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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Cisco AnyConnect

    Score9 out of 10
    N/ACisco offers an SSL VPN solution via AnyConnect.N/A

    Zscaler Internet Access

    Score8.9 out of 10
    N/AZscaler Internet Access™ (ZIA) is a secure web gateway (SWG), delivering cloud native cyberthreat protection and zero trust access to the internet and SaaS apps.N/A
    Pricing
    Cisco AnyConnectZscaler Internet Access
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Cisco AnyConnectZscaler Internet Access
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Cisco AnyConnectZscaler Internet Access
    Considered Both Products
    Cisco
    No answer on this topic
    Zscaler
    Chose Zscaler Internet Access
    Better end user experience, simplicity, and innovation.
    Incentivized
    Chose Zscaler Internet Access
    La herramienta está en desarrollo y le falta mucho recorrido para compararse con ZIA.

    The plant is under development, and there is still a long way to go to compare it with ZIA.
    Incentivized
    Chose Zscaler Internet Access
    I would say that Zscaler thrives in configurability and ease of use compared to Cisco products
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    96%
    Would buy again
    92 Answers
    99%
    Would buy again
    284 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    98%
    Delivers good value for the price
    80 Answers
    98%
    Delivers good value for the price
    245 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    96%
    Happy with the feature set
    92 Answers
    99%
    Happy with the feature set
    284 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    94%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    61 Answers
    97%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    207 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    96%
    Implementation went as expected
    66 Answers
    93%
    Implementation went as expected
    227 Answers
    Features
    Cisco AnyConnectZscaler Internet Access
    Virtual Private Network
    Comparison of Virtual Private Network features of Cisco AnyConnect and Zscaler Internet Access
    Feature
    Cisco AnyConnect
    9.2
    29 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Zscaler Internet Access
    -
    Ratings
    AES 256-bit Encryption9.429 Ratings00 Ratings
    Kill Switch9.122 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multi-Platform Support8.828 Ratings00 Ratings
    Split Tunneling9.126 Ratings00 Ratings
    IP Address Masking9.426 Ratings00 Ratings
    No-Logs Policy9.222 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multiple Server Locations9.123 Ratings00 Ratings
    Automatic Wi-Fi Protection9.524 Ratings00 Ratings
    Simultaneous Connections9.424 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customer Support Services9.025 Ratings00 Ratings
    Identity Management
    Comparison of Identity Management features of Cisco AnyConnect and Zscaler Internet Access
    Feature
    Cisco AnyConnect
    -
    Ratings
    Zscaler Internet Access
    5.0
    2 Ratings
    55% below category average
    Multi-Factor Authentication00 Ratings5.02 Ratings
    Endpoint Security
    Comparison of Endpoint Security features of Cisco AnyConnect and Zscaler Internet Access
    Feature
    Cisco AnyConnect
    -
    Ratings
    Zscaler Internet Access
    10.0
    2 Ratings
    11% above category average
    Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Threat Intelligence
    Comparison of Threat Intelligence features of Cisco AnyConnect and Zscaler Internet Access
    Feature
    Cisco AnyConnect
    -
    Ratings
    Zscaler Internet Access
    8.5
    216 Ratings
    7% above category average
    Network Analytics00 Ratings8.7217 Ratings
    Threat Recognition00 Ratings8.3214 Ratings
    Vulnerability Classification00 Ratings8.5191 Ratings
    Automated Alerts and Reporting00 Ratings8.2205 Ratings
    Threat Analysis00 Ratings8.8203 Ratings
    Threat Intelligence Reporting00 Ratings8.5199 Ratings
    Automated Threat Identification00 Ratings8.5192 Ratings
    Zero Trust Security
    Comparison of Zero Trust Security features of Cisco AnyConnect and Zscaler Internet Access
    Feature
    Cisco AnyConnect
    -
    Ratings
    Zscaler Internet Access
    8.9
    262 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Continuous Verification00 Ratings8.7245 Ratings
    Secure Web Gateways00 Ratings9.0236 Ratings
    Network Flow Control00 Ratings8.1217 Ratings
    Network Traffic Analysis00 Ratings8.8219 Ratings
    Segmentation Leveraging00 Ratings8.6194 Ratings
    Admin Access Control00 Ratings9.1230 Ratings
    Network Data Encryption00 Ratings8.8207 Ratings
    Network Topology Mapping00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Cisco AnyConnectZscaler Internet Access
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Enterprises
    No answers on this topic
    Forescout Vistaro Platform
    Score6.6 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Cisco AnyConnectZscaler Internet Access
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.3
    (118 ratings)
    9.0
    (295 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.8
    (12 ratings)
    8.4
    (6 ratings)
    Usability
    9.2
    (97 ratings)
    8.8
    (279 ratings)
    Availability
    9.9
    (9 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    8.9
    (3 ratings)
    5.5
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    8.9
    (95 ratings)
    7.1
    (10 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.0
