Teleport vs Zscaler Private Access (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Teleport grades higher than Zscaler Private Access: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Teleport grades higher on the free plan and platforms. Zscaler Private Access grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Teleport
Identity-based access to servers, databases and Kubernetes
Free plan
Which one is for you
Pick Teleport if
- Fits if you run servers and clusters and want audited, short-lived access to them
- Works for engineering teams happy to self-host the Community Edition
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to remotely control desktops, as it targets infrastructure access
- Watch out: Enterprise pricing isn't published and the pricing page asks for a form
- Watch out: FIPS support and strict-compliance features need a paid Enterprise licence
- Tight if you lack ops staff, as the Community Edition must be deployed and maintained by you
Pick Zscaler Private Access if
- Fits if you are a company security team replacing a VPN with per-app access
- Makes sense if you already buy Zscaler services
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to remotely control a personal computer, as this is a business security service
- Watch out: no prices are published and the page offers a demo request only
- Watch out: the page doesn't list supported client platforms
- Tight if you want a trial, as none is listed
How we grade them
| 2.2GPATeleportFair | 1.8GPAZscaler Private AccessWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CEnterprise has no published price, so value can't be judged and sits at C. Community Edition is free but you run it yourself, which needs a server. | CNo price is published: the page offers only a demo request and sales contact, so value sits at C. |
| Free plan and trial | CCommunity Edition is free and open source, but you deploy and maintain it. Enterprise has a 14-day trial. | FNo free plan and no trial is listed on the product page. |
| Features | BInfrastructure access, just-in-time access, machine identity, audit and governance and a desktop client cover the core of the job. | BApp-level access, app segmentation, privileged remote access, browser access and a private service edge cover the core of private app access. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. You deploy and operate the cluster and wire it to your identity provider. | CNo store rating on record. It is a business service that needs connectors, policies and a sign-in provider to be set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, Windows, Mac and Linux with the Teleport Connect desktop client, plus GitHub, Slack and Kubernetes. No phone apps are listed. | CThe page lists web and AWS and Azure only, with no client platforms named. |
| Best for | secure access to servers and infrastructure | private app access for company staff |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Teleport and Zscaler Private Access. How we grade
Where they differ
- Teleport is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Zscaler Private Access also covers vPN and remote desktop.
In commonWeb
At a glance
| Teleport | Zscaler Private Access | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | Community Edition is free and open source; you deploy and run it yourself. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day trial of Teleport Enterprise | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Gravitational Inc. | Zscaler |
| Price read from | goteleport.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Teleport
- Enterprise pricing is not published; the pricing page asks for a form to get a quote.
- FIPS support and strict-compliance features need a paid Enterprise license.
- Community Edition must be deployed and maintained by you.
- It is aimed at infrastructure access, not remote control of employee desktops.
Zscaler Private Access
- No prices are published; the page offers a demo request and sales contact only.
- The product page does not list supported client platforms or a free trial.
- It is a business security service, not a tool for remotely controlling a personal computer.
Key features
Teleport
- Access to infrastructure
- Connects to SSH and Windows servers, Kubernetes clusters, databases and internal apps through one access layer.
- Just-in-time access
- Privileges are ephemeral and expire, with access requests used to grant them, instead of standing credentials.
- Machine and workload identity
- Automated services can connect to protected resources using certificate-based identity instead of long-lived secrets.
- Agent and MCP access control
- The vendor says identity and access control extend to AI agents and MCP tooling.
- Audit and governance
- The platform lists access governance and compliance, with policies and audits managed in one place.
- Teleport Connect desktop client
- The docs describe a desktop client for macOS, Linux and Windows, alongside a web UI and the tsh command line.
Zscaler Private Access
- App-level access
- Connects authorized users directly to specific applications, so the corporate network and the apps are not exposed to the public internet.
- AI-assisted app segmentation
- Discovers applications automatically and suggests app segments and policies to limit lateral movement.
- Privileged Remote Access
- Gives remote workers and third parties clientless access to RDP, SSH and VNC production systems.
- Browser Access
- Lets users reach private apps through a browser, alongside lightweight client software.
- Private Service Edge
- Brings the same direct user-to-app, least-privileged access to users who are on premises.
- Business continuity
- Keeps policy-enforced access to critical applications available during connectivity outages.
Plans
Teleport
Community Edition$0
Free and open source, self-hosted. The docs say editions differ in features, deployment options and support.
EnterpriseCustom
Cloud or self-hosted. Price on request from sales; the site says it is based on active users and protected resources.
Zscaler Private Access
Pricing could not be confirmed. See zscaler.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Teleport or Zscaler Private Access?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Teleport publishes no starting price, and Zscaler Private Access has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Teleport or Zscaler Private Access?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Teleport has a free plan. Zscaler Private Access does not.
Which platforms do Teleport and Zscaler Private Access run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Teleport lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.