AWS Direct Connect vs Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks comparison

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Palo Alto Networks are both solutions in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.9, while Palo Alto Networks is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.5. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 1.9% mindshare in EIV, compared to Palo Alto Networks’s 6.3% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Palo Alto Networks users who would recommend it.

AWS Direct Connect

Read 12 AWS Direct Connect reviews

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1,322 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Prisma Access by Palo Alto ...

Read 65 Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks reviews

20,092 Views
4,018 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

AWS Direct Connect

Prisma Access by Palo Alto ...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks offers cloud-based security services, while AWS Direct Connect provides dedicated network connectivity to AWS. Users are generally happier with the support offered by Prisma Access, but AWS Direct Connect is preferred for its features and reliability.

Features: Prisma Access is valued for its comprehensive security functions, easy management, and expansive policy control. AWS Direct Connect is praised for its low latency, high bandwidth, and efficient connection options. While both have strong features, AWS Direct Connect is highlighted for performance and connectivity, making it preferred for use cases requiring robust network performance.

Room for Improvement: Prisma Access users suggest improvements in integration with third-party tools and occasional performance issues. AWS Direct Connect users identify challenges with the complexity of setup and limited monitoring tools. Prisma Access needs enhancement in integration and performance aspects, whereas AWS Direct Connect requires better ease of use and monitoring capabilities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Prisma Access is noted for its straightforward deployment and strong customer support. AWS Direct Connect, though effective once deployed, has a more complex setup procedure but also receives commendations for its customer service. Prisma Access stands out for easier deployment, whereas AWS Direct Connect’s complexity during setup is a notable drawback.

Pricing and ROI: Prisma Access users mention relatively higher initial setup costs but acknowledge good ROI due to comprehensive security features. AWS Direct Connect users benefit from favorable pricing for network demands but acknowledge a steep learning curve. While Prisma Access may appear costlier upfront, its ROI is seen as justifiable due to its extensive security benefits, whereas AWS Direct Connect is seen as cost-effective for network performance and connectivity.

To learn more, read our detailed AWS Direct Connect vs. Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks Report (Updated: April 2026).

Buyer's Guide

AWS Direct Connect vs. Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks

April 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

AWS Direct Connect

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

11th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Prisma Access by Palo Alto ...

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

7th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (4th), Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) (1st), ZTNA as a Service (5th), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of AWS Direct Connect is 1.9%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks is 6.3%, down from 6.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks	6.3%
AWS Direct Connect	1.9%
Other	91.8%

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Featured Reviews

reviewer2231871

Product Manager at a comms service provider with 201-500 employees

Offers secure high-bandwidth connectivity without internet-related risks

Regarding the benefits from the multiple virtual interfaces in the product, there is no interface for the product; it is just a connection that we have. It is an ethernet connection we offer. The customer, from the customer side to AWS, receives an ethernet point-to-point connection, and that is it. The interface and everything along with the communication with AWS, the customer has to do by themselves to build the routes and everything. The connection speed that our clients are using ranges from 100 megabits up to 10 gigabits. The main concern is the port costs. Clients do not report technical problems, so it is mainly always an issue of money. The solution is nice, but sometimes they avoid it because the port costs are high. This is not a problem AWS has exclusively; Azure has the same costs, and these port costs are quite expensive. I would rate this review as an 8 out of 10.

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IgorPinter

Director at PULSEC

Zero-trust access has improved remote security and now simplifies cloud-based firewall management

Regarding the integration part for Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks, the integration with identity providers is pretty much good. It is basically firewall as a service, so it performs well. I completed the integration without any issues. What Palo Alto Networks can do better for Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks is probably to have the point of presence available in more locations. The point of presence from the Serbia region has the nearest POP in Frankfurt, which is an issue since it is your gateway—when you start browsing the internet, you go through a commercial connection in Germany. They definitely need to spread the service in other countries.

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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

"Direct Connect provides an improved connection quality and a diversified link, which contributes to high availability and failover capabilities."

"The most valuable feature of Direct Connect is its low latency to the users."

"It is a highly scalable solution."

"AWS Direct Connect provides a secure and encrypted connection over the internet."

"AWS VPN is cost-effective and affordable; it has the security regulation with 3DES protocol, and they have the security protocol required to encrypt the information in the link."

"AWS Direct Connect is highly secure and much faster compared to normal network infrastructure."

"AWS Direct Connect allows me to connect our on-premise infrastructure directly with AWS infrastructure."

"It is a stable solution."

