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BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management vs Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) 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
7.9
Organizations benefit from BeyondTrust by enhancing security, achieving compliance, reducing costs, and integrating zero-trust for increased ROI.
Sentiment score
8.4
Cisco Identity Services Engine enhances security, reduces breaches, ensures compliance, simplifies management, and consolidates systems for cost savings and efficiency.
Money saving is the main part because every organization tries to reduce their costs.
Direct comparisons with Forescout reveal up to 30% to 40% difference in cost savings.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.1
BeyondTrust support is efficient and knowledgeable, yet experiences delay issues, especially in Asia-Pacific, affecting user satisfaction.
Sentiment score
5.9
Cisco ISE support is praised for knowledge and responsiveness, yet occasionally inconsistent with integration and follow-up challenges.
They offer support around the clock, and responses are generally quick.
Support is critical, especially when challenges arise related to PAM.
BeyondTrust support is reliable.
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.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.5
BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management offers seamless scalability and reliability for organizations of any size, ensuring efficient user asset management.
Sentiment score
7.3
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) offers high scalability, supporting large deployments and enterprise expansions despite hardware and setup challenges.
The initial understanding of the environment is crucial, followed by a simple deployment process.
Factors like architecture, business nature, and legal limitations such as GDPR affect it.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Users commend BeyondTrust for stability and reliability, despite initial setup challenges and minor UI and integration issues.
Sentiment score
7.7
Cisco ISE is highly reliable and stable, though larger deployments may experience occasional performance and configuration challenges.
The appliances are stable, and there are no significant issues with backups or recovery.
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.
 

Room For Improvement

BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management requires enhancements in security, integration, support, deployment, error management, pricing, and responsive customer service.
Cisco Identity Services Engine requires improved integration, user interface, documentation, compatibility, and management efficiency to enhance user experience.
The ability to view recorded live sessions of specific users is a crucial benefit.
There is a need for better MQ integration with DevOps and improvements in architecture.
This product is highly ranked on Gartner, Peers, and other review sites.
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).
Additionally, the product is vulnerable and has many bugs.
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.
 

Setup Cost

BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management is seen as expensive due to licensing complexities and additional costs, especially for Mac clients.
Cisco ISE offers three pricing tiers, with high costs and complex licensing, but provides extensive features and potential discounts.
You cannot expect to buy a premium product at a budget price.
The license costs can range between $50,000 to $100,000 per year for enterprises.
Compared to other solutions like HPE ClearPass, Cisco is more costly, and the conversation suggests a possible forty percent price gap compared to competitors.
Making large organizational costs significant.
 

Valuable Features

BeyondTrust enhances security with privilege management, integration, session recording, and is valued for ease of use and scalability.
Cisco ISE enhances network security with integration, 802.1X authentication, policy management, ease of use, and strong access control.
Another important aspect is the ability to move the solution to the cloud or install it on-premises, offering my customers flexibility.
When any unauthorized user makes an attempt, it notifies the administrators.
Administrators need a tool that provides visibility and clarity about endpoint management within the organization.
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) offers authentication using RADIUS, enhancing network security by separating and segregating networks.
The solution is integrated with other Cisco devices and can offer automation for an organization, making deployments more dynamic and providing real-time visibility.
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is very good at device administration.
 

Categories and Ranking

BeyondTrust Endpoint Privil...
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
Privileged Access Management (PAM) (8th), Anti-Malware Tools (14th)
Cisco Identity Services Eng...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
142
Ranking in other categories
Network Access Control (NAC) (1st), Cisco Security Portfolio (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management and Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management is designed for Privileged Access Management (PAM) and holds a mindshare of 3.8%, down 5.2% compared to last year.
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), on the other hand, focuses on Network Access Control (NAC), holds 25.3% mindshare, down 31.1% since last year.
Privileged Access Management (PAM)
Network Access Control (NAC)
 

Featured Reviews

Md Abdul Hakim - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers solid performance and user adaptability but needs better pricing options and local support
BeyondTrust is a strong, compliance-driven solution with excellent market recognition (Gartner, Peers, etc.), making it appealing for Bangladeshi enterprises. However, some key improvements could accelerate adoption: Areas for Improvement: Pricing & Local Affordability While the product’s capabilities justify its value, cost remains a barrier for many Bangladeshi organizations. Competitive pricing or regional discounts would make it more accessible. Local Support & Partnerships Currently, lack of local partners or trainers creates delays in support, implementation, and pricing negotiations. Establishing a Bangladesh-based support team or authorized resellers would improve responsiveness and trust. Enhanced Onboarding & Training Offering localized training programs (in Bengali/English) and documentation would help IT teams deploy and manage the solution more efficiently. Recommendations for Next Release: Introduce tiered pricing for emerging markets like Bangladesh. Develop a partner network in Bangladesh for faster service and sales. Add simplified dashboards for easier monitoring by non-technical staff. Final Note: BeyondTrust is already a top-tier PAM solution, but addressing these gaps would solidify its leadership in Bangladesh’s growing cybersecurity market.
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.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
18%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
7%
Educational Organization
18%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Looking for recommendations and a pros/cons template for software to detect insider threats
This is an inside-out --- outside-in --- inside-in question, as an insider can be an outsider as well. There is no short answer other than a blend of a PAM tool with Behavioral Analytics and Endpo...
What do you like most about BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management?
The solution's least privilege enforcement has helped us ensure access is given to only the required people.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management?
Setup costs vary depending on the scenario. Sometimes we win orders, and other times we lose due to partner preferences or deal scenarios. Customers may negotiate on price, understanding that quali...
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...
 

Also Known As

BeyondTrust PowerBroker, BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management for Windows, BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management for Mac, BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management for Linux, BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management for Unix, Avecto Defendpoint
Cisco ISE
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Aera Energy LLC, Care New England, James Madison University
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
Find out what your peers are saying about CyberArk, Delinea, One Identity and others in Privileged Access Management (PAM). Updated: June 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.