ExtremeCloud IQ vs Sophos Network Access Control comparison

Extreme Networks and Sophos are both solutions in the Network Access Control (NAC) category. Extreme Networks is ranked #10 with an average rating of 9.0, while Sophos is ranked #7 with an average rating of 7.5. Extreme Networks holds a 1.8% mindshare in NAC, compared to Sophos’s 2.3% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Extreme Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Sophos users who would recommend it.

ExtremeCloud IQ

Read 77 ExtremeCloud IQ reviews

3,365 Views
572 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Sophos Network Access Control

Read 24 Sophos Network Access Control reviews

1,276 Views
1,238 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

ExtremeCloud IQ

Sophos Network Access Control

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

Sophos Network Access Control and ExtremeCloud IQ are network management and security solutions. Sophos offers robust security features, while ExtremeCloud IQ excels in cloud capabilities, making it more suitable for cloud-centric environments.

Features: Sophos Network Access Control provides excellent device authentication, threat response, and compliance management, ensuring a secure network. ExtremeCloud IQ offers advanced cloud management, AI-driven insights, and exceptional scalability, catering to complex cloud environments.

Room for Improvement: Sophos could enhance cloud integration, simplify its deployment process, and improve scalability for larger networks. ExtremeCloud IQ may benefit from more comprehensive on-premise support, improved user interface customization, and expanded reporting capabilities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Sophos Network Access Control offers complex on-premise deployment, but benefits from comprehensive support. ExtremeCloud IQ's cloud-based model ensures easier deployment with ongoing support options, providing more flexibility in customer service.

Pricing and ROI: Sophos Network Access Control has higher initial setup costs but delivers strong ROI for security-focused enterprises. ExtremeCloud IQ offers competitive pricing and higher ROI in cloud environments, due to its scalability and advanced features, resulting in better long-term value for cloud integration.

To learn more, read our detailed ExtremeCloud IQ vs. Sophos Network Access Control Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

ExtremeCloud IQ vs. Sophos Network Access Control

March 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

ExtremeCloud IQ

Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)

10th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (13th), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (17th)

Sophos Network Access Control

Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)

7th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

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 Sophos Network Access Control is 2.3%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Access Control (NAC) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Sophos Network Access Control	2.3%
ExtremeCloud IQ	1.8%
Other	95.9%

Network Access Control (NAC)

Featured Reviews

José Roldan

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.

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HirenPatel2

Manager at rspl

Have faced delays in support despite strong multi-layer policy configuration

I have observed some disadvantages as we have experienced one particular problem. We were facing an issue of synchronization of the endpoint with our firewall with help on a cloud for heartbeat syncing. However, it was not syncing as per our requirement. The user has to connect our firewall with the help of VPN. We were supposed to assume a solution on a cloud, which has good synchronization on a cloud with Sophos Central. It will sync with our firewall as well with the help of Sophos Central. Endpoint and firewall synchronization is not as smooth as we are expecting from Sophos Network Access Control. We have to connect with VPN. We are expecting that if we have already installed an endpoint on our system and it is connected to the internet, then it must be synchronized on a cloud with Sophos Central. Through Sophos Central, it must connect with our firewall. If the endpoint is configured on Sophos Central and the firewall is also configured in Sophos Central, then there should be no need to connect to VPN.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Aerohive's Hive Manager allows you to control all aspects of your WiFi network, from anywhere."

"The technical support for this solution is good."

"Since we started to work with this product, we have been able to save a lot of time, money, and support costs for our customers."

"HiveManager has been a valuable tool to manage/troubleshoot Access Points, Branch Routers, and connected clients."

"Aerohive is the best vendor yet and their support is great."

"Installing the Aerohive solution brought us a lot of management comfort and a good WiFi coverage for our patients with seamless roaming."

"With minimal knowledge and experience, I was able to deploy a robust wireless solution that just works."

"App and firewall security at the AP."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pros

"The user interface makes it easy to configure and use."

"The most valuable features of Sophos Network Access Control are the quick response times to threats and reliable security."

"Web protection, URL filtering, and application filtering are the most valuable features of Sophos Network Access Control."

"The role-based access controls feature of Sophos Network Access Control allows persons at different positions in an organization to have different types of roles."

"There is good documentation that helps to deploy a new wireless access point and a controller in a very easy way."

"The solution offers very good visibility."

"Sophos has helped us to save time and money and to better manage web activities. It has also helped us to reduce misuse of the network and restrict hacking attempts."

"The product has the capabilities to satisfy all kinds of needs that a company may have, and you can find the right solution without spending a lot of money."

More Sophos Network Access Control pros

Cons

"Its price could be lower. It is a simplified solution, but it has price challenges."

"ExtremeCloud IQ’s user interface needs to be improved, and its current bugs need to be fixed."

"They can improve just the onboarding process. More user information about the introduction to the product would be helpful. It would be good if they have a better user introduction to the new product because it is different than the prior version."

"Pricing could be improved. It could be lower."

"The PoE switches we purchased were/are very difficult to configure."

"When there are errors, the description could be worded better to give you a better idea of what is wrong."

