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

"Being able to sort on device types or devices with open ports is helpful when narrowing down assets of possible misconfigured devices that may be vulnerable on the network. We can take action on those devices based off of corporate policy."

"The best parts of Forescout Platform are its orchestration features, discovery capabilities, classification buckets, and flexibility in creating policies."

"The ability to control to identify devices and control the actual devices was great."

"This is clearly the best product for the NAC use cases in this field for Forescout."

"The solution offers very good management; it allows for good detection of all the vendor products we have on-site."

"The initial setup is easy, taking no more than two or three weeks."

"With Forescout we can get a detailed view of every device that attaches or tries to attach to our network."

"The most valuable feature is the ease of deployment, which does not require the use of an agent."

More Forescout Platform pros

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

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

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

"I like the Cortex Data Lake integration with security automation."

"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."

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

"The key strength of Palo Alto firewalls lies in their application-based approach, offering a much finer level of control compared to traditional firewalls."

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

More Palo Alto Networks IoT Security pros

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."

"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."

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

"Search - needs boolean functionality (or pseudo operand now working)."

"It's scalable, but not without a big investment. It doesn't do so well at the branch."

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

"We have found that troubleshooting RADIUS controls is quite arduous, as it is today."

"We need to pay for integration for each integration that we want to do and there is an additional license fee."

More Forescout Platform cons

"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."

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

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

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

"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."

More Palo Alto Networks IoT Security cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The fact that we were allowed to spin up as many servers as we had need of to support our geographic requirements while paying for licensing as an enterprise truly set Forescout apart from the crowd and improved the way we could design our access."

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

"Licenses are perpetual but can come with renewable support."

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

"We paid between $20,000 and $25,000 for a three-year license with maintenance."

"We might have paid in the ballpark of $20,000 yearly for our licenses. I do not recall there being other fees over and above the standard licensing fee."

"They base the license on the number of devices, which is quite misleading."

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

"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."

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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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Compared 11% of the time

Armis vs Forescout Platform

Compared 5% of the time

Portnox vs Forescout Platform

Compared 4% of the time

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Compared 15% of the time

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Compared 15% of the time

Allot IoTSecure vs Palo Alto Networks IoT Security

Compared 6% of the time

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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