CASB Solutions (2026): 10 Tools for SaaS App Control

Here's the short version. Shadow IT, risky file sharing and staff pasting data into AI tools all happen inside cloud apps your firewall never sees, and that's the job a CASB was built for. Cloudflare's own learning centre puts it simply: a CASB sits between cloud service consumers and providers to enforce security policies.

The ten tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from each vendor's own website, read as of Oct 2026. If remote staff are your main worry, my guide to VPNs for business covers the access side first.

CASB and SaaS security tools at a glance

I checked the free plan column on each vendor's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the page names a free plan, a free version or an open source edition. Trial only means it names a time-limited free trial. Not stated means the page I read named neither, so check the vendor's own site before you sign up.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
AppOmni	SaaS and AI security (API)	Misconfigurations and risky access inside SaaS apps	Not stated
Cloudflare	Network-edge CASB	Policy enforcement between users and cloud services	Not stated
DoControl	SaaS data security	SaaS data sharing, insider risk and shadow apps	Not stated
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps	CASB in Microsoft Defender	Shadow IT discovery and cloud app usage visibility	Not stated
Netskope	SSE and SASE platform	CASB inside a wider security and networking platform	Not stated
Nightfall	AI and data security	Data exposure outside the proxy, including AI agents	Not stated
Palo Alto Networks	Integrated CASB	Next-generation CASB within a larger security stack	Not stated
Skyhigh Security	Hybrid mesh SSE	CASB with a secure web gateway and DSPM	Not stated
TrustLayer	Web, mail and AI security layer	Web, CASB and AI tool governance with audit reports	Not stated
Zscaler	Multimode CASB	Data protection across SaaS and IaaS	Not stated

Ten cloud access security brokers and SaaS security specialists

AppOmni

Best for: Enterprises that need to catch misconfigurations, overly permissive access and risky behaviour inside SaaS apps, which the vendor says perimeter tools can't see.

Cloudflare

Best for: Teams already on its network that want a CASB enforcing security policies between cloud service users and providers, as part of a zero trust setup.

DoControl

Best for: Teams that want SaaS data access governance, insider risk management and shadow app discovery in one product, so staff can share files and stay in control.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps

Best for: Microsoft security customers wanting fundamental CASB functions, such as shadow IT discovery and visibility into cloud app usage, extended into full SaaS protection.

Netskope

Best for: Organisations buying security and networking as one platform, with CASB sitting next to DLP, SaaS security posture management, secure SD-WAN and firewall as a service.

Nightfall

Best for: Data teams worried about exposure outside the proxy, such as AI agent tool calls, clipboard, USB and local IDEs, which the vendor says network DLP and CASB miss.

Palo Alto Networks

Best for: Buyers comparing a conventional CASB with an integrated, next-generation one, from a vendor whose own guide sets out the four components and main use cases.

Skyhigh Security

Best for: Enterprises wanting CASB alongside a secure web gateway, data security posture management, DLP and private access in what it calls a hybrid mesh security service edge.

TrustLayer

Best for: Organisations that want web security, CASB, shadow IT and AI tool governance in one layer, with audit-ready reporting for the insurer or the board.

Zscaler

Best for: Companies wanting a multimode CASB that protects data, stops threats and keeps compliance across both SaaS and IaaS deployments.

The word CASB is quietly leaving vendor home pages

Here's what stood out reading the vendor pages. DoControl's home page now leads with a banner saying it joins Spin.AI to build the future of SaaS and AI security. Nightfall's page title calls it an AI security platform for agents, MCP and data movement, and TrustLayer sells cybersecurity for the AI era. None of them leads with those four letters any more.

Palo Alto Networks still publishes a guide framing the choice as conventional versus next-generation CASB, and Microsoft describes its own product as going beyond the traditional scope of a CASB. So the function lives on. It's just being sold under a bigger label.

Inline SSE platform or API-first SaaS security?

• Inline, inside an SSE platform. Traffic runs through the vendor's cloud, so the CASB sees which apps people use and can step in as data moves. It tends to arrive with a secure web gateway, DLP and private access. Netskope, Zscaler and Skyhigh sell it this way.
• API-first SaaS security. The tool connects to your SaaS apps by API and looks at what's inside them: settings, permissions, shared files and connected apps. One vendor here says perimeter tools see traffic, not misconfigurations or overly permissive access inside the apps.
• Both. You can pair the two, because each one covers a blind spot the other describes on its own site.

Five questions to ask before you shortlist a broker

1. Which apps are people using today? Shadow IT discovery is the first job, and Microsoft lists it as fundamental CASB functionality.
2. Do you need inline control, API scanning or both? Inline catches the upload as it happens; API scanning finds what's already exposed.
3. Does it cover IaaS as well as SaaS? Some tools stop at SaaS apps, while others say they protect both.
4. How does it handle AI tools? Several vendors now show which AI tools staff use and what data goes into them.
5. Who sets the roadmap? One vendor here has just joined another company, so ask before you commit for years.

A CASB also sits on top of good basics. If your team still shares logins, my roundup of open source password managers is a quicker first fix.

Do you make a CASB or SaaS security tool? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on choosing a CASB

Start with discovery. Run whichever tool you trial in monitor-only mode for a few weeks and look at the list of apps and AI tools your staff use, because that list decides everything else. If you already run an SSE or SASE platform, switch on its CASB module before you buy anything new. Add an API-first SaaS security tool when the risk is what's inside the apps, such as public file links, admin settings and connected third-party apps.

And keep the edge in view. A CASB works best alongside the network layer in front of your site, which my guide to CDN and edge security tools covers.

Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.

Frequently asked questions

What does a CASB do?

A cloud access security broker sits between your users and the cloud services they use, so you can discover which apps are in play, control access and enforce data rules such as stopping uploads of sensitive files.

Is a CASB the same as SSE or SASE?

No. A CASB is one part of a security service edge, which usually adds a secure web gateway and zero trust network access. SASE then adds networking, such as SD-WAN, on top.

What's the difference between a CASB and SSPM?

A CASB watches how people use cloud apps, often inline. SaaS security posture management connects to the apps by API and checks their settings and permissions. Several tools on this list now do both.

Do small businesses need a CASB?

If staff use a handful of SaaS apps and AI tools with company data, you need the visibility a CASB gives. You may already have it as a module in a security platform you use.

Can a CASB control AI tools like chatbots?

More and more, yes. Several vendors here now show which AI tools staff use and what data goes into them, and some can step in when a risky upload happens.