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.

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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

"Forescout Platform's best feature is plug-in integration."

"The most valuable features of the Forescout Platform are NAC for sharing, Network Access Control, and port sharing of the devices."

"I help customers use the Forescout Platform for compliance enforcement. We can specify what needs to be installed on devices connecting to the network, like antivirus, updates, and security software."

"Being able to actively identify the client without a certificate allows you to control every device on your network regardless of the make, model, and software running. This allows for end-to-end security."

"Ease of deployment There's a great support team that becomes actively engaged whenever we encounter issues. Their technical support is amazing. Good documentation is available. The product is stable. The solution is highly scalable. I recommend using the solution because it gives verified control over the environment. It has a great visibility feature."

"We think it's simple. We think it's very useful and we really like reports and everything."

"The initial setup is quite simple. It's not too complex or difficult to set up."

"When users don't have the required updates, security patches, and antivirus, the tool blocks them from our network."

More Forescout Platform pros

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

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

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

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

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

"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."

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

More Palo Alto Networks IoT Security pros

Cons

"Forescout Platform sometimes returns false positives, so there's some fine-tuning to be done there."

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

"Forescout Platform's technical support is slow to respond and could be more knowledgeable."

"Two things can be improved in the Forescout Platform. First of all, the support for some certain proprietary protocols from other vendors, but they are very widely used. If the TechEx from Cisco, was added to Forescout, then it will be a full solution for me."

"It's scalable, but not without a big investment. It doesn't do so well at the branch. At the home office, it does okay and not so well at the branch."

"I'd like to see improvements in the reporting aspect of Forescout Platform. While the dashboards are good, the reports are lacking and need enhancement, especially in terms of standardization and customization options. Apart from that, all the features and functionalities are working well without any issues."

"The solution's customer support is bad and should be improved."

"This solution is not that easy to scale but this depends on a company's needs."

More Forescout Platform cons

"More application signatures are required."

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

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

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

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

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

"The support is in line with Palo Alto Networks services for other products but needs improvement."

"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."

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."

"We went with the virtual appliance option. The biggest cost to running these types of appliances would be to either have multiple virtual appliances at every data center or running Remote SPAN hardware to provide you the real-time network visibility."

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

"The solution’s pricing is fine."

"The solution is not priced low. There are no hidden costs."

"Time savings in finding rogue devices as well as identifying potentially unwanted devices on the network has saved the organization time and money."

"Devices with multiple IP's count multiple times against your license count."

"The price of Forescout is reasonable when compared to Cisco ISE."

More Forescout Platform pricing and cost advice

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

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

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

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Manufacturing Company

17%

Computer Software Company

14%

Performing Arts

Government

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...

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Compared 12% of the time

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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