Best ZTNA Solutions for Businesses (2026): 11 Options Compared
Which tool should replace your VPN? The best ZTNA solutions all promise app-level access instead of network access, but they differ in how they connect users, whether they need an agent, and whether they come as standalone ZTNA or part of a larger SASE platform. This guide compares 11 options neutrally, with no rankings.
What Are the Best ZTNA Solutions in 2026?
Widely used ZTNA solutions include Zscaler Private Access, Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access, Netskope One Private Access, Cloudflare Access, Microsoft Entra Private Access, Cisco Secure Access, Fortinet Universal ZTNA, Check Point Harmony SASE, Cato Networks, Twingate and Tailscale. The right one depends on your identity provider, where your apps live, agentless needs and whether you want full SASE.
Best ZTNA Solutions Compared (Quick Table)
| Solution | Delivery | Agentless option | Part of wider SASE/SSE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zscaler Private Access | Cloud | Yes (browser access) | Yes |
| Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access | Cloud | Yes | Yes |
| Netskope One Private Access | Cloud plus local broker | Yes (browser access) | Yes |
| Cloudflare Access | Cloud | Yes (browser-rendered SSH, RDP, web) | Yes |
| Microsoft Entra Private Access | Cloud | No (client required) | Yes (Global Secure Access) |
| Cisco Secure Access | Cloud | Yes (clientless web) | Yes |
| Fortinet Universal ZTNA | On-premises gateway or cloud | Yes (web proxy) | Optional |
| Check Point Harmony SASE | Cloud | Yes (web portal) | Yes |
| Cato Networks | Cloud | Yes | Yes |
| Twingate | Cloud with connectors | Limited | No |
| Tailscale | Peer-to-peer mesh | No | No |
How We Compiled This List
We included vendors with established ZTNA products that serve businesses, and checked each feature against the vendor’s own product pages and documentation in October 2026. We do not rate, score or rank vendors, and we do not quote prices, because pricing is quote-based or changes often. Listing order is not a preference.
ZTNA Solutions for Businesses: Vendor Profiles
1. Zscaler Private Access
ZPA is part of the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange. App Connectors sit near your applications and make outbound-only connections, so apps need no inbound ports and stay invisible to the internet. Users connect through Zscaler Client Connector, and the service builds a separate microtunnel per user and app. Typical fit: large, distributed enterprises.
2. Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access
Prisma Access delivers ZTNA within Palo Alto Networks’ SASE platform. The vendor uses the term “ZTNA 2.0” for continuous trust checks after access is granted and continuous inspection of allowed traffic for threats. A ZTNA Connector links private apps. Typical fit: organizations already using Palo Alto Networks firewalls.
3. Netskope One Private Access
Netskope’s private access product supports agent-based and browser access, with policies based on identity, device posture and context. Local brokers keep on-premises traffic local, and built-in threat protection and DLP inspect private app traffic. Typical fit: data-focused security teams using Netskope SSE.
4. Cloudflare Access
Cloudflare Access runs on Cloudflare’s global network. Apps are published through Cloudflare Tunnel (cloudflared), which makes outbound connections, and SSH and RDP can be rendered in the browser without a client. Typical fit: teams wanting agentless web and admin access and global reach.
5. Microsoft Entra Private Access
Part of Microsoft’s Global Secure Access, it uses private network connectors and the Global Secure Access client. Quick Access offers VPN-like reach as a first step, then per-app access narrows it. Conditional Access policies, including MFA, apply to private apps. Typical fit: Microsoft 365 and Entra ID organizations.
6. Cisco Secure Access
Cisco’s SSE platform supports client-based ZTNA through Cisco Secure Client for TCP and UDP apps, and clientless browser access for web apps on unmanaged devices. Resource connectors link private resources. Typical fit: Cisco network environments.
7. Fortinet Universal ZTNA
Fortinet uses FortiClient as the agent and FortiGate, among other products, as the ZTNA application gateway, with FortiClient EMS sharing device posture. The same model can apply on and off the corporate network. Typical fit: on-premises and hybrid Fortinet networks.