    (7 ratings)
    8.4
    (2 ratings)
    Configurability
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.4
    (2 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    10.0
    (7 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.4
    (3 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    7.3
    (2 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Cisco AnyConnectZscaler Internet Access
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Cisco
    Providing secure remote access with a robust VPN, creating an encrypted tunnel so employees can safely access internal company resources like file servers and private apps from anywhere. It also allows enforcing device compliance: depending on policies, checks whether a device has an active antivirus and the latest OS updates before allowing it to connect. When there is not much need for remote access, the cost is too high.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Zscaler
    I feel the product is very good to set up basic standards and go beyond that in many aspects. However, due to being sometimes too simple, it limits the ability to do some other complex changes. Having the ability to do both would be ideal for some, if not all, of the products within Zscaler Internet Access. A simple setup to have it stand-up, and more advanced settings for those more experienced.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Cisco
    • All Cisco AnyConnect data transfer processes are secure to enhance security.
    • It can connect multiple terminals across various sites directly.
    • Centralized management of the workstations connected to the network became easier than ever for managers with multiple locations in the organization's workforce.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Zscaler
    • Provides a secure VPN connection point for endpoint connectivity.
    • Provides the VPN connectivity in a fast and reliable connection state.
    • Very dependable, once connected the connection stays up and there's no fuss.
    • Very good at letting you know when you are not authenticated.
    • Very easy to authenticate and regain access when your session times out.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Cisco
    • Cisco AnyConnect can use the system resources as long as the program is being run.
    • Account activation may be very difficult when connecting from areas requiring captive portal login, if certain settings are not allowed.
    • By default, it is possible to request the user to authenticate again at specific intervals.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Zscaler
    • ZS CLI support to turn off ZIA and ZDX service specifically on mac.
    • Better visibility into failed posture devices, including a timeline and the reason the posture failed (This is about the Zscaler mobile portal: Enrolled devices --> Failed posture devices).
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Cisco
    It is perhaps the second most functional tool we have, it will definitely be renewed every year. Our network is stable, which ensures that there is less for our technicians to troubleshoot, which frees them up to ensure other parts of the company are maintained. This keeps our costs low and our downtime at a minimum.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Zscaler
    While Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) delivers critical value in cloud security and RBI compliance, I rate renewal likelihood 7/10 due to evolving needs versus platform limitations. Below is my rationale:
    Key Gaps:
    1. Advanced Threat Costs:
    ZIA’s add-ons (e.g., Advanced DLP, Sandboxing) incur 35%+ cost premiums – straining budgets as transaction volumes (UPI/iMobile) grow 50% YoY.
    2. API Banking Scalability:
    ZIA’s API rate limits throttle real-time policy sync during UPI peaks (10K+ TPS), forcing workarounds for finacle integrations.
    3. RBI Future-Proofing:
    Limited native support for upcoming digital rupee (CBDC) security rules requires custom development, increasing compliance overhead.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Cisco
    It is very useful tool for companies having hybrid work culture. It will allow their employees to work seamlessly from home, office, other branches. This tool will increase your productivity as it will facilitates your employees to access corporate applications 24x7. Overall it is easy to use, deploy and integrate.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Zscaler
    Getting started was pretty straightforward. We can tell the product is way more robust than we are using it. It started as a replacement for previous DNS-blocking content filtering, but we're exploring how this will add value with an upcoming DLP redesign and with traffic optimization at some of our remote sites with severe bandwidth limits.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Cisco
    I have been using Cisco AnyConnect for past two years and thus I can say very firmly that I have never seen the outage from the Cisco AnyConnect services either It is VPN, System Scans or the Network Connectivity. Talking about the errors likewise major errors I have faced throughout my period of use.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Zscaler
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Cisco
    Absolutely no speed issues, and I see no evidence of slowdowns across any of the multiple platforms I use daily. It's operation is completely invisible most of the time, except where there is a loss of connection due to server issues or a loss of power. Everything loads quickly and accurately.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Zscaler
