Forescout Platform vs Palo Alto Networks IoT Security comparison

Forescout and Palo Alto Networks are both solutions in the IoT Security category. Forescout is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.6, while Palo Alto Networks is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.3. Forescout holds a 14.2% mindshare in IS, compared to Palo Alto Networks’s 6.7% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of Forescout users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Palo Alto Networks users who would recommend it.

Forescout Platform

Read 76 Forescout Platform reviews

1,190 Views
709 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Palo Alto Networks IoT Secu...

Read 10 Palo Alto Networks IoT Security reviews

1,462 Views
286 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Forescout Platform

Palo Alto Networks IoT Secu...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 3, 2025

Forescout Platform and Palo Alto Networks IoT Security compete in the network visibility and security solutions category. Forescout appears to hold an edge in device interaction and endpoint visibility while Palo Alto Networks excels with its next-gen firewall technology and integration capabilities.

Features: Forescout Platform offers comprehensive visibility of all devices on the network, integration with third-party security tools, and robust endpoint security without relying on 802.1x. Palo Alto Networks IoT Security utilizes next-gen firewall technology for risk assessment, aligns with zero-trust architecture, and provides detailed asset management features.

Room for Improvement: Forescout struggles with switch management data accuracy, high licensing costs, and requires better reporting. Palo Alto Networks IoT Security's user interface is complicated, integration capabilities can be enhanced, and reporting features lack depth.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Forescout supports on-premises, hybrid, and cloud deployments, with varied technical support satisfaction. Palo Alto Networks offers cloud and on-premises deployment options, with high customer service satisfaction but room for improvement in partner support.

Pricing and ROI: Forescout provides a flexible yet expensive licensing model, reflecting substantial total costs. Palo Alto Networks, also costly, justifies its price with robust features, though costs are a barrier for small organizations.

To learn more, read our detailed Forescout Platform vs. Palo Alto Networks IoT Security Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Forescout Platform vs. Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

March 2025

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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

2nd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Access Control (NAC) (4th), Endpoint Compliance (5th), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (16th)

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 April 2025, in the IoT Security category, the mindshare of Forescout Platform is 14.2%, down from 18.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks IoT Security is 6.7%, down from 6.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

IoT Security

Featured Reviews

Odai Halawani

Sr. Security Engineer at Topvision

It's an easy and effective solution, especially for device profiling without agents

Forescout Platform's most valuable aspect is its excellent device profiling for devices without agents, which is crucial for our work due to challenges with agent-based devices. Its isolation and blocking actions are particularly effective for network security. The device compliance feature helps us ensure device compliance through immediate actions like updating antivirus software. We have already integrated Forescout with antivirus and vulnerability assessment tools, allowing it to monitor vulnerability scores and automatically isolate devices if critical vulnerabilities are detected.

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Engineerinfosec67

Senior Information Security Engineer at Westcon-Comstor

Recognizing and classifying devices with AI and machine learning boosts security without extra network controls

Palo Alto Networks IoT Security ( /products/palo-alto-networks-iot-security-reviews ) integrates with a cloud-based engine that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning for device recognition and classification based on traffic types. This adaptability, which does not rely strictly on a static database, allows for identifying a wider range of devices. The behavior-based identification of devices enhances the capabilities of security controls, extending the network security platform's recognition capacity without deploying a separate network access control system.

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

"Forescout CounterACT has allowed us to better open our access and control wireless access globally from our HQ. This allows us to monitor the network access for every office globally. This has improved overall security, reducing risk and opening up the opportunity to provide greater end user flexibility."

"The actions that the agentless visibility, allow us to perform on the endpoint, are really amazing, especially in the way that it is done."

"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."

"The most valuable feature of Forescout Platform is that it has everything that Aruba has at significantly less cost."

"The most valuable features of the Forescout Platform are ease of management and outstanding visibility. The visibility is simple to obtain."

"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."

"It's one of the tools that has given the federal government visibility into network devices and everything."

"The Forescout Platform's most valuable features include its agentless configuration, which allows for easy integration with switches, and its broad customizability of rules and conditions for policy configuration. By leveraging its Network Access Control capabilities, the tool controls network access, allowing administrators to enforce policies tailored to the organization's needs."

More Forescout Platform pros

"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 Cortex Data Lake integration with security automation."

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

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

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

"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."

More Palo Alto Networks IoT Security pros

Cons

"Forescout Platform isn't flexible with connections to devices like printers and forces you to re-enter details like the MAC address after any breakdowns."

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

"Initially, the implementation of the Forescout Platform took some time to figure out. The reason is we are a manufacturing unit and we have certain silos that are insulated areas where certain systems will not connect to the internet or to the LAN. Since there are many parts of it, we have to have an inclusive view of all those systems. It took a while for us to initially implement, but after a few months, everything worked well."

"I believe that the overall user experience has not always been preferable."

"More detailed analysis during the authentication process, especially for troubleshooting access issues. We have found that troubleshooting RADIUS controls is quite arduous, as it is today. A trace function could easily resolve this by providing a means by which access issues from a certificate to passwords or accounts could easily be identified and remediated."

"Forescout Platform could improve the vulnerability management as well as the control on the endpoint, which needs to be connected to my network."

"Regarding pricing, there is room for improvement to enhance competitiveness with other vendors and solutions."

More Forescout Platform cons

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

"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."

"It would be beneficial if Palo Alto IoT Security could integrate with Let's Encrypt for free SSL certificates."

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

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

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

"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

"The Forescout Platform's pricing is in the middle range, not too cheap or expensive."

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

"We have a very clear licensing model for business. I don't have to have a Ph.D. to be able to understand the licensing model as you might need for other solutions. If I know exactly what we want, it can tell you which license you need. The solution is easy for purchasing, ordering, and ease of deployment as well."

"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 solution’s pricing is fine."

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

"The pricing structure should be enhanced."

"Forescout Platform is too expensive, so the price should be reduced."

More Forescout Platform pricing and cost advice

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

"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."

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

31%

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Government

Manufacturing Company

17%

Computer Software Company

15%

Energy/Utilities Company

Comms Service Provider

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...

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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.

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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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Comparisons

Aruba ClearPass vs Forescout Platform

Compared 23% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs Forescout Platform

Compared 23% of the time

Fortinet FortiNAC vs Forescout Platform

Compared 14% of the time

Nozomi Networks vs Forescout Platform

Compared 6% of the time

Portnox vs Forescout Platform

Compared 4% of the time

More Forescout Platform Competitors

Nozomi Networks vs Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

Compared 63% of the time

Armis vs Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

Compared 26% of the time

Microsoft Defender for IoT vs Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

Compared 11% of the time

More Palo Alto Networks IoT Security Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Forescout Platform

April 2025

Download Forescout Platform product report

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

March 2025

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

Buyer's Guide

Forescout Platform vs. Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

March 2025

Free Report: Forescout Platform vs. Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

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