Suricata vs Zscaler Cloud IPS

Suricata9.3Visit Zscaler Cloud IPS8.2Visit

Higher score Suricata #1 in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Suricata

vs

Zscaler Cloud IPS #9 in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software 8.2/10 Pricing on request ✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Zscaler

• Suricata fits best

  Free open-source network IDS and IPS

• Zscaler Cloud IPS fits best

  Cloud IPS for distributed user traffic

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Suricata 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Zscaler Cloud IPS 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.2
Ranking	#1 in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software	#9 in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software
Best for	Free open-source network IDS and IPS	Cloud IPS for distributed user traffic
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free plan	Pricing on request
Free plan	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Cloud
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Web
Support	Community, Docs	Phone, Tickets, Docs · 24/7
Integrations	7 integrations	200+ integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Enterprise
Features Suricata 3/4 · Zscaler Cloud IPS 3/4
Inline blocking	✓	✓
Encrypted traffic inspection	✓	✓
Cloud workload support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Threat intelligence	✓	✓
Specs
Deployment model	Software	Cloud
Network scope	Network	Network
Supported platforms	Network	Cloud
Our review
Pros	Combines signature and anomaly detection with inline prevention Supports protocol logging, PCAP analysis, Lua, and Eve JSON output Integrates with SIEM, Elastic, Splunk, Logstash, Redis, and Netfilter	Always-on protection regardless of user location or connection type Inline anomaly detection with signature- and policy-based enforcement SIEM, SOAR, and XDR integrations support security operations workflows
Cons	Requires self-hosted network deployment and operational management Does not decrypt encrypted traffic for TLS inspection Custom detection and rule management may require specialist expertise	Pricing requires contacting sales rather than showing numerical prices The listed platform is web only 24/7 support is limited to selected support offerings
Our verdict	Suricata is a free, open-source network threat detection engine for home users, corporate organizations, government users, researchers, and developers. It covers network intrusion detection, inline network intrusion prevention, network… Read the review →	Zscaler Cloud IPS is a cloud-delivered intrusion prevention service for organizations that need traffic inspection and threat prevention across distributed users, applications, and internet connections. It filters traffic through Zscaler’s… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Suricata — where it wins

  • Combines signature and anomaly detection with inline prevention
  • Supports protocol logging, PCAP analysis, Lua, and Eve JSON output
  • Integrates with SIEM, Elastic, Splunk, Logstash, Redis, and Netfilter

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires self-hosted network deployment and operational management
  • Does not decrypt encrypted traffic for TLS inspection
  • Custom detection and rule management may require specialist expertise

• Zscaler Cloud IPS — where it wins

  • Always-on protection regardless of user location or connection type
  • Inline anomaly detection with signature- and policy-based enforcement
  • SIEM, SOAR, and XDR integrations support security operations workflows

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires contacting sales rather than showing numerical prices
  • The listed platform is web only
  • 24/7 support is limited to selected support offerings

• Suricata9.3/10 · Free plan

  A capable free network IDS and IPS for teams prepared to manage self-hosted deployment.

  Visit SuricataFull verdict →
• Zscaler Cloud IPS8.2/10 · Pricing on request

  A cloud IPS for distributed users with inline detection, TLS inspection, and security integrations.

  Visit ZscalerFull verdict →