Portnox vs Sophos Network Access Control comparison

Portnox Security and Sophos are both solutions in the Network Access Control (NAC) category. Portnox Security is ranked #6 with an average rating of 7.7, while Sophos is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.2. Portnox Security holds a 4.7% mindshare in NAC, compared to Sophos’s 1.8% mindshare. Additionally, 94% of Portnox Security users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Sophos users who would recommend it.

Portnox

Read 24 Portnox reviews

1,848 Views
1,608 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Sophos Network Access Control

Read 23 Sophos Network Access Control reviews

1,001 Views
971 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Portnox

Sophos Network Access Control

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 21, 2025

Portnox and Sophos Network Access Control compete in the network access control market. Portnox is preferred for its pricing and support, while Sophos Network Access Control is favored for its features, making it ideal for environments needing advanced functionalities.

Features: Portnox offers agentless integration, real-time network visibility, and a user-friendly dashboard. Sophos Network Access Control provides comprehensive threat detection, role-based access control, and robust reporting capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Portnox could enhance its scalability, increase advanced security features, and broaden integration with third-party products. Sophos Network Access Control may improve ease of deployment, reduce initial cost, and streamline its user interface for greater efficiency.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Portnox benefits from a straightforward, cloud-based deployment process and strong customer support. Sophos Network Access Control offers deployment flexibility and reliable technical support but may require more resources to implement fully.

Pricing and ROI: Portnox provides more accessible pricing with lower upfront investment, resulting in a positive ROI. Sophos Network Access Control, despite higher costs, offers value through its extensive security features, justifying the expenditure for organizations requiring enhanced security.

To learn more, read our detailed Portnox vs. Sophos Network Access Control Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Portnox vs. Sophos Network Access Control

September 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

Portnox

Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)

6th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

ZTNA (12th), Passwordless Authentication (1st)

Sophos Network Access Control

Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)

8th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Network Access Control (NAC) category, the mindshare of Portnox is 4.7%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos Network Access Control is 1.8%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Access Control (NAC) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Portnox	4.7%
Sophos Network Access Control	1.8%
Other	93.5%

Network Access Control (NAC)

Featured Reviews

Scott Kerr

President at TrackerSoft

It is seamless and integrates well with our Azure setup

We use devices like PLCs and controllers, and when we receive a request to allow one on the network, we bypass typical authentication, associate it with a group account, and push it to a firewalled VLAN. However, problems arise when the same MAC address is requested for a different project. Our current system only finds authenticated MAC addresses, making it difficult to troubleshoot when the same device is used for multiple purposes. Ideally, we should be able to search for any MAC address in the database, regardless of its authentication status, to see all its associated groups and potential conflicts.

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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.

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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

"The product's initial setup phase was straightforward."

"The technical support is top-notch."

"I am impressed with the solution's voucher capability and authentication. The tool is integrated with Active Direct storage."

"It's easy to manage and troubleshoot thanks to the lightweight components."

"The cloud-based feature of Portnox is excellent."

"Portnox ensures system compliance through policy enforcement, including antivirus updates, Windows operating system updates, and system patches, helping network administrators maintain system health and security across the network."

"Portnox helped to free up staff time and resources for other IT security priorities and IT work."

"I like the fact that you can take your device anywhere and still have that visibility from anywhere because it's agent-based."

More Portnox pros

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

"The most valuable features of Sophos Network Access Control are the quick response times to threats and reliable security."

"The scalability of the system and the performance of the system and the solution's most valuable features."

"The pricing is very reasonable and you can negotiate on the price."

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

"There is really good visibility for the appliance."

"What Sophos has done is integrate almost the entire OSI layer infrastructure. It gives me visibility across my infrastructure. It gives me visibility into all the mobile devices that are on my network and into the security I have on those mobile devices."

"The installation is very straightforward."

More Sophos Network Access Control pros

Cons

"It might be beneficial to improve the ease of integrating the product with firewalls."

"As there are no agents in Portnox Clear, the customers of the product cannot download any agents on their devices, making them unsure if the product offers proper security."

"The solution did have some stability issues, however, all I had to do was restart it."

"However, problems arise when the same MAC address is requested for a different project. Our current system only finds authenticated MAC addresses, making it difficult to troubleshoot when the same device is used for multiple purposes."

"The support team is very limited. They don't have much support during Asia Pacific hours; the team sits in during the EMI and US hours."

"Allowing for a search of MAC addresses in the interface, whether they are authenticated on the network or not, would be beneficial. Currently, it only finds authenticated MAC addresses, which complicates troubleshooting when the same MAC address is used for different requests."

"In terms of operational efficiency, things are more complicated now. It takes more time to get devices on the network, but we increased security quite a bit."

"The product should consider more integration with vendors like Huawei. It should also improve visibility. The solution should offer a partner portal that can provide customers training on the in and out of the solution."

More Portnox cons

"The interface on the cloud could be a bit better - just to give more performance on it."

