Digital Guardian vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform comparison

Digital Guardian vs. Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

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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

Cloudflare One

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Data Loss Prevention (DLP) category, the mindshare of Cloudflare One is 2.0%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Digital Guardian is 2.7%, down from 3.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform is 4.1%, down from 6.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform	4.1%
Digital Guardian	2.7%
Cloudflare One	2.0%
Other	91.2%

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

Featured Reviews

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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Syed Mubeen

Cyber Security Researcher at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Enterprise data protection has supported regulatory compliance and integrates with classification tools

In terms of functionality, many features are valuable in Digital Guardian, as the first thing for most customers is that they are using solutions such as Boldon James and Titus, which fall under the classification side, and Digital Guardian can easily integrate with this data classification solution and has a very granular level of configuration and policy tuning. Digital Guardian's data protection policies are indeed useful for my clients. Regarding Digital Guardian, I find it to be a very good solution, and in fact, it is an enterprise-level solution that has very tight integration with most of the products, with Fortra but also with others.

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Vibin Thomas

Technical Team Lead - Content Security at Valuepoint Systems

Zero trust access has transformed remote connectivity and now simplifies secure app usage

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform, especially Zscaler Private Access, is very strong, though there are a few areas where improvements can be made. One challenge observed is around initial troubleshooting and visibility. While Zscaler Private Access provides logs, it can sometimes take time to pinpoint the exact cause of access issues, especially in complex environments with multiple policies and identity integration. Another area is the dependency on identity and connector health. Since Zscaler Private Access is heavily reliant on app connectors and identity providers, any issues with these components can impact user access, making proper monitoring critical. During the initial setup, policy configuration and application onboarding require careful planning, especially for larger environments with many applications. These challenges are manageable with proper design and monitoring. Overall, the platform delivers strong security and user experience. I would recommend a few improvements, especially around user interface, reporting, and troubleshooting experience. From a user interface perspective, while the platform is powerful, the policy configuration and navigation can feel complex, especially for new users. A more simplified and intuitive layout for policy mapping and application access would help reduce the learning curve. In terms of reporting, Zscaler Private Access provides logs, but having more built-in customizable dashboards and analytics would be very helpful. Better visibility into user access patterns, application performance, and real-time troubleshooting insights would improve operational efficiency. From a support and troubleshooting standpoint, it would be beneficial to have more granular centralized visibility, allowing for quick end-to-end tracing of a user request from authentication to application access without switching between multiple views. These improvements would make the platform even more efficient, especially for large-scale enterprise environments.

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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

"We mostly use Cloudflare WAF, and gets basic Cloudflaire DDoS, caching as extra bonus . We like the factor these features are all integrated into 1 console, simple to manage."

"Cloudflare DDoS mitigates DDoS attacks."

"The tool also offers good scalability, and the dashboard, along with real-time analytics, is very good."

"Clover is the best product globally."

"The blocking feature is very good."

"Cloudflare Access is a stable solution."

"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 Zero Trust Platform removes the risk of exposing the applications to the public."

More Cloudflare One pros

"The most valuable feature of Digital Guardian is its reputation. They have scored high on the Gartner Magic Quadrant."

"So if you look at enterprise data loss prevention this solution is the best."

"For the price in the market, it is a little bit higher than Symantec and Forcepoint, however, I believe, especially in the manufacturing industry, it is the only solution that makes sense for them."

"There is a built-in endpoint detection response that helps save money."

"Digital Guardian has cloud correlation servers which give you visibility, work like EDR, and the correlation servers are like a perfect instrument for security analysts."

"It has the added advantage of offering forensic analysis."

"We have been able to monitor access to files from each of our workstations."

"It can scale from 100 to 10,000. There's no problem with the scalability."

More Digital Guardian pros

"As a cloud-based service, it is very easily implemented."

"The scalability of the solution is great."

"I like its ease of use. It has a single pane of glass for the ZIA and ZPA pieces. It is very manageable. It is also very easy to deploy for secure access, and it gives half-decent coverage for visibility in terms of what the users use and what data is being proxied through the access gateway."

"With SASE, we have a single platform that covers multiple task services with which we need to control access. All the features are equally valuable."

"The agent's versatility is notable, used for digital experience monitoring to collect valuable endpoint metrics for troubleshooting."

"The customer service and support are very good."

"Overall, deploying Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform has been a positive outcome across security, operations, and user experience."

"It has been helpful in maintaining our infrastructure. The granular level control it offers allows us to set application policies per application for each user."

More Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform pros

Cons

"Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform needs to improve its documentation. It took time to do the implementation."

"The response time for support must be reduced."

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

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

"The free plan has limitations. For example, I can only set up three rules, and the application firewall is unavailable."

"The tool should provide on-premise versions. Currently, all versions are cloud-based."

"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."

More Cloudflare One cons

"There are a lot of issues with the current version of the Endpoint agent. It's not stable, it's resource-consuming, and there are some performance issues. If they could improve the stability of the agent it would be great."

"Digital Guardian is an excellent solution but our experience with the partner has been the most horrible experience we have ever had with any partner."

