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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 #9 with an average rating of 6.3, while Zscaler is ranked #20. Palo Alto Networks holds a 4.8% mindshare in ID, compared to Zscaler’s 1.8% 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
  • 3,453 Views
  • 2,797 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
Zscaler Cloud IPS
Read 5 Zscaler Cloud IPS reviews
  • 889 Views
  • 747 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: April 2026).
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention vs. Zscaler Cloud IPS
April 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

Palo Alto Networks Advanced...
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
9th
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)
20th
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 April 2026, in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category, the mindshare of Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention is 4.8%, down from 5.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zscaler Cloud IPS is 1.8%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention4.8%
Zscaler Cloud IPS1.8%
Other93.4%
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
 

Featured Reviews

Partha Dash - PeerSpot reviewer
Partha Dash
Global Network Tech Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
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
Utpal Sinha - PeerSpot reviewer
Utpal Sinha
Sr Network Engineer at Momentive
Stable product with valuable SSL inspection features
We use Zscaler Cloud IPS for threat protection, full SSL inspection, and data center scalability. It integrates with multiple products, including cloud firewalls, cloud sandboxing, Cloud Security Broker (CSB), and Data Loss Prevention (DLP). It helps us allow or block specific TCP or UDP ports…
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

"For those who want a next-gen firewall that's easy to configure and easy to operate, I think you should go for Palo Alto."
"The user interface is a bit more professional than some free products."
"Palo Alto Networks Threat Prevention is the market leader as far as security gateways and endpoint protection. Additionally, the threat database that is used is one of the best."
"I find the malware protection very handy."
"I rate Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention as nine out of ten."
"It protects us from cyber attacks."
"With the IP address flag, I was able to see that I was being hacked. The moment there was an interaction between somebody on my network and that IP, the solution was able to flag it, and we were able to protect ourselves."
"The solution is very good, especially compared to other solutions."
More Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention pros
"The best feature is that Zscaler allows for a separation between cloud applications and URL filtering."
"Cloud IPS integration is seamless, and it uses a Zero Trust model, and it also simplifies overall user access management."
"The product's most valuable feature is complete SSL inspection."
"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 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."
 

Cons

"Some bugs, which will be rectified by Palo Alto in the next update."
"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."
"Mission learning techniques should continue to expand and detect unknown threats on the fly."
"The behavioral detection capabilities could be expanded to address all threats at the perimeter, reducing the reliance on endpoint detection and response systems."
"In terms of what needs improvement, the only thing I don't like is the support."
"The organization mail security solutions could be improved. There is no mail security solution available."
"The initial setup was very complex as the solution does not have these APIs to facilitate the configuration."
"There is a potential drawback with the lack of support for the ICAP protocol."
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 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."
"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."
"There is always room for improvement."
"There is always room for improvement."
"When it comes to scalability, the IPsec could be improved."
"We encounter issues sharing IP addresses with other companies using the software."
"When it comes to scalability, the IPsec could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing could be lower."
"The cost involves the price of the hardware, which is expensive. However, most of the Palo Alto solutions are expensive."
"There is an initial, expensive investment but the return is good."
"Palo Alto Networks Threat Prevention could improve by having consistent pricing at system levels."
"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."
"If you want to have all of the good features then you have to pay extra for licensing."
"Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention is quite competitive, offering extensive threat detection and prevention capabilities, though it is priced higher than some alternatives."
"The product’s pricing is expensive for small companies."
More Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention pricing and cost advice
"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
Financial Services Firm
10%
Performing Arts
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
7%
Healthcare Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
University
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise14
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 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 needs improvement with Palo Alto Networks Threat Prevention?
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 prot...
See all answers
Ask a question
Earn 20 points
 

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Compared 16% of the time
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Compared 12% of the time
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More Zscaler Cloud IPS Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention
March 2026
Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention reportDownload Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention product report
Buyer's Guide
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
April 2026
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
April 2026
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.