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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
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
79
Ranking in other categories
Network Access Control (NAC) (6th), Endpoint Compliance (2nd), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (35th)
Palo Alto Networks IoT Secu...
Ranking in IoT Security
3rd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the IoT Security category, the mindshare of Forescout Platform is 8.3%, down from 12.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks IoT Security is 5.9%, down from 6.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IoT Security Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Palo Alto Networks IoT Security5.9%
Forescout Platform8.3%
Other85.8%
IoT Security
 

Featured Reviews

AshishKumar Rai - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Comprehensive visibility has strengthened endpoint control and automated threat response across networks
When it comes to improving Forescout Platform, I have faced some issues recently, particularly with the switch integration part. When integrating a switch, it asks for the vendor type, and often it does not match. For example, one series of HP switches may not be found in that vendor list. This leads to frustration because you have to check again with different HP models, and once you integrate a switch, you cannot edit the vendor list without removing it. Other issues are being worked on, particularly related to switch integration. I believe they will be fixed in the next upgrade or patch fix. There are no major issues, but the configuration changes needed for the switch model are necessary, and I think it would help if during integration, an admin user could check the password or credential used, as they currently cannot see the password after it is entered and saved.
reviewer2774463 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager ERP (Insurance) at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Have used it to manage device updates remotely and now see potential for improved centralized control
One of the favorite features is that they can plug in a device and update it without being on the network, so you can perform an offline update. If all the IoT devices in the field can provide a single pane of glass and management through that platform in a controlled fashion, that would be really beneficial.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It gives us a clear initial and secondary view of what's happening on our network to determine its health."
"This solution can be used to organize guest portals, integrate switches, and create policies, and some of its standard use cases also include completing key process upgrades and anti-virus of Windows OS."
"We think it's simple, we think it's very useful, and we really like reports and everything."
"We are provided with real-time visibility and control of devices accessing our network."
"This is clearly the best product for the NAC use cases in this field for Forescout."
"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."
"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 product has proven to be worth the cost and time savings alone in finding rogue devices."
"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 find Palo Alto Networks IoT Security to be highly responsive, and its separate management and data planes are a major advantage."
"The stability is pretty good; it's a very solid solution, so if customers are looking for an IoT/OT solution, they should consider Palo Alto Networks IoT Security."
"The key strength of Palo Alto firewalls lies in their application-based approach, offering a much finer level of control compared to traditional firewalls."
"I would recommend Palo Alto Networks IoT Security to any organization with automation plants or standard enterprise IT environments."
 

Cons

"It's scalable, but not without a big investment. It doesn't do so well at the branch. At the home office, it does okay and not so well at the branch."
"I'd like to see improvements in the reporting aspect of Forescout Platform. While the dashboards are good, the reports are lacking and need enhancement, especially in terms of standardization and customization options. Apart from that, all the features and functionalities are working well without any issues."
"Forescout Platform could improve the integration or compatibility with other solutions, such as Chinese-made solutions. They do not have any integration with S33 which is a switch. They do not have good integration with new solutions in the market. They do integrate well with Rocket, Cisco, Juniper, and quite a few more but they could expand the integration."
"Detection and control of Dual-Homed devices needs to be improved, as the product sometimes gives false positives."
"Forescout Platform's technical support is slow to respond and could be more knowledgeable."
"Although Forescout manages endpoints and network devices, there is no capability for user management."
"In terms of technical support, their engineering team is very rigid."
"Forescout needs to improve its cloud management and remote connectivity."
"It would be beneficial if Palo Alto IoT Security could integrate with Let's Encrypt for free SSL certificates."
"Palo Alto Networks IoT Security's reporting capabilities are less comprehensive and robust than those provided by Cisco."
"I had to call the support because there were some devices that were not showing up."
"The cost is still high and licensing is still complex."
"More application signatures are required."
"While not overly complex, its usability could be enhanced, making it a more intuitive experience for everyone."
"There can be more automation in terms of security and detection. It is already good."
"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."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I would rate Forescout Platform's pricing as four out of five."
"The tool's pricing is expensive but reasonable."
"The price of Forescout is reasonable when compared to Cisco ISE."
"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."
"They base the license on the number of devices, which is quite misleading."
"The solution is not priced low. There are no hidden costs."
"The price of the Forescout Platform is expensive. I purchased it for approximately 94 lakhs."
"You can have a flexible license depending on your environment."
"The pricing for Palo Alto Networks IoT Security is a bit high."
"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 initial investment is substantial, but the renewal costs make it financially unsustainable."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
6%
Performing Arts
13%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business30
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise45
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Large Enterprise7
 

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 needs improvement with Palo Alto Networks IoT Security?
One thing I communicated to them is that they need to provide a managed update for their IoT devices.
What is your primary use case for Palo Alto Networks IoT Security?
I use it for one of my customers, and my role is to help my customer with the solution. They use it for their IoT devices in the field, and they have a lot of sensors out there for their heating eq...
What advice do you have for others considering Palo Alto Networks IoT Security?
The pricing is not that bad. I would rate this solution an 8 out of 10.
 

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 2026.
904,146 professionals have used our research since 2012.