Cato SASE vs.
Cisco SASE
Compare how each approach brings networking, security and access together, and what that means for protection, performance and daily operations.
Why Cato
Choose SSE today. Build toward SASE.
Automated Threat Protection
Stay protected against attacks at machine speed
Cato Agentic Threat Prevention anticipates enterprise-specific attack paths and autonomously adapts protections to stop attacks as they evolve.
One platform for the AI era
Secure every user and AI agent with a single cloud
From secure networking to AI interactions, Cato protects your people, agents, applications, and data, everywhere work happens. Manage Cato AI Security from the same Cato console, without switching tools or dashboards.
Expand at your own pace
Add capabilities. Keep the simplicity.
Adopt new security and networking services when you need them, seamlessly extending the same Cato platform without the burden of integrating separate product stacks.
Head-to-Head
Why Architecture Matters
Simplify operations across networking and security
Cisco
Separate engines for networking and security
Cisco brings networking and security together through shared management and policy objects, while retaining distinct networking and security engines. A common administrative experience does not eliminate the operational work of coordinating policies and investigations across those engines.
Cato Networks
One engine, one management application, one policy framework
Cato converges networking and security in the Single Pass Cloud Engine (SPACE), managed through one application and one policy framework. Teams apply consistent policies and investigate network and security events together, reducing policy duplication and operational work.
Deliver consistent protection without compromise
Cisco
Coverage depends on the deployment design
Cisco security inspection depends on the topology design and can be split between on-premises appliances and cloud services. Controls across these enforcement points require coordination to avoid gaps and reduce the risk of inconsistent protection.
Cato Networks
Consistent protection, everywhere.
Choose cloud inspection or local LAN inspection on the Cato Socket, with LAN firewall and IPS controls for east-west traffic. Manage both through one console and one policy framework, enabling consistent policy management across sites, users and clouds.
Evolve to full SASE without integration work
Cisco
More products, more integration work
Ciscoโs SASE architecture brings together products from its networking and security portfolio. Expanding across those products requires teams to connect services and coordinate policies, management and operations. Modernization becomes a series of integration tasks as the portfolio grows.
Cato Networks
Modernize at the pace of your business
Built from the ground up as a cloud-native, fully converged platform, Cato lets you adopt new security and networking services without integrating separate product stacks or rearchitecting your infrastructure. Extend the same platform, management application and policy framework as your needs evolve, so you can modernize at the pace of your business.
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Compare
Cato SASE vs. Cisco SASE
Filter by topic
Showing 9 of 9 capabilities
Comparison
Cisco SASE
Cato SASE
SD-WAN
Internet-based overlay.
Global site-to-site traffic over internet links is subject to public internet latency, loss and jitter. Security is bolted on through a separate cloud fabric, Secure Access.
Global backbone. Smarter application paths.
A global private backbone and Smart Egress bring traffic closer to SaaS and cloud applications, optimizing performance.
Management
Separate policy domains under a shared management layer.
Day-to-day configuration still requires switching between networking and security dashboards.
One management console for everything.
Configure policies, monitor traffic and investigate events across all Cato networking and security services in one console.
Traffic inspection
Separate enforcement points across edge and cloud.
Inspection is split between edge appliances and cloud services, depending on the deployment topology.
Single-pass inspection with shared context.
Network and security engines use shared context in the Cato Cloud.
Traffic visibility
Visibility assembled across products.
Network and cloud-security telemetry originate in separate products; consolidated views depend on analytics and logging integrations.
Shared network and security visibility.
One data lake brings Cato network and security telemetry together for traffic analysis and investigation in one console.
Site-to-site WAN traffic
Inspection depends on topology.
Cloud paths receive Secure Access inspection; selected local Meraki paths bypass cloud inspection.
WAN transport and cloud inspection together.
Connect sites across Catoโs global private backbone with security applied in the cloud.
Threat prevention
Shared intelligence, separate enforcement.
Talos-powered protection across edge and cloud, with prevention policies configured in separate product engines.
Agentic Threat Prevention.
Anticipate enterprise-specific attack paths and autonomously adapt protections as attacks evolve.
Investigation and response
Built-in triage, integrated response.
Security Insights supports triage in Secure Access; broader cross-domain investigation and response use integrations such as Cisco XDR.
Shared network and security context.
Investigate events across Cato-connected users, sites and applications in one management application.
AI security
AI security across portfolio products.
Secure Access protects employee AI use and MCP interactions; AI Defense adds protection for custom AI applications and agents.
AI security on the same platform.
Protect employee AI use, AI applications and agents with the applicable Cato AI Security capabilities and subscriptions.
