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Alcatel-Lucent ClearPass vs Aruba Airwave comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 2, 2025

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

Alcatel-Lucent ClearPass
Ranking in Network Management Applications
18th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.1
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Aruba Airwave
Ranking in Network Management Applications
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
24
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of Alcatel-Lucent ClearPass is 1.0%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Aruba Airwave is 6.4%, down from 9.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Management Applications
 

Featured Reviews

Karthikeyan Ravi - PeerSpot reviewer
Has an automated feature for user onboarding and supports heterogeneous devices
We use the product for the automated onboarding of corporate users with secure network access. It helps secure IoT endpoints for specific networks. It allows us to control the devices, including posture, endpoint verification, validation, latest patching, and signatures The product’s most…
Lulzim Islami - PeerSpot reviewer
Creating floor maps and configuration templates enhances troubleshooting capabilities
The most helpful feature I noticed, yet did not utilize, allowed us to add our Cisco switches for monitoring. We also created templates for configurations. Additionally, it facilitated creating floor maps. I need to open it for more extended periods. It is more about troubleshooting and checking the coverage problems of wireless.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It helps secure IoT endpoints for specific networks."
"Good user profiling and BYOD facilities."
"I would rate the overall solution nine out of ten."
"AirWave definitely helps us troubleshoot and get to the root cause of the issues. It gives you an excellent indication of what's going on within your network at different locations. You can get to the area, take a look at the AirWave analysis, and make informed decisions."
"It's scalable because it's licensed per device and we bought licenses with each device. I would rate it a nine out of ten for scalability."
"The feature that proved most beneficial for our organization's network monitoring is the virtual four, which we use frequently when working with Aruba."
"The Clarity feature makes it easy to use and understand what is going on with your network in a nice dashboard.​"
"The most beneficial feature for network monitoring in Aruba Airwave is the Live Heat Map. It helps identify interferences, coverage issues, and user connectivity issues. The device management capability of Aruba Airwave is good. It provides end-to-end visibility from the user to the access point, the switch, and the internet breakout. From a monitoring, management, and orchestration standpoint, it is very effective and can manage any scale of deployment."
"I would rate the stability a nine out of ten."
"The most valuable features are the error log and intrusion log. It also provides an overview of your assets. It gives a good database for wireless coverage."
 

Cons

"Lacks application level visibility on the dashboard."
"There could be in-built end-to-end map integration features for IoT devices instead of using third-party tools."
"The solution’s pricing could be improved."
"The overall monitoring of this solution could be improved."
"More devices or vendors should be onboarded to Aruba Airwave."
"I want a management solution to manage and monitor everything from a single dashboard. This is not there with Airwave."
"We encounter delayed ETAs in the manufacturing of hardware."
"Cost is always a big issue for partners."
"Its pricing and support could be improved."
"I would try to integrate more products from different vendors in future releases. Because that's really good features that Aruba Airway has, but it's so limited."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Alcatel-Lucent ClearPass is an expensive product compared to other vendors."
"The licensing is on an yearly basis."
"Licensing and pricing are extremely straightforward."
"The cost is perfect because the devices have a lifetime warranty, and the licensing is good as well."
"This product is not expensive."
"It is an expensive solution."
"The tool is expensive. If one is bad or expensive, and ten is very good or cheap, I rate the product's price as a six."
"The licensing cost for Aruba Airwave increased from $72 to $210 within a few months. It would be better if the pricing for the solution were cheaper."
"AirWave is a very expensive solution. If you implement it in a wide range network, it will cost a lot. There is no option to sell it outside that price segment, which is a problem."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
8%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Alcatel-Lucent ClearPass?
It helps secure IoT endpoints for specific networks.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Alcatel-Lucent ClearPass?
Alcatel-Lucent ClearPass is an expensive product compared to other vendors. We have to buy different licenses for specific use cases and support services. I rate its pricing a six to seven.
What needs improvement with Alcatel-Lucent ClearPass?
There could be in-built end-to-end map integration features for IoT devices instead of using third-party tools. They should add a location-tracking feature to the product as well.
What do you like most about Aruba Airwave?
I would rate the stability a nine out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Airwave?
The pricing for Aruba Airwave is acceptable because compared to Cisco, it's slightly cheaper, but not significantly - maybe 5% or 7% less expensive.
What needs improvement with Aruba Airwave?
My general opinion on Aruba Airwave is that it's acceptable, but it's not ideal because we are accustomed to Cisco. We didn't use Aruba much, but once you set it up, you probably don't need to worr...
 

Also Known As

Alcatel Lucent ClearPass, ClearPass Policy Management System, ClearPass
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Blickle and Scherer, Loughborough University, CSF Inox, Caritas Speyer
Henkel, University of Findlay, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Iowa
Find out what your peers are saying about Alcatel-Lucent ClearPass vs. Aruba Airwave and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
859,129 professionals have used our research since 2012.