Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs One Identity Safeguard comparison

The compared Cisco and One Identity solutions aren't in the same category. Cisco is ranked #2 in NAC , with an average rating of 7.9, and holds a 22.4% mindshare in the category. One Identity is ranked #2 in PAM , with an average rating of 8.0, and holds a 3.7% mindshare. Additionally, 87% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of One Identity users who would recommend it.

Cisco Identity Services Eng...

Read 145 Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) reviews

15,135 Views
9,838 Comparison Views

87% willing to recommend

One Identity Safeguard

Read 53 One Identity Safeguard reviews

4,208 Views
2,777 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Cisco Identity Services Eng...

One Identity Safeguard

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and One Identity Safeguard based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Cisco, Fortinet and others in Network Access Control (NAC).

To learn more, read our detailed Network Access Control (NAC) Report (Updated: January 2026).

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January 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:

ROI

Sentiment score

7.1

Cisco Identity Services Engine enhances security, simplifies operations, and reduces costs while boosting productivity and ensuring regulatory compliance.

Sentiment score

6.8

One Identity Safeguard boosts security, reduces investigation time, cuts costs, and improves efficiency by automating access control.

Direct comparisons with Forescout reveal up to 30% to 40% difference in cost savings.

SunilkumarNaganuri

Service Line Manager (Service Operations Expert) - Network Access Control at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees

We also save money because we increased security, stopped incidents, and reduced breaches and security breaches.

Mohamed Fouad

Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Integrated Solutions

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) report

We have seen a 12% return on investment with One Identity Safeguard, and we have saved a significant amount of money.

dishantsingh

Chief Technology Officer at DishIs Technologies

The time is reduced by nearly fifty percent for our audit preparation and compliance reporting compared to earlier.

SachinShelar

Manager, Account Services Delivery at Softcell Technologies Limited

I have seen a return on investment through reduced audit effort and fewer security incidents related to privileged access, along with significant time savings for IT and security teams by automating access control and password management.

Rohan Paul

office administrator at Gitarattan International Business School

For more quotes and insights, download the One Identity Safeguard report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.7

Cisco ISE support is highly rated for knowledge and responsiveness but struggles with response times and communication challenges.

Sentiment score

6.8

One Identity Safeguard's customer service is praised for efficiency and reliability, despite occasional inconsistencies in response times.

I rate the technical support as one out of ten.

SunilkumarNaganuri

Service Line Manager (Service Operations Expert) - Network Access Control at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees

Cisco support has pretty good teams for support and every time we had good answers and we could somehow solve the issues we had.

NicolasFigaro

Network and Technology Information Manager at Akkodis

TAC support from Cisco is a notable feature; it provides very professional support.

Mohamed Fouad

Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Integrated Solutions

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) report

I sometimes need escalations to reach expertise.

Nawaz Sarwar

Consultant at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees

Sometimes, I get a very helpful response and they address issues on a call.

Nick Turner

Systems Administrator at a university with 10,001+ employees

When I have day-to-day incidents and problems, the response is good enough in terms of time and quality.

reviewer2679786

Team Lead / Consultant at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the One Identity Safeguard report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.3

Cisco ISE supports smooth scalability for diverse enterprises, but virtualization and hardware challenges may require strategic solutions.

Sentiment score

7.3

One Identity Safeguard scales well for most environments but requires infrastructure planning and improvements in high availability and cost management.

You can run an all-in-one deployment and switch to distributed mode as your company grows, relying on Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) to support your scalability needs.

Mohamed Fouad

Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Integrated Solutions

Factors like architecture, business nature, and legal limitations such as GDPR affect it.

SunilkumarNaganuri

Service Line Manager (Service Operations Expert) - Network Access Control at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees

However, you can have some latency issues depending on where your devices are.

NicolasFigaro

Network and Technology Information Manager at Akkodis

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) report

The scalability of One Identity Safeguard is perfect, scoring ten out of ten.

reviewer2687787

Business Line Manager - IGA & PAM at a tech services company with 201-500 employees

Safeguard handles a growing number of users, systems, and sessions without significant degradation in performance.