    There are often performance issues reported
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Cisco
    I don't know but nobody provides proper support for us as end user. They should have people to check whether end user is facing issues or not. Cisco AnyConnect having very high charges and still there is no proper support! Many requests and many tickets have opened, but the working speed is very low for the support team! They should have it to optimize.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Zscaler
    Zscaler's ZIA support is quick and knowledgable. They respond within 1-2 hours of you submitting your ticket. They are very thorough and are typically ready to jump on a live troubleshooting session. Our ZIA platform and how we use is it unique so at times tickets can be open for weeks but we alway get quality support compared to other unrelated product support in our enterprise
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Cisco
    Our Managed Services vendor helped us with the implementation. When we initially setup our AnyConnect using MFA for remote connectivity, the setup was easy and straight forward and worked just fine. After a year, we decided to change to an "always on" feature and use machine and user based security certificates instead of MFA. We had to open a ticket with Cisco support and have their assistance getting this feature to work. Turned out they had a small bug in the code for that version of AnyConnect and it has since been corrected. We have had no issues with the upgrades since that time. The deployment of the software to the user machines was done with SCCM and was straight forward. The user machine upgrades are easy - when the user machine connects and sees a new version available, it upgrades itself! What could be easier?
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Zscaler
    good the engineer give excellent support and eplanation
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Cisco
    Cisco is one of our core partners besides Microsoft and SAP. And so yes, we are utilizing very many projects from Cisco. I would mention the whole networking equipment, the routing equipment, the wireless LAN, and also when it comes to infrastructure to compute infrastructure, we are utilizing Cisco servers within our converged infrastructure Flex spot. So we have been running a flex bot from Cisco, NetApp, and VMware for 12 years, and we are still very satisfied with the product. We are looking forward to upgrading to the newest blades and fabric interconnect to continue this journey.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Zscaler
    The overall user community and scope of supportability outweighed the others on our short list. Netskope was a close second, but the risk, though small, was greater than that of bringing Zscaler aboard. We were looking for a mature, well-supported, highly functional, and fine-grained solution that met all our user and information security requirements.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Cisco
    Cisco AnyConnect has been a speedy, reliable, and efficient tool for the creation of your own VPN whatever location that you've brought your laptop. Customer support is consistently top-notch, coming up with quick fixes to whatever difficulties are thrown your way. I would not hesitate to reccommend Cisco AnyConnect to any business that needs connected employees throught the world.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Zscaler
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Cisco
    • We are able to seamlessly work on multiple clients daily, and it allows us to quickly handle more projects at the same time.
    • Cisco AnyConnect has allowed our own company's coworkers to remotely connect back to the corporate network, easily assisting work schedules and processes, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Being forced to work remotely, meant our processes still happened quickly and efficiently, by being able to leverage and use Cisco AnyConnect VPN.
    • Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, I have worked 100% remotely for a few years now. This was always due to the reliable connectivity and ease of use with Cisco AnyConnect VPN. I live 2+ hours from our nearest corporate office, and even further from some of my client locations, and I have always been able to connect to any of my multiple Cisco AnyConnect VPN connections, within seconds.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Zscaler
    • I would say it has a very good ROI, as whenever someone can't access something, they submit a ticket to our network engineer, and within minutes, the site is safely added to ZIA with best-practice configurations. After seeing a little of the UI from the Zenith event, it seems very user-friendly to control these policies.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Zscaler Internet Access Screenshots

    Screenshot of an overview of Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA), a cloud native security service edge (SSE) solution that builds on a decade of secure web gateway leadership. Offered as a scalable SaaS platform through Zscaler's security cloud, it replaces legacy network security solutions, preventing advanced attacks and data loss with a comprehensive zero trust approach. ZIA is integrated into the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange™ to provide superior defense-in-depth, secure connectivity, end user experience, and administrative visibility and control.