VMware SASE vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Broadcom and Zscaler are both solutions in the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) category. Broadcom is ranked #22, while Zscaler is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.4. Broadcom holds a 1.4% mindshare in SASE, compared to Zscaler’s 8.7% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Broadcom users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 98% of Zscaler users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 8, 2026

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform and VMware SASE are competing in the cloud security solutions category. Zscaler seems to have the upper hand in security features due to strong protocol implementation, while VMware SASE is preferred for its integration capabilities.

Features: Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform is known for its strong security protocols, seamless cloud connectivity, and enhanced user protection. VMware SASE stands out for its unified management interface, robust networking features, and versatile integration support.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Zscaler's deployment is quick and simple, coupled with reliable support services. VMware SASE's deployment is more complex, requiring detailed planning, offering considerable customization options backed by supportive service.

Pricing and ROI: Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform offers a competitive pricing structure with strong ROI, driven by dependable security capabilities and straightforward implementation. VMware SASE requires a higher initial investment but potentially offers greater long-term ROI for enterprises seeking an all-in-one networking and security solution due to its expansive features.

To learn more, read our detailed Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)

September 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

iboss

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) category, the mindshare of iboss is 3.2%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware SASE is 1.4%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform is 8.7%, down from 11.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform	8.7%
iboss	3.2%
VMware SASE	1.4%
Other	86.7%

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)

Featured Reviews

Ashok Ananthula

Senior Consultant Proxy Engineering at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Cloud gateway has strengthened remote web security and now needs better Mac and ISP support

The problem our organization had is that iboss failed for the Mac devices. It is not able to give a successful agent for the Mac agents. That is where in 2025, we had to migrate to the Palo Alto-based platform. If your use case is for just Windows laptops,you can consider this platform as an option One issue is the data center resiliency part. In India especially, they are not tied up with the Tier 1 ISPs like Tata or Airtel; they were having Tier 2 ISPs and encountered many issues reaching few major sites that my organization depends on, and they were having problems that they could not fix quickly. They also lack a mechanism to route that traffic within their data center; rather, they ask customers to make a pac file change to route it to Singapore explicitly. It would be better if they route from their backend , i mean even if I send it to India DC, they should be able to route it internally to make that work; however, they fail to do that and ask the customer to route it in the pac file. Another suggestion is that in China, they do not have the proper setup; they used to have numerous problems with slowness and lack of premium circuits in China as well. That leads to multiple sites working slowly with latency-related issues. So the main issue is the ISP-related problems that need to be solved.

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Murat-Alici

System Executive at Huawei

A stable solution that can be deployed in less than an hour

The solution's technical support is not good enough. The support offered by VMware for end customers is not enough. Support from VMware should be made available to our company with just one email or call since VMware currently has a very complex website. I rate the technical support an eight out of ten.

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Vibin Thomas

Technical Team Lead - Content Security at Valuepoint Systems

Zero trust access has transformed remote connectivity and now simplifies secure app usage

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform, especially Zscaler Private Access, is very strong, though there are a few areas where improvements can be made. One challenge observed is around initial troubleshooting and visibility. While Zscaler Private Access provides logs, it can sometimes take time to pinpoint the exact cause of access issues, especially in complex environments with multiple policies and identity integration. Another area is the dependency on identity and connector health. Since Zscaler Private Access is heavily reliant on app connectors and identity providers, any issues with these components can impact user access, making proper monitoring critical. During the initial setup, policy configuration and application onboarding require careful planning, especially for larger environments with many applications. These challenges are manageable with proper design and monitoring. Overall, the platform delivers strong security and user experience. I would recommend a few improvements, especially around user interface, reporting, and troubleshooting experience. From a user interface perspective, while the platform is powerful, the policy configuration and navigation can feel complex, especially for new users. A more simplified and intuitive layout for policy mapping and application access would help reduce the learning curve. In terms of reporting, Zscaler Private Access provides logs, but having more built-in customizable dashboards and analytics would be very helpful. Better visibility into user access patterns, application performance, and real-time troubleshooting insights would improve operational efficiency. From a support and troubleshooting standpoint, it would be beneficial to have more granular centralized visibility, allowing for quick end-to-end tracing of a user request from authentication to application access without switching between multiple views. These improvements would make the platform even more efficient, especially for large-scale enterprise environments.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"I recommend iboss for organizations looking for strong cloud-based web security and centralized access control."

