Data as of Oct 5, 2026Based on 346 AI responses from ChatGPT Search and Google AI Mode
Reviewed by Dimitry Apollonsky ·
For most small businesses, Twingate and Tailscale offer the best balance of simplicity, speed, and ease of deployment. If you need a more extensive security suite, Cloudflare Zero Trust or NordLayer are strong alternatives that combine secure remote access with additional identity and device posture management features.
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Mentioned inRecommended in · Sep 9 – Sep 25, 2026
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For a small business, I’d shortlist three approaches rather than declare one universal winner. The right choice depends heavily on whether you already use Microsoft 365, how many private applications you need to expose, and how much IT administration you want.
| Solution | Best fit | Approx. published pricing | Key strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Entra Private Access | Microsoft 365 / Entra shops | $5/user/month | Identity-based ZTNA integrated with Conditional Access |
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Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) to Control Application Access | Fortinet (opens in a new tab)Brand site2%fortinet.com
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| Tailscale | Small IT teams wanting simplicity | $8/user/month Standard | Very easy deployment and granular ACLs |
| Cloudflare Zero Trust | Businesses wanting broader web/network security | Free/paid tiers; pricing varies by product | ZTNA plus broader SSE/security capabilities |
Microsoft Entra Private Access is particularly compelling if you're already using Microsoft 365. It provides per-application access to private resources without requiring a traditional VPN, and integrates with Microsoft's identity and Conditional Access controls. Microsoft currently lists Private Access at $5/user/month when paid annually.
Tailscale is attractive when your priority is minimal operational complexity. Its ACL system supports least-privilege access, and users authenticate through an identity provider. The Standard plan is currently listed at $8/user/month.
Cloudflare Zero Trust makes more sense if you want ZTNA as part of a broader security stack—particularly if you also want secure web access, filtering, and related SSE capabilities. Cloudflare's pricing varies considerably by the specific services and plan you select.
Regardless of vendor, I'd configure the system around:
CISA specifically recommends MFA for remote access and identifies Zero Trust/least-privilege approaches as preferable in many modern environments. CISA CISA CISA and its international partners also recommend moving toward Zero Trust/SSE approaches because traditional remote-access and VPN configurations can create significant exposure when misconfigured.
If you tell me roughly how many employees you have, whether you use Microsoft 365/Google Workspace, and what employees need to access (file servers, RDP, internal web apps, databases, etc.), I can narrow this down to the most suitable architecture and estimated monthly cost.
For a small business, the "best" Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution depends heavily on your existing tech stack, how fast you need to deploy, and your team's technical expertise. Small businesses generally benefit from lightweight, cloud-first options that don't require complex on-prem hardware or enterprise-scale budgets.
The top ZTNA contenders tailored for small businesses fall into three clear categories:
Twingate is super simple to roll out and manage compared to legacy hardware VPNs. It took us no time to restrict access to specific internal servers without tearing apart our existing network setup.
Cloudflare Zero Trust gives small teams enterprise-grade edge security with a very accessible entry point. The speed and clientless options make connecting remote staff frictionless.
To help narrow down which choice fits your setup best, tell me:
For a small business, I’d shortlist Cloudflare Zero Trust and Tailscale first. The right choice depends on whether you primarily need employees to reach internal applications or need a more general private network replacement for a VPN.
| Solution | Best fit | Small-business advantages | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Zero Trust | Internal web apps + broader ZTNA | Identity/device-based policies, private-network access, strong security platform, relatively low entry cost | More configuration and concepts to learn |
| Tailscale | Small IT teams wanting simple secure connectivity | Very easy deployment, granular ACLs, device posture, works with existing IdP; $8/user/month Standard | More network/connectivity-oriented than a full SSE/ZTNA platform |
| Zscaler ZPA | Larger or security-mature organizations | Very comprehensive ZTNA, application-level segmentation, extensive security controls | Typically more platform than a small business needs |
Start with Cloudflare Zero Trust if your employees mainly need access to internal web applications, servers, or private resources. Cloudflare can keep applications off the public Internet, authenticate users, and apply policies based on identity and device posture. Its private-network functionality also supports non-HTTP resources.
Cloudflare currently lists Access at $7/user/month on its paid plan, with a free plan also available; exact capabilities and support differ by plan.
Choose Tailscale if your priority is "I want to replace our VPN without creating a big IT project." It provides identity-based ACLs, device approval, device-posture integrations, and integrations with existing identity providers. Its current Standard plan is $8/user/month, while the free Personal plan supports up to six users.
