Is Cloudflare AI Gateway or Zscaler better for AI endpoint control?

Neither is scored on this site. Cloudflare AI Gateway describes 1 of four product control types and Zscaler 1 on the pages we read, and they differ on 7 recorded facts. Which fits depends on the AI tools people use, your devices, where the work happens and whether you block or guide; the finder checks those.

Which of the two decides on a tool call before it runs?

Cloudflare AI Gateway: Not in our sources. Zscaler: Not in our sources. Warn or ask: Cloudflare AI Gateway Not in our sources, Zscaler Not in our sources.

Do Cloudflare AI Gateway or Zscaler publish prices?

Cloudflare AI Gateway: Available on all Cloudflare plans, per the documentation; plan prices are not on the page we read. Zscaler: Not published (demo request).

HEAD-TO-HEAD · FACTS ONLY

Cloudflare AI Gateway vs Zscaler: AI endpoint control facts side by side

Short answer

Cloudflare AI Gateway describes 1 of the four product control types on the pages we read and Zscaler describes 1; they differ on network or SSE proxy and AI or MCP gateway. On decisions, Cloudflare AI Gateway does not describe tool-call decisions on the pages we read and Zscaler does not describe tool-call decisions on the pages we read. We do not score either; the right choice depends on the AI tools people use, your devices, your current stack and whether you block or guide.

By The Device Desk · Endpoint AI Finder · Published 2026-10-11

Desk research from public vendor pages read on 27 September and 11 October 2026. Profiles follow our published method; we did not run the products.

Vendor pages read September and October 2026 · updated 2026-10-13

Where do their controls sit?

Filled or hatched marker: Cloudflare AI Gateway
Dashed teal ring: Zscaler, described

DEV Filled marker: described on the product pages we read
DEV Hatched marker: partly described (another component, a narrower scope, or method not detailed)
DEV Dashed marker: not in our sources (it may exist; we did not find it)

The map shows where each product's own pages describe a control, or where your answers point. It is not a measure of how well a product works.

What are the facts, side by side?

Cloudflare AI Gateway and Zscaler Generative AI Security, from each product's own pages. Differs is computed from recorded statuses, not wording.
Fact	Cloudflare AI Gateway	Zscaler
Owner	None	None
Positioning	A gateway for AI applications: Cloudflare's documentation describes it as a way to observe and control AI apps, with analytics on requests, tokens and cost, logging, caching, rate limiting, request retry and model fallback across providers including Workers AI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenAI and Replicate. It governs apps you build, not employees' devices.	Zscaler's controls for employee use of generative AI: prompt-level visibility, allow or block by app, DLP blocking across GenAI apps, browser isolation that disables cut, paste and download, and data security for Microsoft Copilot.
How it reaches devices	Routed in front of model providers from your own applications; Cloudflare says it takes one line of code to start. Source: Cloudflare AI Gateway documentation · Read 11 Oct 2026	Delivered with Zscaler's cloud security service in the network path; endpoint agents are not described on the page we read. Source: Zscaler: Secure the use of generative AI · Read 11 Oct 2026
On-device control	Not in our sourcesNot described on the pages we read.	Not in our sourcesNot described on the pages we read.
Browser extension	Not in our sourcesNot described on the pages we read.	Not in our sourcesNot described on the pages we read.
Network or SSE proxyDiffers	Not in our sourcesNot described on the pages we read.	DescribedSee all input prompts users send to apps, allow or block apps, block sensitive data with DLP across GenAI, and isolate the browser to disable cut, paste and download. Source: Zscaler: Secure the use of generative AI · Read 11 Oct 2026
AI or MCP gatewayDiffers	DescribedAn AI gateway with analytics, logging, caching, rate limiting, retry and model fallback for AI applications. Source: Cloudflare AI Gateway documentation · Read 11 Oct 2026	Not in our sourcesNot described on the pages we read.
Names the coding agents it covers	Not in our sources	Not in our sources
Decides on a tool call before it runs	Not in our sources	Not in our sources
Controls what goes into browser AIDiffers	Not in our sources	MatchesPrompt-level visibility, DLP blocking across GenAI apps, and browser isolation that disables cut, paste and download. Source: Zscaler: Secure the use of generative AI · Read 11 Oct 2026
Rolls out through EDR or device management you run	Not in our sources	Not in our sources
Can warn or ask instead of only blocking	Not in our sources	Not in our sources
Can block an agent, tool or actionDiffers	Not in our sources	MatchesAllow or block GenAI apps, and block sensitive data with DLP. Source: Zscaler: Secure the use of generative AI · Read 11 Oct 2026
Has a watch-only or simulation modeDiffers	PartlyAnalytics and logs on requests, tokens and cost without changing the traffic. Source: Cloudflare AI Gateway documentation · Read 11 Oct 2026	Not in our sources
Records who or what took each actionDiffers	PartlyLogs requests; tying a call to a person or an agent is not described. Source: Cloudflare AI Gateway documentation · Read 11 Oct 2026	Not in our sources
Also covers SaaS, cloud or homegrown AIDiffers	MatchesBuilt for AI applications you build and run. Source: Cloudflare AI Gateway documentation · Read 11 Oct 2026	PartlyData security for Microsoft Copilot, including misconfigurations. Source: Zscaler: Secure the use of generative AI · Read 11 Oct 2026
Has a public price or tiers (vendor site or marketplace)	Not in our sources	Not in our sources
Built into	None	None
Works with	None in our sources	None in our sources
Price	Available on all Cloudflare plans, per the documentation; plan prices are not on the page we read. Source: Cloudflare AI Gateway documentation · Read 11 Oct 2026	Not published (demo request). Source: Zscaler: Secure the use of generative AI · Read 11 Oct 2026

Where do they differ?

Network or SSE proxy: Cloudflare AI Gateway is not in our sources; Zscaler describes it.
AI or MCP gateway: Cloudflare AI Gateway describes it; Zscaler is not in our sources.
Controls what goes into browser AI: Cloudflare AI Gateway is not in our sources; Zscaler matches.
Can block an agent, tool or action: Cloudflare AI Gateway is not in our sources; Zscaler matches.
Has a watch-only or simulation mode: Cloudflare AI Gateway partly matches; Zscaler is not in our sources.
Records who or what took each action: Cloudflare AI Gateway partly matches; Zscaler is not in our sources.
Also covers SaaS, cloud or homegrown AI: Cloudflare AI Gateway matches; Zscaler partly matches.

Choose Cloudflare AI Gateway if

You build your own AI apps and want one place to log and control their model calls
You already use Cloudflare and want AI traffic to pass through it

Choose Zscaler if

You already route traffic through Zscaler and want GenAI controls there
Your main risk is sensitive data pasted or uploaded into GenAI web apps

Which limits should you check?