"Its initial setup was straightforward."

"From a use-case scenario, what I like the most is the plug-in. I like the fact that we can do the filtering of these devices offsite independent of the network they are connected to, and we do not have to have traffic coming back inside our network."

"Granular setup, which was able to set different levels of filters using the OUs in the AD."

"This product is solid, fairly easy to use, and reliable."

"Deploying iboss leads to good return on investment, estimated around 70% to 80%."

"iboss is definitely very good in terms of service."

"Technical support is pretty sharp and very responsive."

More iboss pros

"It is a stable solution."

"I like the web filtering capabilities."

"The agent's versatility is notable, used for digital experience monitoring to collect valuable endpoint metrics for troubleshooting."

"Before Zscaler, we used to use a lot of other products, however, when we were introduced to Zscaler we became confident it could meet the use cases."

"The most valuable feature is its seamless integration capabilities, streamlining the process by eliminating the need for extensive installations."

"It does the job. What it is needed for. I can use it for VPN, I can use it for secure connections, I can use it as a firewall. So the solution does the job."

"The product’s most valuable features are inbound and outbound scanning and API control."

"Two great features that we really like on the solution are the Internet Access and Private Access."

"The solution is the best for storage."

More Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform pros

Cons

"Our biggest problem with their service was it did not recognize the device and filtering did not always work correctly."

"Sometimes, obviously, there are bugs."

"It is stable, but due to growth, it can sometimes be less stable than wanted."

"For zero trust implementation, we encountered complexity issues, especially with a large infrastructure company ExxonMobil."

"Iboss is growing so fast that it is often hard for them to keep up with the challenges."

"iboss can be improved because the integration could be better; you need to import all the sites that you access today, and there are a few problems whenever you import thousands of websites, making the integration process messy for the users."

"Their on-premise hardware's network interface is capped at one gigabit, which is sort of a problem. If you stand a filter up where all traffic flows through that, according to them, in order to go above a gigabit, you have to have multiple devices, which in today's IT seems a little bit silly. They could easily put in an SFP port into their device that could accommodate 10 gigs or at least offer a box."

"Fold that in with the risk intelligence they're getting from all of the different subscriptions they are a part of. Now, these security companies subscribe to things like emerging threats, databases, etc. You can fold all this intelligence to decide what's happening on an endpoint. I would love to see them start moving into that space. That would compete directly with Microsoft. Maybe that's why they haven't. Having that ability native within the solution would be great. The other area in which I would love to see improvement is more detailed descriptions of why they block websites."

More iboss cons

"The upgrade feature of the product is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"We often face performance and latency issues with Zscaler SASE."

"I can't speak to any missing features."

"The connectivity monitoring part should be included in the core license without any extra charges."

"The DX layer could be better if it had improved visibility."

"Zscaler Private Access could improve by improving external access."

"It's an expensive solution."

"Having a Zscaler-specific device could streamline this process and provide a more consistent user experience across diverse branches."

"Zscaler Cloud DLP needs to improve its compatibility with other security tools."

More Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is not expensive, and it is also not cheap. iboss is priced right in the sweet spot for the number of features it offers."

"We had the cost of purchasing a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs. However, the following year, the cost of just licensing was similar to what was paid the previous year for a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs."

"It is expensive compared to one of its competitors."

"The overall pricing for iboss is very competitive and transparent."

"It is probably in line with other solutions, but I do not deal with the financial side."

"We have not priced the solution recently, but they were competitive with other vendors in the past."

Information not available

"Pricing for Zscaler Private Access is moderate. It's acceptable, though I can't give you the exact price currently. It's not too expensive, and on a scale of one to five, I would rate it a four out of five in terms of pricing."

"The solution has increased prices this year."

"The price is competitive."

"My company is a Zscaler Private Access partner, so the customers pay for the license fees."

"It's expensive currently. But when purchasing for a large number of users, there's room to negotiate. It's really up to the procurement team."

"The product is a little more expensive than other tools."

"It is an auto-renewal subscription service."

"Zscaler Private Access can be an expensive solution, depending on the license type you will purchase."

More Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

Construction Company

No data available

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Outsourcing Company

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	14
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	14

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	17
Midsize Enterprise	12
Large Enterprise	45

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with iboss?

I think iboss could be improved by emphasizing the modular function even more during sales presentations and demonstr...

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What is your primary use case for iboss?

iboss is primarily used for content filtering within school districts and public K-12 school districts, and it can al...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for iboss?

My experience with iboss's pricing structure, setup cost, and licensing model has been positive, straightforward, and...

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What is the better solution - Prisma Access or Zscaler Private Access?

We looked into Prisma Access before choosing Zscaler Private Access (ZPA). Palo Alto’s Prisma Access is a secure ac...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zscaler Cloud Protection?

This is an area where I have candid feedback from our organization regarding pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Z...

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What needs improvement with Zscaler Cloud Protection?

After three years of working with Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform, I do have genuine feedback on areas where I f...

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Comparisons

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs iboss

Compared 10% of the time

Netskope vs iboss

Compared 8% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs iboss

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Umbrella vs iboss

Compared 6% of the time

Okta Platform vs iboss

Compared 3% of the time

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Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs VMware SASE

Compared 21% of the time

Aruba ESP vs VMware SASE

Compared 18% of the time

Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform vs VMware SASE

Compared 6% of the time

FortiSASE vs VMware SASE

Compared 6% of the time

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs VMware SASE

Compared 3% of the time

More VMware SASE Competitors

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

Compared 4% of the time

Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

Compared 3% of the time

Akamai Enterprise Application Access vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

Compared 3% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

Compared 3% of the time

NetFoundry Platform vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

Compared 2% of the time

More Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

iboss

October 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)

September 2026

Download VMware SASE product report

Buyer's Guide

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform

September 2026

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform report

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Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform

No data available

Zscaler SASE, Zscaler DLP, Zscaler CASB, Zscaler CSPM, Zscaler Browser Isolation, Zscaler Posture Control

Overview

iboss is the Zero Trust SASE platform that gives organizations complete visibility and governance over their AI, data, and applications through one unified platform, one console, one policy engine, and one data lake.

Your endpoints may already stop malware. Your data and application activity can still be invisible. iboss decrypts and understands every connection, then turns that signal into answers security leaders can act on.

The platform leads with three capabilities in this order: AI Security and Visibility, Data Security and Visibility, and App Visibility and Control. Zero Trust Network Access, VPN replacement, and SD-WAN sit underneath as the access fabric that carries those three. Trusted by global enterprises and government agencies.

What are the most important features of Iboss?

- AI Security and Visibility: conversation capture, shadow-AI discovery, AI DLP, and agent governance across Claude, Co-Work, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Grok, and emerging services.

- Data Security and Visibility: full SSL/TLS decryption, deep content inspection, MIP label compliance, and one-click compliance reporting.

- App Visibility and Control: signatureless CASB, dual risk scoring, in-app controls, and SSPM for major SaaS.

- Containerized Zero Trust SASE: dedicated containers, isolated SSL keys, one console, one policy engine, one data lake.

- Access fabric: ZTNA, VPN replacement, and SD-WAN under the same platform.

What benefits should users consider in reviews?

- Complete visibility over AI, data, and applications from one platform instead of separate point tools.

- Encrypted traffic is inspected by default so data decisions use content and context together.

- Shadow SaaS and new web tools appear as they are used, with enforceable controls in one console.

- Native data sovereignty through dedicated containers, in-region inspection, and per-customer SSL key custody.

- Scale proven in published materials: 10M+ users, 100+ countries, 150B+ transactions, 2.5B+ threats blocked.

Economic buyers are CISOs, CIOs, and VPs of Security. Champions include security architects, network and infrastructure leaders, SecOps, and GRC. Primary segments: enterprise and business, financial services, government (including FedRAMP Gov Cloud), healthcare, manufacturing, legal and professional services, retail and hospitality, and MSP/MSSP partners. Education, including K-12, is one vertical among these.

iboss

VMware SASE seamlessly integrates networking and security in a cloud-based framework, ensuring efficient and secure connectivity for modern enterprises.

VMware SASE caters to distributed businesses by combining SD-WAN capabilities with robust security protocols. As organizations evolve, maintaining secure and reliable network connectivity becomes critical. VMware SASE addresses this with its intelligent use of cloud-native solutions, supporting uninterrupted connection while reducing complexities.

What are the most important features of VMware SASE?

SD-WAN Integration: Offers flexible and reliable network access through smart SD-WAN technologies.
Zero Trust Security: Implements a stringent security approach, verifying users and devices before granting access.
Cloud Access Security Broker: Ensures safe cloud application usage by monitoring and controlling security policies.
Edge Network Intelligence: Provides insights into network performance and helps optimize resource allocation.

What benefits and ROI should be considered?

Cost Efficiency: Reduces total cost of ownership by consolidating networking and security services.
Improved Connectivity: Enhances network performance leading to a better user experience.
Enhanced Security: Proactively protects against threats, minimizing risk exposure.
Scalability: Adapts to changing demands, allowing seamless growth.

In industries such as finance and healthcare, VMware SASE has been implemented to ensure compliance with strict data security regulations while maintaining high-speed connectivity. Retail sectors leverage it to boost customer experience by ensuring secure and reliable connections across branches.

Broadcom

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange enhances security with seamless cloud-based connectivity and VPN-less operation, offering integration with multiple identity providers and advanced security features, suitable for remote work environments.

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange provides secure, adaptive connectivity without traditional VPNs, allowing organizations to replace legacy systems and bolster remote work security. The platform offers cloud-based protection, single sign-on, dynamic URL categorization, and scalable solutions. While advanced security features like DLP and threat protection enhance data protection, users may face issues with speed, connectivity, and some customization options. Integration challenges, latency due to multi-tenant hosting, reporting delays, and licensing costs require consideration. It supports secure internet access and private application security, ensuring traffic control and data compliance.

What are the key features of Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange?

VPN-less Connectivity: Enables secure remote access without traditional VPNs.
Cloud-based Security: Offers scalable protection utilizing cloud infrastructure.
Single Sign-On: Integrates with multiple identity providers for streamlined access.
Dynamic URL Categorization: Provides real-time URL filtering to enhance security.
Advanced Threat Protection: Detects and mitigates sophisticated threats effectively.
Customizable Policies: Allows tailored security protocols to fit unique requirements.
Comprehensive DLP: Protects sensitive data through robust data loss prevention.
Integration Capabilities: Connects seamlessly with cloud services and applications.

What are the benefits of using Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange?

Enhanced Security: Delivers consistent protection regardless of user location.
Improved Compliance: Ensures adherence to data protection regulations.
Streamlined Access: Simplifies connectivity to private and cloud applications.
Scalability: Supports expanding organizational demands with cloud scalability.
Real-time Visibility: Provides instant insights into security incidents and network traffic.

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange is deployed across industries to secure remote access and enforce zero trust principles. Organizations in finance, healthcare, and technology sectors utilize it for secure internet access and visibility into cloud applications, enhancing performance and compliance in dynamic environments.

Zscaler

Sample Customers

Trusted by global enterprises and government agencies.

Information Not Available

Siemens, AutoNation, GE, NOV

Buyer's Guide

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)

September 2026

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