Published May 16, 2026
| Starting Price | Not publicly listed in captured sources (quote-based / bundled) | Third-party sources cite published per-query/plan pricing available from resellers; Cisco does not publish official list pricing | Vendor materials emphasize subscription bundles; explicit per-user prices are not listed publicly |
| Most suitable for | Organizations standardizing on Palo Alto NGFW/Prisma Access wanting integrated DNS threat prevention and response inspection | Organizations needing a DNS-first security service that works across mixed-vendor networks | Enterprises adopting SSE/SASE with broad web and security controls where DNS rules are part of a larger firewall/SSE stack |
| Key Strength | Tight integration with PAN-OS policies and logging; vendor-described response inspection for DNS hijacking detection | Established DNS security presence and operational model for on- and off-network protection | Broad platform for SWG, isolation, sandboxing, and firewall controls with DNS rule capabilities |
| Key Weakness | Limited public third-party review coverage specific to ADNS; pricing opacity; requires alignment to PAN-OS lifecycle | Licensing and query-accounting concepts can be complex; pricing not fully transparent on vendor site | Platform complexity and enterprise-focused pricing; may be more than required for DNS-only needs |
Umbrella is commonly used as an independent DNS security layer. Cisco documentation describes a monthly DNS query accounting concept which can affect large-query environments. ADNS is positioned as a DNS security service integrated into enforcement points (NGFW/Prisma Access) and, with the resolver offering, as a forwarder/resolver option; for Palo Alto–centric environments, this integration can reduce the number of distinct tools.
Where Umbrella can be advantageous:
Where Palo Alto can be advantageous:
Zscaler includes firewall capabilities with DNS rules and DNS tunnel detection in higher tiers.
Where Zscaler can be advantageous:
Where Palo Alto can be advantageous:
Cloudflare offers multiple DNS-related products that are not directly equivalent: