Cloudflare One vs Prisma SD-WAN comparison

Cloudflare and Palo Alto Networks are both solutions in the Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions category. Cloudflare is ranked #13 with an average rating of 9.0, while Palo Alto Networks is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.4. Cloudflare holds a 3.3% mindshare in SDW, compared to Palo Alto Networks’s 5.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Cloudflare users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Palo Alto Networks users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 4, 2026

Prisma SD-WAN and Cloudflare One compete in the networking and cybersecurity space, focusing on security and traffic management. Prisma has the advantage in traffic analysis due to its deep insights, while Cloudflare stands out for its user-friendliness and scalability.

Features: Prisma SD-WAN offers advanced traffic management capabilities, including deep application visibility, VPN tunnel creation, and Layer 7 intelligence, enabling precise traffic control. Its Zero Touch Provisioning and comprehensive analytics allow seamless integration with security devices. Cloudflare One provides DDoS protection, zero trust security, and integrates a WAF and CDN within a single platform. Its rate-limiting and user-friendly setup simplify security management, ideal for scalable environments.

Room for Improvement: Prisma SD-WAN could enhance its documentation and technical support to streamline troubleshooting and improve customer experience. Pricing is considered a barrier for some. Cloudflare One can improve its documentation on WAF rules and enhance support options for onboarding, which could further benefit user experiences with better technical support.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Prisma SD-WAN is effective for automation and cloud deployment, although its technical support can be inconsistent. Cloudflare One excels in ease of deployment, especially in public cloud setups, and is complemented by supportive customer service, though onboarding could be improved.

Pricing and ROI: Prisma SD-WAN is priced as a premium service, justified by its sophisticated features aimed at reducing network outages and enhancing automation, suitable for large enterprises with specific security needs. Cloudflare One offers more affordable pricing with competitive functionalities, making it attractive to small enterprises seeking efficient ROI without sacrificing essential features.

To learn more, read our detailed Cloudflare One vs. Prisma SD-WAN Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cloudflare One vs. Prisma SD-WAN

January 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 13.2%, down from 19.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cloudflare One is 3.3%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Prisma SD-WAN is 5.4%, down from 5.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	13.2%
Prisma SD-WAN	5.4%
Cloudflare One	3.3%
Other	78.1%

Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

A stable solution with an intuitive interface and quick customer service

I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate, WatchGuard, Sophos, and SonicWall. I'm not as comfortable with SonicWall because of their UI and limitations. I prefer Fortinet above all other options. When it comes to configuration, I am confident in my ability to handle various tasks, including creating policies such as firewall rules, web policies, and application policies. Additionally, I can configure VPNs and implement load balancing, among other tasks. Overall, I feel much more comfortable working with Fortinet. Fortinet has made significant improvements by integrating AI with firewalls for threat analysis and prevention. In the past 2-3 years, they have launched FortiSASE and SIEM, and they also provide SOC services. Both Palo Alto and Fortinet FortiGate are excellent. While Fortinet FortiGate comes at higher prices, the functionality and support justify the cost. They promptly resolve firmware issues and inform all support providers about configuration changes.

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Cobe Van Coller

Network Architect at IP Dimension

Cloud security has improved remote access and has reduced costs for smaller client sites

I have used Cloudflare One's Identity-Aware Proxy, and it is quite straightforward from what I have seen so far. The app registration on the Azure side integrates fully into Cloudflare, and I am very satisfied with that part because it is easy to set up. The integration of Cloudflare One's Secure Web Gateway and Zero Trust Network Access works without any issues. That part is pretty automatic, and if you complete the rest of the setup, it comes together by itself with no issues from my side. What makes it nice is that we can actually start replacing on-site firewalls at this stage for the smaller clients because it does not matter if they go to a coffee shop or work from home; they are still secured by the same connection. The hops get shorter and you get better latency. We have done testing to see if it is better. One thing that we did notice with our proof of concept with our current client is that they have people connecting from the UK. When they used their previous VPN solution, uploading CAD drawings and other files to the server took a long time. They mentioned that it is much quicker on Cloudflare One's solution. I definitely believe that is part of the improved performance, and I am satisfied with that as well. What is nice about Cloudflare One is that it makes the setup easier and also easier to train technicians to maintain it. Compared to legacy systems, we do not need to get fancy firewalls in place that are costly. That is definitely also a cost-saver with Cloudflare One.

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reviewer2706744

Cybersecurity Analyst at a government with 201-500 employees

Navigating documentation challenges leads to reduced incidents with strong setup

The areas that need improvement include documentation/customer support and cross-communication between the support teams. The documentation tends to be outdated, often directing us to resources that are no longer accurate or available, and this is one of the reasons we are potentially looking at alternatives. In terms of the Prisma SD-WAN security integrations, we have seen some benefits, but part of our difficulty is trying to get all of that information on what it does and set up properly. Because we've had issues in the past with getting devices set up properly, scalability is a significant concern for us due to the poor documentation that limits our ability to understand and utilize their system effectively.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The tool is a nice product and easy to handle. The software's user interface is also good. You can easily implement remote access in the solution."

"Fortinet FortiGate is quite popular in my region, so we are implementing Fortinet FortiGate firewalls. Fortinet FortiGate is the best option on the market when it comes to firewalls. It's straightforward to deploy and has good stability and performance."

"The SD-WAN feature is the most valuable. This feature evolved from link load balancing. It has helped us in terms of our uptime and privatizing applications whenever we experience an outage. The SD-WAN feature has been a plus for us. Two-factor authentication has allowed us to add more users in terms of remote working. We have two-factor authentication for remote workers to authenticate them before they get on the network."

"The solution has improved my organization significantly, with impactful capabilities such as sandboxing and cloud solutions, such as XDR, MDR, and EDR."

"The pricing is great and very reasonable."

"It is a one box solution, which covers most of the edge device’s requirements."

"It does a lot for you for intrusion protection and as an antivirus. The threat management bundle is worth the money. You don't need another company to monitor your web traffic for you. You can do everything yourself on the firewall. You restrict your own black list for people on the firewall. You don't need to pay some other company for another product to do that for you. The firewall can do that for you. So, it's an easy-to-use product for people to be independent. They don't need to rely on other vendors to do what the firewall can do. They can do everything."

"The solution is secure."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The blocking feature is very good."

"Enables me to work from two locations."

"The simplicity of the solution is its valuable features as almost no effort was needed to learn the configurations. It is also one of the cheapest firewalls available in this category."

"What makes it nice is that we can actually start replacing on-site firewalls at this stage for the smaller clients because it does not matter if they go to a coffee shop or work from home; they are still secured by the same connection."

"Cloudflare DDoS mitigates DDoS attacks."

"It is a stable solution."

"Cloudflare is simple to use."

"For Cloudflare Access, I am using the free plan...The most valuable feature is their protection."

More Cloudflare One pros

"The solution allows our network to be self-healing in the event of a loss of connectivity between different locations."

"Prisma's analytics provide a lot of valuable data. I like the internet health chart that shows latency, dropped packets, MOS for data quality, etc. It also runs a continuous speed test in the background. I've used it multiple times to troubleshoot internet connections when the service provider has attempted to claim nothing is wrong with the circuit. It gives me data to send them showing we're not getting the speed we should, or there is constant packet loss."

"The product's initial setup phase is straightforward."

"When it comes to supporting large, complex, network architectures, it's a very simple architecture. The main component is the fabric. It's very easy to troubleshoot if there is an issue happening in the underlying network."

"The gateway is available on the cloud which allows you access from anywhere and still connects to your home gateway."

"Prisma SD-WAN is recommended due to its comprehensive capabilities."

"The solution's most valuable feature is the visibility of the logs."

"The security offered by the solution is pretty good."

More Prisma SD-WAN pros

Cons

"Though the tool's GUI is user-friendly, it can be considered as an area with certain shortcomings where improvements are required."

"I would rate the technical support of Fortinet a six or seven out of ten. It is not very helpful. I would like to see improvements in their support."

"They need faster serviceability and more security features."

"Previously it had a hiccup around a bug within the authentication VPN due to the firmware, but after updating, it's easier to control."

"The solution could have licensing fees reduced in the future."

"We would like to see an improvement in the consistency of the product's performance levels."

"The big license options have web filtering, IDS, and a lot of other things, but it's not like they are all good."

"The interface and product support could use improvement."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"For the topic of improvement, providing some training material is one of my suggestions."

"Feedback could be enhanced. While I work efficiently with Clover as a partner in Mexico City, sometimes the information and requests are easier to manage with more concrete solutions."

"From a logging perspective, it is still a bit difficult to see exactly what users are being blocked with the current views."

"Feedback could be enhanced."

"They don't have a person to provide support for customers using the solution under their free plan."

"There are premium tier live service and lower tier live service, so we opted for the lower tier. But there is no medium tier where we pay a little extra and get a bit more service. So if that can be improved."

"Lacks a VPN feature to provide a secure connection to the data center."

"The initial onboarding was causing us some confusion."

More Cloudflare One cons

"The tool needs to work on price and complexity."

"Prisma SD-WAN requires a more seamless integration with other Palo Alto solutions, like Prisma Access."

"I'd like to see them move more towards CASB."

"The setup isn't completely straightforward, but it's manageable when you have proper knowledge."

"Prisma SD-WAN's technical support should be improved."

"If Palo Alto could open the platform to manage other SD-WANs, it would be beneficial."

"There are two parallel things that we want Palo Alto to work on. First, customers want a unified appliance that does the work of all firewalls in addition to SD-WAN. Second, the cloud presence should be completely automated. If I purchase the SASE architecture, I shouldn't worry about deployments in Prisma Access or on Prisma SD-WAN. It should be deployed in one go."

"The only con is the pricing because it's more premium."

More Prisma SD-WAN cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"If you compare Fortinet FortiGate with Sophos and other firewall products available in the market, this solution is affordable."

"In the Asian economy in which we operate, FortiGate is expensive."

"The price of Fortinet FortiGate is better than Cisco, Check Point, and Palo Alto. In terms of pricing, it's probably a better-priced firewall solution overall."

"There is a licensing fee; it is on a yearly basis."

"The pricing is very reasonable."

"The Fortinet FortiGate security features cost approximately $1,500 a year. The firewall itself doesn't have a recurring cost. It's the security features on top of that that you pay for."

"It is around $50,000 per month."

"Its price is reasonable. They have a clear pricing policy. It is not complicated by the number of VPN users at a time. We know what the price is. The yearly subscription for the security license is rather high, but it is all included for whatever number of users you have and the kind of functions you need."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"The prices are slightly expensive."

"Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform's pricing is good."

"My company has to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the solution. There are no hidden charges apart from the licensing costs of the solution."

"The pricing is somewhere in the middle. I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten."

"The solution is not that expensive."

"The solution's pricing lacks transparency."

"The pricing of the solution is cheap. The licensing cost is also very low. I rate the cost and pricing a three out of ten."

"The price tag is no longer $200,000, but rather $300,000 to $400,000. It's twice."

"It is more expensive than Fortinet."

"This solution stood out because it cost considerably less than the other SD-WAN solutions out there from Cisco."

"Prisma SD-WAN is a pretty expensive solution."

"If you're already invested in a Palo Alto product, it would be logical to use this solution. If not, there might be some other solutions that are more viable in terms of pricing."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Legal Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	357
Midsize Enterprise	133
Large Enterprise	189

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	10

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	13

Questions from the Community

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When you compare these firewalls you can identify them with different features, advantages, practices and usage a...

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From my experience regarding both the Sophos and FortiGate firewalls, I personally would rather use FortiGate. I know...

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What are the biggest technical differences between Sophos UTM and Fortinet FortiGate?

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What needs improvement with Cloudflare Access?

Cloudflare Access has strong integration with Microsoft, among other platforms. However, when it comes to Kaspersky, ...

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What is your primary use case for Cloudflare Access?

Cloudflare Access provides secure access to internal applications for employees, external members of the organization...

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What advice do you have for others considering Cloudflare Access?

Cloudflare Access is one of the best integrations available. While about two hundred vendors offer similar services, ...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Prisma SD-WAN?

Regarding whether Prisma SD-WAN is an expensive solution, I would say the price is competitively high. Everything dep...

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What needs improvement with Prisma SD-WAN?

I am still working on what should be improved in Prisma SD-WAN to make this product better, and I cannot give any upd...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Prisma SD-WAN?

Our customers' main use cases for Prisma SD-WAN are to connect multiple branches since they have numerous locations t...

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 20% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 14% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Cloudflare One

Compared 5% of the time

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform vs Cloudflare One

Compared 4% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Cloudflare One

Compared 3% of the time

FortiSASE vs Cloudflare One

Compared 3% of the time

CyberArk Privileged Access Manager vs Cloudflare One

Compared 2% of the time

More Cloudflare One Competitors

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 19% of the time

VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 10% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 10% of the time

BigLeaf vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 5% of the time

Symantec SASE vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 2% of the time

More Prisma SD-WAN Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

February 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Cloudflare One

February 2026

Download Cloudflare One product report

Buyer's Guide

Prisma SD-WAN

February 2026

Download Prisma SD-WAN product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

Cloudflare Area 1 Email Security, Cloudflare Bot Management, Cloudflare Gateway, Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform, Cloudflare DDoS, Cloudflare SASE & SSE Platform

CloudGenix

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate is a versatile network security tool offering features like VPN, firewall, web filtering, intrusion prevention, and scalability. It is known for its performance and integration with other Fortinet products, making it a preferred choice for robust cybersecurity.