"One area in which the product could be improved is the user interface. While functional, it can be somewhat cluttered and unintuitive, especially for new users."

"There is room for improvement in pricing."

"Sophos Network Access Control could be improved by having an ASIC chip similar to FortiNAC, as this would provide better processing for big organizations."

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

"The solution could increase the integration with other platforms or other systems. This would be very useful."

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

"In order to provide better management, it would be ideal with they offered better plugins for their firewall."

More Sophos Network Access Control cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is a bit high, possibly due to the cloud features and running instances across regions like the US, Asia, and Europe."

"The vendor price is fair."

"The tool is more expensive than Fortinet."

"It is not bad. It is a bit on the high side, but considering the cloud features and how much it costs to run the instance in the cloud, it is not unreasonable. We do have RADIUS servers for the US, Asia, and Europe."

"The cost of Portnox Clear is reasonable."

"The users are not very happy with the new licensing option where there is only a subscription license. There is no perpetual license."

"Pricing is not cheap. It is based on licenses per port. After licensing is purchased, you only pay for support."

"Portnox CORE's pricing is adequate and cheaper compared to other complex solutions. Its licensing costs are yearly and include support. Cost is calculated per device."

More Portnox pricing and cost advice

"It is quite expensive."

"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."

"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 an expensive solution."

"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

16%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Computer Software Company

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

12%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	12
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	7

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Portnox CORE?

It's easy to manage and troubleshoot thanks to the lightweight components.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Portnox CORE?

It's not cheap. It's not expensive. It's in the middle, so I'll probably give it a seven out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Portnox CORE?

We have been having some issues with it. That's why we're considering migrating to Portnox Clear due to some limitations with CORE. At the end of the day, Portnox Clear's capabilities are much more...

See all answers

What do you like most about Sophos Network Access Control?

Sophos Network Access Control has a useful interface, and I like its dashboard, which is very useful for us to check everything.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sophos Network Access Control?

I think the pricing of the solution is expensive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sophos Network Access Control?

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs Portnox

Compared 25% of the time

Aruba ClearPass vs Portnox

Compared 24% of the time

Forescout Platform vs Portnox

Compared 15% of the time

Fortinet FortiNAC vs Portnox

Compared 14% of the time

Ruckus Cloudpath vs Portnox

Compared 3% of the time

More Portnox Competitors

Aruba ClearPass vs Sophos Network Access Control

Compared 35% of the time

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

Compared 23% of the time

Fortinet FortiNAC vs Sophos Network Access Control

Compared 12% of the time

Twingate vs Sophos Network Access Control

Compared 10% of the time

Forescout Platform vs Sophos Network Access Control

Compared 7% of the time

More Sophos Network Access Control Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Portnox

October 2025

Download Portnox product report

Buyer's Guide

Sophos Network Access Control

October 2025

Download Sophos Network Access Control product report

Also Known As

Access Layers Portnox, Portnox CLEAR

No data available

Interactive Demo

Portnox Security

Demo not available

Sophos

Overview

Portnox offers Network Access Control to manage user access based on policy, securing both wired and wireless networks while ensuring compliance. It supports endpoint security and prevents unauthorized access across industries such as banking, IT, and energy distribution.

Designed for both on-premises and cloud deployments through CORE and Clear versions, Portnox delivers a straightforward interface aiding in deployment. It integrates effectively with equipment from multiple vendors and security solutions, enhancing endpoint profiling and ensuring compliance. Portnox provides real-time alerts and network activity insights, bolstered by excellent technical support and scalability. It also automates monitoring, reducing the need for dedicated resources while offering a comprehensive view of network activities.

What are the essential features of Portnox?

Comprehensive Network Visibility: Delivers detailed insights into network activity.
Agentless Operation: Simplifies deployment without requiring additional software on endpoints.
Seamless Integration: Works well with diverse equipment and security systems.
Real-Time Alerts: Immediate notifications for unauthorized activities.
Scalability: Accommodates growing network needs without adding complexity.

What benefits should users focus on in Portnox reviews?

Ease of Deployment: Quick setup without complex processes.
Security Capabilities: Strong defense against unauthorized access and breaches.
Automatic Monitoring: Continuously observes network traffic, requiring fewer resources.
Intuitive Insights: Clear visualization of network operations aids decision-making.
Reliable Support: Access to helpful technical assistance when needed.

Across industries like banking and IT, organizations rely on Portnox for endpoint profiling and compliance, ensuring remote worker security. Electricity distributors leverage its robust features for managing secure network access. Improvements like better third-party integration, enhanced graphical interface, and expanded support are desired, along with licensing adjustment and expanded use of AI and behavioral analytics.

Portnox Security

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

Data Realty, Royal London, Wales Millennium Centre, McLaren Construction Group, EL AL Israeli Airlines,

Rushmoor Borough Council

Buyer's Guide

Portnox vs. Sophos Network Access Control

September 2025

Free Report: Portnox vs. Sophos Network Access Control

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