NetBird vs Zscaler Private Access

NetBird connects users and machines through encrypted peer-to-peer networking based on WireGuard. It is offered as NetBird Cloud or can be self-hosted on an organization’s infrastructure. Its hybrid access model includes centralized controls for grouping, DNS, private nameservers and API-based configuration. Identity features include SSO, MFA, periodic re-authentication and identity-provider MFA settings. Teams can provision users and groups through an identity provider and organize them around teams and infrastructure. Device posture policies can check firewall, antivirus, geography and network location. Integrations include Okta, Microsoft, Google, MDM, EDR and SIEM platforms; logging covers network configuration changes and connection events, with SIEM streaming. NetBird supports Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Android TV, tvOS, Docker and routers. Its BSD-3 license permits self-hosting. The free tier covers up to 5 users and 100 machines. Team costs €6/user/mo and Business costs €12/user/mo; billing counts users and machines that connect or log in at least once during the billing period. Team and Business plans offer a free trial.

Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) controls access to private applications, workloads, and operational technology for users connecting from different devices and locations. It brokers a one-to-one connection between an authorized user and a specific app, without granting access to the corporate network or exposing the app publicly. ZPA can discover applications and recommend app segments and policies. Workload-to-workload segmentation covers communications across hybrid and multicloud environments, including AWS and Azure. Privileged Remote Access offers clientless access to RDP, SSH, and VNC production systems for remote workers and third parties. Other described capabilities include inline threat inspection, Web Data Loss Prevention for data in motion, and policy-enforced access to mission-critical apps during connectivity outages. The cloud deployment is listed for Windows, macOS, Android, Android on ChromeOS, and iOS, alongside Linux and web platforms. Pricing is on request, and there is no free plan.