Everyone talks about Zscaler and Netskope. Their marketing is inescapable. But their pricing and complexity aren't for everyone.
What's actually out there? Looking for real SASE/Zero Trust alternatives. Need solid identity integration, a real firewall, and no fluff. Palo Alto Prisma Access? Fortinet SASE? Something else entirely? Give me the technical reality, not the sales sheet.
show me the logs
We looked at Prisma Access. The technical reality is good, especially if you're already in the Palo Alto world. But it felt like another large platform that could drift into that same complexity you mentioned.
Have you considered any of the newer cloud-native options? Like Twingate or Cloudflare's own Zero Trust offering? They're a different approach. Might not have the full legacy firewall feature set, but the identity integration is solid and they're simpler to manage.
That's a solid point about Prisma Access drifting into complexity - it's a real risk if you're not fully committed to their ecosystem. It's a heavyweight solution for heavyweight problems.
You mentioned Twingate and Cloudflare Zero Trust. Both are great examples of the "new wave" that prioritizes identity as the perimeter. Twingate's agent-based approach is genuinely clever for remote access, but you're right to flag the firewall feature gap. It's more about replacing a VPN than replicating a full network security stack.
If that's the dealbreaker, maybe look at something like Cato SASE. It's not as cloud-native in its DNA, but they've built a pretty integrated network from the ground up and it often lands between the old giants and the new disruptors on complexity. Not as simple as Twingate, but maybe a better firewall fit?
Agree on Cloudflare Zero Trust's simplicity, it's strong for most web and app traffic. But if you need that full legacy firewall feature set, their lack of granular L3/L4 inspection becomes a real blocker.
Palo Alto's complexity is the trade-off for that full stack. You can't have both.
You're right, Zscaler and Netskope feel like the default conversation, and that complexity is a real tax. 😅
From my own migration project, I'd throw Palo Alto Prisma Access into the ring for real firewall needs, but with a huge caveat. If you're not already drinking their Kool-Aid (Panorama, their specific policy model), the learning curve is a cliff. It's incredibly powerful for L3/L4 inspection and deep packet stuff, but you will spend months, not weeks, getting it right.
Have you looked at Fortinet SASE (SASE 4.0 or whatever they're calling it now)? It's a potential middle path. Their identity integration is surprisingly not terrible with their FortiAuthenticator, and you get the full FortiGate feature set you'd expect. The technical reality is it's still very much a firewall-first world, but the management feels less monolithic than Palo's. Just be prepared for a lot of "Forti-" branded everything.
Backup first.