Consider Zscaler ZPA if you're already operating a more sophisticated security stack or have compliance/segmentation requirements that justify an enterprise platform. ZPA provides user-to-application rather than user-to-network access and supports granular application segmentation and contextual policies.
For a small business, aim for:
If you tell me (1) number of employees, (2) whether you're Microsoft 365/Google Workspace, (3) what employees need to access—web apps, file servers, RDP/SSH, etc.—and (4) whether you currently use a VPN, I can narrow this to a specific architecture and approximate monthly cost.
For a small business, the "best" Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution isn't a massive enterprise tool like Zscaler or Palo Alto (which are overly complex and expensive for smaller teams). Instead, the right choice depends heavily on the IT ecosystem you already use .
Top-tier, right-sized ZTNA options for small businesses fall into three clear categories:
To help narrow down which of these fits your setup best, tell me:
For a small business with remote employees, I’d shortlist these three rather than treating “best” as one universal answer:
| Solution | Best fit | Key advantage | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Zero Trust / Access | Most small businesses | Very inexpensive, broad ZTNA capabilities, easy to start | Can become more complex as you add advanced policies |
| Tailscale | Technical/dev-heavy teams | Extremely simple, fast private-network connectivity | More network/mesh-oriented than a full SSE security platform |
| Zscaler Private Access | Larger or highly regulated SMBs | Very mature enterprise ZTNA and security controls | Usually more expensive and involved |
For a typical small company, Cloudflare Zero Trust Access is probably the first solution I'd evaluate. Its free tier currently supports up to 50 users and includes ZTNA for private applications and networks. Cloudflare supports identity-provider authentication, contextual policies, device-posture checks, and access to things such as SSH, RDP, VNC, TCP and UDP resources.
A sensible architecture would be:
Employee → MFA/SSO → device check → Cloudflare Access → only the specific internal application/resource they are authorized to use
That is preferable to giving an authenticated employee broad access to your entire corporate network.
If your environment is primarily developers, servers, SSH, internal services, and a relatively small number of resources, Tailscale is worth serious consideration. It uses a WireGuard-based mesh architecture and can provide direct device-to-device connectivity with granular access controls.
If you have significant compliance requirements, a larger workforce, complex application environments, or want ZTNA as part of a broader security-service-edge platform, Zscaler Private Access is the more enterprise-oriented option. Zscaler brokers connections between authorized users and applications rather than exposing the underlying network.
Bottom line: for a normal small business starting from scratch, I'd start by evaluating Cloudflare Zero Trust, then compare it against Tailscale if your needs are mostly private network/server access.
If you tell me (1) number of employees, (2) Windows/Mac/Linux mix, (3) whether you use Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, and (4) what employees need to access remotely—RDP, file shares, SaaS, internal web apps, etc., I can narrow this down to a concrete architecture and estimated cost.
For a small business, the "best" Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution depends heavily on your existing tech stack (like Microsoft or Google Workspace) and your team's technical bandwidth . Small businesses generally need a solution that avoids complex, enterprise-heavy hardware and offers straightforward deployment.
The top ZTNA recommendations tailored for small businesses fall into distinct categories depending on your primary operational needs:
To help narrow down the exact right fit, could you tell me:
For a small business, the "best" Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution isn't a single universal product—it depends heavily on the tools, cloud services, and identity providers you are already using. Small businesses need solutions that are easy to deploy, simple to manage without a massive dedicated security team, and cost-effective.
The top ZTNA solutions for small businesses are categorized below by how they fit into existing infrastructure:
Cloudflare Zero Trust is a platform for small businesses and enterprises to offer secure access to their networks and applications...which sounds perfect for my five-user household 🙂; oh, and it's Free!
To help narrow down the right fit for your team, tell me:
For a small business with remote employees, my first choice would be Cloudflare One / Cloudflare Access if your main goal is replacing a traditional VPN with application-level, identity-aware access.
| Solution | Best for | Approx. cost | My take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Access | Most small businesses | Free up to 50 users; $7/user/mo PAYG | Best overall value |
| Tailscale | Simple private network/server access | $8/user/mo Standard | Easiest to deploy |
| Zscaler ZPA | Larger/complex organizations | Custom | Excellent, but usually overkill for SMBs |
| Fortinet / Check Point / Palo Alto | Businesses already invested in their ecosystems | Varies | Worth considering if you already use their firewalls/SASE |
Cloudflare Tailscale Zscaler### 🥇 I'd pick Cloudflare Access
Cloudflare Access lets you authenticate employees through your identity provider and then grant access to specific internal applications, rather than putting the employee onto the entire corporate network. That is much closer to the actual Zero Trust model than simply replacing one VPN appliance with another.
The particularly attractive part for a small company is the pricing: Cloudflare currently offers a free Zero Trust plan for teams under 50 users, while its paid Zero Trust plan is $7/user/month when billed annually.
A sensible setup would be:
If your environment is relatively simple—say employees need secure access to a few servers, databases, NAS devices, or internal services—I'd seriously consider Tailscale.
Its Standard plan is currently $8/user/month, and it provides identity-based ACLs, subnet routers, device-management integrations, and other capabilities useful for implementing least-privilege access.
It's particularly appealing if you have a technically capable IT person but don't want to spend weeks deploying a traditional enterprise ZTNA platform.
Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) is the more enterprise-oriented choice. It provides application-specific private access rather than exposing the corporate network and has extensive policy, segmentation, and security capabilities.
I'd look at Zscaler if you're approaching hundreds of users, multiple offices/cloud environments, significant compliance requirements, or a dedicated security team. For a 20–50-person company, it can be considerably more platform than you actually need.
For most small businesses: Cloudflare Access. For very simple infrastructure access: Tailscale. For a growing/complex enterprise security program: Zscaler ZPA.
If you tell me roughly how many employees you have, whether you're on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, and what employees need to access (SaaS apps, Windows file shares, RDP, internal web apps, servers, etc.), I can recommend a specific architecture and compare the likely annual cost of Cloudflare vs. Tailscale vs. Zscaler.
For a small business with remote employees, my top pick in 2026 is Twingate—with Cloudflare Zero Trust a very close alternative if you also want broader web/SASE security.
| Solution | Best for | Current pricing* | Why I'd choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twingate | ⭐ Most small businesses | $5/user/mo Teams | Very easy VPN replacement, granular resource access, SSO, device posture, least-privilege policies |
| Cloudflare Access / Zero Trust | Best value + broader security | Free <50 users; $7/user/mo | Excellent ZTNA plus web filtering, tunnels and broader SASE capabilities |
| Tailscale | Technical/IT-heavy teams | $8/user/mo Standard | Extremely simple, excellent device-to-device networking, strong ACLs and device posture |
| Zscaler Private Access | Large/regulated organizations | Custom | Excellent enterprise ZTNA, but generally more platform than a small business needs |
*Current vendor-listed pricing; actual costs can vary by billing and features.
Twingate is particularly well suited to a small company replacing a traditional VPN. Its model lets employees access specific private resources rather than putting them broadly onto the corporate network. It also doesn't require exposing VPN gateways or servers to the public internet.
The Teams plan is $5/user/month and supports up to 100 users, Google Workspace SSO, SaaS application gating, device posture checks, MFA, and automated least-privilege policies. The Business plan is $10/user/month and adds integrations such as Okta/Entra ID and more advanced device/identity controls.
For example, instead of:
Employee → VPN → entire corporate network
you can implement:
Employee + verified device → Twingate → only the HR app/server they are authorized to use
That's much closer to the Zero Trust principle of "never trust, always verify."
Cloudflare is arguably the better choice if you want to build toward a broader security platform rather than just replace your VPN.
Cloudflare Access provides identity-based access to internal applications without a traditional VPN. Its Zero Trust free plan supports teams under 50 users, while the pay-as-you-go offering is $7/user/month.
It's particularly attractive if you want to combine ZTNA with secure web gateway, DNS/security controls, Cloudflare Tunnel, application protection and other SASE capabilities.
Tailscale is fantastic when your employees need access to servers, development environments, SSH, databases, or other infrastructure.
Its Standard plan is currently $8/user/month and includes SSO/SCIM, MDM integration, device-posture integrations and advanced administrative controls. Premium is $18/user/month and adds features such as just-in-time access and network flow logging.
I'd lean Tailscale for a software/engineering-heavy company and Twingate for a more conventional small business.
For a typical 10–50-person business, I'd use:
Bottom line: If you want one recommendation without overengineering it, start with Twingate Teams. If you're already heavily invested in Cloudflare or want a broader SASE/security stack, choose Cloudflare Zero Trust instead. For an engineering-centric company, Tailscale deserves serious consideration.
Twingate pricing and plans · Cloudflare Zero Trust pricing ·
If you tell me roughly how many employees you have, whether you use Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, and what they need to access (files, RDP, internal web apps, servers, etc.), I can narrow this down to a specific architecture and estimated monthly cost.
For a small business, the "best" Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution isn't a massive enterprise suite like Zscaler or Palo Alto (which are often too complex and expensive); rather, it depends heavily on your current tech stack and internal IT resources.
The top-performing ZTNA solutions for small businesses generally fall into three distinct categories based on your needs:
To help narrow down the ideal fit, let me know:
