Cloudflare Access vs Zscaler Private Access

Cloudflare Access9.3Visit Zscaler Private Access9.1Visit

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

Zscaler Private Access #2 in Zero Trust Network Access Software 9.1/10 Pricing on request ✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Zscaler

• Cloudflare Access fits best

  Organizations wanting broad, affordable ZTNA

• Zscaler Private Access fits best

  Enterprises needing privileged access controls

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Side by side

Feature	Cloudflare Access 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Zscaler Private Access 9.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	9.1
Ranking	#1 in Zero Trust Network Access Software	#2 in Zero Trust Network Access Software
Best for	Organizations wanting broad, affordable ZTNA	Enterprises needing privileged access controls
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	—	Pricing on request
Free plan	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile, Browser extension	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Web
Support	Live chat, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs	Tickets, Phone, Community, Docs
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Cloudflare Access 2/3 · Zscaler Private Access 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	HTTP, HTTPS, RDP, SSH, VNC
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	Application-specific access with segmentation and context-aware policies Clientless and Client Connector access for managed and unmanaged devices Privileged access, SIEM streaming, and session recording capabilities
Cons	Browser-rendered access has protocol and hostname limitations Session recording is not included Contract-plan pricing is custom rather than published	Contact-sales pricing limits cost transparency Web-only listed platform coverage Session recording is described under Privileged Remote Access add-ons
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 →	Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) provides zero trust network access to private applications, workloads, and operational technology. It brokers one-to-one connections between authorized users and specific applications rather than placing users… 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

• Zscaler Private Access — where it wins

  • Application-specific access with segmentation and context-aware policies
  • Clientless and Client Connector access for managed and unmanaged devices
  • Privileged access, SIEM streaming, and session recording capabilities

  Where it doesn't

  • Contact-sales pricing limits cost transparency
  • Web-only listed platform coverage
  • Session recording is described under Privileged Remote Access add-ons

• Cloudflare Access9.3/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit siteFull verdict →
• Zscaler Private Access9.1/10 · Pricing on request

  A broad ZTNA platform for enterprises needing application-level and privileged access controls.

  Visit ZscalerFull verdict →