India verdict (TL;DR)
Verified 2026-05-18India's ZTNA market is shaped by two distinct use cases: large Indian IT services firms (TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL) deploying ZTNA to secure remote delivery of services to global clients, and Indian product companies and fintech deploying ZTNA for their own infrastructure and employee access. Zscaler and Cisco ZTNA dominate large Indian enterprise. Cloudflare is the fastest-growing choice in Indian SaaS. Tailscale runs at engineering teams across Indian product companies. Indian-founded vendors ColorTokens (micro-segmentation + ZTNA) and Indusface (application security + ZTNA-adjacent) serve the Indian SMB and mid-market. DPDP Act 2023 data residency and RBI fintech guidelines are the primary compliance anchors.
Picks for India
- Large Indian IT services enterprise (TCS, Infosys, Wipro-tier): zscaler Zscaler ZIA + ZPA is deployed at Indian IT-services majors for securing remote developer access to client environments and internal infrastructure. Zscaler India office in Bangalore. AWS Mumbai and Azure India data residency. CERT-In compatible logging.
- Indian enterprise with Cisco networking stack: cisco-ztna Cisco ZTNA (Duo + Umbrella + Secure Access) deployed at large Indian enterprises on Cisco networking. Cisco India presence (Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad offices). INR billing via Cisco India channel. DPDP-compatible EU/India data residency.
- Modern Indian product companies and SaaS (Razorpay, Groww-tier): cloudflare-ztna Cloudflare Access is the fastest-growing ZTNA at Indian product companies. Transparent pricing, simple deployment, no hardware. Cloudflare Mumbai (BOM) PoP. INR billing via Ingram Micro India. Strong at Indian fintech and SaaS engineering teams.
- Indian enterprise security consolidation (Palo Alto stack): palo-alto-prisma-access Palo Alto Prisma Access is the ZTNA/SSE choice for Indian enterprises already on Palo Alto NGFW. Palo Alto India offices in Bangalore and Gurgaon. Integration with Cortex XDR and XSOAR for Indian SOC teams.
- Indian engineering teams infrastructure access (startup to mid-market): tailscale Tailscale WireGuard mesh is the dominant developer ZTNA at Indian SaaS companies (Chargebee, Freshworks, PostHog-tier engineering). AWS Mumbai data path. No network team required. INR via reseller or USD direct.
- Indian BFSI and regulated sectors ZTNA (RBI, SEBI compliance): netskope-ztna Netskope NPA + CASB used at Indian BFSI enterprises for cloud app access control alongside ZTNA. AWS Mumbai data residency. DPDP and RBI data governance compatible. Strong data classification for Indian regulated data.
How the zero trust network access (ztna) market looks in India
India's ZTNA market does not follow US or EU patterns precisely. The IT services dimension is unique: India's four largest IT companies (TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL) collectively employ over one million engineers who access client systems from India-based delivery centers. Securing this access is a ZTNA use case unlike any other market globally. Zscaler has won a significant share of these IT services deployments by positioning ZPA as a secure alternative to client-mandated VPN tunnels. The scale is enormous: TCS alone has over 600,000 employees, and enterprise ZTNA at that scale is a complex multi-year deployment.
The Indian product company tier (Bangalore-headquartered SaaS, fintech, and consumer internet companies) mirrors US patterns more closely. Cloudflare Access is the fastest-growing ZTNA here, driven by its transparent pricing, Cloudflare's strong developer reputation in India, and the fact that many Indian SaaS companies already use Cloudflare for CDN and DDoS protection. Zscaler's pricing ($200-$400/user/year typical at enterprise) is difficult to justify for Indian companies billing INR.
ColorTokens is the most significant Indian-origin ZTNA-adjacent vendor. Santa Clara-headquartered but founded by Indian engineers and with strong India market presence, ColorTokens Xshield provides micro-segmentation and workload protection that complements or partially substitutes for ZTNA in cloud-native environments. Indusface (Bangalore) is a leading Indian application security vendor whose AppTrana product provides WAF + RASP + application-level access control that overlaps with ZTNA use cases for web application protection.
The DPDP Act 2023 creates a data residency consideration for ZTNA: ZTNA platforms that inspect traffic and log session data containing personal data of Indian users must store that data in India or DPDP-notified countries. AWS Mumbai (ap-south-1), Azure India Central, and Google Cloud Mumbai are the qualifying India data residency options. Cloudflare and Zscaler both offer India data residency configurations.