Fortinet FortiGate stands out as a comprehensive cybersecurity solution with strong performance and ease of configuration. It delivers unified threat management, integrating features such as dynamic routing, SD-WAN support, and centralized management. Despite its strengths, improvements in the web interface's stability, pricing structures, and reporting capabilities are needed. Users seek better integration with third-party tools and automation advancements to enhance the experience further. These enhancements, alongside improvements in bandwidth management and the reduction of licensing costs, are points of interest for users looking to capitalize on FortiGate's extensive capabilities.

What are Fortinet FortiGate's key features?

VPN: Ensures secure remote connections.
Firewall: Protects against unauthorized access.
Web Filtering: Blocks malicious sites and content.
Application Control: Manages and controls applications.
Intrusion Prevention: Detects and prevents vulnerabilities.
SSL Inspection: Enhances security by inspecting encrypted traffic.

What benefits should be considered when evaluating Fortinet FortiGate?

Affordability: Offers cost-effective security solutions.
Reliability: Known for consistent and stable performance.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Fortinet products.
Comprehensive Protection: Provides broad threat protection capabilities.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries as a primary firewall system for securing internet gateways and safeguarding data centers. It supports businesses in achieving SD-WAN integration and enhances cybersecurity by providing essential features like antivirus, web filtering, and application control. Enterprises utilize FortiGate for securing remote connections and ensuring compliance with security standards, making it adaptable for different network sizes and industries.

Fortinet

Cloudflare One is a comprehensive platform for security, performance, and connectivity. It provides features like rate limiting, DDoS protection, and application access, tailored to enhance user experience while securing internet access and accelerating communications.

Designed to integrate security measures with ease of use and scalability, Cloudflare One offers a secure web gateway and zero trust network access. These features ensure seamless setup and operation, making connectivity reliable and protected. Users appreciate its integrated console, intuitive interface, and the ability to manage risk effectively. It offers straightforward deployment, improves latency, and boasts cost-effectiveness. While its onboarding process and documentation need enhancement, its value in content delivery and application shielding is notable. Despite challenges in integrating Cloudflare Access with existing VPNs and the need for better automation and support, it remains vital for DNS and infrastructure protection.

What features make Cloudflare One stand out?

Rate Limiting: Controls the traffic rate to prevent abuse.
DDoS Protection: Shields applications from distributed denial-of-service attacks.
Secure Web Gateway: Provides secure internet access with seamless operation.
Zero Trust Network Access: Ensures secure, application-based connectivity without relying on traditional VPNs.
Access for Connectivity: Facilitates access to internal applications securely.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Security: Robust measures for DNS and browsing protection.
Performance: Enhanced site accessibility and communication speed.
Cost-Effectiveness: Offers competitive pricing for its features.
Ease of Deployment: Straightforward and efficient setup process.

In industries like finance, retail, and technology, Cloudflare One is crucial for enabling secure remote access and protecting web applications against dynamic threats. It supports compliance access policies and enhances content delivery, playing a key role in safeguarding digital infrastructure.

Cloudflare

Simplify management, enable app-defined SD-WAN policies and deliver a secure, cloud-delivered branch today with the Industry’s first next-generation SD-WAN.

Palo Alto Networks

Sample Customers

Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Dell, HP, Oracle, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Vodafone, Orange, BT Group, Telstra, Deutsche Telekom, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, CenturyLink, NTT Communications, Tata Communications, SoftBank, China Mobile, Singtel, Telus, Rogers Communications, Bell Canada, Telkom Indonesia, Telkom South Africa, Telmex, Telia Company, Telkom Kenya

23andMe

Open Networking User Group, Columbia Sportswear Company, Coca Cola

Buyer's Guide

Cloudflare One vs. Prisma SD-WAN

January 2026

Free Report: Cloudflare One vs. Prisma SD-WAN

Find out what your peers are saying about Cloudflare One vs. Prisma SD-WAN and other solutions. Updated: January 2026.

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See our Cloudflare One vs. Prisma SD-WAN report.

See our list of best Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions vendors and best Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) vendors.

We monitor all Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.