Comparison

pfSense vs Zscaler Internet Access

No leader: the top candidate Zscaler Internet Access has only 0.09 confidence (low), below the 0.35 needed to declare a winner. The attribute-by-attribute breakdown below, with a source and date on every value, is the honest way to compare them.

Machine formatsJSONMarkdownGraphQLor send Accept: application/json
pfSense42
Zscaler Internet Access58
Score
Vioscale score
pfSense42 / 100low · 26%updating
Zscaler Internet Access58 / 100low · 9%updating
Pricing
Free tier
pfSense
Zscaler Internet Access
Model
pfSensefreemium
Zscaler Internet Accesscommercial
Price level
pfSenselow
Zscaler Internet Access
Transparent
pfSense
Zscaler Internet Access
Integrations
Count
pfSense10
Zscaler Internet Access3
Security
Gdpr
pfSense
Zscaler Internet Access
Market
Availability

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for firewalls. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Capabilities
Form factor
pfSense-
Zscaler Internet AccessCloud delivered
Ips ids inline
pfSense-
Zscaler Internet Access-
App id l7 filtering
pfSense-
Zscaler Internet Access
Tls ssl inspection
pfSense-
Zscaler Internet Access
Sdwan integrated
pfSense-
Zscaler Internet Access-
Threat intel feed
pfSense-
Zscaler Internet Access
Central management console
pfSense-
Zscaler Internet Access
Ha clustering
pfSense-
Zscaler Internet Access-
Site to site VPN
pfSense-
Zscaler Internet Access-
Remote access VPN ZTNA
pfSense-
Zscaler Internet Access
Fips 140 validated
pfSense-
Zscaler Internet Access-
Common criteria certified
pfSense-
Zscaler Internet Access-
Open source
pfSense-
Zscaler Internet Access-
Pricing model
pfSense-
Zscaler Internet Access-

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

pfSense

A comprehensive network security solution offering firewall, VPN, and routing capabilities. Deployed across millions of installations globally, it serves organizations from small businesses to large enterprises and government agencies.

Independently observed

Zscaler Internet Access

A cloud-delivered secure web gateway that uses zero-trust proxy architecture to inspect all TLS/SSL traffic at scale and protect against threats, malware, and unauthorized access to SaaS and cloud applications. It combines AI-powered threat detection, identity-based policies, and real-time intelligence to secure internet access from any location.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

pfSense

HybridFree tier

Free community edition (pfSense CE) plus subscription-based pfSense Plus with cloud marketplace options

as of verify ↗

Zscaler Internet Access

Pricing not documented yet.

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
pfSense
Zscaler Internet Access
CLI
pfSense
Zscaler Internet Access
Deployment
Cloud / SaaS
pfSense
Zscaler Internet Access
Self-hosted
pfSense
Zscaler Internet Access
On-premise
pfSense
Zscaler Internet Access

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

pfSense

10 total
  • AWS Marketplace
  • Azure Marketplace
  • FreeBSD
  • FD.io VPP
  • DPDK
  • OpenVPN
  • IPsec
  • WireGuard
  • Snort
  • Suricata
Independently observed

Zscaler Internet Access

3 total
  • SIEM
  • SOAR
  • XDR
Independently observed

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.