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Most buyers should pick Check Point Quantum Security Gateways.
Pick Check Point if you need a hardware or virtual gateway and want an offering described for on-premises, cloud, and remote locations. Pick Zscaler if you want its broader Zero Trust platform, but Cloud IPS is available through Firewall Advanced for non-web protocols, and product-specific limits are not published. Neither lists prices; both require custom quotes. We’d lean Check Point for a gateway purchase, but ask both vendors to itemize scope, subscriptions, and limits before comparing total cost.
01Side by side
| Zscaler Cloud IPS | Check Point Quantum Security Gateways | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Custom quote; price not published | Custom quote; price not published |
| Free plan | No free plan | No free plan |
| Best for | Organizations seeking Zscaler’s broader platform | Businesses needing security gateways |
| Core strength | Inline Zero Trust security; Cloud IPS via Firewall Advanced | AI-protected gateways for hybrid environments |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations / data | Data protection listed; integrations not published | Global threat insight; integrations not published |
| Team / seat costs | Seat and usage limits not published | Pricing and limits not published |
| Support | Not published | Not published |
Zscaler Cloud IPS Choose Zscaler Cloud IPS if
- You want Zscaler’s broader Zero Trust platform.
- You need inline security for authorized connections.
- You can get Cloud IPS scope and limits in writing.
Check Point Quantum Security Gateways Choose Check Point Quantum Security Gateways if
- You need a hardware or virtual security gateway.
- You want security across on-premises, cloud, and remote locations.
- You need an enterprise firewall with AI-powered protection.
02Pricing compared
Neither vendor lists public monthly or annual prices. According to the available pricing information, both require custom quotes, and neither lists overage costs or a free plan. Trial availability is not published.
Zscaler lists Essentials Platform and Zscaler Platform, but does not publish their prices, seat or usage limits, or what Cloud IPS costs within a bundle. Cloud IPS is available through the Firewall Advanced add-on for non-web protocols; its price and limits are also unpublished.
Check Point lists Quantum Security Gateways as quote-based. Hardware appliances and virtual gateways are offered, but pricing and limits vary by model and are not published. Security software blades, including SandBlast Threat Prevention, Compliance, SD-WAN, and IoT Protect, are also quote-based. Ask both vendors to itemize gateway or platform fees, subscriptions, protocol coverage, and usage limits before comparing total cost.
03Features and depth
These products have different centers of gravity. Check Point Quantum Security Gateways are enterprise network firewalls offered as hardware appliances or virtual gateways. Check Point describes coverage across on-premises environments, cloud, and remote locations, with AI-powered protection and scalable performance. Quantum Spark, Quantum Force, and enterprise series are listed; throughput and appliance specifications vary by model. The homepage also highlights real-time threat intelligence and Maestro MHO 200 for AI networks, which it says has four times the capacity.
Zscaler describes a broader Zero Trust platform that connects users, data, workloads, and AI to authorized resources. Its homepage says security sits inline on connections and includes user, data, and AI protection, plus threat response for security teams. But it does not explain Cloud IPS in detail. The published pricing information says Cloud IPS comes through Firewall Advanced for non-web protocols. Its technical limits and fuller product scope are not published, so confirm protocol coverage and included capabilities before treating it as a direct gateway substitute.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The available material does not publish setup steps, administration workflows, or learning-curve details for either product, so we can’t make a solid ease-of-use winner call.
The clearest practical difference is what you would be deploying: Check Point offers hardware appliances or virtual gateways, with specifications varying by model. Zscaler presents a cloud-based platform that sits inline, but Cloud IPS-specific deployment details are not explained. Ask each vendor about deployment requirements, policy management, ongoing administration, and migration support. If you are switching, get those answers for your intended architecture—not just the wider platform or gateway family.
Questions people ask
Is Zscaler Cloud IPS included in the Zscaler platform?
The published pricing information says Cloud IPS is available through Firewall Advanced, an add-on module, for non-web protocols. It does not publish whether the module is included in either platform bundle, or its price and usage limits. Ask Zscaler to specify coverage in the quote.
Does Check Point Quantum include a hardware firewall?
Check Point lists Quantum Security Gateways as hardware appliances or virtual gateways. Its offering includes Quantum Spark, Quantum Force, and enterprise series, with throughput and appliance specifications varying by model. The available material does not identify a single gateway configuration or public price.
Which product is cheaper?
There is no published price comparison. Both vendors require custom quotes, and neither publishes overage costs. Zscaler also does not publish Cloud IPS add-on pricing or usage limits. Request itemized quotes that cover the same deployment, security subscriptions, protocol scope, and capacity.
Do either of these products publish technical limits?
Not in the published material. Zscaler does not publish Cloud IPS-specific limits or seat and usage caps. Check Point says gateway throughput and appliance specifications vary by model, but does not publish pricing or limits here. Ask vendors for model-specific capacity and subscription details.