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ExtremeCloud IQ vs Fortinet FortiNAC comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

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
6.6
ExtremeCloud IQ boosts productivity, reduces costs, simplifies management, and enhances scalability, positively impacting ROI and customer satisfaction.
Sentiment score
6.4
Fortinet FortiNAC boosts security and ROI by streamlining processes, reducing costs and effort, and ensuring authorized network access.
I managed to support and deploy ExtremeCloud IQ and handle network management without requiring external staffing, thus saving on external hiring costs.
Technical Coordinator at Yildiz Technical University
We have saved resources and time, and we have also secured our network, confirming we have a return on investment.
Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Computer Manufacturing (ECM)
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.8
ExtremeCloud IQ is praised for responsive, knowledgeable customer service, despite minor training and escalation improvement suggestions.
Sentiment score
7.2
Fortinet FortiNAC support varies by region, praised for responsiveness but criticized for delays and communication issues.
GTAC receives a score of ten out of ten.
Ingeniero De Preventa at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
I experienced effective help mainly remotely, though for some issues, a technical person had to assist on-site.
Technical Coordinator at Yildiz Technical University
They provide sessions to help with various questions.
Network &Security Engineer at Natioanal Drug Authority Uganda
Fortinet FortiNAC's customer support is very good, as is typical from Fortinet.
Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Computer Manufacturing (ECM)
They could do more to improve, not because of the product itself but because of the support they provide.
Senior Cyber Security Engineer at Beta Information Technology
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
ExtremeCloud IQ is praised for seamless scalability, easy integration, and reliable performance in both small and large deployments.
Sentiment score
7.5
Fortinet FortiNAC is praised for scalability, supporting easy network expansion for enterprises, highly rated by users despite licensing impacts.
The pricing model makes it challenging as the cost is substantial due to the per-node licensing model.
Network &Security Engineer at Natioanal Drug Authority Uganda
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.5
ExtremeCloud IQ is generally stable with high performance, though occasional firmware bugs and delays can impact operations.
Sentiment score
7.6
Fortinet FortiNAC's stability is mixed, with praise for performance but issues during setup, resolved over time for some.
It requires some time to update, which affects real-time management.
Technical Coordinator at Yildiz Technical University
 

Room For Improvement

Users seek a simpler interface, improved support, and enhanced features, highlighting issues with bugs, security, and pricing concerns.
Fortinet FortiNAC requires improved integration, user interface, reporting, compatibility, and documentation, while simplifying setup and enhancing automation and support.
Improving documentation with more detailed videos and resources would be beneficial.
Technical Coordinator at Yildiz Technical University
This integration aids in resolving problems and issues found in the network and enhances support with the GTAC team of Extreme Networks.
Ingeniero De Preventa at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Improvement in the interface design would make FortiNAC a better solution.
Network &Security Engineer at Natioanal Drug Authority Uganda
Fortinet FortiNAC can be improved as the GUI is very poor compared to other competitors such as Cisco ISE.
Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Computer Manufacturing (ECM)
The graphical user interface (GUI) of Fortinet FortiNAC is very poor compared to competitors like Forcepoint and Cisco ISE.
Senior Cyber Security Engineer at Beta Information Technology
 

Setup Cost

ExtremeCloud IQ pricing is competitive, offering comprehensive licensing and discounts, appealing to buyers prioritizing quality and reliability.
Fortinet FortiNAC offers flexible, fair pricing and licensing options, often rated 7-9, with rising costs but lower than Cisco.
The licensing was a challenge due to budget constraints, and I used ExtremeCloud IQ without a license for a period.
Technical Coordinator at Yildiz Technical University
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Fortinet FortiNAC is that, as is typical from Fortinet, all their products have a very good licensing model and competitive pricing.
Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Computer Manufacturing (ECM)
Fortinet FortiNAC is relatively cheap compared to other solutions.
Senior Cyber Security Engineer at Beta Information Technology
 

Valuable Features

ExtremeCloud IQ provides scalable, cloud-based network management with AI analytics, enhancing performance, security, and reducing costs for businesses.
Fortinet FortiNAC offers enhanced security, automation, and integration, excelling in network visibility and compliance across diverse environments.
For networking and access points, it acts as a controller in a cloud environment, eliminating the need for an appliance controller or wireless LAN controller, thus saving on investment and reducing TCO costs.
Ingeniero De Preventa at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
The automation and information provided by ExtremeCloud IQ, such as connection status and logs, were very beneficial.
Technical Coordinator at Yildiz Technical University
I appreciate the feature where it can connect with different vendor equipment, regardless of the network devices from other vendors.
Network &Security Engineer at Natioanal Drug Authority Uganda
The integration with other Fortinet products and managing switches from different vendors has helped my workflow by providing automation that makes it easy to run actions.
Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Computer Manufacturing (ECM)
The main advantage of Fortinet FortiNAC is its integration with the entire Fortinet product portfolio.
Senior Cyber Security Engineer at Beta Information Technology
 

Categories and Ranking

ExtremeCloud IQ
Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)
10th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
77
Ranking in other categories
Network Management Applications (13th), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (17th)
Fortinet FortiNAC
Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)
3rd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
57
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Network Access Control (NAC) category, the mindshare of ExtremeCloud IQ is 1.8%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiNAC is 15.0%, down from 18.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Access Control (NAC) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiNAC15.0%
ExtremeCloud IQ1.8%
Other83.2%
Network Access Control (NAC)
 

Featured Reviews

José Roldan - PeerSpot reviewer
Ingeniero De Preventa at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Has improved network monitoring with AI-driven insights and centralized device management
The best features of ExtremeCloud IQ include the integration of different vendors in one dashboard, the evolution of the manager, and any devices in networking. The impact of ExtremeCloud IQ on my organization is positive as the deployment is for a hybrid solution, using third-party vendors and cloud solutions for Extreme devices, switches, IP, and access points or SD-WAN solution devices. My IT team is occupied with other jobs, and ExtremeCloud IQ helps with monitoring networking at low costs. For networking and access points, it acts as a controller in a cloud environment, eliminating the need for an appliance controller or wireless LAN controller, thus saving on investment and reducing TCO costs.
Mohamed Fouad - PeerSpot reviewer
Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Computer Manufacturing (ECM)
Network access control has centralized device profiling and automated user isolation
The best features Fortinet FortiNAC offers include great integration with other Fortinet products. We have most of the cybersecurity products from Fortinet, including FortiMail, FortiGate, and FortiManager, among many Fortinet products. The best feature is the integration with these products. Fortinet FortiNAC can also integrate with any switching vendor using SSH to manage switches. This integration capability is very beneficial. The integration with other Fortinet products and managing switches from different vendors has helped my workflow by providing automation that makes it easy to run actions. We execute and trigger actions through Fortinet FortiNAC on FortiGate. We set up trigger actions on FortiGate to be run through Fortinet FortiNAC directly. Whenever an action happens, it is triggered on Fortinet FortiNAC, allowing us to disable and isolate a user if that machine is infected. The automation and response functionality is powerful, and the integration is very good. Fortinet FortiNAC has positively impacted my organization by allowing us to control our network and save time. We manage multiple switches that allow many users, including guest users and corporate users. We have saved time and secured our resources while accomplishing a lot with Fortinet FortiNAC.
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Network Access Control (NAC) solutions are best for your needs.
884,933 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Educational Organization
8%
Marketing Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Computer Software Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business45
Midsize Enterprise14
Large Enterprise24
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business30
Midsize Enterprise14
Large Enterprise14
 

Questions from the Community

What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?
Depends. I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them. Extreme I am not, so unless they have some feature that I need or want, I wouldn't consider them. Do you have expe...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ExtremeCloud IQ?
The licensing was a challenge due to budget constraints, and I used ExtremeCloud IQ without a license for a period. The documentation and training courses were also costly, impacting how easily I c...
What advice do you have for others considering ExtremeCloud IQ?
I use ExtremeCloud IQ's real-time analytics. In the cloud solution, I get reports, and it works together with machine learning and artificial intelligence for those reports. This tool permits the c...
What is the biggest difference between Aruba ClearPass and FortiNAC?
I've done quite a lot of work with ClearPass, and not a lot with FortiNAC/Bradford. ClearPass incorporates a number of different functions including ClearPass Guest for creating complex wireless g...
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...
What do you like most about Fortinet FortiNAC?
The support responds to our queries within two to four hours.
 

Also Known As

Aerohive Networks, Aerohive HiveManager, HiveManager, ExtremeCloud , ExtremeSecurity
FortiNAC, Bradford Networks, Bradford Networks Sentry, Network Sentry Family
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Henry Ford Health System, Baltimore Ravens, Brandili, Federal University of Alagoas, CEDAE, Caxias do Sul, UNISC Concurrency, CenturyLink Field, Louisiana College, Cricket Tasmania Stadium, Moscow Internet Exchange
Isavia, Pepperdine University, Medical University of South Carolina, Columbia University Medical Center, Utah Valley University
Find out what your peers are saying about ExtremeCloud IQ vs. Fortinet FortiNAC and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
884,933 professionals have used our research since 2012.