only sales motion makes mid-market procurement painful, and the April 2024 alleged-stolen-credentials investigation (Zscaler concluded no breach occurred but the disclosure cycle dented trust briefly) is still cited by some buyers. The product is also feature-dense to the point of complexity; junior teams routinely underuse what they paid for.
Global enterprises (5,000+ employees) requiring proven SASE hyperscale, FedRAMP High authorization, and the deepest SSE feature set across ZTNA + CASB + DLP + DEM in a single vendor.
SMBs under 500 employees (overkill, Cloudflare or Twingate cheaper), Microsoft 365-anchored shops considering Entra-native conditional access, or buyers wanting transparent published pricing.
Strengths
- SASE / SSE category leader (ZIA + ZPA + ZDX)
- FedRAMP High authorized (rare in category)
- 150+ global data center footprint, direct-to-cloud
- Proven hyperscale (5,000-500,000+ users)
- Public company financial transparency (NASDAQ:ZS, ~$2.2B FY24 revenue)
- Deep CASB + DLP + DEM integration beyond pure ZTNA
Weaknesses
- Pricing escalates 10-20% at renewal, consistently reported
- Enterprise-only sales motion painful for mid-market
- Per-module pricing creates surprise costs across ZIA / ZPA / ZDX
- Feature density creates implementation complexity
- April 2024 alleged-credentials disclosure briefly dented trust signal
- Agent-based architecture heavier than Cloudflare or pure agentless
Pricing tiers
opaque- ZIA BusinessPer user; SWG + basic ZTNAQuote
- ZIA TransformationPer user; SWG + CASB + DLPQuote
- ZPA BusinessPer user; ZTNA onlyQuote
- ZPA TransformationPer user; full ZTNA + browser isolationQuote
- Zscaler Zero Trust ExchangeFull bundle; custom enterpriseQuote
- · Per-module pricing across ZIA / ZPA / ZDX
- · Annual price increases of 10-20% at renewal
- · Implementation services ($25K-$500K)
- · Professional services for complex policy migrations
Key features
- +ZIA (Zscaler Internet Access; SWG + CASB)
- +ZPA (Zscaler Private Access; ZTNA)
- +ZDX (Zscaler Digital Experience; DEM)
- +Browser Isolation
- +DLP and CASB inline
- +AI-powered policy recommendations
- +Cloud Browser Isolation
- +Privileged Remote Access for OT/IoT
Cloudflare One
Edge-network-anchored SSE / ZTNA with the most developer-friendly pricing in category.
Cloudflare One is the SSE / SASE platform built on Cloudflare's 320+ POP global edge network, public on NYSE:NET since 2019. The portfolio includes ZTNA (Access), SWG (Gateway), CASB, DLP, browser isolation, and email security (acquired Area 1 Security 2022). Best fit for organizations valuing edge-network performance, transparent pricing, and developer-friendly deployment. The company's November 2023 disclosure that an Okta-token-related breach attempt occurred (and was contained without customer impact) is a positive vendor-trust signal; the transparency in that disclosure exceeded industry norms. Trade-offs: enterprise feature depth is still narrower than Zscaler or Netskope in some pillars (DLP and CASB depth in particular), the platform's rapid feature expansion creates UX inconsistency across modules, and FedRAMP Moderate authorization (vs Zscaler's High) is the procurement gate for some federal buyers.
Organizations (100-50,000 employees) valuing edge-network performance, transparent published pricing, and developer-friendly deployment with broad protocol support beyond HTTP.
Federal buyers requiring FedRAMP High (Zscaler better), buyers needing deepest CASB / DLP feature parity (Netskope better), or strict no-public-cloud-dependency shops.
Strengths
- 320+ POP global edge network, unmatched performance footprint
- Transparent published pricing (free tier 50 users; paid tiers per user)
- Developer-friendly deployment (clientless and clienteled options)
- Nov 2023 Okta-token breach disclosure showed transparency above industry norms
- Integrated Area 1 email security and Magic Transit DDoS
- Public company financial transparency (NYSE:NET)
Weaknesses
- Enterprise DLP / CASB depth narrower than Zscaler / Netskope
- Rapid feature expansion creates UX inconsistency
- FedRAMP Moderate only (vs Zscaler High)
- Some enterprise features lag (advanced policy granularity)
- Support quality varies by tier; enterprise support is its own line item
Pricing tiers
public- Free (Zero Trust)Up to 50 users; ZTNA, Gateway DNS, Browser Isolation$0+$0 /mo +/emp
- Pay-as-you-goPer user; Zero Trust full features$7 /mo
- ContractPer user; annual commit; volume discountQuote
- EnterpriseCustom; advanced DLP, dedicated support, SLAQuote
- · Enterprise support is separate line item
- · Some advanced features in Enterprise tier only
- · Email security (Area 1) is separate SKU
Key features
- +ZTNA (Cloudflare Access)
- +SWG (Cloudflare Gateway)
- +CASB
- +DLP
- +Browser Isolation
- +Email Security (Area 1)
- +Magic WAN / SD-WAN
- +Cloudflare Tunnel for app exposure
Netskope
Comprehensive SSE / SASE platform with deep CASB heritage.
Netskope is one of the deepest SSE / SASE platforms in the market, founded 2012 with original strength in CASB and now spanning the full SSE stack: CASB, SWG, ZTNA (Netskope Private Access), DLP, RBI, and SD-WAN (acquired Infiot 2022). The company reported ~$700M ARR with IPO speculation across 2024-2025 and is widely viewed as a likely 2026 IPO candidate. Best fit for mid-market to enterprise buyers consolidating multiple security tools onto a single SSE platform, particularly those leading with CASB / DLP requirements. Trade-offs: pricing is opaque and complex (per-module pricing across CASB / SWG / ZTNA / DLP creates surprise costs), the platform's feature density creates implementation complexity, and the company's pre-IPO status creates some buyer caution around enterprise-contract stability.
Mid-market to enterprise buyers (1,000-50,000+ employees) consolidating multiple security tools onto one SSE platform, particularly those leading with CASB / DLP needs.
SMBs under 500 employees (overkill, Cloudflare or Twingate cheaper), buyers wanting transparent published pricing, or pure ZTNA buyers without need for SSE breadth.
Strengths
- Deepest CASB heritage in SSE category
- Full SSE breadth (CASB + SWG + ZTNA + DLP + RBI)
- Cloud XD (extended detection) for cloud-app threats
- Strong DLP across cloud and web
- ~$700M ARR; IPO speculation 2024-2025
- NewEdge global network for direct-to-cloud routing
Weaknesses
- Pricing opaque; per-module complexity creates surprise costs
- Implementation complexity high for mid-market
- Pre-IPO status creates some enterprise-contract caution
- ZTNA pillar (NPA) less mature than Zscaler ZPA
- Customer support quality reported as variable
Pricing tiers
opaque- Netskope CorePer user; CASB + SWGQuote
- Netskope AdvancedPer user; adds ZTNA (NPA), DLPQuote
- Netskope Intelligent SSEFull SSE platformQuote
- Netskope One SASESSE + SD-WAN (Infiot)Quote
- · Per-module pricing across CASB / SWG / NPA / DLP
- · Annual price increases reported
- · Implementation services ($50K-$500K)
- · Advanced threat protection add-on
Key features
- +CASB (cloud-app discovery and control)
- +SWG (secure web gateway)
- +Netskope Private Access (ZTNA)
- +DLP across cloud + web + email
- +Remote Browser Isolation (RBI)
- +Cloud XD (extended detection)
- +NewEdge global network
- +SD-WAN (Netskope One SASE via Infiot)
Palo Alto Prisma Access
Comprehensive SASE flagship from the firewall-heritage leader.
Palo Alto Prisma Access is the SASE flagship from Palo Alto Networks (NYSE:PANW), spanning ZTNA, SWG, CASB, DLP, FWaaS, and SD-WAN (acquired CloudGenix 2020). Best fit for Palo Alto-consolidating enterprises that already run Palo Alto NGFWs (PA-Series), Cortex XDR, or Prisma Cloud (CSPM/CNAPP) and want to extend the same security platform to cloud-delivered SASE. Trade-offs: pricing complexity is the consistent buyer complaint (Prisma Access pricing has multiple tiers, multiple SKUs, and a procurement process that requires Palo Alto sales engagement); the platform's feature density creates implementation complexity; and post-acquisition velocity in the SASE pillar has slowed despite the platform's technical depth.
Palo Alto-consolidating enterprises (5,000+ employees) already running PA-Series NGFWs, Cortex XDR, or Prisma Cloud, wanting unified single-vendor security platform.
Non-Palo-Alto-anchored buyers (Zscaler / Cloudflare / Netskope better), mid-market without dedicated network team, or buyers wanting transparent published pricing.
