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Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs SailPoint Identity Security Cloud comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
8.4
Cisco Identity Services Engine enhances security and efficiency, providing cost savings and IT consolidation, making it vital for network management.
Sentiment score
7.6
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud streamlined processes, improved compliance, and reduced costs with automation, yielding ROI in 14-18 months.
Direct comparisons with Forescout reveal up to 30% to 40% difference in cost savings.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.9
Cisco Identity Services Engine customer service is praised for commitment, but technical support feedback varies due to delays and complexities.
Sentiment score
5.3
SailPoint's customer service is strong and knowledgeable, but some users report delays and language issues in certain regions.
I rate the technical support as one out of ten.
Sometimes it's challenging to identify which support team is responsible for certain issues, which is a significant concern.
SailPoint's team consists of specialists who handle tickets without needing to depend on other teams.
Sometimes, the support is slow, and they often suggest resorting to expert services.
Technical support is very good.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
Cisco ISE excels in scalable environments, efficiently supporting deployments with flexibility for thousands of endpoints across various sizes.
Sentiment score
7.2
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud excels in scalability, suitable for large enterprises, but faces challenges with resource allocation and cost.
Factors like architecture, business nature, and legal limitations such as GDPR affect it.
The solution scales well as long as we provide the necessary resources.
The solution is scalable and can be upgraded to accommodate increased user counts.
SailPoint is scalable, though challenges exist in terms of workflow and user interface design.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.7
Cisco ISE is reliable with high user satisfaction, though some report stability issues, especially during upgrades and high capacity.
Sentiment score
7.9
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud is praised for high stability, seamless integration, reliable performance, and minor non-disruptive bugs.
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is considered very reliable and stable.
The stability of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is poor for certain use cases, like authentication.
IdentityIQ deserves a rating of 12 out of ten for stability.
The version I use now is very stable, especially compared to previous versions like eight point zero and eight point one.
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco ISE struggles with setup complexity, non-intuitive UI, integration challenges, upgrade issues, and demands for better features.
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud needs improvements in authentication, integration, customization, user interface, and competitive pricing strategy.
The whole setup works well with Cisco access points and Cisco switches, but when you have multiple vendors in the environment, such as HP switches or access points like Aruba, you'll find they will not work well with Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE).
Pricing can be more expensive compared to other vendors, and there is a significant price gap observed, which doesn't seem justified by some specific features.
They are very poor in asset classification and should focus on improving the preauthentication profiling, especially for NAC use cases.
SailPoint lacks some features like privileged account management and access management features found in products like Okta.
I find raising a ticket to be too complex, which could be improved for better user-friendliness.
We have also put our enhancement request, and the SailPoint team has accepted that the feature is not available and plans to include it going forward.
 

Setup Cost

Cisco ISE offers strong features with complex, expensive pricing, but discounts through partnerships can help alleviate costs.
Enterprise users find SailPoint Identity Security Cloud pricing high but justified by its comprehensive features and robust capabilities.
Compared to other solutions like HPE ClearPass, Cisco is more costly, and the conversation suggests a possible forty percent price gap compared to competitors.
The license costs can range between $50,000 to $100,000 per year for enterprises.
Cloud solutions are expensive, while on-prem setups with shared environments are cheaper but not effective.
SailPoint is cheaper than ServiceNow, which is very expensive.
The pricing of SailPoint could be better.
The costs are slightly higher than SailPoint IQ due to included charges for maintenance.
 

Valuable Features

Cisco ISE provides comprehensive access control, seamless integration, and enhanced security with intuitive management for versatile network operations.
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud offers efficient, scalable identity management with AI integration, automation, and user-friendly governance features.
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) offers authentication using RADIUS, enhancing network security by separating and segregating networks.
There is value because it helps us secure the network and prevents certain things from happening which could cause financial loss.
The solution is integrated with other Cisco devices and can offer automation for an organization, making deployments more dynamic and providing real-time visibility.
The automation of provisioning and deprovisioning, managing contractors, temporary users, and the overall automation factor is fantastic.
The solution can be customized to adapt the workflow to our industry, offering considerable flexibility.
From a project management point of view, the tool supports audit success with features to segregate permanent and contractor employees, integrate with HR systems, and indicate other sources for contractors.
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Identity Services Eng...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
143
Ranking in other categories
Network Access Control (NAC) (1st), Cisco Security Portfolio (1st)
SailPoint Identity Security...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
71
Ranking in other categories
User Provisioning Software (2nd), Identity Management (IM) (1st), Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (2nd), SaaS Management Platforms (1st), Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and SailPoint Identity Security Cloud aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is designed for Network Access Control (NAC) and holds a mindshare of 25.1%, down 30.7% compared to last year.
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud, on the other hand, focuses on User Provisioning Software, holds 32.1% mindshare, up 29.6% since last year.
Network Access Control (NAC)
User Provisioning Software
 

Featured Reviews

SunilkumarNaganuri - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced device administration hindered by complex deployment and security limitations
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) needs to improve the profiling preauthentication. They are very poor in asset classification and should focus on improving the preauthentication profiling, especially for NAC use cases. This will give them a roadmap for software-defined access (SDA) use cases and network segmentation. Threat detection capabilities are very weak. Additionally, the product is vulnerable and has many bugs.
Kaustubh Partha - PeerSpot reviewer
Empower users with robust IT security and seamless approval workflows
I raise requests on SailPoint, for example, if there is any server-related access needed. I use it more as an end-user, like raising simple tickets for identity access management SailPoint is more focused on IT security. I find that the approvals that flow through SailPoint are much better than…
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Educational Organization
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Insurance Company
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Which is better - Aruba Clearpass or Cisco ISE?
Aruba ClearPass is a Network Access Control tool that gives secure network access to multiple device types. You can adapt the policies to VPN access, wired, or wireless access. You can securely ...
What are the main differences between Cisco ISE and Forescout Platform?
OK, so Cisco ISE uses 802.1X to secure switchports against unauthorized access. The drawback of this is that ISE cannot secure the port if a device does not support 802.1x. Cameras, badge readers, ...
How does Cisco ISE compare with Fortinet FortiNAC?
Cisco ISE uses AI endpoint analytics to identify new devices based on their behavior. It will also notify you if someone plugs in with a device that is not allowed and will block it. The user exper...
How does Sailpoint IdentityIQ compare with CyberArk PAM?
We evaluated Sailpoint IdentityIQ before ultimately choosing CyberArk. Sailpoint Identity Platform is a solution to manage risks in cloud enterprise environments. It automates and streamlines the m...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SailPoint IdentityIQ?
The product is expensive. People need to opt for a licensing plan for one year or three years.
What advice do you have for others considering SailPoint IdentityIQ?
You can use SailPoint Atlas to take identity security to the next level. In SailPoint IIQ, writing a custom connector using the open source framework is a good option.
 

Also Known As

Cisco ISE
IdentityIQ, IdentityNow, Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management, Intello
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Aegean Motorway, BC Hydro, Beachbody, Bucks County Intermediate Unit , Cisco IT, Derby City Council, Global Banking Customer, Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha, Houston Methodist, Linz AG, London Hydro, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Molina Healthcare, MST Systems, New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Reykjavik University, Wildau University
Adobe, AXA Technology Services, Cuna Mutual Group, Equifax, ING Direct, Orrstown Bank, Rockwell Automation, SallieMae, Spirit Aerosystems, TEL
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Fortinet and others in Network Access Control (NAC). Updated: June 2025.
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