Cisco ISE vs Progress Kemp LoadMaster Comparison: Reviews, Features, Pricing & Alternatives in 2026

Detailed side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right solution for your team

Updated Apr 2026 8 min read

Cisco ISE

0.0 (0 reviews)

Cisco Identity Services Engine is a network administration product that enables you to create and enforce security policies for users and devices connecting to your organization's network infrastructure.

Starting at --
Free Trial 90 days
VS

Progress Kemp LoadMaster

0.0 (0 reviews)

Progress Kemp LoadMaster is a high-performance application delivery controller and load balancer that optimizes the availability, security, and scalability of your critical web applications and corporate network infrastructure.

Starting at Free
Free Trial 30 days

Quick Comparison

Feature Cisco ISE Progress Kemp LoadMaster
Website cisco.com kemptechnologies.com
Pricing Model Custom Freemium
Starting Price Custom Pricing Free
FREE Trial ✓ 90 days free trial ✓ 30 days free trial
Free Plan ✘ No free plan ✓ Has free plan
Product Demo ✓ Request demo here ✓ Request demo here
Deployment saas on-premise saas on-premise cloud
Integrations Cisco DNA Center Splunk ServiceNow Microsoft Azure AD Okta Check Point Palo Alto Networks Rapid7 Tenable Qualys Microsoft Exchange SharePoint VMware AWS Azure Google Cloud Cisco Dell HP Oracle
Target Users mid-market enterprise small-business mid-market enterprise
Target Industries
Customer Count 0 0
Founded Year 1984 2000
Headquarters San Jose, USA Burlington, USA

Overview

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Cisco ISE

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) gives you a centralized way to manage security across your entire network. You can see exactly who and what is connecting to your environment, whether they are using a wired, wireless, or VPN connection. By gathering real-time data from users and devices, you can make informed decisions about who gets access to specific resources and under what conditions.

You can automate your network security by creating granular policies that adapt based on the user's role, device type, and location. This helps you stop threats before they spread by automatically isolating suspicious devices. Whether you are managing a corporate office or a distributed workforce, it provides the visibility you need to maintain a zero-trust security posture without slowing down your team.

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Progress Kemp LoadMaster

Progress Kemp LoadMaster helps you ensure your applications are always available and performing at their peak. By distributing incoming traffic across multiple servers, you can prevent downtime and provide a smooth experience for your users. Whether you are running workloads in the cloud, on-premises, or in a hybrid environment, this tool gives you the flexibility to manage traffic with precision and ease.

You can secure your applications with built-in features like web application firewalls and single sign-on capabilities. The platform is designed for IT administrators and network engineers who need to manage complex traffic patterns without the headache of traditional, rigid hardware. It simplifies your infrastructure management while providing the deep visibility you need to troubleshoot issues before they impact your business operations.

Overview

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Cisco ISE Features

  • AI Endpoint Analytics Identify and profile every device on your network automatically using AI-driven behavioral modeling to eliminate blind spots.
  • Zero Trust Access Enforce software-defined segmentation to ensure you only grant users access to the specific applications they need for work.
  • Automated Containment Block or quarantine compromised devices instantly through integrations with your security tools to prevent lateral movement of threats.
  • Guest Access Management Create custom web portals for your visitors to provide secure, time-limited internet access without compromising your internal data.
  • Compliance Monitoring Check the security posture of every device before it connects to ensure they meet your corporate encryption and antivirus standards.
  • Centralized Policy Management Define your security rules once and push them across your entire global network from a single, unified management console.
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Progress Kemp LoadMaster Features

  • Layer 4-7 Load Balancing. Distribute traffic based on application data to ensure your servers handle requests efficiently and stay highly available.
  • Web Application Firewall. Protect your web applications from common vulnerabilities and sophisticated attacks with an integrated, easy-to-manage security layer.
  • Global Server Load Balancing. Direct your users to the closest or best-performing data center to reduce latency and provide a faster experience.
  • Application Health Checking. Monitor the status of your servers in real-time so you can automatically reroute traffic away from failing resources.
  • SSL/TLS Offloading. Remove the encryption burden from your backend servers to improve their performance and simplify your certificate management.
  • Edge Security Pack. Secure your network perimeter with pre-authentication, single sign-on, and persistent logging for all your incoming user requests.

Pricing Comparison

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Cisco ISE Pricing

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Progress Kemp LoadMaster Pricing

Free LoadMaster
$0
  • 20 Mbps throughput
  • Layer 4-7 Load Balancing
  • Global Server Load Balancing
  • Community-based support
  • Unlimited server nodes

Pros & Cons

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Cisco ISE

Pros

  • Unmatched visibility into every device connected to your network
  • Granular policy control for complex enterprise environments
  • Seamless integration with the broader Cisco security ecosystem
  • Powerful automation for isolating and remediating infected endpoints
  • Highly scalable for global organizations with thousands of users

Cons

  • Significant learning curve for initial setup and configuration
  • Requires substantial hardware resources for on-premise deployments
  • Licensing structure can be complex to navigate and manage
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Progress Kemp LoadMaster

Pros

  • Intuitive web interface makes complex configuration simple
  • Excellent value compared to expensive enterprise competitors
  • Fast and responsive technical support team
  • Easy deployment across various hypervisors and clouds

Cons

  • Advanced scripting requires a steeper learning curve
  • Interface can feel dated compared to modern SaaS
  • Reporting features could be more visually detailed
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