Forescout Platform vs Palo Alto Networks IoT Security comparison

Forescout Platform vs. Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

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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

Forescout Platform

Ranking in IoT Security

3rd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Access Control (NAC) (4th), Endpoint Compliance (4th), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (15th)

Palo Alto Networks IoT Secu...

Ranking in IoT Security

4th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the IoT Security category, the mindshare of Forescout Platform is 12.8%, down from 18.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks IoT Security is 6.9%, down from 7.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

IoT Security

Featured Reviews

AmjadKhan1

Head of data centers at a non-profit with 10,001+ employees

Blocks users who don't follow the policies and enforces compliance

The solution has a compliance enforcement feature that sends non-compliant systems to quarantine. Forescout Platform is a good product that provides seamless integration with Cisco Juniper and other devices. We wanted Forescout Platform to integrate with our firewalls and some vulnerability patch management solutions. Forescout Platform is currently the best product and top-of-the-line NAC solution in the market. I always recommend this product to other companies as well. We have 365 subsidiary companies. I work in the head office, and I always recommend it. This solution will be purchased by other companies in the next financial year. Overall, I rate the solution ten out of ten.

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Muhammad Ahsan Riaz

Chief Information Security Officer at Packages Group

Responsive system enhances network management but integration needs refinement

I find Palo Alto Networks IoT Security to be highly responsive, and its separate management and data planes are a major advantage. As an insurance company in the financial sector, we must meet strict regulatory requirements, and Palo Alto has proven to be an excellent solution. Its management is straightforward, the dashboards and reporting are comprehensive, and most importantly, it functions exactly as described in the documentation. For example, when we needed to block YouTube on our network, Palo Alto successfully blocked access while our Cisco firewall failed to block access on iPhones. This highlights the inconsistency we've experienced with different firewalls, whereas Palo Alto has consistently performed as expected.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The interface is easy to use."

"It's one of the tools that has given the federal government visibility into network devices and everything."

"The visibility is the main benefit. We now know how many devices are connected, what the use for each device is and what kind of devices we have in our environment."

"Forescout has a feature that blocks the endpoint at the point of collection. It sets preconditions and will block the system if those aren't met."

"Automated policy enforcement is particularly valuable as it significantly reduces the need for manual intervention, thus enhancing efficiency and security."

"Forescout Platform's most valuable aspect is its excellent device profiling for devices without agents, which is crucial for our work due to challenges with agent-based devices. Its isolation and blocking actions are particularly effective for network security. The device compliance feature helps us ensure device compliance through immediate actions like updating antivirus software. We have already integrated Forescout with antivirus and vulnerability assessment tools, allowing it to monitor vulnerability scores and automatically isolate devices if critical vulnerabilities are detected."

"The platform enables automated policy enforcement, allowing us to simulate and test policies before enforcement, streamlining our security operations."

"Vulnerability remediation is valuable. We can narrow down a system and its properties. We can go granular on the properties of each endpoint, such as which operating system you're using."

More Forescout Platform pros

"Palo Alto is valued for its GlobalProtect feature, which offers a range of security options, including user ID mapping and VPNs."

"I like the threat information, and we can share the logging data with Cortex Data Lake."

"This solution has been most valuable for establishing a VPN and implementing allow/deny rules. It has also enabled us to create security policies. It is an easy solution to customise when it comes to creating templates and pulling reports."

"I find Palo Alto Networks IoT Security to be highly responsive, and its separate management and data planes are a major advantage."

"I like the Cortex Data Lake integration with security automation."

"Single-pass traffic processing enables very high throughput and low latency."

"The key strength of Palo Alto firewalls lies in their application-based approach, offering a much finer level of control compared to traditional firewalls."

"It is simple to use. We just need to enable features and then configure IoT policies."

More Palo Alto Networks IoT Security pros

Cons

"The solution needs more definitive pricing. The costs are hard to nail down."

"The technical support could be improved in terms of response time and first-level support quality."

"Customer support could be improved by providing direct assistance from Forescout employees or specialists at customer sites to enhance the support experience and effectiveness."

