Netskope has established itself as a major player in cloud security, offering a comprehensive SASE platform that combines CASB, Secure Web Gateway, ZTNA, and DLP capabilities. But it's not the right fit for every organization.
Whether you're evaluating Netskope for the first time or looking for alternatives due to pricing, complexity, or specific feature requirements, understanding the competitive landscape is essential for making the right decision.
This guide breaks down the top Netskope competitors in 2026, comparing their strengths, limitations, and ideal use cases to help you find the solution that best matches your security needs.
Before diving into the alternatives, it's worth understanding why organizations seek Netskope competitors in the first place:
Pricing and Total Cost of Ownership
Netskope's pricing ranges from medium to expensive, with licensing structured on an annual basis. While the platform offers comprehensive features, smaller organizations and mid-market companies often find the cost difficult to justify, especially when they only need a subset of capabilities.
Deployment Complexity
The platform requires specialized expertise for deployment, leading to extended implementation timelines. Organizations without dedicated security engineering resources often struggle with the initial setup and ongoing configuration.
Learning Curve
Netskope's extensive feature set comes with a steep learning curve. Users report that mastering the entire tool can be time-intensive, which delays time-to-value and increases the burden on security teams.
Performance Considerations
Some users report that the Netskope client can cause noticeable latency when accessing websites and may impact overall internet speed, affecting user productivity.
Feature Overlap
Organizations that already have point solutions for certain capabilities (like DLP or web filtering) may find Netskope's all-in-one approach redundant and prefer more focused tools.
SaaS-Specific Security Gaps
While Netskope excels at inline traffic inspection, organizations focused primarily on SaaS security posture management, OAuth governance, and identity risks may find purpose-built SSPM platforms more effective.
We assessed each alternative across these key dimensions:
Perimeters is a purpose-built SaaS security platform that provides comprehensive visibility, automated remediation, and identity governance across your entire SaaS environment.
Unlike Netskope's traffic-centric approach, Perimeters focuses on securing SaaS applications at the configuration, identity, and OAuth layer.
Core Capabilities
Strengths
Limitations
Pricing: $3 per active user per month. Free risk assessment available.
Best For: Mid-market organizations and enterprises that need comprehensive SaaS security without the complexity and cost of a full SASE platform. Ideal for teams focused on Shadow IT discovery, OAuth risks, identity governance, and compliance.
Zscaler is Netskope's most direct competitor, offering a cloud-native security platform that includes Zero Trust Exchange, Internet Access (ZIA), Private Access (ZPA), and Digital Experience monitoring. It's built for large enterprises with complex security requirements.
Core Capabilities
Strengths
Limitations
Pricing: Quote-based, typically higher than Netskope for comparable feature sets.
Best For: Large enterprises with mature security teams that need a comprehensive SASE solution and have the budget and resources for a complex deployment.
Prisma Access is Palo Alto Networks' cloud-delivered security platform, combining ZTNA, Cloud SWG, and CASB capabilities with Palo Alto's industry-leading threat intelligence. It's particularly strong for organizations already invested in the Palo Alto ecosystem.
Core Capabilities
Strengths
Limitations
Pricing: Quote-based, typically more expensive than Netskope initially but may offer better value for organizations with existing Palo Alto investments.
Best For: Enterprises already using Palo Alto firewalls or Cortex that want unified security management across their hybrid environment.
Cisco Umbrella provides cloud-delivered security that combines DNS-layer security, Secure Web Gateway, CASB, and cloud firewall capabilities. It excels at blocking threats before they reach the network and integrates well with Cisco's broader security portfolio.
Core Capabilities
Strengths
Limitations
Pricing: Quote-based, with pricing that varies significantly based on feature set and user count.
Best For: Organizations with existing Cisco infrastructure looking for integrated security, or those that prioritize DNS-layer protection and fast deployment over comprehensive CASB features.
Formerly Microsoft Cloud App Security, Defender for Cloud Apps is Microsoft's native CASB solution integrated into the Microsoft 365 security stack. It provides visibility and control over cloud applications, with deep integration into Microsoft's ecosystem.
Core Capabilities
Strengths
Limitations
Pricing: Included with Microsoft 365 E5 or available as standalone starting around $3.50/user/month.
Best For: Organizations heavily invested in Microsoft 365 that want CASB capabilities without adding another vendor to their security stack.
AppOmni specializes in SaaS security posture management with a strong focus on securing application settings and third-party integrations. It's widely adopted by large enterprises for reducing configuration drift and monitoring SaaS access.