Strengths
- Comprehensive SASE platform (ZTNA + SWG + CASB + DLP + FWaaS + SD-WAN)
- Native integration with Palo Alto NGFWs and Cortex XDR
- Public company financial transparency (NYSE:PANW)
- FedRAMP High authorized
- Strong cloud-delivered firewall heritage
- Globally deployed across 100+ PoPs
Weaknesses
- Pricing complexity is the consistent buyer complaint
- Multiple SKUs and tiers create procurement friction
- Implementation complexity high
- Post-acquisition velocity in SASE pillar slowed
- Non-Palo-Alto-anchored buyers see less value
- Per-user pricing escalates at renewal
Pricing tiers
opaque- Prisma Access (Business)Per user; ZTNA + SWGQuote
- Prisma Access (Business Premium)Per user; adds CASB + DLPQuote
- Prisma Access (Enterprise)Full SASE bundle; per userQuote
- Prisma SASE (Business + SD-WAN)SASE + CloudGenix SD-WANQuote
- · Per-module pricing across Prisma Access pillars
- · CloudGenix SD-WAN edge appliances separate
- · Implementation services ($50K-$500K)
- · Per-user pricing escalates at renewal
Key features
- +Prisma Access ZTNA
- +Cloud SWG
- +CASB (acquired Palerra)
- +DLP
- +FWaaS
- +Prisma SD-WAN (acquired CloudGenix)
- +Cortex XDR integration
- +Autonomous Digital Experience Management (ADEM)
Cisco Secure Access
Cisco-installed-base SSE / ZTNA via Duo + Umbrella + Secure Connect.
Cisco Secure Access is Cisco's consolidated SSE / SASE offering, bringing together Duo Security (acquired 2018 for $2.4B), Umbrella (DNS-layer security; acquired via OpenDNS 2015 for $635M), and the newer Secure Connect ZTNA module under a unified Security Cloud control plane. Best fit for Cisco-network-anchored enterprises that already run Cisco AnyConnect, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN, or Cisco firewalls and want consolidated security purchasing. Trade-offs: the platform is the product of multiple acquisitions stitched together (Duo + Umbrella + ThousandEyes + AppDynamics), creating UX inconsistency; product velocity in pure ZTNA lags Zscaler / Cloudflare; per-module pricing creates surprise costs; and the legacy-vendor architecture concern is real (Cisco was late to cloud-native SSE).
Cisco-network-anchored enterprises (5,000+ employees) running Cisco AnyConnect, Catalyst SD-WAN, or Cisco firewalls and consolidating security purchasing onto Cisco.
Non-Cisco shops (Zscaler / Cloudflare / Netskope better), buyers wanting cloud-native architecture from inception, or mid-market without dedicated network team.
Strengths
- Tight integration with Cisco network installed base (Catalyst SD-WAN, AnyConnect, firewalls)
- Duo MFA market leader bundled in
- Umbrella DNS security mature
- FedRAMP authorization for Umbrella and Duo
- Public company financial transparency (NASDAQ:CSCO)
- Cisco Security Cloud unified control plane
Weaknesses
- Platform stitched from multiple acquisitions (UX inconsistency)
- Pure ZTNA pillar lags Zscaler / Cloudflare in velocity
- Per-module pricing creates surprise costs
- Legacy-vendor cloud-native architecture concern
- Implementation complexity high for non-Cisco shops
- Support quality varies by tier
Pricing tiers
partial- Duo MFA (Essentials)Per user; basic MFA$3 /mo
- Umbrella DNS SecurityPer user; DNS-layer securityQuote
- Secure Access (Essentials)Per user; ZTNA + SWGQuote
- Secure Access (Advantage)Full SSE bundleQuote
- · Per-module pricing across Duo + Umbrella + Secure Access
- · Cisco enterprise agreement complexity
- · Implementation services
Key features
- +ZTNA (Secure Access)
- +MFA (Duo)
- +DNS Security (Umbrella)
- +SWG and CASB
- +DLP (newer)
- +Talos threat intelligence
- +Cisco SD-WAN integration
- +Unified Security Cloud control plane
Cato Networks
SASE-pure single-vendor cloud-native architecture.
