Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs Sophos Network Access Control comparison

Cisco and Sophos are both solutions in the Network Access Control (NAC) category. Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 7.6, while Sophos is ranked #7 with an average rating of 7.5. Cisco holds a 21.7% mindshare in NAC, compared to Sophos’s 2.3% mindshare. Additionally, 87% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Sophos users who would recommend it.

Cisco Identity Services Eng...

Read 144 Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) reviews

15,070 Views
9,796 Comparison Views

87% willing to recommend

Sophos Network Access Control

Read 24 Sophos Network Access Control reviews

1,276 Views
1,238 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Cisco Identity Services Eng...

Sophos Network Access Control

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

Sophos Network Access Control and Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) both compete in the network security space. While Sophos is appreciated for its pricing and support, Cisco ISE is considered superior due to its advanced features and integrations that justify its higher cost.

Features: Sophos Network Access Control offers streamlined access management, endpoint visibility, and simplified deployment for smaller networks. Cisco ISE provides comprehensive network segmentation, advanced policy enforcement, and better integration options, offering a robust solution for larger, complex networks.

Room for Improvement: Sophos could enhance its integration capabilities, increase scalability, and add advanced policy features. Cisco ISE could simplify initial setup, improve ease of use, and enhance cost-effectiveness for smaller installations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Sophos is known for easy deployment suiting smaller organizations with limited integration needs, coupled with good support. Cisco ISE requires a more complex setup but is backed by extensive documentation and a robust support network, beneficial for larger enterprises.

Pricing and ROI: Sophos Network Access Control is noted for its competitive pricing and low setup costs, ensuring a quick ROI. Cisco ISE demands a higher initial investment but provides greater value over time through its extensive features, suggesting a better long-term ROI for organizations needing advanced capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs. Sophos Network Access Control Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs. Sophos Network Access Control

March 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:

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Identity Services Eng...

Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)

2nd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

144

Ranking in other categories

Cisco Security Portfolio (4th)

Sophos Network Access Control

Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)

7th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Network Access Control (NAC) category, the mindshare of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is 21.7%, down from 27.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos Network Access Control is 2.3%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Access Control (NAC) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)	21.7%
Sophos Network Access Control	2.3%
Other	76.0%

Network Access Control (NAC)

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

HirenPatel2

Manager at rspl

Have faced delays in support despite strong multi-layer policy configuration

I have observed some disadvantages as we have experienced one particular problem. We were facing an issue of synchronization of the endpoint with our firewall with help on a cloud for heartbeat syncing. However, it was not syncing as per our requirement. The user has to connect our firewall with the help of VPN. We were supposed to assume a solution on a cloud, which has good synchronization on a cloud with Sophos Central. It will sync with our firewall as well with the help of Sophos Central. Endpoint and firewall synchronization is not as smooth as we are expecting from Sophos Network Access Control. We have to connect with VPN. We are expecting that if we have already installed an endpoint on our system and it is connected to the internet, then it must be synchronized on a cloud with Sophos Central. Through Sophos Central, it must connect with our firewall. If the endpoint is configured on Sophos Central and the firewall is also configured in Sophos Central, then there should be no need to connect to VPN.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Cisco ISE now competes with any other product in the space because of its centralized and unified highly secure access control with ISE."

"The solution is great for establishing trust for every access request no matter where it comes from."

"The interconnection with the ecosystem and the ability to force rules all over the network are the most important features."

"The way we can trust this solution is the most valuable. We have no issue with this product. It is a competitive product. You need to have a very good and deep knowledge of the product to take the full benefits of all the features, but it is a good product."

"The solution enables us to authenticate with AD."

"My team has gained a lot from Cisco ISE as it does also provide automation, which is a big asset in the eighth hour. After setting it up, it took a lot of the weight off in many ways. We have a co-worker, who we call the ISE Master because he's in charge of the ISE configurations. He's able to save a lot of time by being able to monitor everything from there. So it did take off a lot of time that we would waste by going individually to that different device and trying to figure out what was wrong."

"The user experience of the solution is great. It's a very transparent system."

"The product is stable."

More Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) pros

"Sophos Network Access Control saves our clients time and money."

"The role-based access controls feature of Sophos Network Access Control allows persons at different positions in an organization to have different types of roles."

"The biggest advantage of Sophos Network Access Control is that it is very synchronized with the security on both the endpoint and the firewall on a single platform, and it is easy to maintain."

"The wifi control is fantastic and makes it very easy to administer."

"The initial setup is very easy."

"We have had interactions with the technical support team through the Xnet platform. It's good."

"The solution offers very good visibility."

"Sophos' technical support is great, very fast and responsive, and they always know how to fix the problem."

More Sophos Network Access Control pros

Cons

"Sometimes, there are instances when Cisco ISE simply fails to function without any apparent reason, and regardless of the investigation we undertake, the logs indicate that everything is functioning properly, making it somewhat inexplicable."