"Regarding pricing, there is room for improvement to enhance competitiveness with other vendors and solutions."

"The product needs to improve its support. I know a case that dragged on for about one and a half years. They eventually suggested professional services and closed the ticket. We followed their advice, engaging the account manager and professional service team, only to discover that the issue was a bug. After reopening the case, it's been about six months, and the problem still hasn't been resolved."

"We experienced some detection issues when checking compliance for the Sophos agent."

"The solution does have a bit of complexity, and there's some complexity in the deployment. Users need to be trained before undertaking an initial setup."

"Logging would be one area for improvement. When we're troubleshooting, there are not a lot of clear things on Google that we can look up for ourselves. When we have an issue with it, we have to call the company to get the vendors involved. The logging of Forescout is horrible compared to other things that we've used."

More Forescout Platform cons

"There can be more automation in terms of security and detection. It is already good."

"While not overly complex, its usability could be enhanced, making it a more intuitive experience for everyone."

"More application signatures are required."

"Essentially, this solution focuses on data analysis and cannot perform any physical actions."

"The cost is still high and licensing is still complex."

"It would be beneficial to have a more centralized and user-friendly platform that could consolidate all the necessary information, which proved challenging during the initial POC phase."

"Palo Alto Networks IoT Security's reporting capabilities are less comprehensive and robust than those provided by Cisco."

"It would be beneficial if Palo Alto IoT Security could integrate with Let's Encrypt for free SSL certificates."

More Palo Alto Networks IoT Security cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Forescout's pricing is noted for its attractiveness, with potential discounts depending on partnership levels."

"The tool's pricing is expensive but reasonable."

"It might not be the cheapest solution, but you get what you pay for."

"It is expensive because you have to pay for their CSM, the customer's access manager, and their professional services on top of that, and they charge you roughly $400 per hour, which is overhead."

"Forescout Platform is on the expensive side."

"5,000 user licenses will cost you between seven and eight million dollars, compared to 20 million for Aruba."

"The cost of the solution depends on the customer's requirement because the customer is asking for different integration with a different product. Forescout Platform's price would start to get a bit higher. However, overall the price is a little expensive. It's can fit within the customer budget."

"I would rate Forescout Platform's pricing as four out of five."

More Forescout Platform pricing and cost advice

"While Palo Alto Networks IoT Security might cost more than some competitors, its features and effectiveness justify the price tag."

"The pricing for Palo Alto Networks IoT Security is a bit high."

"The successful migration trend suggests that Palo Alto provides a superior cost-benefit ratio for firewall solutions."

"The initial investment is substantial, but the renewal costs make it financially unsustainable."

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860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Educational Organization

12%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Government

Manufacturing Company

17%

Computer Software Company

14%

Performing Arts

Energy/Utilities Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What advice do you have for others considering Forescout Platform?

Forescout is a very powerful NAC product that does not rely on port level configuration. It can detect and block unauthorized devices very quickly. But it has a lot of capabilities and really would...

What advice do you have for others considering Forescout Platform?

I would rate the Forescout Device and Visibility Control Platform at a six out of ten.

What advice do you have for others considering Forescout Platform?

I recommend doing a compression demo. If people use it, they will buy it. So they have to see the product in place. That's the main recommendation is to do a proof of concept. If they do, they will...

What do you like most about Palo Alto Networks IoT Security?

From a security standpoint, it provides a comprehensive range of standard security features that align with our requirements.

What needs improvement with Palo Alto Networks IoT Security?

The major challenge is the integration with existing complex production lines. These architectures were developed with a focus on automation functionalities, not security. Finding the right integra...

What is your primary use case for Palo Alto Networks IoT Security?

I use Palo Alto Networks IoT Security ( /products/palo-alto-networks-iot-security-reviews ) for discovering automation devices and detecting various types of data traffic on automation infrastructu...

