Forescout Platform vs Palo Alto Networks IoT Security comparison

Forescout Platform vs. Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

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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

4th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Access Control (NAC) (5th), Endpoint Compliance (2nd), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (19th)

Palo Alto Networks IoT Secu...

Ranking in IoT Security

3rd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the IoT Security category, the mindshare of Forescout Platform is 8.2%, down from 14.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks IoT Security is 6.4%, down from 6.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

IoT Security Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Palo Alto Networks IoT Security	6.4%
Forescout Platform	8.2%
Other	85.4%

IoT Security

Featured Reviews

AshishKumar Rai

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.

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reviewer2774463

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.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We think it's simple. We think it's very useful and we really like reports and everything."

"We use it to prevent malicious activities on our network that potentially infiltrate it."

"The compliance aspects of the solution are excellent and one of the solution's best features."

"The interface is easy to use."

"ForeScout provides some of the greatest visibility into network traffic, showing you exactly who is doing what, down to the port and protocol being used, capturing entire conversations between endpoints."

"Forescout Platform provides multiple features. They have a very effective device fingerprinting in their cloud. You do not need to add any devices manually, such as in Mac devices. Other solutions you have to add IoT devices and OT devices manually. This is one of the major areas that Forescout Platform is excelling in."

"Primarily used to define which host to admit onto the network, by tying a policy to the MAC address."

"Absolutely go for it."

More Forescout Platform pros

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

"I would recommend Palo Alto Networks IoT Security to any organization with automation plants or standard enterprise IT environments."

"Palo Alto is valued for its GlobalProtect feature, which offers a range of security options, including user ID mapping and VPNs."

"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."

"I find Palo Alto Networks IoT Security to be highly responsive, and its separate management and data planes are a major advantage."

"This solution has been most valuable for establishing a VPN and implementing allow/deny rules."

"It is simple to use. We just need to enable features and then configure IoT policies."

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

More Palo Alto Networks IoT Security pros

Cons

"This solution is not that easy to scale but this depends on a company's needs."

"The solution could always improve by adding more features to make it more robust."

"There are few issues with CounterACT that need more attention, mainly its ability to process and perform discovery faster."

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

"Maybe the licensing and cost can be improved."

"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."

"When adding what is in scope to a policy, it would be nice if you could select multiple policies instead of one policy at a time to add what is in the scope for network segmentation. I have found that during the install and configuration of the policies that if you want to modify multiple policies or enable multiple policies that you need to define what is in the scope (IP range or segments) one rule at a time. This caused some slow downs when implementing policies."

"It was not so easy to deploy in our environment, the learning curve for this solution is quite hard."

More Forescout Platform cons

"The reporting for this solution could be improved. The logs we receive are only saved for one week. We would like to have the database timeframe increased to a month or two for historical reporting as well as increased storage capabilities to support this data and reporting."

"The cost is still high and licensing is still complex."

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

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

"The cost is still high and licensing is still complex."

"I had to call the support because there were some devices that were not showing up."

"There can be more automation in terms of security and detection. It is already good."

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

More Palo Alto Networks IoT Security cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"5,000 user licenses will cost you between seven and eight million dollars, compared to 20 million for Aruba."

"Forescout is more expensive than Cisco because Cisco gives high discounts."

"The price of the Forescout Platform is expensive. I purchased it for approximately 94 lakhs."

"The solution is not priced low. There are no hidden costs."

"The product's pricing is reasonable."

"We need to pay for integration for each integration that we want to do and there is an additional license fee. This adds more costs. It is not something that anyone can afford. If you want to integrate this with a lot of other tools, it can be costly."

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

"We went with the virtual appliance option. The biggest cost to running these types of appliances would be to either have multiple virtual appliances at every data center or running Remote SPAN hardware to provide you the real-time network visibility."

More Forescout Platform pricing and cost advice

"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."

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

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889,855 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Computer Software Company

Government

Performing Arts

13%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Retailer

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	30
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	44

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Large Enterprise	7

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.

Aruba ClearPass vs Forescout Platform

Comparisons

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Fortinet FortiNAC vs Forescout Platform

Compared 11% of the time

Armis vs Forescout Platform

Compared 5% of the time

Portnox vs Forescout Platform

Compared 4% of the time

More Forescout Platform Competitors

Armis vs Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

Compared 29% of the time

Microsoft Defender for IoT vs Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

Compared 15% of the time

Nozomi Networks vs Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

Compared 15% of the time

Phosphorus Cybersecurity vs Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

Compared 15% of the time

Allot IoTSecure vs Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

Compared 6% of the time

More Palo Alto Networks IoT Security Competitors

Product Reports

Forescout Platform

Download Forescout Platform product report

Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

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

Forescout Platform vs. Palo Alto Networks IoT Security