Cloudflare vs Zscaler vs Wantastic: The 2025 Comparison
Choosing the right remote access tool for MikroTik. We benchmarked connection latency, setup time, and security features.
The Big Three
When it comes to securing remote access, you usually hear about Cloudflare Zero Trust or Zscaler. They are giants for a reason. But are they the right fit for managing a network of MikroTik routers?
Cloudflare Zero Trust
- Best for: Web applications and HTTP traffic.
- Pros: Huge global network, DDoS protection.
- Cons: No native MikroTik integration. Requires setting up "cloudflared" tunnels on separate containers or hardware. Can be overkill for simple UDP/Winbox traffic.
- Latency: Good, but traffic often hairpins through their POPs.
Zscaler Private Access (ZPA)
- Best for: Large Enterprise Employee Access.
- Pros: Extremely comprehensive policy engine, compliance focused.
- Cons: Very expensive. Complex setup. Not designed for "devices managing devices".
- Overhead: Significant processing overhead for simple management sessions.
Wantastic
- Best for: MikroTik and IoT Remote Management.
- Pros:
- Native WireGuard: Runs directly on RouterOS v7.
- Winbox Awareness: Optimizes the connection specifically for Winbox packets.
- Cost: Free tier available, much cheaper enterprise tiers.
- Performance: Direct P2P wherever possible.
Benchmark Results
| Metric | Cloudflare | Zscaler | Wantastic | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Setup Time | ~30 mins | ~Hours/Days | ~2 mins | | Ping Latency | 45ms | 60ms | 19ms (P2P) | | MikroTik Support| External Agent | External Agent | Native | | Protocol Support| TCP/UDP | TCP/UDP | Any IP Protocol |
Conclusion
If you need to secure your internal web apps (CRM, Jira), use Cloudflare. If you are a Fortune 500 company managing employee laptop access, use Zscaler. If you are an ISP, MSP, or Network Engineer managing MikroTik routers, use Wantastic.