"I'd like to see the logging be a bit more robust in terms of what it has baked in. If I want to do any in-depth searching, I have to export all the logs to an external platform like Elastic or LogRhythm and then parse through them myself. It would be nice if I could find what I want, when I want it, on the platform itself."

"It is a good product, but in order to use all of the functions of the product, you must have a good understanding of the product. You must know how to use and manage it. It is a little bit complicated to configure and manage. It must be simplified to make it easy to manage for end users. In the initial stage, we found ISE complicated for end users. It was not easy to manage it or to write authentication and authorization protocol. They must improve its management and make it easy for end users. The monitoring and reporting capabilities can be improved because end users want to quickly see what is happening in their network. There were some restrictions in working with other vendors. It should also have a better and easy integration with other vendors."

"The intuitiveness of the user interface could be improved."

"I would like the product to include support for OSVS version three."

"Cisco ISE's performance could be better, faster, and more robust."

"The opinion of my coworkers, and it's mine as well, is that the user interface could use some tender loving care. It seems counterintuitive sometimes. If you go to the logs, it's hard to figure out which one you need to look at."

"Some of ISE's features need to be more agile. For example, we couldn't integrate our data because Cisco needs your data to be in its own format."

More Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) cons

"Users are not controlled by role-based access; it's basically device-based control. The definition of role-based control is a little vague here because on the cloud level, it regulates access rather than tasks."

"I would like to see mobile administration capabilities in the next release so that we can administer the device from a mobile device."

"It would be beneficial to consider some improvements regarding the dashboard."

"The user interface, in terms of managing the product, could be better."

"I would like more details on the incoming connection, like what is the download speed and how it fluctuates. If Sophos can give that information, it would be really good."

"The solution can improve the for applying policies. They can be complex depending don't the group they are applied to."

"The difficult thing was finding the metrics."

"Sophos Network Access Control needs improvement regarding its slow interface, loading time, and reporting."

More Sophos Network Access Control cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing can be confusing, but it is still pretty good."

"It has a fair price. It is better than it was before."

"It would be beneficial to have a single license that included all of the features."

"I don't know too much about the actual pricing on it. The licensing part is pretty straightforward. It's a lot more simple than some of the other Cisco licensing models. In that aspect, it's great."

"If you consider money only, Cisco ISE is not a cheap solution."

"The solution’s pricing is reasonable."

"The price of the solution is price fair for the features you receive."

"I have complaints. I don't enjoy the licensing model. Once we moved from 2.7 to 3.1, switching from Base, Plus, and Apex to Essential and Advantage in Premier, we went from a perpetual, with our base licenses, to now a subscription-base. So, we will have to renew those licenses every year, and I'm not a fan of that for our base licenses. Apex/Premier, we already expected, which is fine, but for basic connectivity, I am not a fan of that."

More Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) pricing and cost advice

"Sophos Network Access Control is an expensive solution."

"Sophos Network Access Control is costly but has a similar price range as CrowdStrike and Check Point. The product can get more market share if Sophos can play around with Sophos Network Access Control pricing and improve it."

"It is quite expensive."

"I rate the price of Sophos Network Access Control a five out of ten."

"It provides a moderate pricing option for all of its features and benefits."

"Sophos Network Access Control is very cheap compared to other solutions like Cisco, Barracuda, and Palo Alto."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Government

10%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

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	16
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	3

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 Sophos Network Access Control?

The pricing of Sophos Network Access Control is good, but it is somewhat high.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sophos Network Access Control?

In my opinion, one feature that should be added is the ability to trace emails from individuals who change their IP address or send misbehaving emails from alternative networks. If someone sends a ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Sophos Network Access Control?

Sophos Network Access Control serves primary use cases for both networking purposes and security purposes.

See all answers

Comparisons

Aruba ClearPass vs Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)

Compared 26% of the time

Fortinet FortiNAC vs Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)

Compared 18% of the time

Forescout Platform vs Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)

Compared 7% 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

Aruba ClearPass vs Sophos Network Access Control

Compared 22% of the time

Fortinet FortiNAC vs Sophos Network Access Control

Compared 12% of the time

Portnox vs Sophos Network Access Control

Compared 10% of the time

Twingate vs Sophos Network Access Control

Compared 10% of the time

macmon Network Access Control vs Sophos Network Access Control

Compared 8% of the time

More Sophos Network Access Control Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)

February 2026

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) report

Download Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) product report

Buyer's Guide

Sophos Network Access Control

February 2026

Download Sophos Network Access Control 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

Sophos NAC Provides comprehensive, easy-to-deploy network access control that protects enterprise networks from the threats posed by non-compliant, compromised, or misconfigured endpoint computers. The software solution is vendor-neutral and works with existing network infrastructure and security applications. Computers are permitted or denied access to the network, based on a centrally defined, policy-driven assessment - and isolated, quarantined for remediation, automatically remediated, or sent alerts. Administrators can define and manage policies uniquely for managed and guest computers, including checking their security status and ensuring that no unwanted applications are run.

Sophos

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

Rushmoor Borough Council

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs. Sophos Network Access Control

March 2026

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Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs. Sophos Network Access Control and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.

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