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Aruba ClearPass vs Fortinet FortiNAC comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

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
6.1
Aruba ClearPass secures data and reduces IT time, providing varied ROI by industry despite licensing challenges and costs.
Sentiment score
8.5
Fortinet FortiNAC enhances security and ROI by efficiently managing device access, reducing costs and configuration time significantly.
Using Aruba ClearPass has resulted in less engineering time compared to other products we've used.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.5
Aruba ClearPass customer service is highly rated, though some users suggest improvements in response time and issue escalation.
Sentiment score
8.2
Fortinet FortiNAC's support is helpful but has delays, knowledge gaps, and lacks UK coverage; satisfaction varies around 7-9/10.
Portnox is one level up, as their customer support is outstanding.
We have escalated questions to tech support, and I would rate the technical support an eight out of ten.
We have local support, so it's much easier.
They provide sessions to help with various questions.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.2
Aruba ClearPass is scalable, praised for modular growth, efficient in large deployments, and adaptable despite minor competitive gaps.
Sentiment score
7.9
Fortinet FortiNAC is scalable and adaptable, effectively managing various enterprise sizes, though licensing costs can be challenging.
I believe the scalability of ClearPass is rated as ten out of ten.
In our environment, ClearPass handles up to 100,000 users, which is better than some other NAC solutions like Fortinox that scale up to 25,000.
Once the policy is defined, scaling works automatically and is fast.
The pricing model makes it challenging as the cost is substantial due to the per-node licensing model.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.6
Aruba ClearPass is widely trusted for stability and reliability, with high performance ratings and quickly resolved issues.
Sentiment score
8.0
Fortinet FortiNAC receives mixed stability reviews, with performance improving over time but some users preferring alternative solutions.
 

Room For Improvement

Aruba ClearPass needs user interface and integration enhancements, improved support, better scalability, simplified administration, and refined licensing models.
Fortinet FortiNAC users face challenges with integration, user interface, support, and cost, citing a high learning curve.
The language and policy enforcement mechanisms are not clear, making it difficult to use the product effectively.
I don't see any limitations in ClearPass.
It is also better to improve threat intelligence for built-in threat detection and prevention.
Improvement in the interface design would make FortiNAC a better solution.
 

Setup Cost

Aruba ClearPass is considered costly with complex licensing, but many find its value justifies the expense compared to alternatives.
Fortinet FortiNAC offers competitive pricing with various licensing options, providing good value despite initial high costs per device.
Achieving the best price requires careful selection from a menu of licensing options.
We cannot mix in prices, and of course, prices are going higher.
Aruba ClearPass is a premium product with higher pricing, which seems unnecessary given its complexity.
 

Valuable Features

Aruba ClearPass excels in flexible security features, integration, user-friendly management, network visibility, and supports multi-vendor environments cost-effectively.
Fortinet FortiNAC excels in network visibility, integration, security, user-friendliness, and adaptability, with strong support and automation.
The ClearPass solution has reduced the amount of engineering time compared to previous solutions, making it more efficient for our purposes.
The most effective feature for us is the OnGuard feature.
I appreciate the feature where it can connect with different vendor equipment, regardless of the network devices from other vendors.
 

Categories and Ranking

Aruba ClearPass
Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
85
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiNAC
Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)
3rd
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
54
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Network Access Control (NAC) category, the mindshare of Aruba ClearPass is 24.6%, down from 26.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiNAC is 18.3%, up from 15.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Access Control (NAC)
 

Featured Reviews

Abdelhamid Saber - PeerSpot reviewer
Secures the network with flexible controls and excellent support
We use Aruba ClearPass as a network access control solution. It prevents unauthorized access and allows access for users in the internal environment, performing checks and onboarding We use ClearPass to secure our environment. Before ClearPass, our environment wasn't as secure. The most…
Batu Akalin - PeerSpot reviewer
I like the solution's native integration with other devices from the same vendor
I like FortiNAC's integration with other Fortinet devices. They work together well, but the solution also works with other network devices. FortiNAC has improved our security posture because we made some use-case scenarios for unauthorized devices. When unauthorized device IDs enter our network, and the associated team sees a new device, they can block the attackers.
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Network Access Control (NAC) solutions are best for your needs.
832,138 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Educational Organization
35%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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 ...
What is the biggest difference between Aruba ClearPass and FortiNAC?
I've done quite a lot of work with ClearPass, and not a lot with FortiNAC/Bradford. ClearPass incorporates a number of different functions including ClearPass Guest for creating complex wireless g...
What do you like most about Aruba ClearPass?
If you are looking at the base installation, then it was a very straightforward process, which I would rate an eight or nine out of ten.
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...
What do you like most about Fortinet FortiNAC?
The support responds to our queries within two to four hours.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiNAC?
While not extremely expensive, Fortinet's pricing is increasing, becoming less affordable over time.
 

Also Known As

Avenda eTIPS
FortiNAC, Bradford Networks, Bradford Networks Sentry, Network Sentry Family
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Consulate Health Care, Los Angeles Unified School District, Science Applications International Corp (SAIC), San Diego State University, KFC, ACTS Retirement-Life Communities
Isavia, Pepperdine University, Medical University of South Carolina, Columbia University Medical Center, Utah Valley University
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba ClearPass vs. Fortinet FortiNAC and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
832,138 professionals have used our research since 2012.