USM Anywhere vs Zscaler Client Connector comparison

LevelBlue and Zscaler are both solutions in the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) category. LevelBlue is ranked #44 with an average rating of 8.0, while Zscaler is ranked #32 with an average rating of 8.7. LevelBlue holds a 0.8% mindshare in EDR, compared to Zscaler’s 0.6% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of LevelBlue users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Zscaler users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 8, 2026

USM Anywhere and Zscaler Client Connector compete in the cybersecurity and networking domain. Data comparisons indicate that USM Anywhere has advantages in threat detection and analytics, but Zscaler's emphasis on cloud security and scalability offers value that often justifies its cost.

Features: USM Anywhere provides comprehensive threat detection, asset discovery, and vulnerability management. Zscaler Client Connector offers seamless secure web gateway services, cloud firewall functions, and user-friendly secure internet access. USM Anywhere’s analytics enhances threat management, while Zscaler stands out for streamlined security integration and mobility support.

Room for Improvement: USM Anywhere could improve in reducing complexities related to analytics platforms and enhancing the dashboard user interface. Zscaler Client Connector might improve by strengthening performance in low-bandwidth conditions, refining troubleshooting processes, and expanding third-party integration capabilities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: USM Anywhere offers straightforward integration capabilities, easing deployment and maintenance with strong customer service. Zscaler Client Connector simplifies cloud-based service deployment, offering immediate scalability and competent support, streamlining operational expansion.

Pricing and ROI: USM Anywhere's competitive pricing provides good return on investment with extensive threat detection. Zscaler Client Connector requires a higher initial investment, but its comprehensive cloud security solutions justify the cost through enhanced operational efficiency and long-term savings.

To learn more, read our detailed USM Anywhere vs. Zscaler Client Connector Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

USM Anywhere vs. Zscaler Client Connector

March 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 884,797 peers since 2012

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

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Net...

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) category, the mindshare of Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is 3.4%, down from 4.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of USM Anywhere is 0.8%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zscaler Client Connector is 0.6%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks	3.4%
Zscaler Client Connector	0.6%
USM Anywhere	0.8%
Other	95.2%

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

Featured Reviews

ABHISHEK_SINGH

Senior Process Expert at A.P. Moller - Maersk

Gained full visibility and streamlined threat detection through behavior-based insights and AI integration

Initially, we got to have a lot of false positives when we onboarded, but nowadays it's quite smooth. We have fine-tuned our security policies and allowed different levels of policies to get rid of those false positives. Currently, we are getting a fairly good amount of incidents that are not false positives or benign, but actionable items. The process is streamlined. In the initial days, the operations used to get involved in a lot of benign and other activities, but now the process is streamlined. We are leveraging the auto-detection and remediation plans. The operations teams are now more involved in other business roles as well, not just looking into the logs and fetching out what's happening there. They have fixed a lot of things. Initially, they didn't have IAC code drift detection, cloud posture management, or security posture management, but they have those now. They purchased different vendors and did a merger with that. They have now Prisma Cloud that gets integrated and now they are working with Cortex Cloud. Everything that was negative has now been addressed, and the product altogether looks to be in a very better and mature shape now. Currently, it's more or less detecting the workloads with AI-based best practices. Since most organizations are consuming AI agents and other things, we are looking forward to seeing what other feature enhancements Palo Alto can support in that.

