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Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention vs Zscaler Cloud IPS comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

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

Palo Alto Networks Advanced...
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
7th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
28
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Zscaler Cloud IPS
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
16th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category, the mindshare of Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention is 7.6%, down from 8.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zscaler Cloud IPS is 1.6%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
 

Featured Reviews

Nasir Akbar - PeerSpot reviewer
Numerous support challenges arise but unique security features impress
In this scenario with Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention, I did not get any opportunity to work on it. The only thing I did was forward the logs to the SIEM ( /categories/security-information-and-event-management-siem ) solution.For government entities, they are not allowing configuration changes. For non-government users, there is a support portal to get the configuration file and upload it to the portal. We can identify misconfigurations and where the loop is very big, so we can get the report and establish it. In Saudi Arabia specifically, the support service needs improvement. When customers have incidents with Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention and want to open a case with the Palo Alto team, the available number in Saudi Arabia leads to a long procedure. They're not able to answer within one or two hours. This needs to be implemented. They may need to open offices in Dubai or other places for Arabic-speaking people to access TAC support.
Boubker KASTOUNI - PeerSpot reviewer
Stable platform with good technical support services
We use Zscaler Cloud IPS for internet access, extended log store, cloud application control, and advanced threat protection We encounter issues sharing IP addresses with other companies using the software. We have been using Zscaler Cloud IPS for ten years. Stability-wise, I rate the software a…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The user interface is a bit more professional than some free products."
"The most valuable features are the simplicity, transparency, and overall ease of management."
"The most valuable features are that it's user-friendly, has interesting features, URL filtering, and threat prevention."
"You can scale the product."
"Most of the features of Palo Alto Threat Prevention are alright. I recommend features like content filtering, IP address, & intelligent firewalls. The reporting feature is very good."
"Edge protection is a valuable feature."
"The most valuable feature of Palo Alto Threat Prevention for our company is the next generation firewall."
"I rate Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention as nine out of ten."
"The initial setup is straightforward and easy in comparison with other solutions."
"The initial setup process is easy."
"The best feature is that Zscaler allows for a separation between cloud applications and URL filtering. For example, under the cloud application segment, I can bypass Microsoft Office 365 without the need to add URLs manually. It's one click, so that's handy."
"The product's most valuable feature is complete SSL inspection."
"Cloud IPS integration is seamless, and it uses a Zero Trust model. It also simplifies overall user access management."
 

Cons

"Palo Alto's maintenance needs to be improved."
"The documentation needs to be improved. I need better information about how to configure it and what the best practices are."
"We are attempting to improve the use of URL filtering beyond threat protection."
"The behavioral detection capabilities could be expanded to address all threats at the perimeter, reducing the reliance on endpoint detection and response systems."
"The organization mail security solutions could be improved. There is no mail security solution available."
"There is a potential drawback with the lack of support for the ICAP protocol."
"The cost involves the price of the hardware, which is expensive. However, most of the Palo Alto solutions are expensive."
"The installation was complicated."
"We encounter issues sharing IP addresses with other companies using the software."
"They have given limited free access for a year. Instead, they should increase the file size and give limited free access for around two months. It will allow engineers to evaluate the product."
"We recently had a significant issue with Zscaler. I think they have too many customers and some of their connection edge nodes went down because there were too many requests. I think they aren't scaling enough to keep up with the demand in some areas. That's one thing they should improve."
"There is always room for improvement."
"When it comes to scalability, the IPsec could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Palo Alto Networks Threat Prevention could improve by having consistent pricing at system levels."
"The pricing and the licensing are pretty competitive at this stage. As a reseller, I would like to see the price come down a little bit so I can compete better against other firewalls because we do that all the time."
"There is an initial, expensive investment but the return is good."
"From one to ten, with one being the most expensive, I would rate the pricing of Palo Alto Networks Threat Prevention a one out of ten. It is my understanding that Palo Alto Networks Threat Prevention is the most expensive one."
"The price of the solution is higher than others on the market. A price reduction would be beneficial if it does not impact their database quality."
"The pricing could be lower."
"The pricing has improved with the newer generation of their Firewalls, but the price could always be lower."
"The cost involves the price of the hardware, which is expensive. However, most of the Palo Alto solutions are expensive."
"The product is not affordable for small and medium enterprises."
"The software has become more expensive at present."
"Zscaler has so far been solely responsible for all the sales we have done with it, so it would be more suited than us to address any issues concerning the pricing."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Computer Software Company
9%
Healthcare Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

Which is the best DDoS protection solution for a big ISP for monitoring and mitigating?
Arbor would be the best bid, apart from Arbor, Palo Alto and Fortinet have good solutions. As this is an ISP, I would prefer Arbor.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Palo Alto Networks Threat Prevention?
Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention requires an add-on license and is considered expensive compared to competitors like Cisco AMP and FortiGate ( /products/fortinet-fortigate-reviews ) fi...
What do you like most about Zscaler Cloud IPS?
The product's most valuable feature is complete SSL inspection.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zscaler Cloud IPS?
The product is not affordable for small and medium enterprises.
What needs improvement with Zscaler Cloud IPS?
They have given limited free access for a year. Instead, they should increase the file size and give limited free access for around two months. It will allow engineers to evaluate the product.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

University of Arkansas, JBG SMITH, SkiStar AB, TRI-AD, Temple University, Telkom Indonesia
Zenith Live, Azure, Carlsberg Group
Find out what your peers are saying about Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention vs. Zscaler Cloud IPS and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
861,524 professionals have used our research since 2012.