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Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention vs Zscaler Cloud IPS comparison

Palo Alto Networks and Zscaler are both solutions in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category. Palo Alto Networks is ranked #6 with an average rating of 7.5, while Zscaler is ranked #22. Palo Alto Networks holds a 5.6% mindshare in ID, compared to Zscaler’s 1.3% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Palo Alto Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Zscaler users who would recommend it.
Palo Alto Networks Advanced...
Read 29 Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention reviews
  • 2,995 Views
  • 2,276 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
Zscaler Cloud IPS
Read 5 Zscaler Cloud IPS reviews
  • 521 Views
  • 391 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention and Zscaler Cloud IPS are competitors in the cybersecurity space. Zscaler Cloud IPS appears to have the upper hand due to its comprehensive coverage and seamless integration with cloud services.

Features: Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention is distinguished by its robust threat identification capabilities, high-level protection against evasive threats, and integration with its security platform. Zscaler Cloud IPS provides complete threat protection, a cloud-native approach to ensure secure access across multiple environments, and focuses on a cloud-first strategy.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention offers flexible deployment modes and strong customer service with a personalized approach. Zscaler Cloud IPS facilitates rapid deployment with its cloud-native design but requires users to adapt to its environment, offering efficient customer service with a more standardized methodology.

Pricing and ROI: Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention presents competitive initial setup costs with significant ROI due to its integration capabilities within existing infrastructures. Zscaler Cloud IPS involves higher upfront costs but yields a strong ROI driven by enhanced security and operational efficiency.

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To learn more, read our detailed Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention vs. Zscaler Cloud IPS Report (Updated: September 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention vs. Zscaler Cloud IPS
September 2025
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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

Palo Alto Networks Advanced...
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
6th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
29
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Zscaler Cloud IPS
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
22nd
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 October 2025, in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category, the mindshare of Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention is 5.6%, up from 5.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zscaler Cloud IPS is 1.3%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention5.6%
Zscaler Cloud IPS1.3%
Other93.1%
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
 

Featured Reviews

Partha Dash - PeerSpot reviewer
Advanced protection enables us to confidently secure against evolving threats
Palo Alto Networks can improve Advanced Threat Prevention by catering to the growing adoption of AI and agentic tooling. The Threat Protection modules should have the necessary intelligence to protect against those types of threats, as AI will be there to do a human job; this is an evolving area. From an Advanced Threat Protection perspective, the technology associated with Palo Alto Networks, such as their sandboxing environment, is quite good. However, Palo Alto needs to focus on how to bring that technology to end users and how easy it is to use, especially in a hybrid environment where users work from various locations. While Palo Alto excels in certain setups, they need to improve the user experience in distributed working conditions.
Read full review
Atdhe Zyhranaj - PeerSpot reviewer
It allows for a separation between cloud applications and URL filtering
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.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature of Palo Alto Threat Prevention for our company is the next generation firewall."
"I like the solution's interface."
"Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention provides protections against both known and unknown threats quickly, and they have great Cyber Threat Alliance integration, which allows anything that is even unknown to get to our systems quickly in terms of being patched."
"The most valuable features are that it's user-friendly, has interesting features, URL filtering, and threat prevention."
"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."
"One of the most valuable features is the anti-malware protection."
"It's very easy to use and configure. What is nice about Palo Alto is that even if you don't understand how to use it, you can just click on upload and upload everything that needs to be blocked."
"The most valuable features are the simplicity, transparency, and overall ease of management."
More Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention pros
"The initial setup is straightforward and easy in comparison with other solutions."
"Cloud IPS integration is seamless, and it uses a Zero Trust model. It also simplifies overall user access management."
"The product's most valuable feature is complete SSL inspection."
"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."
 

Cons

"Sometimes when you want to group a set of ports, and communicate with Palo Alto, you cannot group TCP and UDP ports together. This needs to be adjusted."
"Right now we are focusing on email. If Palo Alto can increase the features related to email filtering and the new malware, it would help us protect our systems."
"We are attempting to improve the use of URL filtering beyond threat protection."
"The initial setup is complex."
"I think they can use some improvement on FID."
"The solution needs to improve its local technical support services. There is no premium support offered in our market."
"It's not so easy to set up a test environment, because it's not so easy to get the test license. The vendor only gives you 90 days for a test license; it's a tough license to get."
"The technology firewall anomaly network could stand improvement."
More Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention cons
"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 encounter issues sharing IP addresses with other companies using the software."
"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

"It's not too expensive."
"If you want to have all of the good features then you have to pay extra for licensing."
"The pricing has improved with the newer generation of their Firewalls, but the price could always be lower."
"It is an expensive solution and I would like to see a drop in price."
"The pricing could be lower."
"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."
"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."
More Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention pricing and cost advice
"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."
"The product is not affordable for small and medium enterprises."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
16%
Healthcare Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise15
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.
See all answers
What do you like most about Palo Alto Networks Threat Prevention?
It is a stable product.
See all answers
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...
See all answers
What do you like most about Zscaler Cloud IPS?
The product's most valuable feature is complete SSL inspection.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zscaler Cloud IPS?
The product is not affordable for small and medium enterprises.
See all answers
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.
See all answers
 

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Compared 9% of the time
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Compared 32% of the time
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Compared 22% of the time
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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention
September 2025
Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention reportDownload Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention product report
Buyer's Guide
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
October 2025
Zscaler Cloud IPS reportDownload Zscaler Cloud IPS product report
 

Overview

Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention is a cloud-based security service that combines cutting-edge technologies, including machine learning, artificial intelligence, and expert human monitoring, to effectively thwart advanced threats like malware, zero-day attacks, and command-and-control threats. It offers inline protection, scrutinizing all network traffic irrespective of port, protocol, or encryption. An integral component of Palo Alto Networks' security platform, it enjoys widespread adoption across diverse organizations. With its robust security capabilities, it's an ideal choice for entities of all sizes, particularly those in high-risk sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government agencies, seeking to safeguard their networks from a broad spectrum of advanced threats.

Palo Alto Networks

Zscaler Cloud IPS enables you to have all threat and alert data in one place. Full user, file and app context is available. Streaming to a SIEM allows further integration into the SOC ecosystem.

The Zscaler Threat Library allows administrators and SOC personnel to drill down on IPS alerts to perform in-depth analysis of threat data within their installation. Search by vulnerability, category or keyword

For more details: https://www.zscaler.com/produc...

Zscaler
 

Sample Customers

University of Arkansas, JBG SMITH, SkiStar AB, TRI-AD, Temple University, Telkom Indonesia
Zenith Live, Azure, Carlsberg Group
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention vs. Zscaler Cloud IPS
September 2025
Free Report: Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention vs. Zscaler Cloud IPS
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We monitor all Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) 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.