Cisco AnyConnect vs. Zscaler Private Access

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco AnyConnect
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
Cisco offers an SSL VPN solution via AnyConnect.N/A
Zscaler Private Access
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Zscaler Private Access™ (ZPA) gives users secure access to private apps and OT devices while enabling zero trust connectivity for workloads.N/A
Pricing
Cisco AnyConnectZscaler Private Access
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco AnyConnectZscaler Private 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 Private Access
Considered Both Products
Cisco AnyConnect
Chose Cisco AnyConnect
Cisco AnyConnect performs better and is able to switch well between the networks based on the network strength and ensures that users are able to choose their network as well. It allows you to easily connect to more than one VPN network and securely save its setting since it …
Zscaler Private Access
Chose Zscaler Private Access
We originally used Cisco AnyConnect but when the pandemic hit and everyone started working remotely the Cisco VPN just couldn't handle the massive increase in users. The connection was unreliable both inability to connect and stay connected. It also seemed to include a lot more …
Chose Zscaler Private Access
Zscaler Private Access was chosen as trusted VPN system versus Cisco, due to better licensing model, more flexible configuration of the security protocols, verification scenarios. Also it
Chose Zscaler Private Access
Well ZPA is a good solution, however everyone has their own advantage and disadvantages, with ZPA you can deploy ZTNA model, which will help you better control on access, however Palo Alto, Fortinet they are also market leading firewall solution, and you can not deny if they …
Features
Cisco AnyConnectZscaler Private Access
Virtual Private Network
Comparison of Virtual Private Network features of Product A and Product B
Cisco AnyConnect
9.0
23 Ratings
0% above category average
Zscaler Private Access
-
Ratings
AES 256-bit Encryption9.323 Ratings00 Ratings
Kill Switch9.017 Ratings00 Ratings
Multi-Platform Support8.622 Ratings00 Ratings
Split Tunneling9.221 Ratings00 Ratings
IP Address Masking9.120 Ratings00 Ratings
No-Logs Policy8.717 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple Server Locations8.919 Ratings00 Ratings
Automatic Wi-Fi Protection9.419 Ratings00 Ratings
Simultaneous Connections9.218 Ratings00 Ratings
Customer Support Services8.620 Ratings00 Ratings
Identity Management
Comparison of Identity Management features of Product A and Product B
Cisco AnyConnect
-
Ratings
Zscaler Private Access
9.1
10 Ratings
2% above category average
Multi-Factor Authentication00 Ratings9.110 Ratings
Endpoint Security
Comparison of Endpoint Security features of Product A and Product B
Cisco AnyConnect
-
Ratings
Zscaler Private Access
9.0
6 Ratings
1% below category average
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)00 Ratings9.06 Ratings
Threat Intelligence
Comparison of Threat Intelligence features of Product A and Product B
Cisco AnyConnect
-
Ratings
Zscaler Private Access
8.6
11 Ratings
10% above category average
Network Analytics00 Ratings8.811 Ratings
Threat Recognition00 Ratings8.99 Ratings
Vulnerability Classification00 Ratings8.97 Ratings
Automated Alerts and Reporting00 Ratings8.210 Ratings
Threat Analysis00 Ratings8.67 Ratings
Threat Intelligence Reporting00 Ratings8.17 Ratings
Automated Threat Identification00 Ratings8.59 Ratings
Zero Trust Security
Comparison of Zero Trust Security features of Product A and Product B
Cisco AnyConnect
-
Ratings
Zscaler Private Access
9.1
11 Ratings
4% above category average
Continuous Verification00 Ratings8.911 Ratings
Secure Web Gateways00 Ratings9.211 Ratings
Network Flow Control00 Ratings9.110 Ratings
Network Traffic Analysis00 Ratings9.09 Ratings
Segmentation Leveraging00 Ratings9.010 Ratings
Admin Access Control00 Ratings9.19 Ratings
Network Data Encryption00 Ratings9.211 Ratings
Network Topology Mapping00 Ratings9.011 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Cisco AnyConnectZscaler Private Access
Small Businesses
Norton 360
Norton 360
Score 7.0 out of 10
ThreatLocker
ThreatLocker
Score 9.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Quantum Firewalls and Security Gateways
Quantum Firewalls and Security Gateways
Score 9.3 out of 10
Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access
Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access
Score 8.3 out of 10
Enterprises
Quantum Firewalls and Security Gateways
Quantum Firewalls and Security Gateways
Score 9.3 out of 10
Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access
Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access
Score 8.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Cisco AnyConnectZscaler Private Access
Likelihood to Recommend
8.8
(112 ratings)
9.1
(15 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.9
(12 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(91 ratings)
9.1
(10 ratings)
Availability
9.9
(9 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
8.4
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.4
(93 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.0
(7 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
10.0
(7 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.7
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco AnyConnectZscaler Private Access
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco
Cisco AnyConnect has allowed me to connect to the network when I am not at the office. For example, in an international digital campaign, it was possible to access readily important files and work on other collaborative working spaces without any violation of security measures. I noticed that there was a slight lag whenever several members of the team logged in at the same time during the weekend.
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Zscaler
Zscaler Private Access works really well in environments setup for FQDNs and where you know what users should/shouldn't be accessing on what ports. You can use Zscaler Private Access to figure out these kinds of features but that doesn't always mean you'll be correct. It also provides a consistent experience for users as they can access their materials anywhere. It also makes the user the last line of defense. If a user's account is compromised then the attacker has access to everything they already did. It doesn't work great in OT environments or Server based environments. Flows have to be initiated from the client and not the server for stuff to behave properly.
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Pros
Cisco
  • It provides you an exceptional hybrid work experience. It enables your employees to work seamlessly from home, office, and other branches.
  • It enables your employees to access corporate applications anytime, even after office hours.
  • It helps your team to maintain a healthy work-life balance and boosts your productivity.
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Zscaler
  • Allows strong cyber security corporate policies
  • Very reliable VPN application that operates at 100% efficiency
  • Very easy to be configured with friendly user interface
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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.
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Zscaler
  • Granularity and Complexity of Policy Enforcement
  • Application Segmentation and Listener Configuration - The way applications are defined and listened for is fundamental to ZPA, but can be a source of frustration, especially when dealing with legacy or non-HTTP protocols
  • The ZCC is the user's primary gateway, but its control over local system network behavior can sometimes clash with enterprise requirements.
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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.
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Zscaler
No answers on this topic
Usability
Cisco
It has many advantages and uses other than other common VPNs but it's very important to understand the problems and issues which till not solved yet. The major issue is there is no support system or no body is doing hypercare for clients or client organizations. Speed is good, but making a connection is worse, and nobody cares about it.
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Zscaler
The environment feels more secure, and we are seeing that users are adapting to it fast. The fact that we have tools to assist the users with their day-to-day access helps, as we can hand it off to the helpdesk without any escalations to the Network team. It is a work in progress for our agency, but we are seeing the benefits from the solution.
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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.
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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.
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Zscaler
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Cisco
Because whenever I log the case with Cisco support, yes they have come back with valid technical data. So this is what has happened and we could fix it in this way. That support will detail what happened and how to get it overcome very quickly. That's what I like. The support level we get is really good for the product
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Zscaler
No answers on this topic
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?
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Zscaler
No answers on this topic
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.
Read full review
Zscaler
Well ZPA is a good solution, however everyone has their own advantage and disadvantages, with ZPA you can deploy ZTNA model, which will help you better control on access, however Palo Alto, Fortinet they are also market leading firewall solution, and you can not deny if they are not providing the same features.
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.
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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.
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Zscaler
  • Positive: We have now charged users internally for the service
  • Negative: Dealing with users who also have the Zscaler Client Connector for their company, can cause confusions
  • Negative: Enabling the Zscaler Internet Access entitlement has been a major headache for us because Zscaler Private Access users can't autheniticate through ZIA on a non corporate device.
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ScreenShots

Zscaler Private Access Screenshots

Screenshot of how ZPA provides access for all users while minimizing the attack surface, eliminating lateral movement, and stopping zero day threats. A cloud native service, ZPA can be deployed in just hours to replace legacy remote access tools like VPNs and VDIs.