Both Cloudflare and Zscaler are leading providers of cloud-based security solutions. They provide high-performance cloud security services to businesses of all sizes operating in the digital space. On one side, there’s Cloudflare, a leading provider of CDN and internet security services. On another side, we have Zscaler which is a cloud security company known for its comprehensive security features, more than what Cloudflare offers on that ground. While both offer a wide range of overlapping features, Cloudflare holds a significant chunk of the market share compared to Zscaler.

Read on to know more about Cloudflare and Zscaler, along with a detailed comparison between the two.

Cloudflare

Cloudflare is a leading provider of CDN services and a global network designed to increase the security and performance of websites and services on the Internet. It provides individuals and businesses with a faster and more secure browsing experience. Cloudflare protects and speeds up all internet applications online without adding hardware or installing software. It provides website owners performance and security while accessing internet applications via its intelligent global network.

Zscaler

Zscaler is a popular cloud-based internet security platform that brings agility to organizations’ security infrastructure by securely moving their networks and applications to the cloud. It accelerates digital transformation so users can be more agile, resilient, and secure. It serves as a cloud proxy and firewall and routes all internet traffic through its security software to implement corporate and security policies. Zscaler delivers its services through over 100 data centers located globally.

Difference between Cloudflare and Zscaler

Architecture

– Cloudflare is a leading CDN (Content Delivery Network) provider and internet security company with a global network of data centers. It provides a uniform and composable platform for easy setup and operations. It routes traffic through its network, optimizing content delivery and providing security features. Zscaler, on the other hand, is a cloud-based information security platform that enables secure digital transformation for the world’s leading organizations. It routes all traffic through its security software to apply corporate and security policies.

Performance

– Cloudflare’s CDN infrastructure is built with end-to-end traffic automation for performance. Its content is cached and distributed over its intelligent global network of data centers, thereby improving website performance and reducing page loading times. Zscaler offers a revolutionary security paradigm called SEaaS that takes security stack to the cloud, ensuring fast and secure internet access regardless of the location.

Security

– Both platforms provide a host of security features such as web application firewall (WAF), data loss prevention (DLP), zero trust access, secure web gateway, cloud access security broker, and more. Although Cloudflare is faster than Zscaler from an end-user perspective, the latter is more mature and provides better security features, such as advanced threat protection, data loss prevention, secure access service edge (SASE), etc.

Zscaler’s Cloud DLP works as the core platform between users and the internet and monitors all traffic, providing the same comprehensive security features to all users, regardless of their location.

Pricing

– Cloudflare offers a variety of pricing plans, including a free plan for personal use that isn’t business-critical and has limited features. To get access to advanced features, you need to choose from three paid plans: Pro, Business, and Enterprise. The Pro plan costs $20 a month on annual billing and the Business plan costs $200 a month if billed annually which is great for small businesses. The Enterprise plan is a custom plan which is ideal for mission-critical applications.

Zscaler follows a subscription-based model that is paid annually and is based on deployment size, options, and modules. Zscaler offers two subscription models – Users Editions and ZIA Editions. The former has three plans – Business, Transformation, and Unlimited. The latter has four plans – Essentials, Business, Transformation, and Unlimited. Prices are not mentioned on their website. So, you have to contact their sales team for an exact quote.

Cloudflare vs. Zscaler: Comparison Chart

Summary

At the end of the day, the choice between the two depends on your unique needs and preferences. Overall, Cloudflare is an ideal option if you’re seeking a high-performance and scalable cloud-based solution with affordable pricing plans. Zscaler is an information security platform that is partnered with major cloud service providers such as Google Cloud, AWS, Microsoft Azure, and more to deliver network-agnostic security services.

FAQs

Does Cloudflare compete with Zscaler?

Cloudflare’s network of data centers is much larger and more distributed than Zscaler’s, which allows Cloudflare to deliver content to users all over the world quickly. Cloudflare holds a significant market share in comparison to other cloud-based solution providers on the market.

Is Cloudflare faster than Zscaler?

Cloudflare’s CDN infrastructure is designed for optimizing website performance, which makes it faster than Zscaler’s cloud-based security platform.

Why is Zscaler so good?

Zscaler is an all-around security solution that provides comprehensive security features and a fast user experience by effectively securing internet traffic and protecting the network of your company. It enables fast and secure access to cloud applications.

Why is Cloudflare better?

Cloudflare is an internet security company with a global network of data centers that are built with end-to-end traffic automation for reliability and performance. Cloudflare is also one of the best caching solutions on the market that offers its users the best browsing experience.

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