Bowtie Zero Trust Network Access vs Claroty xDome Secure Access: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)

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.

Claroty xDome Secure Access

Enterprise and mid-market teams managing industrial control systems or healthcare devices will get the most from Claroty xDome Secure Access because it treats CPS asset discovery and exposure mapping as a prerequisite to access control, not an afterthought. The platform covers ID.AM and PR.AA across NIST CSF 2.0, meaning you get genuine asset inventory before you lock down who touches what, and the hybrid deployment model handles both air-gapped and connected environments without requiring full network redesigns. Skip this if your priority is detection speed over access prevention; xDome's strength is keeping unauthorized users off the network entirely, not catching them after they're in.