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Switching guide

Cisco alternatives: SASE platforms compared for 2026

Short answer

The highest-scoring alternatives to Cisco on our weights are Cato Networks, Netskope and Fortinet. Cisco scores 5.30 and ranks 6 of 6. A SASE migration usually runs site by site, so the right alternative depends on which criteria matter most to you.

By The Transit Desk · Best SASE Platforms · Published

Desk research from each vendor's own public pages.

Why do teams look beyond Cisco?

  • SD-WAN comes from one of two separate product lines paired with Secure Access, per Cisco's SASE page.
  • No backbone, PoP or uptime figures on the pages we read.
  • CASB, FWaaS, DLP and remote browser isolation are not named on the pages we read.

Which alternatives score highest?

  1. 1.

    Cato Networks

    Cato Networks total 8.70 / 10
    Cato Networks SASE ring: lists 8 of 8 components.8/88 of 8

    Cato SASE Platform: SD-WAN, SSE, ZTNA and AI security on one global cloud

    Scores higher than Cisco on: converged architecture, global network, as the vendor states it, component coverage, unified management and policy, vulnerability response transparency, published compliance certifications and AI security inside the platform.

    Pairing

  2. 2.

    Netskope

    Netskope total 8.00 / 10
    Netskope SASE ring: lists 8 of 8 components.8/88 of 8

    Netskope One: SSE, SD-WAN and AI security on the NewEdge network

    Scores higher than Cisco on: converged architecture, global network, as the vendor states it, component coverage, unified management and policy, published compliance certifications and AI security inside the platform.

    Cisco scores higher on: deployment options.

    Pairing

  3. 3.

    Fortinet

    Fortinet total 7.10 / 10
    Fortinet SASE ring: lists 6 of 8 components.6/86 of 8

    FortiSASE and Fortinet Unified SASE (FortiSASE with Secure SD-WAN on FortiOS)

    Scores higher than Cisco on: converged architecture, global network, as the vendor states it, component coverage, unified management and policy, vulnerability response transparency and deployment options.

    Cisco scores higher on: published compliance certifications.

    Pairing

  4. 4.

    Palo Alto Networks

    Palo Alto Networks total 7.05 / 10
    Palo Alto Networks SASE ring: lists 8 of 8 components.8/88 of 8

    Prisma SASE: Prisma Access, Prisma SD-WAN, Prisma Browser and related products

    Scores higher than Cisco on: converged architecture, global network, as the vendor states it, component coverage, unified management and policy, published compliance certifications and AI security inside the platform.

    Cisco scores higher on: deployment options.

    Pairing

  5. 5.

    Zscaler

    Zscaler total 6.00 / 10
    Zscaler SASE ring: lists 6 of 8 components.6/86 of 8

    Zero Trust Exchange: ZIA, ZPA, Zero Trust Branch and Zero Trust SD-WAN

    Scores higher than Cisco on: converged architecture, global network, as the vendor states it, component coverage and AI security inside the platform.

    Cisco scores higher on: unified management and policy, published compliance certifications and deployment options.

    Pairing

When does staying with Cisco make sense?

Staying with Cisco makes sense if your branches run Cisco or Meraki SD-WAN and you want an SSE from the same vendor, or if FedRAMP authorization for Secure Access is a requirement.

What should a migration plan cover?

Map which sites run Cisco SD-WAN and which run Meraki SD-WAN, and decide whether the SD-WAN layer moves with the security service. List the Secure Access policies, VPNaaS users and ZTNA apps in scope, and confirm how the target platform covers the components you need.

Frequently asked questions

What is the top-scoring alternative to Cisco?

Cato Networks at 8.70 on our default weights. It scores higher than Cisco on converged architecture, global network, as the vendor states it, component coverage, unified management and policy, vulnerability response transparency, published compliance certifications and AI security inside the platform.

Which Cisco alternatives list FedRAMP?

Netskope and Palo Alto Networks, on the pages we read.

Which Cisco alternatives list all eight SASE components?

Cato Networks, Netskope and Palo Alto Networks.

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