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Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs SailPoint Identity Security Cloud 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
7.1
Cisco Identity Services Engine enhances security, simplifies operations, and reduces costs while boosting productivity and ensuring regulatory compliance.
Sentiment score
7.1
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud reduces costs, automates access, enhances productivity, and achieves ROI within 14 to 18 months.
Direct comparisons with Forescout reveal up to 30% to 40% difference in cost savings.
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.
Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Integrated Solutions
 

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
5.3
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud offers praised support with weekend availability, though regional and language challenges may occur.
I rate the technical support as one out of ten.
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.
Network and Technology Information Manager at Akkodis
TAC support from Cisco is a notable feature; it provides very professional support.
Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Integrated Solutions
SailPoint's team consists of specialists who handle tickets without needing to depend on other teams.
Technical Support Analyst at CLSA
Sometimes, the support is slow, and they often suggest resorting to expert services.
Vice President Sales at a tech vendor with 1-10 employees
Technical support is very good.
Senior Manager Cybersecurity at LTI - Larsen & Toubro Infotech
 

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
7.1
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud is scalable, supporting millions of identities, though may require extra resources and faces Java memory challenges.
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.
Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Integrated Solutions
Factors like architecture, business nature, and legal limitations such as GDPR affect it.
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.
Network and Technology Information Manager at Akkodis
The solution scales well as long as we provide the necessary resources.
Vice President Sales at a tech vendor with 1-10 employees
The solution is scalable and can be upgraded to accommodate increased user counts.
Technical Project Manager & Senior Security Architect at Tech Mahindra Limited
SailPoint is scalable, though challenges exist in terms of workflow and user interface design.
Technical Support Analyst at CLSA
 

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
7.9
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud is stable, with high reliability ratings, minor issues, and seamless integration fostering user satisfaction.
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is considered very reliable and stable.
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.
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.
Network and Technology Information Manager at Akkodis
IdentityIQ deserves a rating of 12 out of ten for stability.
Vice President Sales at a tech vendor with 1-10 employees
The version I use now is very stable, especially compared to previous versions like eight point zero and eight point one.
Specialist Consultant at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco ISE is hindered by complexity, compatibility issues, costly licensing, and needs improvements in usability, support, and performance.
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud is costly, complex, and lacks user-friendliness, necessitating better automation, support, customization, and integration.
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).
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.
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.
Service Line Manager (Service Operations Expert) - Network Access Control at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
SailPoint lacks some features like privileged account management and access management features found in products like Okta.
Technical Project Manager & Senior Security Architect at Tech Mahindra Limited
I find raising a ticket to be too complex, which could be improved for better user-friendliness.
Technical Support Analyst at CLSA
We have also put our enhancement request, and the SailPoint team has accepted that the feature is not available and plans to include it going forward.
Senior Manager Cybersecurity at LTI - Larsen & Toubro Infotech
 

Setup Cost

Cisco ISE pricing is complex and costly, with strong vendor partnerships needed for discounts, favoring large enterprises over smaller businesses.
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud is costly, with varying prices and separate fees, but offers discounts for long-term plans.
Compared to other solutions like HPE ClearPass, Cisco is more costly, and the conversation suggests a possible forty percent price gap compared to competitors.
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.
Technical Services Lead at Telenet Solutions
Cloud solutions are expensive, while on-prem setups with shared environments are cheaper but not effective.
Service Line Manager (Service Operations Expert) - Network Access Control at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
SailPoint is cheaper than ServiceNow, which is very expensive.
Technical Support Analyst at CLSA
The pricing of SailPoint could be better.
Vice President Sales at a tech vendor with 1-10 employees
The costs are slightly higher than SailPoint IQ due to included charges for maintenance.
Technical Project Manager & Senior Security Architect at Tech Mahindra Limited
 

Valuable Features

Cisco ISE excels in security, network access control, and integration, offering adaptability, scalability, and centralized management for organizations.
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud offers intuitive UI, fast deployment, extensive connectors, and strong compliance with AI-enhanced automated identity management.
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) offers authentication using RADIUS, enhancing network security by separating and segregating networks.
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.
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.
Network and Technology Information Manager at Akkodis
The automation of provisioning and deprovisioning, managing contractors, temporary users, and the overall automation factor is fantastic.
Vice President Sales at a tech vendor with 1-10 employees
The solution can be customized to adapt the workflow to our industry, offering considerable flexibility.
Specialist Consultant at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
From a project management point of view, the tool supports audit success with features to segregate permanent and contractor employees, integrate with HR systems, and indicate other sources for contractors.
Senior Manager Cybersecurity at LTI - Larsen & Toubro Infotech
 

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)
SailPoint Identity Security...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
72
Ranking in other categories
User Provisioning Software (2nd), Identity Management (IM) (1st), Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (2nd), SaaS Management Platforms (1st), Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) (1st), AI IT Support (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and SailPoint Identity Security Cloud 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.
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud, on the other hand, focuses on User Provisioning Software, holds 25.8% mindshare, down 32.2% since last year.
Network Access Control (NAC) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)22.4%
Aruba ClearPass21.6%
Fortinet FortiNAC16.1%
Other39.9%
Network Access Control (NAC)
User Provisioning Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
SailPoint Identity Security Cloud25.8%
Saviynt12.4%
One Identity Manager9.7%
Other52.099999999999994%
User Provisioning Software
 

Featured Reviews

NF
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.
ND
Principle at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
User access management excels but needs enhancements with integration capabilities
I was aware of that because I used to manage these solutions earlier on, but it was purchased by the Procurement team, so I was not involved in any of those.There are certain details I may not be able to disclose currently, but we can speak in general about a number of products and tools that are ongoing. I have not been using access management controls here, so I don't have the latest features or details or hands-on experience in that space. I cannot share all the details about the improvements in security operations since we were exploring some products, but I'm familiar with Saviynt as I was one of their partners for other solutions, and currently, I cannot disclose a lot of performance related to my current roles.
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Network Access Control (NAC) solutions are best for your needs.
880,255 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business44
Midsize Enterprise32
Large Enterprise91
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business21
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise42
 

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 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...
How does Sailpoint IdentityIQ compare with CyberArk PAM?
We evaluated Sailpoint IdentityIQ before ultimately choosing CyberArk. Sailpoint Identity Platform is a solution to manage risks in cloud enterprise environments. It automates and streamlines the m...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SailPoint IdentityIQ?
The product is expensive. People need to opt for a licensing plan for one year or three years.
What advice do you have for others considering SailPoint IdentityIQ?
You can use SailPoint Atlas to take identity security to the next level. In SailPoint IIQ, writing a custom connector using the open source framework is a good option.
 

Also Known As

Cisco ISE
IdentityIQ, IdentityNow, Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management, Intello
 

Overview

 

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
Adobe, AXA Technology Services, Cuna Mutual Group, Equifax, ING Direct, Orrstown Bank, Rockwell Automation, SallieMae, Spirit Aerosystems, TEL
Find out what your peers are saying about Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Cisco, Fortinet and others in Network Access Control (NAC). Updated: December 2025.
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