AT&T SASE vs Palo Alto Networks Prisma SASE: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)

AT&T SASE

Mid-market and enterprise teams with distributed workforces already embedded in AT&T's network infrastructure will see immediate value from AT&T SASE because it eliminates the friction of bolting security onto existing connectivity; you're getting network and access control from the same vendor your pipes run through. The solution scores notably strong on identity and access control per NIST CSF 2.0, which means authentication decisions happen at wire speed without the latency tax you'd pay with a bolt-on SASE from a pure security vendor. Skip this if your organization runs on competing carrier networks or needs advanced threat detection and response; AT&T SASE prioritizes access enforcement over post-breach hunting.

Palo Alto Networks Prisma SASE

Enterprise and mid-market security teams managing dispersed workforces across multiple cloud regions should pick Prisma SASE for its AI-driven adaptive access controls that actually enforce Zero Trust at scale without requiring homogeneous device fleets. The platform scores strongly on NIST PR.AA and PR.DS, meaning it handles identity-based access and data policies in ways most SASE competitors still struggle with, particularly across managed and unmanaged devices. Skip this if your primary need is branch routing optimization or if you're running a small, tightly controlled network; Prisma SASE's pricing and operational overhead assume distributed complexity that smaller organizations simply don't have.