Vyas Shubham

Product Analyst at a consultancy with 51-200 employees

We have a cluster of SPPs and a cluster of SPSs, and we can add a node to that cluster without much fuss.

Nick Turner

Systems Administrator at a university with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the One Identity Safeguard report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.7

Cisco ISE is stable and reliable, but large deployments may face challenges, requiring proper configuration and effective support.

Sentiment score

7.8

One Identity Safeguard is stable, performant, with reliable support, minor bugs, and effective high availability configurations enhance robustness.

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is considered very reliable and stable.

reviewer2590572

Solution Architect, Presales Engineer at a computer software company with 51-200 employees

The stability of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is poor for certain use cases, like authentication.

SunilkumarNaganuri

Service Line Manager (Service Operations Expert) - Network Access Control at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees

Sometimes when we have upgrades or failovers with Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), we had some minor issues.

NicolasFigaro

Network and Technology Information Manager at Akkodis

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) report

The session proxying, password vaulting, and automated workflow run consistently even under high load.

Vyas Shubham

Product Analyst at a consultancy with 51-200 employees

I would rate it a nine out of ten for stability.

reviewer2679786

Team Lead / Consultant at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees

In terms of stability, I rate One Identity Safeguard nine to ten out of ten.

reviewer2687787

Business Line Manager - IGA & PAM at a tech services company with 201-500 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the One Identity Safeguard report

Room For Improvement

Cisco ISE is hindered by complexity, compatibility issues, costly licensing, and needs improvements in usability, support, and performance.

One Identity Safeguard needs integration improvements, better session management, intuitive interfaces, and enhanced support, with demands for lower pricing.

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).

Jeremiah Ngure

Technical Services Lead at Telenet Solutions

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.

reviewer2590572

Solution Architect, Presales Engineer at a computer software company with 51-200 employees

They are very poor in asset classification and should focus on improving the preauthentication profiling, especially for NAC use cases.

SunilkumarNaganuri

Service Line Manager (Service Operations Expert) - Network Access Control at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) report

For some configurations on the SPS side, if I need to make changes, such as for DNS servers, I must redeploy the machine.

Nawaz Sarwar

Consultant at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees

There are many steps. We are still in the onboarding phase, and it seems very manual.

Nick Turner

Systems Administrator at a university with 10,001+ employees

Another area for improvement could be the threat detection capabilities, like those seen in other PAM vendors.

reviewer2679786

Team Lead / Consultant at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the One Identity Safeguard report

Setup Cost

Cisco ISE pricing is complex and costly, with strong vendor partnerships needed for discounts, favoring large enterprises over smaller businesses.

Enterprise users find One Identity Safeguard pricey but justified by its value, offering competitive, flexible pricing and robust capabilities.

Compared to other solutions like HPE ClearPass, Cisco is more costly, and the conversation suggests a possible forty percent price gap compared to competitors.

reviewer2590572

Solution Architect, Presales Engineer at a computer software company with 51-200 employees

The license costs can range between $50,000 to $100,000 per year for enterprises.

Jeremiah Ngure

Technical Services Lead at Telenet Solutions

Cloud solutions are expensive, while on-prem setups with shared environments are cheaper but not effective.

SunilkumarNaganuri

Service Line Manager (Service Operations Expert) - Network Access Control at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) report

It is one of those where the more you buy, the cheaper it is.

Nick Turner

Systems Administrator at a university with 10,001+ employees

It is cheaper than CyberArk.

reviewer2679786

Team Lead / Consultant at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees

It is more expensive than Secret Server but way less expensive than CyberArk.

reviewer2686314

IAM Specialist

For more quotes and insights, download the One Identity Safeguard report

Valuable Features

Cisco ISE excels in security, network access control, and integration, offering adaptability, scalability, and centralized management for organizations.

One Identity Safeguard enhances security with session recording, privileged access management, and seamless integration while simplifying compliance and reducing risks.