8. Check Point Harmony SASE
Formerly Perimeter 81, now branded Check Point SASE on Check Point’s site, it offers full network ZTNA through its agent and agentless application access through a web portal for HTTPS, RDP, SSH and VNC apps, useful for contractors and personal devices. Typical fit: midsize businesses wanting simple management.
9. Cato Networks
Cato delivers ZTNA as part of its single-vendor Cato SASE Cloud, which combines networking and security through its own points of presence, with client and clientless access options. Typical fit: businesses connecting branches and remote users on one platform.
10. Twingate
Twingate uses outbound-only Connectors deployed behind your firewall, so no inbound ports are opened. Split tunneling sends only traffic for authorized resources through Twingate, and access rules are set per resource. Typical fit: smaller teams wanting fast setup.
11. Tailscale
Tailscale builds a private mesh network, a “tailnet,” on WireGuard. Devices connect peer to peer where possible, with relays as a fallback, and access control policies restrict which users and devices can reach each other. Typical fit: developer and infrastructure access.
How to Choose a ZTNA Solution
Agent-Based vs Agentless Access
Agents support device posture checks and any protocol. Agentless browser access suits contractors and unmanaged devices but usually covers fewer protocols.
Standalone ZTNA vs Full SASE
Standalone ZTNA replaces VPN access to private apps. SASE adds secure web gateway, CASB and SD-WAN. Choose based on whether you plan to consolidate.
Identity Provider and Device Posture Integration
Confirm support for your identity provider, MFA and device management tool, since access decisions depend on them.
Pricing Models and Hidden Costs
Most vendors price per user or by bundle. Ask about connector infrastructure, support tiers, data processing locations and costs of features sold separately.
ZTNA vs VPN: Why Businesses Are Switching
A VPN places users on the network, so a stolen login can reach far more than it should. ZTNA grants access to specific apps only, hides those apps from the internet and checks identity and device health per session. Both CISA and the UK NCSC have warned that internet-facing VPN appliances are frequent attack targets.
Who Needs a ZTNA Solution?
ZTNA suits businesses with remote or hybrid staff, contractors needing limited access, apps spread across data centers and clouds, or a VPN that has become a security or performance burden.
The Future of ZTNA Solutions
The best ZTNA solutions are converging with SASE, adding inspection, AI-assisted policy tuning and browser-based access. Expect the choice to rest less on features and more on fit with your identity, network and existing vendors. Shortlist two or three, run a pilot with real users, then decide. To plan your move from VPN to ZTNA, contact Cyber Security Solutions Ltd through our contact page.
FAQs
ZTNA places a broker between users and applications. When a user requests an app, the service checks identity, device health and context against policy, then connects the user to that one app only. Applications usually sit behind outbound-only connectors, so they are not exposed to the internet and cannot be scanned directly.
ZTNA 2.0 is a term used by Palo Alto Networks. It describes continuing to verify trust after access is granted and inspecting all allowed traffic for threats, rather than only checking at login. Other vendors offer similar continuous checks under different names, so compare actual capabilities rather than labels.
For most user access to private applications, yes. Many vendors, including Microsoft and Netskope, position ZTNA as a VPN replacement. Some legacy apps, server-to-server traffic or apps needing inbound connections may still need extra planning. A common approach is broad VPN-like access first, then narrowing to per-app policies.
Vendors offering agentless or clientless access include Cloudflare Access, Check Point Harmony SASE, Cisco Secure Access, Netskope, Zscaler and Fortinet through its web proxy. Agentless access works through a browser, which suits contractors and personal devices, but usually supports fewer protocols and weaker device posture checks than an installed agent.
Yes. Several products are designed for quick setup, with cloud consoles, simple connectors and integrations with common identity providers. A small team can often publish its first private app in a day. The main work is deciding who needs access to what, which also improves security across the business.
In practice, yes. ZTNA decisions depend on knowing who the user is, so most products integrate with identity providers such as Microsoft Entra ID, Okta or Google Workspace, and use their MFA. Some include built-in user directories for small teams, but a central identity provider gives stronger, easier control.
