Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary
Updated on Jan 24, 2024

We compared Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform and Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks across several parameters based on our user reviews. After reading the collected data, you can find our conclusion below:

Initial Setup: The duration required to establish Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform varies, with some users reporting longer timeframes for deployment and setup. Users of Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks reported similar timeframes for both phases.

Valuable Features: Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform is known for its robust security measures, efficient network connectivity, advanced analytics capabilities, and reliable customer support. Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks stands out for its advanced threat prevention capabilities, secure remote office and mobile user connectivity, ease of use, scalability, and flexibility.

Room For Improvement: Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform could improve in terms of performance, reliability, user interface, navigation, documentation, and integration options. Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks needs enhancements in speed, connectivity, compatibility, integration, and customer support.

Setup Cost: Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform is deemed affordable and reasonable, with transparent and flexible licensing terms. Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks is also regarded as reasonably priced, with a straightforward and user-friendly licensing process.

ROI: Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform offers increased network security, simplified management, improved performance, and cost savings. Users praise its integrative features and flexibility. Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks also provides positive results and a significant ROI.

Customer Service: Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform stands out for its highly praised customer service and support. Users commend the top-notch assistance and guidance provided by the platform's support team. Palo Alto Networks received positive feedback for its prompt, effective customer service.

Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform is preferred over Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks. The Versa SASE Platform is praised for its robust security measures, seamless integration, advanced analytics, simplicity of use, and reliable customer support. Users also highlight the positive ROI, reasonable pricing, and flexibility of the Versa SASE Platform. User feedback suggests that Prisma Access could benefit from improvements in speed, performance, seamless integration, and support responsiveness.

770,458 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"The protection offered by the product is the most valuable feature. It detects vulnerabilities or traps on our users' phones and then prompts them to clean up their devices. Tools we used previously would only discover, which required us to gather information on the backend, so Lookout is a welcome upgrade.""The most valuable features are the antivirus as a whole, the anti-malware, and all of the protection features that scan our enterprise devices.""The solution is stable.""On the outside, the main differentiation is because Lookout ingest. They have ingested basically all of the apps for the last ten years and all the versions of all the apps, and we have that in a corporate database that allows us to do very large-scale machine learning and analysis on that data set. That's not something that any of the competitors really have the capability to do because they don't have access to the data set. A lot of the apps you can no longer get them because that version of the app is five or six years old, and it just doesn't exist anywhere anymore, except within our infrastructure. So, the ability to have that very rich dataset and learn from that dataset is a real differentiator."

More Lookout Pros →

"The most valuable feature is the ability to change the gateway. For example, if there's a problem with a specific region or vendor, we can make modifications. The solution is scalable, and there are different gateways that can be created depending on the demand.""It's very stable. Sometimes after installing the boxes, we leave them for one or two years. We would just touch the box in the case of the customer needing new requirements or changes to the setup.""Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks is a seamless solution.""The most valuable features of the solution are in the areas of the secure remote access it provides while also being user-friendly.""Prisma Access gives us security from a single point. It controls mobile users and determines how secure their networks will be, including from where they will get internet access. We can optimize things and add security profiles centrally.""It is easy to use, easy to integrate, and is stable. It's scalable as well.""It's quite reliable and performs well for users.""It supports auto-scaling for mobile users. It auto-scales depending on the mobile user traffic. For example, if 1,000 people are working from home today, and tomorrow, the number increases to 2,000, it is not going to be an issue."

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"There are great security and ops features without the need for having a different box for security.""The granularity when it comes to configuration and security features are valuable.""Our organization finds the application routing features extremely useful.""The flexibility is a great feature.""Versa FlexVNF is a scalable product because it does not have any hardware dependencies. This makes it a versatile solution that can be easily integrated with any firewall.""Overall, it's nice and very user friendly. That's what makes it so successful. They give you complicated features but with a very simple user interface, and that's been a big success for them.""The initial setup is simple.""The solution is stable and suitable."

More Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform Pros →

Cons
"From the analysis that we've done, they do seem to be maybe a step behind in trying to enter the market with a new solution. But when they do pick up, they do come out with some good products.""We just submitted an enhancement request reflecting the main area we want to see improvement in; the APIs. Currently, we're able to build dashboards, but it's somewhat backward because we use our MDM API to create them. Lookout should provide API to customers so we can query our data and use it in our cloud, and this is the only outstanding area for improvement with the product right now.""The stability depends on the service from where you access it. Because sometimes, the place you are in, you have Gateway. You don't have Gateway. The gateway is overutilized. At the end, you need to go through their gateways. And this is the key point here. You have a tracking point. If it's not well orchestrated, and it scales up as you add more to the existing team, you will suffer""Lookout was moving into the SSE space. And so their work on SecureWeb Gateway and SD-WAN is still sort of evolving."

More Lookout Cons →

"One area for improvement is for them to stay on top of keeping their CVEs on their platform up to date.""The initial support team is not very good. Most of the time, I have found that they are one to three years experienced only. They don't have network expertise. They know about Palo Alto products but don't know how to troubleshoot the issues. We have to guide them most of the time to troubleshoot correctly since their approach is not developed.""The documentation is generally good, but they could provide a more detailed description of all the configuration steps. I have to search for information or call support. Palo Alto could add more knowledge base articles about configuration with screenshots and walkthroughs. That would be helpful. When configuring a product, you want to see examples of how it is done.""The user interface could be better. They need to work a little bit on the console. It is similar to their firewalls but not exactly. They need to clean it up a bit.""Palo Alto Prisma 10 came out over a year ago. Palo Alto added this identity management feature. The legacy way Palo Alto selected which user is sitting on an IP address it passes through has been clunky.""There should be a dedicated portal or SASE-based solution. They're trying to add a plugin but it needs a dedicated portal because it is now an enterprise solution for multiple organizations. People should be able to directly log in to a dedicated page for Prisma Access, rather than going into a Panorama plugin, and always having to update the plugin.""The price can be reduced to make it more competitive.""The cloud setup is straightforward, and the onboarding process is much better, but the on-premises initial setup is slightly complex."

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"I heard about them for the first time just before I started working on Versa. They do have blogs for information, but they could publicize more about the documentation and architecture. It doesn't seem to have that much exposure, and they should work on their customer base more.""The UTM features can be improved. It should offer better functionality.""The VPN feature is relatively new. It came out two releases ago, and they're still fixing that up.""Another thing that should be improved in Versa are their firewall features.""We've had the odd occasional stability issue with software upgrades.""The security should be improved.""Certainly, there are areas that require enhancement, and the current focus is on improvements. Presently, I believe that the emphasis should be on enhancing user interface (UI) features, particularly over end devices. The issue arises when attempting to log in to Versa from other devices, as the UI is not device-specific. Consequently, guiding someone to log in to Versa antivirus becomes challenging. Despite the absence of issues on the website, the lack of a login scope impedes graphical representation of user data or databases. Since work databases support only a limited range of features, I recommend augmenting features for end devices to address these limitations.""The stability of FlexVNF's controller and devices could be improved."

More Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "The pricing is fair; it's comparable to our previous solution, and we carried out multiple POCs and POVs (proof of value). The product is worth the money we pay for it."
  • "Lookout is definitely on the lower end when it comes to price point and that seems to be the only differentiator. The technology is in place in this space and it's really about who is coming in at the better price point now."
  • "In terms of feature performance versus cost, they're a good value."
  • "The licensing costs are good. Prisma has much more options and support for security, but it has a higher cost. For example, Lookout costs 2/3rd of Prisma's licensing price."
  • More Lookout Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "The licensing cost is about 18,000 euros."
  • "Actually the solution is very expensive. I don't know the particulars since the purchasing team dealt with it."
  • "The pricing for this solution is on the higher end."
  • "Compared to other products, the price is slightly high."
  • "This is not an expensive product and everything is included with one license."
  • "Prisma Access is a little bit expensive."
  • "The licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis and for what we get, the price is good."
  • "The solution requires a license and the technical support has extra costs. The licensing model could improve."
  • More Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "The price is expensive but it makes sense for the market."
  • "It is not very expensive because of the white box support. Its hardware is much cheaper than other products. With the support for x86 and white box, it is one of the most cost-effective platforms that are currently available."
  • "While I cannot provide too much commentary on the price, I feel it to be fair for the moment."
  • "We provide subscriptions for our customers on a yearly, not monthly, basis."
  • "Price wise, it's more expensive than is the competition. I would give pricing a rating of three out of five."
  • "It is neither cheap nor expensive. I rate the pricing a five out of ten on a scale where one is cheap and ten is expensive."
  • "I find Versa a little more expensive than VMware in terms of remote access and secure web gateway elements."
  • More Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:The licensing costs are good. Prisma has much more options and support for security, but it has a higher cost. For… more »
    Top Answer:The solution could improve identity integration as well. Zero trust, it's a good start as a zero-trust solution… more »
    Top Answer: We looked into Prisma Access before choosing Zscaler Private Access (ZPA). Palo Alto’s Prisma Access is a secure… more »
    Top Answer:The most valuable features of the solution are in the areas of the secure remote access it provides while also being… more »
    Top Answer:Versa is a good centralized solution, where you're setting up your infrastructure in a data center type thing.
    Top Answer:Both Versa and VMware are cheap in terms of the router. I find Versa a little more expensive than VMware in terms of… more »
    Top Answer:We've had the odd occasional stability issue with software upgrades, etcetera. They don't support certain other… more »
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    CipherCloud
    Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access, Prisma Access, GlobalProtect, Palo Alto GlobalProtect Mobile Security Manager, Prisma SaaS by Palo Alto Networks, Prisma Access
    Versa FlexVNF, FlexVNF, Versa Titan
    Learn More
    Overview

    Lookout is a well-established and powerful secure web gateway (SWG) solution that protects more than 200 million users from threats that can result from the penetration of unsecured web traffic into their networks. Lookout is designed to enable organizations to work remotely while maintaining a tight blanket of security over their confidential business data. It provides administrators with security that extends from their endpoints to the cloud service that they are using to run their organization’s network. 

    Users of Lookout are able to proactively detect threats and keep themselves secure from a field of threats that constantly evolves. IT teams can protect their organizations without having to rely on any other security solutions. This singular solution can run on multiple kinds of mobile devices. The privacy of individuals is preserved while keeping compliance rules intact. Additionally, users gain access to a number of tools that enable them to prevent security breaches from taking place.

    Lookout Benefits

    Some of the ways that organizations can benefit by deploying Lookout include:

    • Ease of deployment. Lookout is a solution whose design makes it easy for users to deploy it. It provides users with simple, step-by-step instructions that remove the need for organizations to devote extensive amounts of time to make sure that it is properly set up. Anyone can quickly set up the solution without undergoing technical training. 
    • Built-in support. Users of the Lookout application have access to built-in demos that can teach them how to use various solution features. Instead of spending time trying to figure out the application, users can watch the demo that is most relevant to them and see for themselves how that particular feature is used.
    • Easy-to-use user interface. Lookout’s user interface is laid out in an intuitive way that makes it easy for administrators to navigate. This interface is present in both the mobile and desktop versions of this solution. 
    • Settings customization. Lookout has a built-in settings customization menu. This makes it possible for administrators to easily customize their settings so that they best conform to their needs. 

    Lookout Features

    • Activity monitoring and activity tracking. Lookout’s activity monitoring and activity tracking capabilities enable users to keep a close eye on the activities that are taking place in their networks. IT teams and administrators have the ability to watch their networks for any unusual activity. These features ensure that organizations can keep ahead of any potential threats. They provide the kinds of insights and warnings that make the jobs of those IT teams and administrators much easier and more streamlined. 
    • Encryption. Organizations that employ Lookout can encrypt their networks and keep crucial business data from being read by unauthorized parties. This feature keeps the secrets organizations are trying to keep out of the wrong hands.
    • Anti-virus tools. Lookout provides users with tools to block threats from harming their networks. These tools can successfully block 99.6 percent of threats without raising false alarms. 

    Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks provides consistent security for all users and applications across your remote networks. Prisma Access grants users safe access to the cloud and data center applications and the internet as well. In addition, the solution combines all of your security and networking capabilities into a single cloud-delivered platform, enabling flexible hybrid workforces.

    Prisma Access can be managed two ways:

    1. Cloud Managed
    2. Panorama Managed

    Prisma Access delivers both networking and security services, including:

    • SD-WAN
    • VPN
    • Zero Trust network access (ZTNA)
    • Quality of service (QoS)
    • Clean Pipe
    • Firewall as a service (FWaaS)
    • DNS Security
    • Threat Prevention
    • Cloud secure web gateway (SWG)
    • Data loss prevention (DLP)
    • Cloud access security broker (CASB)

    Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks Features

    Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks has many valuable key features including: App-ID, User-ID, Device-ID, SSL Decryption, Dynamic User Group (DUG) Monitoring, AI/ML-Based Detection, IoT Security, Reporting, URL Filtering, Enterprise Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM)*, Logging, Policy Automation, Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), and many more.

    Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks Benefits

    Some of the benefits of using Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks include:

    • Security: Prisma Access gives you consistent security to protect against cyberattacks, with enforcement of policy at every location. By implementing Prisma Access, you also gain protection that works to prevent known and unknown malware, exploits, credential theft, command and control, and many other attack vectors across all ports and protocols.

    • Global connectivity: Prisma Access provides global coverage through use of its connectivity layer.

    • Scalability: With Prisma Access, scaling is automatically managed and is scalable, flexible, and agile.

    • Instant deployment: Deployment is fast, eliminating wasted time that may otherwise be associated with setting up a solution, operating it, or shipping hardware in order to get started.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics

    users who are currently using the solution.

    PeerSpot user Partha D., Global Network Tech Lead at a computer software company, speaks about his experience using the product, saying, "It protects all app traffic so that users can gain access to all apps. Unlike other solutions that only work from ports 80 and 443, which are predominantly for web traffic, Prisma Access covers all protocols and works on all traffic patterns... The most sophisticated attacks can arise from sources that are not behind 80/443."

    Tejas J., a Sr. Cloud Security Architect at a computer software company, mentions that "it is geographically dispersed, and it sits on top of Google and AWS platforms. Therefore, you don't face the standard issues, such as latency or bandwidth issues, that you usually face in the case of on-prem data centers.

    Another PeerSpot reviewer, Max I., Associate Director at Cognizant, comments that "Security is absolutely spot-on, really top-notch. It's the result of all the components that come together, such as the HIP [Host Information Profile] and components like Forcepoint, providing end-user content inspection, and antivirus. It incorporates DLP features and that's fantastic because Prisma Access makes sure that all of the essential prerequisites are in place before a user can log in or can be tunneled into."

    The Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform is a comprehensive solution that provides secure access to cloud applications and services. It combines networking and security functions into a single platform, making it easier for organizations to manage their network infrastructure. The platform includes features such as SD-WAN, VPN, firewall, web filtering, and more. It also offers advanced security capabilities such as intrusion prevention, malware protection, and threat intelligence. With the Versa SASE Platform, organizations can ensure secure access to their cloud applications and services from any location, while also reducing costs and simplifying network management.

    Sample Customers
    Concord Hospital, State of Colorado, Essilor International, RheinLand Versicherungsgruppe, University of Westminster, Universidade Nove de Julho, SPAR Austria, CAME Group, ZipRealty, Greenhill & Co., IKT Agder, Aviva Stadium, Animal Logic, Management & Training Corporation, Brigham Young University Hawaii, School District of Chilliwack
    CenturyLink, RCN Business, Colt Technology Services
    Top Industries
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company19%
    Financial Services Firm10%
    Manufacturing Company10%
    Government6%
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company46%
    Manufacturing Company12%
    Pharma/Biotech Company4%
    University4%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company15%
    Manufacturing Company11%
    Financial Services Firm11%
    Government6%
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider71%
    Construction Company14%
    Media Company7%
    Recreational Facilities/Services Company7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company18%
    Financial Services Firm10%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    Retailer7%
    Company Size
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business22%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise61%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business29%
    Midsize Enterprise29%
    Large Enterprise42%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business18%
    Midsize Enterprise14%
    Large Enterprise68%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business37%
    Midsize Enterprise21%
    Large Enterprise42%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business26%
    Midsize Enterprise11%
    Large Enterprise63%
    Buyer's Guide
    Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs. Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs. Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    770,458 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks is ranked 1st in Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) with 57 reviews while Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform is ranked 13th in Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) with 20 reviews. Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks is rated 8.2, while Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform is rated 8.0. The top reviewer of Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks writes "Integration with Palo Alto platforms such as Cortex Data Lake and Autofocus gives us visibility into our attack surface". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform writes "A flexible, stable and scalable solution ". Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks is most compared with Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange, Netskope , Cisco Umbrella, Zscaler Internet Access and Prisma SD-WAN, whereas Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform is most compared with Cisco SD-WAN, Fortinet FortiGate, VMware SD-WAN, Cato SASE Cloud Platform and Prisma SD-WAN. See our Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs. Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform report.

    See our list of best Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) vendors.

    We monitor all Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.