Zero trust network access · October 2026 Edition
Cato Networks vs NordLayer
Four of fourteen models named Cato Networks first on the direct prompt; one named NordLayer. Cato Networks was named by ten of the fourteen models and NordLayer by nine and Cato Networks carries 14 labels and NordLayer 18, so the shares are not directly comparable.
Named in three categories this edition.
Named in four categories this edition.
First-choice share6%3%Of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, 0 to 100.
Negative rate0%11%Negative labels as a share of the product's labels, 0 to 100.
Rank in category#3#4A position in a field of 11; printed, not drawn.
Labels1418A count; the two differ.
The two percentage rows are drawn on one 0 to 100 track, Cato Networks reading right to left. Rank and label count are printed, not drawn.Cloudflare One was named alongside these two in thirteen of the fourteen direct answers. Twingate vs Cato Networks · Twingate vs NordLayer · Cloudflare One vs Cato Networks
Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category; every quote names the model and the prompt it came from. Both figures come from the zero trust network access page.
By framing
How many of the fourteen models made each the first choice, per way of asking, and how many argued against it.
Cato NetworksFirst choices, of fourteen modelsNordLayer
Direct41
Paraphrase011 against NordLayer
Comparative00
Budget-constrained001 against NordLayer
Scale-constrained00
Negative00
Bars are first choices, 0 to 14 each sideModels that argued againstA model can name both, so the two sides of a row do not sum to fourteen.
Every model, every framing
The eighty-four answers behind the chart above, one cell each: where Cato Networks and NordLayer stood in it.
| Model | Direct | Paraphrase | Comparative | Budget-constrained | Scale-constrained | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | | | | |||
| GPT-5.4 mini | ||||||
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | | | | |||
| Perplexity Sonar | | | ||||
| Grok 4.1 Fast | | | | |||
| Mistral Small | ||||||
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | | | | |||
| Llama 4 Maverick | | | ||||
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | | |||||
| Kimi K2 | | | ||||
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | | | ||||
| MiniMax M2.5 | | |||||
| GPT-6 Luna | ||||||
| Muse Glimmer 30B | | |
Cato Networks NordLayer first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, Cato Networks on the left and NordLayer on the right.The direct prompt
The plain question, one answer per model, grouped by where Cato Networks and NordLayer stood in it.
Cato Networks first, NordLayer an alternative
4 of 14 modelsNordLayer was named in the answer but not as the choice, or not at all.Claude Haiku 4.5Cato Networks, Twingate alternatives: Cloudflare One, NordLayer
Llama 4 MaverickCato Networks alternatives: Check Point Harmony SASE, OpenVPN CloudConnexa
GLM 4.7 FlashXCato Networks alternatives: Check Point Harmony SASE, Cloudflare One, Fortinet FortiZTNA
MiniMax M2.5Cato Networks, Cloudflare One alternatives: Axis Security, Banyan Security, OpenVPN CloudConnexa
NordLayer first, Cato Networks an alternative
1 of 14 modelsCato Networks was named in the answer but not as the choice, or not at all.Perplexity SonarCloudflare One, NordLayer alternatives: Cato Networks, Cisco Secure Access, Portnox
Neither was the first choice, one was named
5 of 14 modelsThe answer put something else first and named one of the two as an alternative.Gemini 3.5 FlashTwingate alternatives: Cato Networks, Check Point Harmony SASE, Cloudflare One, Microsoft Entra Private Access
Grok 4.1 FastCloudflare One, Twingate alternatives: Cato Networks, Microsoft Entra Private Access, OpenVPN CloudConnexa
DeepSeek V4 FlashCloudflare One, Twingate alternatives: Cato Networks, Check Point Harmony SASE, NordLayer
Kimi K2Cloudflare One, Twingate alternatives: Cato Networks, Netskope Private Access, NordLayer, Zscaler Private Access
Muse Glimmer 30BCloudflare One, Twingate alternatives: Cato Networks, Check Point Harmony SASE, Fortinet Universal ZTNA
Neither was named
4 of 14 modelsThe answer made no first choice from these two in this category.GPT-5.4 miniZscaler Private Access alternatives: Cloudflare One, Netskope One SSE, Prisma Access
Mistral SmallCheck Point Harmony SASE, Netskope Private Access alternatives: Cloudflare One, Twingate, Zscaler Private Access
Qwen 3.7 FlashTwingate alternatives: Cloudflare One, Fortinet Universal ZTNA
GPT-6 LunaCloudflare One alternatives: Microsoft Entra Private Access, Twingate
Bold names in an answer are the products the judge labeled a first choice; a model naming several gives each of them that label. The full answer text for every row is in the record.
By buyer segment
The same question asked on behalf of a different buyer. Each standing is computed within its segment and they are never added together. The figures above are the mid-market standing, which is the one the category orders by.
Small business
Cato Networks is not named for this buyer.
Cato Networks—not namedNordLayer0%#6 of 10Mid-marketThe figures above
Cato Networks leads by three points.
Cato Networks6%#3 of 11NordLayer3%#4 of 11Enterprise
Level: the same share of first choices.
Cato Networks0%#– of 8NordLayer0%#– of 8What the models said about Cato Networks
No label in this category carried a quote.
What the models said about NordLayer
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Five of six in this category shown.
“More of a "business VPN with ZTNA features" than a pure zero trust architecture” DeepSeek V4 Flash · paraphrase prompt · soft negative
“Affordable but no robust free tier.” Grok 4.1 Fast · budget prompt · soft negative
“NordLayer is the safest pick if you want the simplest mid-market VPN replacement with fast onboarding” Perplexity Sonar · direct prompt · first choice
“I'd lean toward Twingate or NordLayer” Kimi K2 · paraphrase prompt · first choice
“A strong option for mid-sized organizations wanting zero trust access controls without extensive infrastructure changes” Claude Haiku 4.5 · direct prompt · alternative
Also compared
Twingate vs Cato NetworksTwingate vs NordLayerCloudflare One vs Cato NetworksCloudflare One vs NordLayerCato Networks vs OpenVPN CloudConnexaCato Networks vs Zscaler Private AccessCato Networks vs TailscaleCato Networks vs Check Point Harmony SASENordLayer vs OpenVPN CloudConnexaNordLayer vs Zscaler Private AccessNordLayer vs TailscaleNordLayer vs Check Point Harmony SASEAll twenty-eight head-to-head pages and the full ZTNA standing
Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category, each against each. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.