Read full review

Kris Nawani

Co-Founder/Director at Bangkok MSP Company Limited

Offers complete coverage without the need to install additional software

USM Anywhere is used for threat detection and investigation. It provides a solution with built-in threat intelligence and various other investigation tools The solution offers complete coverage without the need to install additional software, as it is maintained by the vendor. It helps in saving…

Read full review

Dimitrios Arvanitakis

IT Support Admin at Kuehne+Nagel

Client activity has been monitored efficiently through in-depth log analysis and traffic filtering

I use the Zscaler speed test, and it is very nice. We use some logs from Zscaler Client Connector to collect data and see what is happening, such as if there is an interruption or something. There is a specific tunnel version that we have to use because, depending on the internet provider, some of them have lower speed, so we have some issues. This is because of the provider, not from Zscaler. We use Office 365 services and Office applications, and because some connections are slow and they do not have full coverage from the internet provider, we have some issues. If the speed is slow for Zscaler Client Connector connection, then we have issues because if the speed is not good, then Zscaler Client Connector goes down. This may be because they put some policy. Of course, if you use Office 365 services such as Outlook, the minimum bandwidth is 5 megabits and more, so this causes issues if the users do not have a good remote connection. This depends on the companies and the users, so they need to fix it. This is not from us or our company. It is very useful, and the logs are very helpful. When we go to logs, we understand what is happening.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable for us is the correlation feature."

"The ability to kind of stitch everything together and see the actual complete picture is very useful. I guess you'd call it a playbook. Some people call it the forensics analysis of what was happening on particular endpoints when they detected some malicious behavior, and what transpired before that to cause that. It is also very user friendly. The way they have done everything and integrated all the solutions that they've purchased over the years to make it a very seamless, effective product is very good. One thing about Palo Alto is that they take the products or services that they purchase and make them seamless for the end user as compared to some companies that purchase other companies and then just kind of have their products off to the side or keep different interfaces. Palo Alto doesn't do that."

"I like the centralized console and the predictive analysis it does of malware. It is very stable and also scalable."

"The main benefit of using Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks while employing Palo Alto Firewall at the internet edge is that it improves security on our endpoint devices, integrating seamlessly with Palo Alto Firewalls to deliver comprehensive network, analyst, and security details all in a single dashboard, which allows us to manage everything from our network devices."

"The tool is designed to scale for large enterprises and handle large volumes of data."

"It is an easy-to-use tool."

"The interface is easy to use and it is more up to date than our previous solution."

"We have a complete overview of all our PCs and it's very easy to handle and to use the interface. It has a lot of benefits for us."

More Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks pros

"It has allowed us to see what is happening on our servers."

"It allows for a lot of out-of-the-box features: vuln scanning, HIDS/HIPS, and IDS."

"Any unusual behaviour, we can monitor. We have alerts set up to be sent when we receive signs of any unusual behaviour."

"The vulnerability scanning is helpful to identify the areas that need patching or fixes installed."

"The asset management of nodes has been a large help in terms of being able to track applications with more detail and have changes made being monitored into one source."

"Asset discovery seems to be good."

"We're using it more for reporting, that's all. We're using it to help our customers to pass any kind of audits that they receive."

"This is a USM, so being able to get all the features under one roof makes it a good product with good new features."

More USM Anywhere pros

"It is very useful, and the logs are very helpful; when we go to logs, we understand what is happening."

"Zscaler Client Connector is quite scalable, and I would rate its scalability as nine or ten out of ten."

"I'd rate the solution nine out of ten."

"It is very useful, and the logs are very helpful; when we go to logs, we understand what is happening."

"The real-time analytics feature in Zscaler Client Connector is another valuable feature called Digital Experience, or ZDX, which can easily identify the root cause of issues accessing public or internal resources and provide good analysis so relevant teams can quickly resolve them, making it a very good tool that helps customers."

"The best features of Zscaler Client Connector are that it gives the client a much more transparent experience, as they don't have to worry about connecting to a VPN."

"Zscaler Client Connector has eliminated VPN bottlenecks and outages, improved user productivity with instant secure access, and reduced help desk tickets related to VPN issues, overcoming 60% of VPN-related problems while allowing faster onboarding of remote users and better enforcement of zero-trust security policies."

"It is very important to see what is happening between the user and the applications that we have, and to filter the traffic from outbound traffic and inside traffic."

