Cloudflare excels as a content delivery and DDoS protection platform with a $20/month entry point, while Zscaler specializes in Zero Trust security with advanced threat prevention and costs $25-40 per user monthly. Cloudflare serves web performance needs; Zscaler addresses comprehensive network security.
Cloudflare vs Zscaler — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
CDN and cybersecurity platform providing DDoS protection, performance optimization, and security services.
Zero Trust network security platform with advanced threat detection and encrypted access control.
Primary Use Case. Starting Price (Monthly). Global Data Centers. Zero Trust Architecture. Advanced Threat Detection. Setup Complexity. Gartner Magic Quadrant (2024)
Choose Cloudflare if you need fast, affordable web performance optimization, DDoS protection, and CDN services with minimal configuration overhead. Choose Zscaler if your organization requires enterprise-grade Zero Trust security, advanced threat prevention, encrypted tunnel access, and comprehensive network security with the scale to support thousands of users.
Cloudflare: Developer-focused | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Cloudflare DNS primary | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: DDoS, threat intelligence, WARP, Magic | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Community & documentation | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: $10.20 (at-cost) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Excellent for enterprise | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Industry standard | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Highly accessible with strong freemium | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 74% planning to expand | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Comprehensive and standardized | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Superior and broader distribution | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 31% (Q3 2025: $562M) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Growing (not disclosed) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Workers Bindings, multimodal models, AI agents | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 230+ billion threats blocked | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Free tier + affordable paid plans | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Not specified | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Per-domain flat-rate plans | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Limited; requires manual configuration | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 100+ countries | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 230 billion threats (2026) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Yes, included in plans | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Cloudflare Workers (lightweight functions) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Limited, requires manual configuration | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Simple DNS-based setup | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Predictable, no hidden charges | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 275+ edge cities | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Unlimited on all plans | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Free tier available | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 310+ globally | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Included on all plans | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 24/7 community + paid support | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: No (requires external provider) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Not applicable | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 30-60 minutes | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 3.8M requests/month | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 121 Tbps network capacity | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: No native VMs; Workers $5-200/month | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: $20/month Pro plan | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 23ms (fastest DNS globally) | Zscaler: N/A
Supported Programming Languages (Workers/Serverless)
Cloudflare: JavaScript/TypeScript, Rust, C, C++ (WebAssembly) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 15 minutes (Enterprise) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 300+ across 100+ countries | Zscaler: N/A
DNS Query Response Time (Global Average)
Cloudflare: Yes - full CDN, DNS, DDoS protection | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Cloudflare Workers - included | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Yes - full-featured | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Advanced (free tier + enterprise) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Free Universal SSL all plans | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Unlimited (CDN-based) | Zscaler: 50,000+
Cloudflare: 71+ Tbps | Zscaler: Not published
Cloudflare: Partial (requires Access addon) | Zscaler: Full native implementation
Cloudflare: 10-15 minutes | Zscaler: 2-4 hours
Cloudflare: Not optimized | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Yes, included | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 5-10 (DNS propagation) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Cloudflare Workers (full serverless) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 25+ core services | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: $20 (Pro plan) | Zscaler: $25/user
Cloudflare: Yes, all plans | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 5 minutes (DNS change) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 1 (Cloudflare D1 beta) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: ~30ms (median global) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 150 Tbps (Pro plan) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Yes ($20/month plan) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Native REST + GraphQL APIs | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: $20 (Pro plan) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: 1 (D1 SQLite) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Workers AI (beta), limited models | Zscaler: N/A
Serverless Function Cost (1M executions/month)
Cloudflare: $1.50 (Workers) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Not offered (Kubernetes at edge via Workers) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Yes (with core features) | Zscaler: N/A
Global Website Speed Improvement (Average)
Cloudflare: L3/L4 included | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: N/A (not a registrar) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: $0 (included) | Zscaler: N/A
Cloudflare: Yes (Pro plan+) | Zscaler: N/A
How to choose between Cloudflare and Zscaler
Cloudflare vs Zscaler — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Cloudflare vs Zscaler. Contains 114 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Cloudflare vs Zscaler — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Cloudflare vs Zscaler.
Which platform is better for small businesses?
Cloudflare is better for small businesses due to its $20/month starting price, simple DNS-based setup (no technical expertise required), and immediate DDoS/WAF protection. Zscaler's per-user pricing ($25-40) and complex configuration make it more suitable for enterprises with dedicated security teams.
Does Cloudflare offer Zero Trust security like Zscaler?
Cloudflare offers Zero Trust capabilities through its separate Cloudflare Access product, but it's not as natively integrated or comprehensive as Zscaler's platform. Zscaler was purpose-built around Zero Trust architecture, while Cloudflare added it as an extension to its CDN services.
Which handles encrypted traffic inspection better?
Zscaler excels at encrypted traffic inspection with deep SSL/TLS decryption and behavioral AI analysis of 40+ threat categories. Cloudflare focuses on WAF and bot protection but doesn't offer the same level of encrypted traffic threat detection for enterprise-grade security.
Can I use Cloudflare and Zscaler together?
Yes, many enterprises use both: Cloudflare for web performance, DDoS mitigation, and WAF at the edge, while Zscaler handles comprehensive Zero Trust network security and encrypted tunnel access. They complement each other rather than compete directly.
Which platform is faster for content delivery?
Cloudflare is significantly faster for content delivery with 200+ global edge locations optimized for CDN performance and sub-100ms latency globally. Zscaler's 150+ locations prioritize security and access control rather than content caching, making Cloudflare the clear winner for web performance.
How to Choose Between Cloudflare and Zscaler
Primary Use Case: Cloudflare has CDN, DDoS protection, web performance, while Zscaler has Zero Trust network security, threat prevention.
Starting Price (Monthly): Cloudflare has $20 per domain/zone, while Zscaler has $25-40 per user.
Global Data Centers: Cloudflare has 200+ locations, while Zscaler has 150+ locations.
Zero Trust Architecture: Cloudflare has Basic (Access product separate), while Zscaler has Native, comprehensive.
Advanced Threat Detection: Cloudflare has WAF and bot protection, while Zscaler has Advanced sandboxing, behavioral AI.
Setup Complexity: Cloudflare has Simple DNS/CNAME setup, while Zscaler has Complex enterprise deployment.
Gartner Magic Quadrant (2024): Cloudflare has Leader (DDoS mitigation), while Zscaler has Leader (SASE/Zero Trust).