"When considering potential areas for improvement, it may be beneficial for Digital Guardian to optimize its processes and reduce the computational demands on the system, particularly with regard to high CPU usage. Although Digital Guardian offers numerous benefits, it can consume a substantial amount of RAM and CPU power."

"It would be helpful if there was an on-premise version of the solution for companies that cannot use the cloud, such as government sectors."

"I think the whole system needs improvement, even though it works fine the way they designed it."

"The room for improvement with Digital Guardian is that it will be better with the Linux agent because it is the only DLP solution for Linux workstations. It still needs to upgrade the agents to the latest version for the Linux kernel."

"Digital Guardian is, compared to other tools, more complex to implement."

"Some features on Mac and Linux are not complete currently."

More Digital Guardian cons

"The only issue with Zscaler Cloud DLP is that it only gives you DLP protection from web traffic, which is flowing out, while a full-blown DLP solution such as Forcepoint or Symantec gives you DLP coverage for multiple channels. Zscaler Cloud DLP doesn't give you coverage for email, fax, and USB channels, and this is the only challenge or room for improvement in the solution. It's just an extension on top of what you're buying on the proxy, so it's just an added layer, and it doesn't cover DLP on a very broad level. I'm unsure if Zcaler is in the business of competing with a full-blown DLP solution, and if there's a plan to expand the features of Zscaler Cloud DLP beyond the web channel because you'll have to deploy a full-blown agent for it. I'm unsure if this is on the cards because the solution is just an added layer that you get with your proxy. I've asked the Zcaler team whether there's a plan to go full DLP in the future, but I didn't get a positive response. There isn't any feature I'd like added to Zscaler Cloud DLP currently, because anything you could think of that should be in cloud or SaaS solutions is already there, except for machine learning, as it's the only functionality that seems to be lacking in the solution. Machine learning is an additional policy available in other DLP solutions in the market, but my team didn't find it in Zscaler Cloud DLP."

"Occasionally, there are certain delays in report generation."

"Having a Zscaler-specific device could streamline this process and provide a more consistent user experience across diverse branches."

"More on-prem infrastructure is required when Zscaler Private Access is to be implemented as a single point of entry."

"There are some performance issues with the solution once the module addition begins"

"We would like to extend the SASE applications for Zscaler."

"It would be better if the Zscaler Private Access team made it easier for people to find subscriptions on the portal, mainly information on what my customers subscribed to or the type of licenses purchased."

"The DX layer could be better if it had improved visibility."

More Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is not that expensive."

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

"The solution's pricing lacks transparency."

"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 prices are slightly expensive."

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

"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."

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

"I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten because Digital Guardian is expensive."

"Digital Guardian has both, subscription and perpetual licenses, but I think when everything (all technologies) will go to the cloud they will only offer subscriptions."

"The cost was around $300,000."

"The price of Digital Guardian is on the higher end compared to other vendors."

"The price of Digital Guardian is expensive."

"If I compare Digital Guardian with Symantec, the license cost is lower, but McAfee can be cheaper than Digital Guardian. It depends on how many licenses you plan to buy and how big the project is. The cost is not so high as Symantec, but not as cheap as McAfee. They can easily sell the solution for price."

"The cost is expensive. It depends on the number of users."

"In the long run, cloud services are not inherently costly."

"Zscaler DLP solution is expensive, with a fixed pricing structure that is billed annually and monthly. There are no additional costs for licenses."

"Zscaler Private Access is extremely expensive."

"In terms of market positioning, I would describe Zscaler Private Access as offering optimal pricing. Based on our experience, Cato Networks tends to be slightly more expensive."

"My company is a Zscaler Private Access partner, so the customers pay for the license fees."

"It's expensive currently. But when purchasing for a large number of users, there's room to negotiate. It's really up to the procurement team."

"As per industry leads, Zscaler CASB is an expensive solution."

More Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

19%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	12

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Large Enterprise	4

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	16
Midsize Enterprise	12
Large Enterprise	46

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform?

Pricing is competitive. Akamai is more expensive, in my view.

What needs improvement with Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform?

In my opinion, Cloudflare One can be improved mainly through compatibility, as the integration should be much simpler...

What is your primary use case for Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform?

Cloudflare One's primary use case for my organization is to protect servers and to provide remote access with the VPN...

What needs improvement with Digital Guardian?

In my experience, the area closest for improvement is the occurrence of strong false positives. Digital Guardian can ...

What is your primary use case for Digital Guardian?

My main use case for Digital Guardian is to prevent or stop sensitive data from being copied to USB, email, or cloud,...

What advice do you have for others considering Digital Guardian?

Digital Guardian has significantly improved incident response time by providing real-time detection, instant alerts, ...

What is the better solution - Prisma Access or Zscaler Private Access?

We looked into Prisma Access before choosing Zscaler Private Access (ZPA). Palo Alto’s Prisma Access is a secure ac...

What needs improvement with Zscaler SASE?

The solution needs to improve a lot of aspects.

What is your primary use case for Zscaler SASE?

We are using Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange for its Zscaler Internet Access service. It provides web security, DLP, data...