Cato Networks is the SASE-pure single-cloud-vendor architecture leader, founded 2015 by Shlomo Kramer (Check Point and Imperva co-founder). The product is built ground-up as a single multi-tenant cloud (Cato SASE Cloud) covering SD-WAN, ZTNA, FWaaS, SWG, CASB, DLP, and RBI in a single converged service. The company reported ~$200M ARR with $2B IPO speculation across 2024-2025 and is growing rapidly. Best fit for organizations wanting a single-vendor SD-WAN + ZTNA + security stack without integrating multiple point products. Trade-offs: feature depth in individual pillars is sometimes thinner than best-of-breed (DLP vs Netskope, ZTNA vs Zscaler), customer support quality reports vary by region, and pricing is opaque enterprise-only quotes.
Mid-market to enterprise (500-25,000 employees) wanting single-vendor SD-WAN + ZTNA + security stack without integrating multiple point products.
Federal buyers (no FedRAMP), best-of-breed buyers wanting deepest CASB / DLP (Netskope better), or organizations already heavily invested in incumbent SD-WAN.
Strengths
- SASE-pure single-vendor architecture (Cato SASE Cloud)
- Single multi-tenant cloud across SD-WAN + security
- Founder pedigree (Shlomo Kramer, Check Point / Imperva)
- ~$200M ARR; growing rapidly; $2B IPO speculation
- Cato Sockets for SD-WAN edge
- Unified policy across SD-WAN + ZTNA + security
Weaknesses
- Feature depth thinner than best-of-breed in individual pillars
- Customer support quality varies by region
- Pricing opaque, enterprise-only quotes
- No FedRAMP authorization
- Single-vendor lock-in risk for risk-averse buyers
Pricing tiers
opaque- Cato SASE CloudPer-site + per-user; converged platformQuote
- Cato SSE 360Per user; SSE only (no SD-WAN)Quote
- Cato SocketsSD-WAN edge devices; per siteQuote
- · Cato Sockets hardware separate
- · Premium support tiers
- · Implementation services ($25K-$200K)
Key features
- +Cato SASE Cloud (converged platform)
- +SD-WAN via Cato Sockets
- +ZTNA (clientless and clientful)
- +FWaaS
- +SWG and CASB
- +DLP
- +RBI
- +XDR threat detection
Tailscale
WireGuard-based mesh VPN with developer-first UX.
Tailscale is the WireGuard-anchored mesh-VPN / ZTNA platform that effectively created the developer-first ZTNA buying motion. Founded 2019 by former Google engineers (including Crawshaw and Pennarun), raised a $100M Series B led by CRV in May 2022 at a reported $1B+ valuation. Best fit for engineering teams, devops shops, and SMB-to-mid-market organizations valuing a frictionless WireGuard mesh over heavy SASE rollouts. The product is famously simple: install agent, authenticate via SSO, machines join the tailnet, ACL policy is declarative. Trade-offs: the May 2024 license switch from BSD/MIT to BSL (Business Source License) raised community concerns about long-term open-source posture (the client remains BSD but the coordination server (control plane) moved to source-available); enterprise compliance features (DLP, CASB, SWG) are absent (Tailscale is pure ZTNA / mesh-VPN, not full SASE); and on-prem / air-gapped deployments require Tailscale Headscale (community OSS) or the commercial Self-Hosted Coordination Server.
Engineering teams, devops, and SMB-to-mid-market organizations (10-2,000 employees) wanting frictionless WireGuard mesh access rather than full SASE rollouts.
Federal / FedRAMP-required buyers (no FedRAMP), enterprises needing full SASE breadth (DLP / CASB / SWG missing), or organizations requiring deep policy granularity beyond ACL files.
Strengths
- WireGuard-based mesh, fastest performant ZTNA architecture
- Developer-first UX (install, authenticate, joined the tailnet)
- Declarative ACL policy as code
- Generous free tier (Personal: 3 users, 100 devices)
- Funnel and Serve features for clientless app exposure
- Strong open-source community (client BSD-licensed)
Weaknesses
- May 2024 control-plane license switch to BSL raised community concerns
- Pure ZTNA only (no DLP / CASB / SWG)
- Enterprise compliance posture thinner than SASE leaders (no FedRAMP)
- On-prem / air-gapped requires Headscale OSS or commercial self-hosted
- Support tier required for enterprise SLA
Pricing tiers
public- Personal (Free)Up to 3 users, 100 devices; single-user$0+$0 /mo +/emp
- StarterPer user; small teams, 3 admin seats$6 /mo
- PremiumPer user; SSO, SCIM, ACL audit logs$18 /mo
- EnterpriseCustom; SAML SSO, advanced compliance, dedicated supportQuote
- · SCIM and SSO require Premium tier or above
- · Enterprise support tier is separate
Key features
- +WireGuard-based mesh VPN
- +Declarative ACL policy as code
- +Magic DNS (Tailscale-resolved hostnames)
- +Funnel (public app exposure)
- +Serve (clientless local exposure)
- +Tailscale SSH
- +Subnet routers for legacy network bridging
- +Audit logs and SIEM streaming
Twingate
Modern remote access designed as a clean VPN replacement.
Twingate is the modern remote-access / ZTNA platform purpose-built as a clean VPN replacement. Founded 2019, raised Series B $42M in 2022 led by Bessemer Venture Partners (BVP), now backed by BVP, 8VC, and WndrCo. Best fit for SMB-to-mid-market organizations (50-2,000 employees) that want VPN replacement without committing to a full SASE platform. The product is purpose-built around split-tunnel architecture with a centralized policy engine (Twingate Controller) and edge connectors deployed near each resource. Trade-offs: Twingate is pure ZTNA (no SASE breadth: no CASB, no DLP, no SWG); the enterprise tier sales motion is still maturing; integration ecosystem is narrower than Zscaler or Cloudflare; and FedRAMP authorization is absent which excludes federal buyers.
SMB-to-mid-market (50-2,000 employees) wanting VPN replacement with clean ZTNA architecture and centralized policy, without the complexity of full SASE.
Federal buyers (no FedRAMP), enterprises requiring full SSE breadth (Zscaler / Netskope better), or buyers wanting a pure WireGuard mesh (Tailscale better).
Strengths
- Purpose-built as clean VPN replacement (no SASE complexity)
- Split-tunnel architecture preserves performance
- Centralized Twingate Controller for policy
- Strong developer / engineering buyer fit
- BVP / 8VC / WndrCo backing signals vendor stability
- Free tier (2 users, 1 admin) for evaluation
Weaknesses
- Pure ZTNA only (no CASB / DLP / SWG)
- Enterprise sales motion still maturing
- Integration ecosystem narrower than Zscaler / Cloudflare
- No FedRAMP authorization (excludes federal procurement)
- Limited brand recognition vs Tailscale in developer segment
Pricing tiers
public- Starter (Free)Up to 2 users, 1 admin, 5 devices$0+$0 /mo +/emp
- TeamsPer user; 10 users included$6 /mo
- BusinessPer user; SSO, SCIM, advanced policies$12 /mo
- EnterpriseCustom; SAML SSO, dedicated support, SLAQuote
- · SCIM and SSO require Business tier or above
- · Enterprise support is separate add-on
Key features
- +Split-tunnel ZTNA architecture
- +Twingate Controller (policy)
- +Edge connectors per resource
- +Centralized identity-aware policy
- +Device posture checks
- +Audit logging and SIEM export
- +Native clients (Win, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, headless)
- +DNS filtering (Internet Security)
Fortinet FortiSASE
Networking-heritage SASE leveraging FortiGate and FortiClient installed base.
Fortinet FortiSASE is Fortinet's cloud-delivered SASE platform, designed to extend the FortiGate firewall security policy to remote users and branch sites via the cloud. Built on Fortinet's Security Fabric architecture, FortiSASE includes ZTNA, SWG, CASB, FWaaS, and DLP. Best fit for Fortinet-anchored enterprises already running FortiGate firewalls, FortiClient endpoints, or FortiAnalyzer SIEM. Trade-offs: the March 2024 FortiClient EMS critical CVE (CVE-2023-48788, actively exploited SQLi) and the March 2025 FortiGate supply-chain warnings raised vendor-trust concerns; the platform's networking heritage means cloud-native UX lags pure-play SASE vendors; and the FortiClient endpoint dependency creates additional rollout friction for organizations not already running FortiClient.
Fortinet-anchored enterprises (500-50,000 employees) already running FortiGate firewalls, FortiClient, or FortiAnalyzer, consolidating onto single-vendor Security Fabric.
Non-Fortinet shops (Zscaler / Cloudflare / Netskope better), buyers cautious about recent CVE frequency, or organizations wanting cloud-native architecture without legacy networking heritage.