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) offers authentication using RADIUS, enhancing network security by separating and segregating networks.

Jeremiah Ngure

Technical Services Lead at Telenet Solutions

There is value because it helps us secure the network and prevents certain things from happening which could cause financial loss.

John Ntambi

Ag Systems & Networks Head at UNBS

The adaptability of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) policy enforcement can fit to the site we have depending on which kind of devices we have on site and then the needs for authentication, granting access and then assigning each device into its correct network for segmentation.

NicolasFigaro

Network and Technology Information Manager at Akkodis

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) report

The auditing and approval mechanisms are features we did not have before and are greatly appreciated.

Nick Turner

Systems Administrator at a university with 10,001+ employees

Automatic credential rotation helps our team by removing the need for manual changes to privileged passwords, reducing the risk of stale or shared credentials and ensuring that every access is controlled and compliant.

Nikhil Jethwa

Technical Consultant at ProTechmanize Solutions (P) Ltd.

Just-in-time access has sped up admin task completion and improved our overall compliance reporting, allowing audits to be completed nearly half the time compared to earlier.

SachinShelar

Manager, Account Services Delivery at Softcell Technologies Limited

For more quotes and insights, download the One Identity Safeguard report

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Identity Services Eng...

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

145

Ranking in other categories

Network Access Control (NAC) (2nd), Cisco Security Portfolio (4th)

One Identity Safeguard

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) (6th), Privileged Access Management (PAM) (2nd), Non-Human Identity Management (NHIM) (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and One Identity Safeguard aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is designed for Network Access Control (NAC) and holds a mindshare of 22.4%, down 28.3% compared to last year.
One Identity Safeguard, on the other hand, focuses on Privileged Access Management (PAM), holds 3.7% mindshare, down 4.1% since last year.

Network Access Control (NAC) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)	22.4%
Aruba ClearPass	21.6%
Fortinet FortiNAC	16.1%
Other	39.9%

Network Access Control (NAC)

Privileged Access Management (PAM) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
One Identity Safeguard	3.7%
CyberArk Privileged Access Manager	11.6%
WALLIX Bastion	5.1%
Other	79.6%

Privileged Access Management (PAM)

Featured Reviews

NicolasFigaro

Network and Technology Information Manager at Akkodis

Has improved authentication management and simplified visitor network access

The log capacity in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) could be enhanced because today natively on the ISE can only have a look at the logs from the day before. You cannot search into the oldest logs; you have to use another tool for that. This can be blocking if you don't have any log consolidation solution. To do a search for an issue or something that happened two days ago, you cannot search directly in there. The capacity of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) could be enhanced. Something between one week and one month for the log capacity would be nice.

Read full review

Vyas Shubham

Product Analyst at a consultancy with 51-200 employees

Centralized controls have improved privileged access and simplified compliant audit workflows

We use One Identity Safeguard as a central control point for all our privileged access, which helps standardize the access policies across teams and platforms. We also use it for the approval workflows, which are enforced for high-risk systems and add an extra security layer for production access. I have been using it for one and a half years. The best feature I appreciate is the session proxying and recording. It provides transparent session access for admins without exposing the real passwords. Another valuable feature is automated password rotation, which changes the credentials automatically after each use or on a schedule. It reduces the risk of leakage and reuse of passwords. Additionally, the approval workflow and the access request feature add governance with multi-level approvals for sensitive systems. These are the features that I appreciate the most. When we started using the session proxying and recording features, overall, it was a manageable and fairly smooth process for us. However, like most security platform deployments, it had a few learning curves. Session proxying and recording worked with our major systems including Windows, Linux, and network devices with minimal configuration. Some devices and services required slight changes to firewall rules and configuration to ensure the proxy could connect cleanly. Additionally, our admins needed orientation so they understood they were joining a recorded session, particularly for remote or support use. We spent considerable time adjusting the session filtering, retention settings, and naming conventions so recordings were useful and not overwhelming. These are some areas where we encountered challenges.

