Comparison
CitrusGlaze vs Cato Networks
Cato bundles GenAI security into a full SASE stack. CitrusGlaze is a purpose-built prompt firewall — local-first, AI-specific, and deployed in minutes instead of months.
| Feature | CitrusGlaze | Cato Networks |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | AI traffic security | Full SASE (SD-WAN + cloud security + GenAI add-on) |
| Data processing | Local-first — AI traffic inspected on your device | Cloud-routed (all traffic through Cato PoPs) |
| Approach | Local prompt firewall (network layer) | Cloud CASB with inline + API inspection |
| AI tool coverage | 39+ verified (CLI, SDK, agents, browser) | Browser-based SaaS AI apps (limited CLI/SDK/agent visibility) |
| Secret detection | 349+ patterns (real-time blocking) | Generic DLP patterns (not AI-specific) |
| Injection detection | 18 pattern groups + heuristics | Not a focus (network security oriented) |
| Cost tracking | Per-request token counting + cost attribution | Not available |
| Deploy time | 5 minutes | Weeks to months (requires traffic rerouting) |
| Price | Free + enterprise pricing | $200-400/user/year (bundled SASE, ~100 user min) |
| Source code | Scanner is open source (MIT) | Proprietary / closed source |
Different tools for different problems
Choose CitrusGlaze if you need
- ✓ AI-specific security — prompts, API calls, tool governance
- ✓ Local-first processing — AI traffic is inspected locally
- ✓ Coverage for CLI tools, SDKs, and autonomous agents (not just browsers)
- ✓ Deploy today, not in three months after a POC
- ✓ AI cost tracking and per-application attribution
- ✓ Self-serve evaluation without a sales call or minimum seat count
Choose Cato Networks if you need
- ✓ Full SASE stack — SD-WAN, FWaaS, CASB, ZTNA in one platform
- ✓ Cloud-based network security for all traffic, not just AI
- ✓ Global PoP network for branch office connectivity
- ✓ Consolidated security vendor (replace multiple point solutions)
- ✓ Established enterprise vendor with $773M+ in funding
Key differences
AI security add-on vs purpose-built prompt firewall
Cato added GenAI security as a module within their CASB product in 2024-2025. It monitors SaaS AI applications via API and inline inspection, but it's one feature among dozens in a broad SASE platform. CitrusGlaze is built from the ground up for AI traffic: 349+ secret patterns tuned for prompts, prompt injection detection, Cedar policy engine for tool governance, and a 9-stage inspection pipeline that runs in under 10ms. When AI security is your primary concern, a purpose-built tool goes deeper than a bolt-on feature.
Local-first vs cloud-routed
Cato's architecture requires routing all your network traffic through their global cloud PoPs. This is powerful for branch office connectivity and unified policy, but it means your AI prompts, code snippets, and API keys travel through Cato's infrastructure. CitrusGlaze inspects AI traffic locally on each machine — your prompts and secrets never leave your device before reaching the AI provider. For teams where data residency and latency matter, this is a fundamental architectural difference.
CLI and agent coverage
Cato's GenAI security primarily covers browser-based SaaS AI applications — ChatGPT in Chrome, Claude in the web UI. CitrusGlaze operates at the network layer and intercepts AI traffic from CLIs (Claude Code, GitHub Copilot CLI), SDKs (OpenAI Python, Anthropic SDK), autonomous agents, and desktop apps — 39+ tools verified. As AI usage shifts from browsers to agents and developer tools, network-layer visibility becomes critical.
5 minutes vs 5 months
Deploying Cato means re-architecting your network: routing traffic through Cato PoPs, installing agents, configuring SD-WAN tunnels, and migrating from existing firewalls. This takes weeks to months and typically requires a dedicated project team. CitrusGlaze installs in 5 minutes — one binary, one command, immediate visibility into AI traffic. You can evaluate it today and have production coverage by end of day.
Honest assessment
Cato Networks is a serious enterprise platform with $238M ARR, $773M in funding, and a proven SASE architecture used by thousands of organizations. If you're consolidating your entire network security stack — SD-WAN, firewall, CASB, ZTNA — Cato is a strong choice and their GenAI security comes included.
CitrusGlaze solves one problem well: securing AI traffic. We don't do SD-WAN or branch office connectivity. Our advantage is depth, not breadth — local-first processing, prompt-level inspection, and coverage for developer tools that cloud CASB can't see. We deploy in minutes, not months, and are free for developers with enterprise pricing on request.
For many organizations, the answer isn't either/or. Cato handles your network perimeter; CitrusGlaze handles the AI-specific risks that a general SASE platform treats as an afterthought. They layer cleanly together.
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