More AWS Direct Connect pros

"The most valuable feature is the ability to join your network and provide access through the VPN."

"I would recommend Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks as it is really good, but it would be much better if the pricing were lower so that I could provide cloud firewall services instead of physical firewalls to customers."

"A feature I've found very helpful is run time security because most of the products on the market will look at security during the build time, and they don't really look at what happens once you're going into production."

"I like it because it's very easy to use. You install the client and you have to know your gateway, but that's something we give to our users. Beyond that, it takes about three seconds to train them on how to use it. And it just works well. That's great for us because it means less administrative time."

"Palo Alto Firewall is one of the best firewalls in the world."

"It is easy to use, easy to integrate, and is stable. It's scalable as well."

"But if you have a budget for enterprise or best of firewalls I think you should take this solution into consideration."

"Prisma Access protects all app traffic so that users can gain access to all apps."

More Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks pros

Cons

"AWS Direct Connect is straightforward and performs well for me."

"AWS Direct Connect should support cross-cloud connections, such as migrations between Azure and AWS, for disaster recovery purposes on different cloud platforms."

"Its terminologies are challenging to interpret."

"I would like to see better traffic visibility and higher throughput security, especially for organizations that require more than what the current limit allows."

"It can be difficult to configure compared to cloud-based GUIs."

"It would be good if we could connect AWS Direct Connect from different networks."

"The platform's stability needs improvement."

"It is complicated to do additional BGP configuration for the product."

More AWS Direct Connect cons

"The one thing that I've been a little bit disappointed with is when we have had to open cases with Palo Alto about Prisma Access issues."

"Its security is good. Everything is good, but the way the dashboard responds can be improved. It takes time to implement a policy. If you change only two or three lines and push the policy to make the change work, it takes 20 to 30 minutes even for a small change. That is something very irritating from the implementation perspective."

"The initial support team is not very good. Most of the time, I have found that they are one to three years experienced only. They don't have network expertise. They know about Palo Alto products but don't know how to troubleshoot the issues. We have to guide them most of the time to troubleshoot correctly since their approach is not developed."

"The frequency of updates could be reduced."

"The one point I have deducted is because it is very hard to get support sometimes."

"Palo Alto Prisma 10 came out over a year ago. Palo Alto added this identity management feature. The legacy way Palo Alto selected which user is sitting on an IP address it passes through has been clunky."

"My clients would like to see a more feature-rich product."

"Prisma's integration between operational technology and IT should be more seamless. Right now, it requires additional setup and maintenance."

More Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an expensive solution."

"It has reasonable pricing in terms of the features offered."

"They price their products using credit modules."

"There's no reason not to buy the enterprise version that gives you unlimited PoPs, but you must understand the limitations you impose on yourself if you do that. If you go crazy, that allowlist will be too big for Kubernetes clusters."

"As compared to other solutions, Prisma Access is much cheaper. It is probably 30% to 40% cheaper than other solutions, but I do not know the exact cost."

"The licensing cost is about 18,000 euros."

"In terms of pricing, considering that it is a two or three years old solution, they should apply big discounts for the next two or three years. This approach will be better for them to capture the market."

"The licensing model for this product is complicated and changes all the time, making it very hard for the user to comprehend the configuration."

"It is not cheap. It is expensive. The good thing is that you are able to pay for what you need, but overall, it is not cheap. The pricing is not based on packages. You pay based on the features. If you want DLP, you only pay for DLP. They are very flexible. It is not cheap, but the licensing is flexible. There are no additional costs in addition to the standard licensing fees."

"I would advise choosing your options according to your company's needs. Just go for what you want and do not pay for anything extra in terms of licensing. You need to determine how much bandwidth is required in your company network, and according to that, you should pay for the license. The mobile user license is based on the number of users who are going to use the VPN solution. You need to determine how many mobile users you are going to have in your network, and you should pay according to that. There are no other costs in addition to licensing, but if you go for the consultant services of Palo Alto networks to deliver the solution for you, then you need to pay something extra. That is not a part of licensing."

More Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

14%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

Healthcare Company

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	26
Midsize Enterprise	20
Large Enterprise	27

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with AWS Direct Connect?

One area that needs improvement is the cost of the ports, which is a concern as these charges are quite high. It is primarily a budget issue because while the solution is effective, the port costs ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for AWS Direct Connect?

Our customers primarily use AWS Direct Connect for hybrid cloud solutions. They have parts of their equipment in their on-premise data center, while also using AWS infrastructure for backups, datab...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering AWS Direct Connect?

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks?

From my experience, Palo Alto is more expensive compared to solutions like Netskope and Triscale.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks?

See all answers

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Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 11% of the time

FortiSASE vs Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 7% of the time

Zscaler Internet Access vs Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 7% of the time

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 5% of the time

Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) vs Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 5% of the time

More Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

May 2026

Download AWS Direct Connect product report

Buyer's Guide

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks

April 2026

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks report

Download Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks product report

Also Known As

No data available

Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access, Prisma Access, GlobalProtect, Palo Alto GlobalProtect Mobile Security Manager, Prisma SaaS by Palo Alto Networks, Prisma Access

Overview

AWS Direct Connect offers low-latency, reliable connectivity with secure data transfers between on-premise infrastructures and AWS environments. It ensures high availability and cost-effectiveness for large data transfers, integrating seamlessly with existing systems.

AWS Direct Connect is recognized for its robust network and security, providing minimal latency and reliable connectivity. It seamlessly integrates with on-premise infrastructure, enabling secure and fast data transfers. Users benefit from its high availability and low maintenance, making it cost-effective for large data transfers. Multi-account environment support is a key feature. Despite a complex configuration process compared to cloud GUIs, it enhances security by avoiding public internet exposure. Room for improvement includes the setup of credentials and terminology, upgrade process, BGP configuration, multi-network connections, traffic visibility, stability, and throughput security. Expanding data center locations and cross-cloud connections can be advantageous. Promotion is necessary for awareness. Some report VPN connection issues while some are content with its performance.

What are the key features of AWS Direct Connect?

Secure Connectivity: Enhances security by avoiding public internet exposure
Low Latency: Provides minimal latency for fast data transfers
High Availability: Ensures continuous connectivity with low maintenance
Cost-Effective: Reduces costs for large data transfers and multi-account environments
Seamless Integration: Easily integrates with on-premise infrastructure

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Reliability: Sturdy and consistent connectivity minimizes downtime
Efficient Data Transfers: Cost reduction and efficiency for large data volumes
Security: Avoids exposure to the public internet, enhancing data protection
Resource Integration: Facilitates hybrid cloud environments by integrating on-premises and cloud resources

In industries like finance, healthcare, and media, AWS Direct Connect is implemented to ensure secure and efficient connectivity between on-premises data centers and AWS environments. It supports operations like database management and application deployment, facilitating data and application migration while enabling hybrid cloud connectivity.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks delivers robust security features including secure remote access across apps and traffic monitoring. It integrates smoothly with cloud environments to provide advanced threat protection and visibility into network traffic.

Prisma Access offers a comprehensive suite of security tools designed to protect cloud environments and remote workforces. With its focus on real-time risk identification and threat prevention, Prisma Access provides encrypted tunnels and centralized management for seamless connectivity and enhanced data security. Designed to scale across platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP, it optimizes traffic and connectivity while offering extensive visibility into vulnerabilities. However, integration with third-party products, usability, and support services are areas for development, as users report interface challenges and desire improved scalability and geographic coverage, especially in regions like China and South America.

What are the key features of Prisma Access?

Real-Time Risk Identification: Detects and manages potential threats instantly.
Secure Remote Access: Ensures secure connectivity to applications from anywhere.
Traffic Monitoring: Provides comprehensive oversight of network traffic.
Seamless Integration: Works well with platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP.
Firewall Capabilities: Blocks unauthorized access and threats.
Scalability: Adapts to various cloud environments to meet growing demands.

What benefits should users expect when evaluating Prisma Access?

Reduced Data Breach Risk: Protects sensitive information through encrypted connections.
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies management and configuration tasks.
Centralized Management: Offers a single view for managing all security policies.
Advanced Threat Protection: Regular updates guard against new threats.

Prisma Access is effectively used in industries requiring secure remote access and stringent data protection, such as finance and healthcare. Organizations leverage it to enforce Zero Trust policies, optimize network performance with SD-WAN, and ensure security compliance across multiple platforms.

Palo Alto Networks

Sample Customers

Expedia, Intuit, Royal Dutch Shell, Brooks Brothers

Concord Hospital, State of Colorado, Essilor International, RheinLand Versicherungsgruppe, University of Westminster, Universidade Nove de Julho, SPAR Austria, CAME Group, ZipRealty, Greenhill & Co., IKT Agder, Aviva Stadium, Animal Logic, Management & Training Corporation, Brigham Young University Hawaii, School District of Chilliwack

Buyer's Guide

AWS Direct Connect vs. Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks

April 2026

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