Total cost of ownership
Consolidation savings, integration overhead.
Vendor consolidation and lower circuit costs can reduce spend, but separate products add licensing, integration and ongoing administration costs.
Lower operating costs. Measurable ROI.
One platform reduces integration, administration and infrastructure overhead. A Cato-commissioned Forrester TEI study modeled 235% ROI and payback in under six months for a composite organization.
What our customers are saying
TriMark USA
Replaced Cisco Meraki (firewall), Cisco AnyConnect (VPN), plus Palo Alto, SonicWall, and Zscaler
โ
We reduced our costs by 35% and got more in return. That’s not a trade-off. That’s what a converged platform makes possible.
Douglas Arnn
Corporate Director, IT Infrastructure
- 35% cost reduction
- Consolidated 5 firewall vendors to one platform
- 80% toward Zero Trust in 3 years
Fiskars Group
Replaced Cisco ASA (firewall), Cisco AnyConnect (VPN), Cisco DMVPN (SD-WAN)
โ
We looked at a lot of SD-WAN and SASE solutions, but Cato’s was the only one that allowed us to use the same solution everywhere. It was also the simplest to deploy and manage.
Jesper Hjรธrland
IT Service Manager
- Eliminated 3-4 devices per site
- New sites deployed in hours vs. months
- Cost savings on WAN + consulting
Hรคfele
Replaced Cisco ASA (firewall)
โ
I did not think we could shut down, rebuild, and transition our IT systems in less than 30 days. Cato defied the odds.
Mike Bretz
Global Team Lead, Network Infrastructure
- Full global network rebuilt with security in <30 days
- 180+ sites in 50+ countries
- Post-ransomware recovery
Analyst Validation
Recognized by Industry Analysts
Gartner
A Leader in the 2026 Gartnerยฎ Magic Quadrantโข for SASE Platforms for the third year running
GigaOm
Leader and Outperformer in the GigaOm 2026 SASE Radar
Forrester
Forrester TEI Study 2026
Contact sales
Secure every interaction across the enterprise, cloud, and AI with the only purpose-built AI Security and SASE platform.
What to expect
15โ30 minute session with a product expert
Discuss your use cases and how we can help
Live product demonstration where applicable
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FAQ
Answers to common questions
What is the main difference between Cato SASE and Cisco SASE?
Cato was built as a cloud-native platform that converges networking and security through SPACE, one management application and one policy framework. Cisco brings together products from its networking and security portfolio through integrations. The practical difference is how teams deploy services, maintain policies and investigate issues as their environment grows.
How does Cato improve application performance?
Cato combines SD-WAN with a global private backbone, application-aware routing and traffic optimization. Smart Egress lets selected SaaS and cloud traffic exit near the applicationโs serving instance. This reduces reliance on unpredictable public internet paths and helps improve application performance.
Can Cato provide consistent protection across branches, remote users and cloud environments?
Cato manages networking and security through one console and policy framework. Cloud inspection protects traffic routed through Cato, while Socket LAN firewall and IPS controls protect local east-west traffic. Teams manage these controls together, helping maintain consistent policies across environments.
How do Cato and Cisco approach AI security?
Cato brings protection for employee AI use, AI applications and agents into the same platform and management console as its networking and security services. Cisco provides employee AI and MCP controls in Secure Access, with broader application and agent protection through AI Defense. Compare the coverage, deployment requirements and operational workflows for your AI use cases.
Can I adopt Cato without replacing my existing network?
Yes. You can start with Cato SSE alongside your existing SD-WAN, then add Cato networking when it suits your business. If you are evaluating alternatives to Umbrella, this lets you assess your next security platform without making an immediate SD-WAN replacement decision. Your retained networking products continue to use their existing management tools.
How should I compare the total cost of Cato and Cisco SASE?
Include subscriptions, connectivity, branch equipment, implementation, integration and ongoing administration. Catoโs converged platform reduces the work of connecting and operating separate products. A Cato-commissioned Forrester TEI study modeled 235% ROI and payback in under six months for a composite organization; your results will depend on your environment.
What should I test before choosing Cato or Cisco SASE?
Use the same users, sites, applications and security requirements. Compare application performance with inspection enabled, policy changes across locations, investigation workflows and the effort required to add services. Include routine operational tasks so the evaluation measures how each platform works after deployment.
Can I evaluate Cato SSE before my Cisco Umbrella contract expires?
Yes. You can evaluate Cato SSE ahead of your Umbrella renewal and plan a phased transition around your contract timeline. Work with your Cato representative to define the evaluation scope, deployment approach and success criteria while your existing service remains in place.
