Cloudflare vs Akamai: Zero Trust Platform Comparison

Protecting your organization while availing of the benefits of digital transformation requires you to migrate to a zero trust security model delivered through the cloud, in close vicinity to where your business assets and users are now centered. A zero trust security model is based on the principle of ‘never trust, always verify.’ 

It is a holistic approach to securing modern organizations, based on least-privileged access and the principle that no application or user should be blindly trusted. In this guide, we will compare the zero trust security models that Cloudflare and Akamai provide.

Also read: Steps to Building a Zero Trust Network

What is Cloudflare Zero Trust?

The Cloudflare Zero Trust platform creates secure boundaries around applications and prevents phishing, malware and data loss. When applications are protected with Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), users are permitted to access them after verifying the policy adherence, context and identity of every request.

Key Differentiators 

• Enforces consistent access controls across Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), cloud, and on-premises applications.
• Integrates with multiple existing identity providers.
• Safeguards applications with context-driven, posture, and identity rules.
• Audits the activity of employees within SaaS applications.
• Blocks malware and phishing before they strike and create havoc.
• Isolates browsing activity from enterprise endpoints.
• A single dashboard unifies the following security capabilities: browser isolation, firewall-as-a-service (FaaS), cloud access security broker, virtual private network (VPN), zero trust network access, DNS filtering, and secure web gateway. 

Pricing: Cloudflare offers a Free Plan, a Standard Plan, and an Enterprise Plan for the Zero Trust platform. The Free Plan comes with limited functionality. The Standard Plan costs $7 per user, per month and is ideal for teams with no more than 50 employees. Reach out to the Cloudflare sales team to request a quote for the Enterprise Plan.

What is Akamai Zero Trust?

Akamai’s Enterprise Application Access (EAA) platform provides your employees quick and secure access to data and applications. The zero trust platform runs on Akamai’s global edge platform and enables you to adapt to sudden workforce changes, make smart access decisions and reduce risk, complexity, and cost. 

Key Differentiators 

• Scales to meet your business needs and is powered by the reliability, scalability, high availability and load balancing of the Akamai Intelligent Edge platform. 
• Provides secure application access without the need for network access to reduce the risk of compromise from mobile users, employees, partners and third-party contractors, regardless of their location.
• Enhanced visibility and a granular understanding of users on the basis of security signals, such as endpoint compromise, threat intelligence and device posture aid in making better-informed decisions.   
• Eliminates the risk and cost involved in patching and maintaining VPNs.
• Using application access over the internet as transport and retiring Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) enables high performance at a low cost in a branch environment.
• A single, secure portal for access to applications across Google Cloud, Azure, and Amazon Web Services, as well as SaaS and web applications enables you to leverage the power of numerous clouds. 

Pricing: You can commence a free trial today. Contact an Akamai sales executive for pricing information.

Choosing Zero Trust Platforms

Zero trust is an information technology (IT) security approach that ensures each network transaction is authenticated before it can transpire. Cloudflare Zero Trust and Akamai’s EAA are among the best zero trust platforms on the market today.

While we have scrutinized Cloudflare and Akamai’s zero trust offerings in this guide, we urge you to perform due diligence before purchasing either solution. Visit their respective websites, compare features and pricing plans and thoroughly examine customer reviews before purchasing a product.

Read next: Top Zero Trust Networking Solutions