Features, pricing, ratings, and pros & cons — compared head-to-head.
Bowtie Zero Trust Network Access is a commercial zero trust network access tool by Bowtie. Cato Networks ZTNA is a commercial zero trust network access tool by Cato Networks. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best zero trust network access fit for your security stack.
Based on our analysis of NIST CSF 2.0 coverage, core features, company size fit, deployment model, here is our conclusion:
Bowtie Zero Trust Network Access
Security teams managing distributed workforces across multiple cloud regions should prioritize Bowtie Zero Trust Network Access for its refusal to backhaul traffic through centralized gateways, which eliminates the bottleneck that tanks performance in traditional ZTNA deployments. The distributed control plane runs entirely on your infrastructure, not Bowtie's, and WireGuard encryption keeps private keys out of vendor hands, addressing the NIST PR.AA identity and access control requirement without trust dependency. This isn't for buyers seeking integrated secure web gateway capabilities from a single vendor; Bowtie's on-device SWG component is functional but plays second fiddle to its network access core.
Mid-market and enterprise teams replacing legacy VPN with zero trust will prefer Cato Networks ZTNA for its cloud-native architecture that eliminates the need to manage on-premises infrastructure while enforcing identity-based access across hybrid IT. The platform covers both NIST PR.AA (identity and access control) and PR.IR (infrastructure resilience), meaning you get access policy enforcement without sacrificing visibility into whether your security perimeter actually holds under load. Skip this if your organization runs primarily on-premises and needs deep microsegmentation of internal networks; Cato shines at securing remote access to distributed resources, not re-architecting the datacenter.
ZTNA platform with direct device-to-resource encrypted access via WireGuard.
Cloud-based ZTNA solution for secure remote access to applications
Access NIST CSF 2.0 data from thousands of security products via MCP to assess your stack coverage.
Access via MCPNo reviews yet
No reviews yet
Explore more tools in this category or create a security stack with your selections.
Common questions about comparing Bowtie Zero Trust Network Access vs Cato Networks ZTNA for your zero trust network access needs.
Bowtie Zero Trust Network Access: ZTNA platform with direct device-to-resource encrypted access via WireGuard. built by Bowtie. Core capabilities include Direct device-to-resource encrypted tunneling without backhauling through middleman networks, On-device policy enforcement for authentication, encryption, and access control, Distributed Secure Web Gateway (SWG) with on-device web filtering..
Cato Networks ZTNA: Cloud-based ZTNA solution for secure remote access to applications. built by Cato Networks. Core capabilities include Identity verification and multi-factor authentication, Policy-based access control using user identity, location, and device posture, Network microsegmentation with software-defined security perimeters..
Both serve the Zero Trust Network Access market but differ in approach, feature depth, and target audience.
Get strategic cybersecurity insights in your inbox