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Cloudflare One

Comparisons

Compared 4% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Cloudflare One

Compared 3% of the time

Twingate vs Cloudflare One

Compared 3% of the time

FortiSASE vs Cloudflare One

Compared 3% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs Cloudflare One

Compared 3% of the time

More Cloudflare One Competitors

Mimecast Insider Risk Management and Data Protection vs Digital Guardian

Compared 7% of the time

Dtex Systems vs Digital Guardian

Compared 5% of the time

Forcepoint Data Loss Prevention vs Digital Guardian

Compared 5% of the time

SecureTrust Data Loss Prevention vs Digital Guardian

Compared 5% of the time

Symantec Data Loss Prevention vs Digital Guardian

Compared 4% of the time

More Digital Guardian Competitors

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

Compared 6% of the time

FortiSASE vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

Compared 4% of the time

Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

Compared 4% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

Compared 4% of the time

Akamai Enterprise Application Access vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

Compared 3% of the time

More Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform Competitors

Product Reports

Cloudflare One

Download Cloudflare One product report

Digital Guardian

Download Digital Guardian product report

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

May 2026

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform report

Download Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform product report

Also Known As

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

No data available

Zscaler SASE, Zscaler DLP, Zscaler CASB, Zscaler CSPM, Zscaler Browser Isolation, Zscaler Posture Control

Overview

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

Digital Guardian is renowned for its advanced capabilities in data loss prevention and protection of confidential information. Key features enhance data security through proactive monitoring and adaptive policies, catering to businesses across multiple environments.

Digital Guardian provides comprehensive data security by offering features like data classification, endpoint DLP monitoring, and user activity tracking. It integrates seamlessly with tools such as Boldon James and Titus, allowing detailed policy configuration. With security-enhancing cloud correlation servers, it reduces insider threats and enables monitoring across diverse vectors. However, challenges include the need for improved integration between endpoint and network features, enhanced Mac and Linux functionality, and more efficient policy management. Stability and performance issues are also noted, with users seeking improved web email monitoring and better compatibility across different operating systems. Despite these, it remains a solid choice for data protection, particularly in sectors like finance, insurance, and manufacturing.

What are the key features of Digital Guardian?

Data Loss Prevention: Guards against unauthorized data transfers and leaks.
Forensic Analysis: Offers deep insights for improved threat response.
Adaptive Inspection: Tailors security measures to dynamic threats.
Data Classification: Segments data for targeted policy application.
User Activity Tracking: Monitors user interactions for anomalies.

What benefits should users expect?

Enhanced Security Visibility: Better monitoring across multiple vectors reduces risks.
Improved Threat Response: Advanced analytics ensure timely responses to threats.
Regulatory Compliance: Helps meet sector-specific requirements like those in finance.
Scalable Deployment: Supports cloud and on-premise environments for flexibility.

In industries such as finance, insurance, and manufacturing, Digital Guardian is crucial for preventing data breaches and protecting intellectual property. Its focus on compliance and ability to monitor data transfers across endpoints, networks, and emails provide essential safeguards against insider threats and unauthorized information dissemination.

Fortra

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange enhances security with seamless cloud-based connectivity and VPN-less operation, offering integration with multiple identity providers and advanced security features, suitable for remote work environments.

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange provides secure, adaptive connectivity without traditional VPNs, allowing organizations to replace legacy systems and bolster remote work security. The platform offers cloud-based protection, single sign-on, dynamic URL categorization, and scalable solutions. While advanced security features like DLP and threat protection enhance data protection, users may face issues with speed, connectivity, and some customization options. Integration challenges, latency due to multi-tenant hosting, reporting delays, and licensing costs require consideration. It supports secure internet access and private application security, ensuring traffic control and data compliance.

What are the key features of Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange?

VPN-less Connectivity: Enables secure remote access without traditional VPNs.
Cloud-based Security: Offers scalable protection utilizing cloud infrastructure.
Single Sign-On: Integrates with multiple identity providers for streamlined access.
Dynamic URL Categorization: Provides real-time URL filtering to enhance security.
Advanced Threat Protection: Detects and mitigates sophisticated threats effectively.
Customizable Policies: Allows tailored security protocols to fit unique requirements.
Comprehensive DLP: Protects sensitive data through robust data loss prevention.
Integration Capabilities: Connects seamlessly with cloud services and applications.

What are the benefits of using Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange?

Enhanced Security: Delivers consistent protection regardless of user location.
Improved Compliance: Ensures adherence to data protection regulations.
Streamlined Access: Simplifies connectivity to private and cloud applications.
Scalability: Supports expanding organizational demands with cloud scalability.
Real-time Visibility: Provides instant insights into security incidents and network traffic.

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange is deployed across industries to secure remote access and enforce zero trust principles. Organizations in finance, healthcare, and technology sectors utilize it for secure internet access and visibility into cloud applications, enhancing performance and compliance in dynamic environments.

Zscaler

Sample Customers

23andMe

The Fifth Avenue Theatre, Jabil Circuit

Siemens, AutoNation, GE, NOV

Digital Guardian vs. Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform