No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

Application Control vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform comparison

Why PeerSpot?
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 1, 2026

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

Application Control
Ranking in Application Control
9th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
5.2
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange...
Ranking in Application Control
6th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
67
Ranking in other categories
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (5th), Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) (9th), ZTNA as a Service (1st), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (3rd), Remote Browser Isolation (RBI) (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Application Control category, the mindshare of Application Control is 5.4%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform is 12.8%, up from 8.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Control Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform12.8%
Application Control5.4%
Other81.8%
Application Control
 

Featured Reviews

Andre Lourens - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical at Gemini Networks
Stable performance and effective control over user access to specific applications and websites
I'm not sure about its scalability since most of my deployments are for small to medium-sized companies. I haven't faced any scalability issues so far. It runs smoothly. I don't use dedicated appliances; instead, I have it running on existing PCs. And it works fine. I haven't experienced any throughput issues or similar problems. I have around five or six different clients using Untangle Application Control.
Zaheer_Khan - PeerSpot reviewer
Cybersecurity Senior Program Manager at Dayforce
Secure access has improved remote work and has reduced vulnerabilities across our workforce
Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform probably needs to be more efficient because scanning takes a lot of time. Some vulnerabilities create issues, and when we wanted to identify the source of the vulnerabilities, specifically focusing on mobile ID and related areas, it was unable to provide assistance. However, according to discussions with Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform, they said that by the end of mid-2026, they are exploring these features, and probably those features can be incorporated or embedded into this particular system. That is the only major negative point.In terms of responses, Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform is good. In terms of controlling vulnerability, it is good. The only cons I have noticed is that it is a bit slower, and sometimes it is unable to identify the source. These are the key areas for improvement.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"One of the features that I like overall on their firewall is that they've got free cloud management that comes with your subscription."
"Content filtering is really easy to use. We have rules for content filtering. One of the rules that we have is that if it is not an SSL site, it should block the site. It scans, and if it finds a bad site, it is not going to allow it. We can also block based on what the company wants us to block. If the company wants us to block porn, we'll block porn. If the company wants to block social media, we're going to block social media."
"The fact that I can limit access to certain apps is the most valuable feature for me. For example, I can restrict access to specific websites or certain functions within websites."
"Application filter features are the most valuable for us."
"The solution is cloud-based with the latest inspection engines, which I find to be amazing."
"The product's most valuable features are cloud-based services and secure internet access. We don't have to set up any physical appliances."
"It is a very scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"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."
"I like the web filtering capabilities, which are very good, and it offers sound internet security notifications with a stable, scalable solution and an easy-to-use user interface."
"The only advantage I see is no more connection is required by the users."
"It's one of the easier products on the market as far as set-ups and deployments, and even across their whole product suite, they've made it pretty simple."
"It is straightforward to set up."
 

Cons

"Reporting functionality could be improved to provide more comprehensive insights."
"The only thing that they need to improve is that they drop sessions."
"There is room for improvement in blocking torrents."
"The only thing that they need to improve is that they drop sessions. Currently, if you see a session come in, such as a DHCP session or a VPN session, you don't have the ability to click on that session, hit drop, and have them re-negotiate. It would be a really nice feature, and they are working on it. This is the only feature that is missing."
"More on-prem infrastructure is required when Zscaler Private Access is to be implemented as a single point of entry."
"There could be more DLP-related features. Additionally, there needs to be flexibility for integrating ISP features."
"There could be additional ways to define proximity. Additionally, they should provide some exclusion options for specific policies and an ability to control the DLP engine."
"What could be improved in Zscaler Private Access is its notification. For example, if there's a speed issue, there should be a pop-up that alerts the user about it. If there is a network quality issue, for example, it isn't good enough to connect to, or the network quality is bad, there should be a notification from the solution. Zscaler Private Access also needs improvement in terms of its interface and security."
"There are some performance issues with the solution once the module addition begins"
"The connectivity monitoring part should be included in the core license without any extra charges."
"Conflicts arise if you do not have the same management teams on the product."
"Zscaler Private Access also needs improvement in terms of its interface and security."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I use the free version of Untangle."
"Everything is included on the firewall at one price point, and we sell it for $70 a month, which includes the hardware."
"In terms of market positioning, I would describe Zscaler Private Access as offering optimal pricing. Based on our experience, Cato Networks tends to be slightly more expensive."
"In the long run, cloud services are not inherently costly."
"The solution is expensive."
"The pricing is expensive and on the higher end. Honestly, in my opinion, it is not worth the price."
"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 price is competitive."
"My company is a Zscaler Private Access partner, so the customers pay for the license fees."
"Zscaler Private Access is extremely expensive."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Application Control solutions are best for your needs.
920,574 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise45
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
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 access service edge (SASE) designed to deliver network security in a cloud-deliver...
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 Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform. Overall, I would assess the pricing as a si...
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 feel there is room for improvement. The initial configuration complexity is one a...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Zscaler SASE, Zscaler DLP, Zscaler CASB, Zscaler CSPM, Zscaler Browser Isolation, Zscaler Posture Control
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Bridger Valley Electric, Rathbone Group, Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey (CPNJ), Brown County Schools
Siemens, AutoNation, GE, NOV
Find out what your peers are saying about Application Control vs. Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
920,574 professionals have used our research since 2012.