Aruba ClearPass vs Forescout Platform

Comparisons

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Compared 20% of the time

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Compared 14% of the time

Nozomi Networks vs Forescout Platform

Compared 6% of the time

Portnox vs Forescout Platform

Compared 4% of the time

More Forescout Platform Competitors

Nozomi Networks vs Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

Compared 42% of the time

Armis vs Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

Compared 28% of the time

Microsoft Defender for IoT vs Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

Compared 12% of the time

Azure Sphere vs Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

Compared 9% of the time

More Palo Alto Networks IoT Security Competitors

Product Reports

Forescout Platform

Download Forescout Platform product report

Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

Download Palo Alto Networks IoT Security product report

Also Known As

Forescout Platform, CounterACT for Endpoint Compliance, ForeScout CounterACT

No data available

Overview

Forescout Platform provides today’s busy enterprise organizations with policy and protocol management, workflow coordination, streamlining, and complete device and infrastructure visibility to improve overall network security. The solution also provides concise real-time intelligence of all devices and users on the network. Policy and protocols are delineated using gathered intelligence to facilitate the appropriate levels of remediation, compliance, network access, and all service operations. Forescout Platform is very flexible, integrates well with most of today’s leading network security products, and is a very cost-effective solution.

Forescout Platform Features

Real-time complete visibility: With Forescout eyeSight, each and every device is classified when any attempt to access your network has been made. This includes - but is not limited to - desktops, laptops, android devices, virtual machines, switches, VoIP phones, USB memory sticks, webcams, IoT devices, and more.
Policy-based and manual controls: In today’s busy robust environment, networks are continually changing; there are different types and amounts of devices connected, various software applications, network compliance requirements, and the constant potential for risk make managing an IT network a very daunting challenge. The Forescout Console is used to simplify the administration and management of important alerts, remediation, and access controls to keep the network secure.
Intuitive real-time dashboards: Forescout Dashboards, a component of Forescout WebClient, is a comprehensive web-based intelligence center that gives full visibility and real-time insight of the complete network using both out-of-the-box and user-created widgets. The dashboards are very intuitive and deliver robust, easy-to-understand information about device visibility, compliance, health monitoring, and more.
Advanced reporting capabilities: The Forescout Reports Plugin will generate numerous valuable reports indicating real-time and overall status information about endpoint compliance, device details, networks guests, protocols, and more. The reports help to ensure IT administrators, executives, security teams, and other important shareholders stay well-informed about all network activity at all times.
Comprehensive third-party overview: Forescout eyeExtend facilitates seamless information sharing with third-party vendors, networks, and IT management solutions supporting improved automated workflows, productivity, cost-effectiveness, and overall security.

Real User Reviews

An important main feature of Forescout is the visibility the solution offers.

One reviewer who is a Consultant at a tech services company, says, "Within three or four days, you can have complete visibility of your infrastructure on the network. Compared to other solutions, the deployment of the solution is easier and we can close the project quickly."

Users also appreciate that the user interface is clear and easy to understand.

An Instructor at a tech services company, shares, "The most valuable feature of the Forescout Platform is the large capacity it can handle. Additionally, the interface of the platform is good."

Forescout

Introducing comprehensive IoT Security solutions tailored for enterprises, healthcare, and industrial operations. Safeguard every device, visible or unseen, with Zero Trust security protocols, ensuring protection against known and unknown threats. With rapid 15X faster deployment times, Enterprise IoT Security, Medical IoT Security, and Industrial OT Security streamline operations, allowing teams to prioritize security over setup. Seamlessly integrate with Palo Alto Networks ML-Powered NGFWs or Prisma Access for swift implementation, making your infrastructure IoT-aware within minutes. Eliminate blind spots across existing IT and security solutions with playbook-driven, built-in integrations, and simplify cloud delivery for deployment across any architecture without the need for multiple sensors or network redesign. Protect your assets and ensure uninterrupted operations with our comprehensive IoT security solutions.

Palo Alto Networks

Sample Customers

NHS Sussex, SAP, SEGA, Vistaprint, Miami Children's Hospital, Pioneer Investments, New York Law School, OmnicomGroup, Meritrust

Information Not Available

Forescout Platform vs. Palo Alto Networks IoT Security