Cato Networks
7.7/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- Custom quote
- Reviews
- 4.4/5 (G2)
- Free trial
- —
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Best for
- Site-heavy organizations wanting converged SASE (SD-WAN + security + ZTNA) on one platform
Best ZTNA / Business VPN · 2026
Cato Networks vs 
NordLayer Cato Networks vs NordLayer: on our data-weighted scoring, Cato Networks edges ahead (7.7 vs 7.4/10). Cato Networks starts at Custom quote and is best for site-heavy organizations wanting converged SASE (SD-WAN + security + ZTNA) on one platform; NordLayer starts at $8/user/mo and is best for SMBs wanting an easy business VPN evolving toward zero-trust network access. Choose Cato Networks for the stronger overall track record; consider NordLayer if its pricing model or fit matches your environment better. Side-by-side table below.
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NordLayer
7.4/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- $8/user/mo
- Reviews
- 4.3/5 (G2)
- Free trial
- —
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Best for
- SMBs wanting an easy business VPN evolving toward zero-trust network access
Strengths at a glance
Six criteria, each scored 0–10 on the same scale from real review data, public pricing and feature coverage. See our methodology →
| Criterion | Cato Networks | NordLayer |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | 7.7 | 7.4 |
| User reviews | 8.8 | 8.6 |
| Adoption | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Affordability | 5.0 | 4.4 |
| Feature breadth | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Ease of trial | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Cato Networks vs NordLayer: head-to-head
| Cato Networks | NordLayer | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Custom quote | $8/user/mo |
| Pricing model | quote | per user |
| Free trial / tier | — | — |
| Best for | Site-heavy organizations wanting converged SASE (SD-WAN + security + ZTNA) on one platform | SMBs wanting an easy business VPN evolving toward zero-trust network access |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| G2 rating | 4.4/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Capterra rating | — | — |
| Our score | 7.7 | 7.4 |
Choose Cato Networks if…
You need site-heavy organizations wanting converged sase (sd-wan + security + ztna) on one platform.
✓ Pros
- Truly unified SASE console
- Native SD-WAN (no third party)
- Strong MSP multi-tenancy
✕ Cons
- Quote-only pricing
- Per-socket model favors site-heavy orgs
- Total cost scales with bandwidth
Choose NordLayer if…
You need smbs wanting an easy business vpn evolving toward zero-trust network access.
✓ Pros
- Easy to deploy + manage
- Nord Security brand backing
- 14-day money-back guarantee
✕ Cons
- No free tier (5-user minimum)
- Dedicated IP/gateway costs extra
- Less ZTNA depth than Zscaler/Cato
In depth
Pricing: Cato Networks vs NordLayer
Cato Networks bills on a quote model from Custom quote (no trial), while NordLayer uses a per user model from $8/user/mo. Because the models differ, the cheaper option flips depending on your fleet size — model both at your seat/endpoint count.
Features & deployment
Cato Networks ships 6 headline capabilities (Converged SASE (SD-WAN + SSE), Single management console, Native ZTNA + CASB + DLP, Global private backbone (PoPs)) and deploys Cloud. NordLayer ships 6 (Cloud business VPN + ZTNA, Network segmentation, Dedicated servers + static IP, Device posture security), deploying Cloud.
Ratings & verdict
Cato Networks holds 4.4/5 (G2); NordLayer holds 4.3/5 (G2). On our data-weighted score, Cato Networks edges ahead (7.7 vs 7.4/10). Pick NordLayer instead when smbs wanting an easy business vpn evolving toward zero-trust network access. See Cato Networks alternatives or NordLayer alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
- Cato Networks vs NordLayer: which is better?
- Cato Networks vs NordLayer: on our data-weighted scoring, Cato Networks edges ahead (7.7 vs 7.4/10). Cato Networks starts at Custom quote and is best for site-heavy organizations wanting converged SASE (SD-WAN + security + ZTNA) on one platform; NordLayer starts at $8/user/mo and is best for SMBs wanting an easy business VPN evolving toward zero-trust network access.
- Is Cato Networks cheaper than NordLayer?
- Cato Networks starts at Custom quote and NordLayer starts at $8/user/mo (see the pricing rows for models and limits).
Data as of September 17, 2026. Sources: catonetworks.com, nordlayer.com. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.