DPDP Act 2023: ZTNA platforms that process session metadata or traffic logs containing personal data of Indian residents must store data in India or DPDP-compliant countries; AWS Mumbai, Azure India Central, and GCP Mumbai are qualifying data centres; confirm ZTNA vendor India data residency before procurement. CERT-In 2022 Direction: six-hour incident reporting and 180-day log retention apply to ZTNA access logs; ensure log export to CERT-In-compatible formats and IST timestamps. RBI Master Direction on IT (2024 revision): banks must implement access controls for remote access including multi-factor authentication and network segmentation; ZTNA satisfies RBI remote access security requirements. SEBI CSCRF (2024): market infrastructure institutions and registered brokers must implement network access controls; ZTNA micro-segmentation satisfies SEBI network security requirements. TRAI telecom licensing: ZTNA that operates as a licensed telecom service (VPN in the traditional sense) may require TRAI licensing; cloud-based ZTNA platforms that use standard HTTPS tunneling are typically outside TRAI licensing scope but confirm with Indian legal counsel for specific deployment architectures. MEITY cloud empanelment: government-sector ZTNA deployments must use MEITY-empanelled CSPs (Microsoft Azure India, AWS Mumbai, Google Cloud Mumbai).
Quick comparison, ranked for India
| 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 | |
| 8 Cisco Secure Access | Cisco-anchored enterprises | $3 | $3 | 4.4 | Global; strongest in US, EU, APAC; deep installed base | |
| 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 | |
| 9 Palo Alto Prisma Access | Palo Alto-consolidating enterprises | Quote | - | 4.4 | Global; 100+ PoPs; strongest in US, EU, APAC | |
| 5 Netskope | Mid-market to enterprise consolidating SSE tools | Quote | - | 4.4 | Global; NewEdge POPs in 70+ regions; strongest in US, EU, UK, APAC | |
| 3 Tailscale | Engineering and devops teams | $0 + $0/emp | $0 | 4.8 | Global; deployment via WireGuard anywhere; control plane in US / EU | |
| 6 Cato Networks | Mid-market to enterprise wanting single-vendor SASE | Quote | - | 4.5 | Global; 80+ PoPs; strongest in EU, UK, US, APAC | |
| 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 India actually pay
Median annual deal size by employee band, in INR. Crowdsourced from anonymized buyer disclosures.
| Product | Employee band | Median annual (INR) | Sample | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zscaler | 1,000-10,000 users (IT services enterprise) | ₹18,000,000 | 34 | ZIA + ZPA bundle; USD-billed via Indian reseller; converted INR; IT services tier |
| Cloudflare One | 100-2,000 users (Indian SaaS/product co) | ₹2,800,000 | 67 | Teams + Gateway; INR billing via Ingram Micro India |
| Cisco Secure Access | 500-5,000 users (Indian enterprise, Cisco stack) | ₹8,500,000 | 28 | Cisco Secure Access; INR via Cisco India channel |
| Netskope | 500-5,000 users (BFSI/regulated) | ₹9,200,000 | 22 | NPA + CASB; USD-billed via Indian reseller; INR converted |
| Tailscale | 50-500 engineers (Indian SaaS) | ₹580,000 | 94 | Business plan; USD direct or INR via reseller |
| Cato Networks | 200-2,000 users + SD-WAN | ₹4,800,000 | 19 | Cato SASE; INR via Indian reseller channel |
India-built or India-strong vendors worth knowing
Not yet ranked in our global top 10, but credible options for India buyers and worth a shortlist.
ColorTokens
Visit ↗Santa Clara-headquartered, Indian-founded. Xshield micro-segmentation and workload protection platform with ZTNA capabilities for cloud-native environments. Strong India market presence with Bangalore engineering centre. Used by Indian BFSI and IT services for east-west traffic control and workload access management.
Indusface
Visit ↗Bangalore-based application security vendor. AppTrana WAF + RASP + bot management with application-level access control overlapping ZTNA use cases for web applications. CERT-In empanelled security auditor. Strong Indian BFSI and government customer base. Not a full ZTNA platform but relevant for web application access security.
Sify Technologies
Visit ↗Mumbai-based Indian IT services and cloud provider. Sify Security Services delivers managed ZTNA on top of Zscaler, Fortinet, and Check Point for Indian mid-market enterprises that prefer a local MSSP delivery model over direct vendor engagement.
All 10, ranked for India
Same intelligence as the global ranking, vendor trust, review patterns, verified pricing, compliance, reordered for the India 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
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
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
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)
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)
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
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
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.
Why do Indian IT services companies use ZTNA differently from typical enterprise buyers?
Does DPDP Act 2023 require India data residency for ZTNA traffic logs?
Is ColorTokens a credible ZTNA alternative for Indian organizations?
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 2026-05-18. Local pricing reverified quarterly. Found something inaccurate? Tell us.