More Zscaler Client Connector pros

Cons

"They have the worst support, as a company, that I have ever worked with, as they are difficult to get a hold of and keep on the phone. They don't know what they are talking about when you get them on the phone. They don't like to respond to messages when you send them to them. They like to "research problems" for weeks on end, then pass you off to somebody else."

"The dashboard is the area that needs to improve so that we can have the ability to drill down without having to go elsewhere to verify results."

"Cortex XDR is trickier to configure than other Palo Alto products. This is one area where we are not so satisfied."

"Initially, we got to have a lot of false positives when we onboarded, but nowadays it's quite smooth."

"It should support more mobile operating systems. That is one of the cons of their infrastructure right now."

"A little bit more automation would be nice."

"Enhancing UI simplicity and playbook flexibility are areas that could benefit from more low-code automation options for smoother integrations."

"Cortex XDR could be improved with more GUI features."

More Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks cons

"As this software is in the cloud, you do not have control on updates and general changes which are happening."

"It was easy on PoC, but when we got to the product it was different story. We had to learn the product again and got feeling that the PoC was a different product."

"The other thing is the agent is OSSEC. They needed to create its own agent to help to find threats on the devices that it happens to be installed."

"Search performance can be slow. The Raw Logs feature is painfully slow. And if we're talking about the newer, the Anywhere product, you can't even schedule reports on the thing. There are probably a dozen other features I'd really like to see there, but that would be one of the biggies."

"The dashboard could be improved as well as the level of customization."

"The reporting and dashboards have room for improvement."

"There are scalability issues due to a 60 TB limit, which restricts its use for large customers like banks."

"The reporting module could be a little easier to handle, as it requires quite some trial and error until you get the reports you want. Also, it would be great to have a graphical interface for the Network Intrusion Detection System's rule management."

More USM Anywhere cons

"Zscaler Client Connector is not low in cost; it is definitely on the higher side."

"There is a hard learning curve for Zscaler Client Connector; their support isn't the greatest all the time."

"The stability of Zscaler Client Connector needs improvement, as it often disconnects and reconnects."

"There is room for improvement regarding the price of Zscaler Client Connector, as it is one of the most expensive solutions available."

"If the speed is slow for Zscaler Client Connector connection, then we have issues because if the speed is not good, then Zscaler Client Connector goes down."

"I rate this product nine out of ten because I have seen some minor instability issues after updates and some room for UI improvement for deeper analytics, with instances of major issues after updating the GCC that required rollbacks."

"If the speed is slow for Zscaler Client Connector connection, then we have issues because if the speed is not good, then Zscaler Client Connector goes down."

More Zscaler Client Connector cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"When we first bought it, it was a bit expensive, but it was worth it. The licensing was straightforward."

"It's the most expensive solution, but features-wise, it's quite strong. It's very good for protection, so the results are very good in the case of protection. I would rate it a two out of ten in terms of pricing."

"The tool's price is moderate."

"It is present, but when compared to other competitive products, I would say it is not less expensive; however, when all of the other added values are considered, the price is reasonable."

"Every customer has to pay for a license because it doesn't work with what you get from a managed services provider."

"I don't like that they have different types of licenses."

"Our license will require renewal in August, after which the maintenance will continue as usual."

"This is an expensive solution."

More Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks pricing and cost advice

"The vulnerability management solution is worse than buying a Nessus Professional license."

"AlienVault is flexible on their pricing for unlimited licenses."

"We ran a few PoCs. The price and feature set were the best with AlienVault."

"So far, I feel the product's pricing is a good value. The technology is decent. You get what you pay for. I think it's fair."

"I don't think the product's pricing is a good value because they try to raise the price 50 percent every year... AlienVault needs to understand that not all customers are huge enterprises... Their sales team is way too aggressive. The price they advertise is not always the price you get."

"AT&T AlienVault USM is an expensive solution and we pay for the license and the support separately. We paid for the license and support for three years."

"It's saved security costs."

"Negotiate the best package for your environment."

More USM Anywhere pricing and cost advice

Information not available

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

884,797 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Performing Arts

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

23%

Government

12%

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	44
Midsize Enterprise	20
Large Enterprise	47

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	64
Midsize Enterprise	29
Large Enterprise	25

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Large Enterprise	5

Questions from the Community

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto vs. Sentinel One

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto vs. SentinelOne SentinelOne offers very detailed specifics with regard to risks or attacks. ...

See all answers

Comparing CrowdStrike Falcon to Cortex XDR (Palo Alto)

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto vs. CrowdStrike Falcon Both Cortex XDR and Crowd Strike Falcon offer cloud-based solutions th...

See all answers

How is Cortex XDR compared with Microsoft Defender?

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a cloud-delivered endpoint security solution. The tool reduces the attack surface,...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AT&T AlienVault USM?

The pricing is amazing and really cheap.

See all answers

What needs improvement with AT&T AlienVault USM?

There are scalability issues due to a 60 TB limit, which restricts its use for large customers like banks. It is also...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for AT&T AlienVault USM?

USM Anywhere is used for threat detection and investigation. It provides a solution with built-in threat intelligence...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zscaler Client Connector?

Zscaler Client Connector is notably costly, with pricing rated at five out of ten in terms of affordability, reflecti...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Zscaler Client Connector?

Zscaler continues to strengthen the Zscaler Client Connector by introducing new features and expanding the platform’s...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Zscaler Client Connector?

I’m not working directly for Zscaler; I work with a partner organization as a Systems Integrator. Our work is not lim...

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 9% of the time

SentinelOne Singularity Complete vs Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 6% of the time

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 4% of the time

Cortex XSIAM vs Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 4% of the time

Symantec Endpoint Security vs Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

Compared 3% of the time

More Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks Competitors

LogRhythm SIEM vs USM Anywhere

Compared 6% of the time

AlienVault OSSIM vs USM Anywhere

Compared 5% of the time

Splunk Enterprise Security vs USM Anywhere

Compared 4% of the time

IBM Security QRadar vs USM Anywhere

Compared 4% of the time

OpenText Enterprise Security Manager vs USM Anywhere

Compared 4% of the time

More USM Anywhere Competitors

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Zscaler Client Connector

Compared 12% of the time

Huntress Managed EDR vs Zscaler Client Connector

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco Secure Endpoint vs Zscaler Client Connector

Compared 8% of the time

Tanium vs Zscaler Client Connector

Compared 7% of the time

Intercept X Endpoint vs Zscaler Client Connector

Compared 3% of the time

More Zscaler Client Connector Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks

March 2026

Download Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks product report

Buyer's Guide

USM Anywhere

February 2026

Download USM Anywhere product report

Buyer's Guide

Zscaler Client Connector

February 2026

Download Zscaler Client Connector product report

Also Known As

Cyvera, Cortex XDR, Palo Alto Networks Traps

AT&T AlienVault USM, AlienVault, AlienVault USM, Alienvault Cybersecurity

No data available

Overview

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks provides advanced threat detection with AI-driven endpoint protection and seamless integration, ensuring multi-layered security and automatic threat response.

Cortex XDR is designed to safeguard endpoints against malware and suspicious activities. It offers advanced threat detection and response capabilities using behavioral analysis, AI, and machine learning. It seamlessly integrates with security infrastructures, providing endpoint security, firewall integration, and enhanced visibility in both cloud-based and on-premises environments.

What are the key features of Cortex XDR?

Advanced Threat Detection: Uses AI and machine learning for proactive threat identification.
Multi-layered Security: Combines various security measures for comprehensive protection.
Endpoint Protection: Safeguards against malware and exploits.
Behavioral Analysis: Monitors suspicious activity for early detection.
Automatic Threat Response: Automates responses to neutralize threats.

What benefits should users expect?