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Government

Computer Software Company

11%

University

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	44
Midsize Enterprise	32
Large Enterprise	91

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	27
Midsize Enterprise	17
Large Enterprise	19

Questions from the Community

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 ...

See all answers

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, ...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for One Identity Safeguard?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing has been a good experience overall, as the back and forth with One Identity is something that is acceptable; other tools have options to do thi...

See all answers

What needs improvement with One Identity Safeguard?

One Identity Safeguard could be improved with a password manager and an identity manager as one big access management system. I believe improvements could be made around integrating with other tools.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for One Identity Safeguard?

My main use case for One Identity Safeguard is using only one module for privileged session, which we use for admins and contractors. A quick specific example of how my team uses One Identity Safeg...

See all answers

Comparisons

Aruba ClearPass vs Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)

Compared 24% of the time

Fortinet FortiNAC vs Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)

Compared 20% of the time

Forescout Platform vs Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)

Compared 8% of the time

CyberArk Privileged Access Manager vs Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)

Compared 3% of the time

Portnox vs Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)

Compared 3% of the time

More Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) Competitors

CyberArk Privileged Access Manager vs One Identity Safeguard

Compared 20% of the time

Delinea Secret Server vs One Identity Safeguard

Compared 9% of the time

BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access vs One Identity Safeguard

Compared 8% of the time

SailPoint Identity Security Cloud vs One Identity Safeguard

Compared 6% of the time

Delinea Privileged Access Service vs One Identity Safeguard

Compared 6% of the time

More One Identity Safeguard Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)

January 2026

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) report

Download Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) product report

Buyer's Guide

One Identity Safeguard

January 2026

Download One Identity Safeguard product report

Also Known As

Cisco ISE

No data available

Overview

Cisco Identity Services Engine offers robust authentication, posture profiling, guest and secure access, and dynamic policy management. Known for its seamless integration with Cisco tools and network access control features, it ensures secure device and user authentication across networks.

Cisco Identity Services Engine is renowned for its capabilities in managing authentication, guest access, and policy management through segmentation. Its TrustSec functionality, alongside RADIUS and TACACS+ support, provides enhanced security, further augmented by its ability to operate in diverse environments. Its scalability and integration with Cisco solutions aid in maintaining network visibility and access control. Challenges include the complexity of initial deployments, somewhat cumbersome documentation, and limited integration in multi-vendor environments. While encountering issues in stability and updates, the demand for better analytics and straightforward troubleshooting alongside cost-effective licensing is notable.

What are the key features of Cisco Identity Services Engine?

Authentication: Secures user and device access to networks using robust authentication protocols.
Posture Profiling: Provides in-depth analysis of device compliance with security policies.
Guest Access Management: Allows controlled network access for guest users through streamlined processes.
Dynamic Policy Management: Enables automatic adjustment of security policies based on real-time data.
Segmentation via TrustSec: Enhances security levels by segmenting network traffic based on identity.

What benefits or ROI should users expect from Cisco Identity Services Engine?

Comprehensive Security: Ensures enforceable security policies across network access points.
Enhanced Integration: Facilitates seamless collaboration with existing Cisco infrastructures.
Improved Compliance: Helps meet industry security standards for network access and user rights.
Increased Visibility: Provides detailed insights into network traffic and user activities.
Device Management Efficiency: Streamlines the process of managing diverse devices within a single framework.

Industries implement Cisco Identity Services Engine primarily for network access control, ensuring secure authentication and segmentation in both wired and wireless environments. Supporting policies like bring-your-own-device and compliance standards, ISE manages identity-based access control, especially beneficial for entities that require detailed user rights management and integration within enterprise networks.

Cisco

One Identity Safeguard manages and monitors privileged access, enhancing security with features like automatic session recording, real-time monitoring, and credential rotation. It integrates seamlessly, supports compliance with audit trails, and improves operational efficiency across organizations. This robust platform significantly bolsters security protocols while controlling sensitive operations.

One Identity

Sample Customers

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

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