Cloudflare Access vs Portnox ZTNA

Cloudflare Access9.3Visit Portnox ZTNA6.9Visit

Higher score Cloudflare Access #1 in Zero Trust Network Access Software 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit site

vs

Portnox ZTNA #23 in Zero Trust Network Access Software 6.9/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Portnox

• Cloudflare Access fits best

  Organizations wanting broad, affordable ZTNA

• Portnox ZTNA fits best

  Security-focused teams wanting session controls

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Side by side

Feature	Cloudflare Access 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Portnox ZTNA 6.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	6.9
Ranking	#1 in Zero Trust Network Access Software	#23 in Zero Trust Network Access Software
Best for	Organizations wanting broad, affordable ZTNA	Security-focused teams wanting session controls
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	Free plan · 30-day trial
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	30 days
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile, Browser extension	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support	Live chat, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs	Community, Docs · 24/7
Integrations	11 integrations	10 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Cloudflare Access 2/3 · Portnox ZTNA 3/3
Device posture checks	✓	✓
SIEM log export	✓	✓
Session recording	—	✓ (best)
Specs
Deployment model	Cloud	Hybrid
Access methods	Both	Both
Private app connectors	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Supported app protocols	HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, SSH, RDP, SMB, VNC	RDP, SSH, VNC, Telnet
Our review
Pros	Free plan plus $7 per user/month paid annually Clientless and client-based access across web, infrastructure, and private resources Device posture checks, audit logs, and SIEM export support broader controls	Passwordless, certificate-based authentication with continuous posture checks Supports SaaS, private applications, RDP, SSH, VNC, and Telnet Session recording, remediation, audit trails, monitoring, and alerts
Cons	Browser-rendered access has protocol and hostname limitations Session recording is not included Contract-plan pricing is custom rather than published	The free version may have different feature scope from paid offerings Private resources require a Docker-based gateway for hosted access It is proprietary rather than open source
Our verdict	Cloudflare Access is a cloud-delivered zero trust network access service for employees, contractors, and other users. It applies identity, device posture, and contextual policies to self-hosted, SaaS, private-network, and infrastructure… Read the review →	Portnox ZTNA is a cloud-native zero trust network access service for teams that need identity-aware, device-aware access to SaaS and private applications. It evaluates user identity, device certificates, and device security posture before… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Cloudflare Access — where it wins

  • Free plan plus $7 per user/month paid annually
  • Clientless and client-based access across web, infrastructure, and private resources
  • Device posture checks, audit logs, and SIEM export support broader controls

  Where it doesn't

  • Browser-rendered access has protocol and hostname limitations
  • Session recording is not included
  • Contract-plan pricing is custom rather than published

• Portnox ZTNA — where it wins

  • Passwordless, certificate-based authentication with continuous posture checks
  • Supports SaaS, private applications, RDP, SSH, VNC, and Telnet
  • Session recording, remediation, audit trails, monitoring, and alerts

  Where it doesn't

  • The free version may have different feature scope from paid offerings
  • Private resources require a Docker-based gateway for hosted access
  • It is proprietary rather than open source

• Cloudflare Access9.3/10 · Free plan

  Broad cloud ZTNA coverage with a free plan, clientless access, and device posture checks.

  Visit siteFull verdict →
• Portnox ZTNA6.9/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A posture-aware ZTNA service with passwordless access, session controls, and broad integrations.

  Visit PortnoxFull verdict →