In short: Harmony SASE vs Zscaler comes down to architecture. Check Point SASE, formerly Harmony SASE, enforces internet policy on the device and adds cloud inspection where needed, with a full-mesh private backbone for private access. Zscaler routes traffic through its cloud-proxy Zero Trust Exchange for Zscaler Internet Access and Zscaler Private Access. Both are mature; fit depends on your estate.
The two approaches in brief
Both vendors sell SASE services that secure internet access and replace the VPN with zero trust access to private applications. The biggest difference is where security inspection happens.
- Check Point SASE describes a hybrid architecture with on-device and cloud inspection options. On managed devices, the SASE agent applies the internet access policy and inspects traffic locally, so traffic can go directly to its destination. Private traffic travels over a full-mesh global private backbone.
- Zscaler describes Zscaler Internet Access as a zero trust proxy architecture that inspects traffic, including TLS-encrypted traffic, in its cloud, the Zero Trust Exchange. Zscaler Private Access brokers one-to-one connections between authorised users and specific applications, so users never join the corporate network and applications are not exposed to the internet.
For background on the SASE model itself, see our SASE guide on cloud-security.cloud.
Side-by-side comparison
| Area | Check Point SASE (Harmony SASE) | Zscaler |
|---|---|---|
| Internet security | Internet Access: hybrid secure web gateway, on-device plus cloud inspection | Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA): cloud-native proxy in the Zero Trust Exchange |
| Private application access | Private Access: agent-based and agentless ZTNA, per-application rules | Zscaler Private Access (ZPA): brokered user-to-app connections, with browser access for unmanaged devices |
| Network model | Full-mesh connectivity between users, sites and clouds over Check Point's private backbone | Users connect to applications through the Zero Trust Exchange rather than to networks |
| Unmanaged devices | Enterprise Browser, a Chromium-based secure browser with DLP and session wipe | Browser access and browser isolation |
| Endpoint agent | Check Point SASE agent for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Chromebooks and iOS | Zscaler Client Connector for Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iOS and Android |
| Threat intelligence | Check Point threat prevention, with ThreatCloud AI shared with its endpoint, email and network products | Zscaler's inline threat protection, IPS, DNS security and cloud sandbox |
| SaaS and data | SaaS Security with inline and API-based controls and posture management | CASB and inline DLP within ZIA |
| Branches | Site connectivity and SD-WAN in the Check Point SASE suite | Positioned to remove the need for branch firewalls, with traffic secured in the Zero Trust Exchange |
| Management | Check Point Portal, shared with other Check Point products, with MSP multi-tenancy; internet policy can also be managed from SmartConsole alongside Check Point firewalls | Zscaler's unified management console and OneAPI |
Feature lists change frequently on both sides, so we check current capabilities against your requirements before recommending either.
Internet access: on-device versus cloud proxy
The architectural difference matters most for internet traffic.
With a cloud proxy, web traffic is forwarded to Zscaler's cloud, inspected there, including TLS decryption, and then sent on to its destination. The advantage is a single, consistent inspection point with central logging and policy, and it works for any device whose traffic is forwarded to the cloud. Zscaler says this secures users without backhauling to a data centre; the trade-off is that traffic is decrypted and inspected in the provider's cloud.
With Check Point's hybrid model, the agent inspects traffic locally and lets it go direct, with cloud gateways used where they are needed, for example for fixed egress IPs or centrally inspected traffic. Check Point points to faster browsing, more accurate localisation and privacy benefits. The trade-off is more reliance on the endpoint agent and on keeping it healthy and up to date.
Neither approach is wrong. Organisations that want maximum central control often prefer a cloud proxy; organisations with many remote users on variable connections, or with concerns about traffic being decrypted off-device, may prefer the hybrid model.
Private access and ZTNA
Both products replace the VPN with identity-based, per-application access, and both support agentless access for unmanaged devices.
Check Point SASE Private Access also offers full-mesh networking: users, offices, data centres and cloud networks connect into one backbone, and any permitted user or site can reach any permitted resource. That makes it attractive for organisations connecting several sites or bringing an acquired business onto the network.
Zscaler Private Access concentrates on user-to-application connections: users are never placed on the network, and applications are not exposed to the internet. That model is strong at minimising attack surface, and Zscaler adds AI-generated app segmentation recommendations to tighten policies over time.
Which suits whom?
| If you... | Lean towards |
|---|---|
| Already run Check Point firewalls, Harmony Endpoint or Harmony Email and want one portal, or one internet policy for office and remote users | Check Point SASE |
| Are a small or mid-sized organisation wanting fast deployment and simple administration | Check Point SASE, which Check Point describes as offering seamless deployment and intuitive administration |
| Need site-to-site and cloud networks meshed together as well as remote users | Check Point SASE |
| Want all internet traffic inspected centrally in the cloud, by design | Zscaler |
| Are a large enterprise standardising on a cloud-proxy security service edge | Zscaler |
| Want to compare a third option | Cisco Secure Access, which we also supply |
The best test is a proof of value: run a pilot group on your shortlisted service and measure user experience and administrative effort in your own environment. Check Point SASE's 30-day trial makes that straightforward.
How Forever Systems helps
We supply and support Check Point SASE and other SASE services, so we can run a fair comparison against your requirements, including licensing, migration effort and how each fits with your identity provider and devices. See Harmony SASE pricing for how Check Point licenses it. Contact us to arrange a side-by-side evaluation.
How Forever Systems supplies and supports Check Point Harmony
We supply and support the whole Check Point Harmony suite, now marketed as Check Point Workspace Security, for UK organisations: from a single product to endpoint, email, SaaS, mobile, browser and SASE together, with Check Point MDR if you want round-the-clock cover.
- Scoping and licensing: the right products, editions and plans for your users, devices and risk, and a clear view of what the old Harmony names now mean
- Proof of value: trial deployments that show what Harmony finds in your own mailboxes, devices and traffic
- Deployment: endpoint agents and policies, the Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace connection, mobile roll-out through your MDM, browser extensions and SASE access policies
- Migration: moving from another endpoint, email or VPN product, or from Harmony Connect to Harmony SASE
- Ongoing support: policy tuning, alert triage, upgrades and renewals, managed in the Check Point Portal
Forever Systems Ltd is an independent IT and cyber security provider. We will always recommend what fits, including other options if Harmony is not right for you.
Want a Check Point Harmony quote, trial or renewal review?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
Is Check Point SASE better than Zscaler?
Neither is better for everyone. Check Point SASE uses hybrid on-device and cloud inspection with a full-mesh private backbone; Zscaler inspects traffic in its cloud proxy. The right choice depends on your users, sites, existing vendors and operating model.
What is the Zscaler equivalent of Harmony SASE?
Zscaler's equivalent services are Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) for secure internet and SaaS access and Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) for zero trust access to private applications, both delivered through the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange.
Does Check Point SASE use a cloud proxy like Zscaler?
Partly. Check Point offers cloud inspection through its gateways, but the SASE agent also enforces policy and inspects traffic on the device, so much internet traffic can go direct without passing through a cloud point of presence.
Can I migrate from Zscaler to Check Point SASE?
Yes. A migration means rebuilding policies, replacing Zscaler Client Connector with the Check Point SASE agent and connecting sites and clouds. Check Point warns that running other tunnelling or inspecting agents alongside its own may not be supported, so we pilot on a separate group of devices while the rest stay on Zscaler.