Cisco ISE vs ClearPass vs Forescout: NAC Compared [2026]

Every enterprise network team eventually hits the same wall: too many devices, not enough visibility, and a growing list of laptops, badge readers, cameras, and unmanaged phones that nobody remembers approving. Network Access Control (NAC) is the layer that is supposed to fix that, deciding who and what gets onto the network, under which identity, and with which privileges. Three platforms dominate that conversation in 2026: Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), Aruba ClearPass from HPE Aruba Networking, and the Forescout Platform. Each takes a different route to the same destination, and the gap between them shows up in licensing cost, deployment effort, and how much the product leans on agents versus passive network visibility.