Core Capabilities
Strengths
Limitations
Pricing: Enterprise pricing, typically $7,500+ per year for 100 users per SaaS app.
Best For: Large enterprises with significant Salesforce, ServiceNow, or other enterprise SaaS investments that need deep configuration security and compliance monitoring.
DoControl provides a unified SaaS security platform focused on data access governance and data loss prevention. It excels at providing granular control over data sharing and access within SaaS applications.
Core Capabilities
Strengths
Limitations
Pricing: Quote-based, enterprise-tier pricing.
Best For: Organizations where data access governance and DLP across SaaS applications are the primary security concerns.
Cato Networks pioneered the SASE category, offering a cloud-native platform that converges SD-WAN, security, and remote access into a single service. It's known for ease of deployment and strong SD-WAN capabilities.
Core Capabilities
Strengths
Limitations
Pricing: Quote-based, generally competitive with Netskope.
Best For: Organizations looking for a unified SASE solution with strong SD-WAN capabilities and easier deployment than Netskope or Zscaler.
Adaptive Shield, now part of CrowdStrike, is a leading SSPM solution that provides visibility and remediation of potential risks in the SaaS estate caused by misconfigurations and misappropriated privileges. Its acquisition by CrowdStrike positions it for deeper integration with endpoint and identity security.
Core Capabilities
Strengths
Limitations
Pricing: Enterprise pricing, available through CrowdStrike.
Best For: Organizations using CrowdStrike Falcon that want unified endpoint, identity, and SaaS security management.
BetterCloud is a SaaS management platform (SMP) that combines IT operations and security capabilities. It's particularly strong at user lifecycle management, automated workflows, and security policy enforcement across SaaS applications.
Core Capabilities
Strengths
Limitations
Pricing: Quote-based, typically more accessible than enterprise SSPM tools.
Best For: IT teams that need to combine SaaS management, user lifecycle automation, and basic security capabilities in a single platform.
While Netskope excels at inline traffic inspection and comprehensive SASE capabilities, many organizations don't need (or want to pay for) that level of complexity. If your primary goal is securing your SaaS environment, Perimeters.io offers a compelling alternative:
Purpose-Built for SaaS
Perimeters.io focuses exclusively on SaaS security, providing deeper visibility into application configurations, OAuth risks, and identity governance than Netskope's CASB module.
Minutes to Deploy, Not Months
Connect your Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Salesforce environments in minutes. No agents, no traffic steering, no complex network changes.
Transparent Pricing
At $3 per active user per month, Perimeters.io delivers enterprise-grade SaaS security at a fraction of Netskope's cost. No surprise fees, no complex licensing tiers.
OAuth Security Leadership
The Snowflake breach, the Salesloft Drift breach: these incidents proved that OAuth tokens and third-party app permissions are critical blind spots. Perimeters.io was built to close exactly these gaps.
Automated Remediation
Don't just detect issues; fix them. Perimeters.io provides one-click remediation and automated workflows that reduce the burden on your security team.
Netskope is a powerful platform, but it's not the right solution for every organization. The best alternative depends on your specific requirements:
The key is matching your security priorities, budget, and team capabilities to the right solution rather than defaulting to the biggest name in the market.
Ready to see how Perimeters.io secures your SaaS environment?
Book a demo to see what real SaaS security looks like.
Netskope is a cloud security platform that provides CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker), Secure Web Gateway, Zero Trust Network Access, and Data Loss Prevention capabilities. It's designed to protect users, data, and applications across cloud services, web traffic, and private applications.
Both are leading SASE platforms with similar capabilities. Netskope is often considered more cost-effective with stronger CASB features, while Zscaler has a larger global infrastructure and is often preferred for pure zero-trust network access. The best choice depends on your specific requirements and existing infrastructure.
Netskope focuses on inline traffic inspection, controlling what users can access and what data can flow. SSPM tools like Perimeters.io focus on securing SaaS applications themselves, including configurations, permissions, OAuth grants, and identity governance. Many organizations use both for comprehensive cloud security.
Netskope pricing is quote-based and typically ranges from $8-20+ per user per month depending on the features selected. Implementation costs and professional services can add significantly to the total cost of ownership.
For small and mid-sized businesses, Perimeters.io offers comprehensive SaaS security at $3/user/month with simple deployment. Cato Networks and Cisco Umbrella are also more accessible than Netskope for organizations with limited security resources.
Yes. Many organizations deploy SSPM tools like Perimeters.io alongside CASB/SASE platforms. SSPM provides deeper SaaS configuration and identity security, while CASB provides inline traffic inspection. Together, they offer comprehensive cloud security coverage.
