# Cato Networks vs NordLayer: which do AI models recommend for ZTNA, October 2026

IT AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition, Zero trust network access. Four of fourteen models named Cato Networks first on the direct prompt; one named NordLayer. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/network/zero-trust-network-access/cato-networks-vs-nordlayer/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cato Networks | 6% | #3 of 11 | 0% | 14 | 10 of 14 |
| NordLayer | 3% | #4 of 11 | 11% | 18 | 9 of 14 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Claude Haiku 4.5: cato networks first (first choices: Cato Networks, Twingate) (alternatives: Cloudflare One, NordLayer)
- Llama 4 Maverick: cato networks first (first choices: Cato Networks) (alternatives: Check Point Harmony SASE, OpenVPN CloudConnexa)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: cato networks first (first choices: Cato Networks) (alternatives: Check Point Harmony SASE, Cloudflare One, Fortinet FortiZTNA)
- MiniMax M2.5: cato networks first (first choices: Cato Networks, Cloudflare One) (alternatives: Axis Security, Banyan Security, OpenVPN CloudConnexa)
- Perplexity Sonar: nordlayer first (first choices: Cloudflare One, NordLayer) (alternatives: Cato Networks, Cisco Secure Access, Portnox)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Twingate) (alternatives: Cato Networks, Check Point Harmony SASE, Cloudflare One, Microsoft Entra Private Access)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither first, one named (first choices: Cloudflare One, Twingate) (alternatives: Cato Networks, Microsoft Entra Private Access, OpenVPN CloudConnexa)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Cloudflare One, Twingate) (alternatives: Cato Networks, Check Point Harmony SASE, NordLayer)
- Kimi K2: neither first, one named (first choices: Cloudflare One, Twingate) (alternatives: Cato Networks, Netskope Private Access, NordLayer, Zscaler Private Access)
- Muse Glimmer 30B: neither first, one named (first choices: Cloudflare One, Twingate) (alternatives: Cato Networks, Check Point Harmony SASE, Fortinet Universal ZTNA)
- GPT-5.4 mini: neither named (first choices: Zscaler Private Access) (alternatives: Cloudflare One, Netskope One SSE, Prisma Access)
- Mistral Small: neither named (first choices: Check Point Harmony SASE, Netskope Private Access) (alternatives: Cloudflare One, Twingate, Zscaler Private Access)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: neither named (first choices: Twingate) (alternatives: Cloudflare One, Fortinet Universal ZTNA)
- GPT-6 Luna: neither named (first choices: Cloudflare One) (alternatives: Microsoft Entra Private Access, Twingate)

## What the models said about NordLayer

- "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)

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. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.