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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Cisco AnyConnect

    Score8.6 out of 10
    N/ACisco offers an SSL VPN solution via AnyConnect.N/A

    Zscaler Private Access

    Score7.9 out of 10
    N/AZscaler 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
    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 …
    Incentivized
    Zscaler
    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 …
    Incentivized
    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
    Incentivized
    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 …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    95%
    Would buy again
    74 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    97%
    Delivers good value for the price
    63 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    95%
    Happy with the feature set
    74 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    92%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    49 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    96%
    Implementation went as expected
    54 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    Cisco AnyConnectZscaler Private Access
    Virtual Private Network
    Comparison of Virtual Private Network features of Cisco AnyConnect and Zscaler Private Access
    Feature
    Cisco AnyConnect
    8.7
    4 Ratings
    4% below category average
    Zscaler Private Access
    -
    Ratings
    AES 256-bit Encryption9.54 Ratings00 Ratings
    Kill Switch8.12 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multi-Platform Support9.84 Ratings00 Ratings
    Split Tunneling9.54 Ratings00 Ratings
    IP Address Masking8.53 Ratings00 Ratings
    No-Logs Policy8.12 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multiple Server Locations8.23 Ratings00 Ratings
    Automatic Wi-Fi Protection9.43 Ratings00 Ratings
    Simultaneous Connections7.62 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customer Support Services8.44 Ratings00 Ratings
    Threat Intelligence
    Comparison of Threat Intelligence features of Cisco AnyConnect and Zscaler Private Access
    Feature
    Cisco AnyConnect
    -
    Ratings
    Zscaler Private Access
    10.0
    1 Ratings
    13% above category average
    Network Analytics00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Automated Alerts and Reporting00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Zero Trust Security
    Comparison of Zero Trust Security features of Cisco AnyConnect and Zscaler Private Access
    Feature
    Cisco AnyConnect
    -
    Ratings
    Zscaler Private Access
    10.0
    1 Ratings
    7% above category average
    Continuous Verification00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Secure Web Gateways00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Network Flow Control00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Network Data Encryption00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Network Topology Mapping00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Cisco AnyConnectZscaler Private 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
    Zscaler Internet Access
    Score8.8 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Cisco AnyConnectZscaler Private Access
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.5
    (98 ratings)
    8.0
    (5 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.8
    (12 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    9.0
    (76 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Availability
    9.9
    (9 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    7.3
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    8.2
    (80 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
    8.2
    (2 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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    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
    • 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.
    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
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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.
    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
    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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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?
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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.
    Incentivized
    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.
    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
    • 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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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.