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Forescout Platform vs Palo Alto Networks IoT Security comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 3, 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

Forescout Platform
Ranking in IoT Security
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
77
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
10
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the IoT Security category, the mindshare of Forescout Platform is 12.9%, down from 18.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks IoT Security is 7.0%, down from 7.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IoT Security
 

Featured Reviews

AmjadKhan1 - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Muhammad Ahsan Riaz - PeerSpot reviewer
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We think it's simple. We think it's very useful and we really like reports and everything."
"The most valuable feature of Forescout Platform is that it has everything that Aruba has at significantly less cost."
"Forescout Platform provides multiple features. They have a very effective device fingerprinting in their cloud. You do not need to add any devices manually, such as in Mac devices. Other solutions you have to add IoT devices and OT devices manually. This is one of the major areas that Forescout Platform is excelling in."
"Its feature that I have found most valuable is that it is very granular. You can configure granular controls just as you want those policies to be implemented. It gives you that flexibility to go granular in how you want your controls to be implemented. That's something I like about it."
"The most valuable features of ForeScout is the fact that it can do network access control either with 802.1x or without 802.1x."
"Forescout Platform has granular features and one of the most impressive features is the agentless feature."
"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."
"The most valuable feature of the Forescout Platform is the large capacity it can handle. Additionally, the interface of the platform is good."
"I would recommend Palo Alto Networks IoT Security to any organization with automation plants or standard enterprise IT environments."
"It is simple to use. We just need to enable features and then configure IoT policies."
"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."
"Palo Alto is valued for its GlobalProtect feature, which offers a range of security options, including user ID mapping and VPNs."
"Single-pass traffic processing enables very high throughput and low latency."
"I like the Cortex Data Lake integration with security automation."
"I find Palo Alto Networks IoT Security to be highly responsive, and its separate management and data planes are a major advantage."
 

Cons

"The solution's customer support is bad and should be improved."
"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."
"Forescout needs to improve its cloud management and remote connectivity."
"I believe that the overall user experience has not always been preferable."
"The cost is too high."
"Forescout Platform could improve the costs of integrations."
"For improvements, I think technical support could be enhanced. The time zone difference makes remote support difficult - I'm in Indonesia, and they're in the US. Maybe the Forescout Platform could provide engineers from Asia Pacific."
"Forescout Platform could improve the vulnerability management as well as the control on the endpoint, which needs to be connected to my network."
"While not overly complex, its usability could be enhanced, making it a more intuitive experience for everyone."
"It would be beneficial if Palo Alto IoT Security could integrate with Let's Encrypt for free SSL certificates."
"There can be more automation in terms of security and detection. It is already good."
"More application signatures are required."
"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."
"The cost is still high and licensing is still complex."
"Palo Alto Networks IoT Security's reporting capabilities are less comprehensive and robust than those provided by Cisco."
"The reporting for this solution could be improved. The logs we receive are only saved for one week. We would like to have the database timeframe increased to a month or two for historical reporting as well as increased storage capabilities to support this data and reporting."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licenses are perpetual but can come with renewable support."
"The price of the Forescout Platform is expensive. I purchased it for approximately 94 lakhs."
"Forescout Platform is on the expensive side."
"Forescout is more expensive than Cisco because Cisco gives high discounts."
"The price of the solution is reasonable. We have paid for the license for five years. We have integration with Symantec AV for orchestration, and we have an additional license."
"The Forescout Platform's pricing is in the middle range, not too cheap or expensive."
"Forescout's pricing is noted for its attractiveness, with potential discounts depending on partnership levels."
"The solution is not priced low. There are no hidden costs."
"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 initial investment is substantial, but the renewal costs make it financially unsustainable."
"The successful migration trend suggests that Palo Alto provides a superior cost-benefit ratio for firewall solutions."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
22%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
15%
Computer Software Company
14%
Performing Arts
6%
Energy/Utilities Company
6%
 

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...
 

Also Known As

Forescout Platform, CounterACT for Endpoint Compliance, ForeScout CounterACT
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

NHS Sussex, SAP, SEGA, Vistaprint, Miami Children's Hospital, Pioneer Investments, New York Law School, OmnicomGroup, Meritrust
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Forescout Platform vs. Palo Alto Networks IoT Security and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.