Cato Client vs Pomerium

Cato Client provides secure, zero-trust access to internet, SaaS, cloud, and private-datacenter resources for users on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. It checks user identity and device posture before opening an encrypted connection to the Cato SASE Cloud Platform. Its built-in endpoint protection scans files and running processes for malware, and ongoing checks can cover anti-malware, firewall, disk encryption, patching, endpoint DLP, and device certificates. If a device falls outside policy, access can be limited or the connection ended. Administrators can deploy the client through an MDM or self-service portal, manage upgrade rollouts centrally, and enable an always-on mode that prevents users from disabling it. The client connects to a nearby Cato PoP and uses Cato’s Global Private Backbone. Organizations can request pricing; a free trial is available, but there is no free plan.

Pomerium is an open-source identity-aware proxy for controlling access to internal applications, servers, services, and workloads without requiring VPN client software. It checks identity, device state, and request context before granting access, and authenticates through identity providers that support OpenID Connect. Listed access scenarios include HTTP, MCP, SSH, gRPC, TCP, and UDP; supported app protocols also include HTTPS, HTTP/2, HTTP/3, and WebSocket. Pomerium removes its authentication cookies before forwarding requests upstream, and sensitive databroker data is encrypted at rest. Downstream TLS has a minimum of TLS 1.2. Deployment options include Linux and macOS binaries, packages, Docker images, source builds, and desktop clients for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The free Personal plan lists 10 users, 10 routes, five policies, and two service accounts. Business costs $7.00 per month, billed annually, and lists limits of 1,000 users, 100 routes, 100 policies, and 20 service accounts. A free trial is also listed.