"Aerohive configuration management can be little hard to understand for someone who has never worked with it."

"Browser load time for the cloud is long and needs improvement."

More ExtremeCloud IQ cons

"There is room for improvement in pricing."

"I would like to be able to fully customize the reports."

"The solution can improve the for applying policies. They can be complex depending don't the group they are applied to."

"What needs to be improved on is the fact that Sophos consumes a lot of processor resources and, once it starts scanning, the RAM utilization is very high."

"The interface on the cloud could be a bit better - just to give more performance on it."

"Users are not controlled by role-based access; it's basically device-based control. The definition of role-based control is a little vague here because on the cloud level, it regulates access rather than tasks."

"Sophos Network Access Control needs improvement regarding its slow interface, loading time, and reporting."

"Continuous development in specific areas might be required."

More Sophos Network Access Control cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is not the cheapest product but I think that the price is reasonable because you get a lot of support of it's needed."

"The product pricing is reasonable."

"For example, if you compare Aruba vs Aerohive, you need to check which licences from Aruba you need to match the functionality of Aerohive (usually you need at least three types of licences and a controller with redundancy). The same goes with Cisco, where you need buy additional licences for central management, firewall, spectral analysis, WIPS, PPSK, etc. Aerohive has a very simple model - one licence for all the functionalities - and you can believe that there are many. One licence makes it easy to maintain, scale, renew and you can plan your costs 10 years in advance."

"Bring the cost down."

"Extreme is twice as cheap compared to Cisco due to the currency exchange. Normally, I think Cisco would be a little bit more expensive, but there wouldn't be that much of a difference."

"I would advise that you be sure to compare apples with apples. Many customers just look at the price per AP and licences, and compare that against other solutions. But, they do not look at the complete picture such as: TCO - how much the equipment will cost you over, say, seven years? Will the customer need to change complete infrastructure when they want to buy the newest hardware? Does support include a lifetime warranty and RMA?"

"Buy near the end of Q4 in order to get a deal."

"ExtremeCloud IQ's pricing is medium, but its support contract costs more."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pricing and cost advice

"I rate the price of Sophos Network Access Control a five out of ten."

"Sophos Network Access Control is very cheap compared to other solutions like Cisco, Barracuda, and Palo Alto."

"Sophos Network Access Control is costly but has a similar price range as CrowdStrike and Check Point. The product can get more market share if Sophos can play around with Sophos Network Access Control pricing and improve it."

"Sophos Network Access Control is an expensive solution."

"It is quite expensive."

"It provides a moderate pricing option for all of its features and benefits."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	45
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	24

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	16
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	3

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...

See all answers

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...

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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...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sophos Network Access Control?

The pricing of Sophos Network Access Control is good, but it is somewhat high.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sophos Network Access Control?

In my opinion, one feature that should be added is the ability to trace emails from individuals who change their IP address or send misbehaving emails from alternative networks. If someone sends a ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Sophos Network Access Control?

Sophos Network Access Control serves primary use cases for both networking purposes and security purposes.

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 8% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 7% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco DNA Center vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 5% of the time

More ExtremeCloud IQ Competitors

Aruba ClearPass vs Sophos Network Access Control

Compared 19% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs Sophos Network Access Control

Compared 16% of the time

Fortinet FortiNAC vs Sophos Network Access Control

Compared 13% of the time

Portnox vs Sophos Network Access Control

Compared 10% of the time

Forescout Platform vs Sophos Network Access Control

Compared 5% of the time

More Sophos Network Access Control Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

ExtremeCloud IQ

March 2026

Download ExtremeCloud IQ product report

Buyer's Guide

Sophos Network Access Control

February 2026

Download Sophos Network Access Control product report

Also Known As

Aerohive Networks, Aerohive HiveManager, HiveManager, ExtremeCloud , ExtremeSecurity

No data available

Overview

ExtremeCloud is a resilient and scalable cloud-based network management solution offered by Extreme Networks as a subscription service.

The network is your platform of engagement for clients and staff. We have designed ExtremeCloud to provide superior user experience by empowering you and the applications that drive your business. The combination of Extreme Networks’ smart wired and wireless edges and the elasticity, resilience and scalability provided via state-of-the-art datacenters distributed strategically for worldwide availability allows you to respond to the changing needs of your business, at the speed of cloud, through a simple, multi-site aware user interface.

Extreme Networks

Sophos NAC Provides comprehensive, easy-to-deploy network access control that protects enterprise networks from the threats posed by non-compliant, compromised, or misconfigured endpoint computers. The software solution is vendor-neutral and works with existing network infrastructure and security applications. Computers are permitted or denied access to the network, based on a centrally defined, policy-driven assessment - and isolated, quarantined for remediation, automatically remediated, or sent alerts. Administrators can define and manage policies uniquely for managed and guest computers, including checking their security status and ensuring that no unwanted applications are run.

Sophos

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

Rushmoor Borough Council

Buyer's Guide

ExtremeCloud IQ vs. Sophos Network Access Control

March 2026

Free Report: ExtremeCloud IQ vs. Sophos Network Access Control

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