Ease of Use: Simplifies security management with intuitive design.
Resource Efficiency: Minimizes impact on system resources.
Integration Capabilities: Works well with existing security setups.
Reduced Analyst Workload: Automates processes to decrease manual intervention.

Organizations in diverse sectors deploy Cortex XDR to protect against malware, leveraging its advanced threat detection capabilities. Its integration with existing security infrastructures appeals to those seeking comprehensive protection in both cloud and on-premises environments, providing enhanced visibility and threat intelligence.

Palo Alto Networks

USM Anywhere centralizes security monitoring of networks and devices in the cloud, on premises, and in remote locations, helping you to detect threats virtually anywhere.

Discover

Network asset discovery
Software & services discovery
AWS asset discovery
Azure asset discovery
Google Cloud Platform asset discovery

Analyze

SIEM event correlation, auto-prioritized alarms
User activity monitoring
Up to 90-days of online, searchable events

Detect

Cloud intrusion detection (AWS, Azure, GCP)
Network intrusion detection (NIDS)
Host intrusion detection (HIDS)
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

Respond

Forensics querying
Automate & orchestrate response
Notifications and ticketing

Assess

Vulnerability scanning
Cloud infrastructure assessment
User & asset configuration
Dark web monitoring

Report

Pre-built compliance reporting templates
Pre-built event reporting templates
Customizable views and dashboards
Log storage

LevelBlue

Zscaler Client Connector enhances network security by providing seamless access to applications, ensuring a safe and efficient digital experience. It is designed for businesses needing comprehensive protection and optimized resource access within a unified platform.

Organizations deploy Zscaler Client Connector to securely connect users to applications while maintaining robust data protection standards. It eliminates the need for traditional gateways by offering direct-to-cloud security, which enhances performance and reduces complexity. This solution is ideal for remote work environments where secure and efficient application access is required. It simplifies IT infrastructures, allowing businesses to scale without compromising security.

What are the key features of Zscaler Client Connector?

Zero Trust Access: Provides secure connectivity by validating user identities and context.
Cloud Firewall: Ensures robust protection by inspecting all traffic for potential threats.
Bandwidth Control: Manages network resources to optimize application performance.
Seamless User Experience: Integrates smoothly into existing environments with minimal disruption.
Comprehensive Visibility: Offers detailed analytics and reporting for informed decision-making.

What are the benefits users should expect?

Improved Security Posture: Strengthens defenses against cyber threats with advanced protocols.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces operational costs by streamlining IT management and reducing hardware dependencies.
Scalability: Easily adapts to organizational growth or changes in IT requirements.
Enhanced Productivity: Increases workflow efficiency by ensuring secure and rapid access to necessary applications.
Reduced Latency: Direct-to-cloud connectivity minimizes lag and improves user experience.

Zscaler Client Connector is widely adopted across industries such as finance, healthcare, and retail, where secure data transmission and compliance are critical. In finance, it supports secure transactions and data protection. For healthcare, it ensures HIPAA compliance, and in retail, it simplifies secure customer-facing services. Each industry benefits from tailored implementations that address specific security and connectivity challenges.

Zscaler

Sample Customers

CBI Health Group, University Honda, VakifBank

Abel & Cole, Bank of Ireland, Bluegrass Cellular, CareerBuilder, Claire's, Hays Medical Center, Hope International, McCurrach, McKinsey & Company, Party Delights, Pepco Holdings, Richland School District, Ricoh, SaveMart, Shake Shack, Steelcase, TaxAct, Taylor Morrison, Vonage and Zoom

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

USM Anywhere vs. Zscaler Client Connector

March 2026

Free Report: USM Anywhere vs. Zscaler Client Connector

Find out what your peers are saying about USM Anywhere vs. Zscaler Client Connector and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

884,797 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our USM Anywhere vs. Zscaler Client Connector report.

See our list of best Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) vendors.

We monitor all Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.