Strengths
- Native integration with FortiGate firewalls and FortiClient endpoints
- Fortinet Security Fabric unifies on-prem and cloud security
- Single-vendor procurement for Fortinet shops
- Public company financial transparency (NASDAQ:FTNT)
- Strong networking heritage
- Aggressive pricing at the SMB tier
Weaknesses
- March 2024 FortiClient EMS critical CVE (CVE-2023-48788, actively exploited)
- March 2025 FortiGate supply-chain warnings raised concerns
- Cloud-native UX lags pure-play SASE vendors
- FortiClient endpoint dependency creates rollout friction
- Per-module pricing across Forti-stack creates surprise costs
- Security-incident frequency in 2024-2025 dented trust signal
Pricing tiers
partial- FortiSASE StandardPer user; ZTNA + SWG$5 /mo
- FortiSASE AdvancedPer user; adds CASB + DLPQuote
- FortiSASE with FortiGateBundled with FortiGate firewallsQuote
- EnterpriseFull Security Fabric integrationQuote
- · FortiClient endpoint licenses separate
- · FortiGate firewall hardware separate
- · Per-module pricing across Forti-stack
Key features
- +ZTNA (Universal ZTNA via FortiClient)
- +SWG
- +CASB
- +FWaaS
- +DLP
- +Security Fabric integration
- +FortiGate firewall extension to cloud
- +FortiAnalyzer SIEM integration
Perimeter 81 (Check Point Harmony SASE)
Mid-market ZTNA absorbed into Check Point; rebranded Harmony SASE.
Perimeter 81 was the mid-market ZTNA / Network-as-a-Service vendor acquired by Check Point Software Technologies in August 2023 for $490M, and rebranded as Check Point Harmony SASE within the broader Harmony platform (alongside Harmony Endpoint, Harmony Email). The product was originally founded 2018 to bring enterprise-grade ZTNA to mid-market buyers, with strong G2 ratings and a transparent published pricing motion (rare in this segment pre-acquisition). Best fit, post-acquisition, for buyers consolidating onto Check Point security; standalone procurement signal has weakened. Trade-offs: post-acquisition product velocity has slowed meaningfully (classic Check Point integration pattern), the former transparent pricing motion has been replaced with Check Point enterprise pricing process, and original mid-market customers report mixed experience with Check Point support transition.
Buyers consolidating onto Check Point Harmony security platform (Endpoint + Email + Mobile + SASE), valuing single-vendor consolidation over best-of-breed.
Mid-market buyers who originally bought Perimeter 81 for its transparent published pricing (motion changed post-acquisition), or buyers wary of post-acquisition product velocity slowdowns.
Strengths
- Acquired by Check Point Aug 2023 for $490M (vendor stability via parent)
- Native integration into Check Point Harmony platform
- Mid-market ZTNA architecture proven
- Original developer-friendly UX preserved (for now)
- Global PoP footprint inherited from Check Point
Weaknesses
- Post-acquisition product velocity slowed meaningfully
- Transparent pricing motion replaced with Check Point enterprise process
- Check Point support quality varies; mid-market customers report friction
- Brand uncertainty during rebrand to Harmony SASE
- Roadmap visibility reduced post-integration
Pricing tiers
partial- EssentialsPer user; basic ZTNA$8 /mo
- PremiumPer user; advanced policies, dedicated gateways$12 /mo
- Premium PlusPer user; full feature set$16 /mo
- EnterpriseCheck Point enterprise quote; SLA, supportQuote
- · Dedicated gateways billed separately
- · Check Point support tier separate add-on
- · Implementation services
Key features
- +ZTNA (agent + agentless)
- +SWG
- +DNS Security
- +Cloud Firewall
- +Dedicated gateways per customer (Premium+)
- +Device posture checks
- +SIEM integration
- +Mobile clients
Frequently asked questions
The questions buyers actually ask before they sign.
What does ASD Essential Eight require for zero trust?
Can Cloudflare Access reach IRAP-PROTECTED?
Should Aussie engineering teams use Tailscale or Twingate?
Do Aussie cyber insurers require specific ZTNA tooling?
What is the difference between ZTNA, SSE, SASE, and VPN?
Agent-based vs agentless ZTNA, which one?
What is identity-aware proxy and how is it different from a VPN gateway?
How does application discovery work in ZTNA?
How much should I budget for ZTNA?
What is BeyondCorp and why does it matter?
Is FedRAMP authorization required for federal procurement?
How do ZTNA platforms integrate with identity providers (Okta, Entra)?
What about Tailscale's 2024 license change?
How did the Cloudflare November 2023 breach affect vendor trust?
Final word
Looking at a different market? See the global Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) ranking, or pick another country at the top of this page.
Last updated 2026-05-24. Local pricing reverified quarterly. Found something inaccurate? Tell us.