Cisco ISE vs Silverfort 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

Silverfort

0.0 (0 reviews)

Silverfort is a unified identity protection platform that extends multi-factor authentication and adaptive policies to all your sensitive corporate resources, including legacy systems and service accounts.

Starting at --
Free Trial NO FREE TRIAL

Quick Comparison

Feature Cisco ISE Silverfort
Website cisco.com silverfort.com
Pricing Model Custom Custom
Starting Price Custom Pricing Custom Pricing
FREE Trial ✓ 90 days free trial ✘ No free trial
Free Plan ✘ No free plan ✘ No free plan
Product Demo ✓ Request demo here ✓ Request demo here
Deployment saas on-premise saas on-premise
Integrations Cisco DNA Center Splunk ServiceNow Microsoft Azure AD Okta Check Point Palo Alto Networks Rapid7 Tenable Qualys Active Directory Azure AD Okta Ping Identity AWS Splunk Palo Alto Networks CyberArk Microsoft Sentinel CrowdStrike
Target Users mid-market enterprise mid-market enterprise
Target Industries
Customer Count 0 0
Founded Year 1984 2016
Headquarters San Jose, USA Tel Aviv, Israel

Overview

C

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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Silverfort

Silverfort provides a unified layer of security that protects every identity across your entire environment. Unlike traditional tools that require agents or complex integrations, you can secure everything from modern cloud apps to legacy on-premise servers and command-line tools without changing your existing infrastructure. It works by sitting on top of your existing identity providers like Active Directory or Azure AD to monitor and secure all access requests in real-time.

You can finally eliminate blind spots in your security posture by extending multi-factor authentication to resources that previously couldn't support it, such as legacy applications, IT infrastructure, and service accounts. The platform helps you implement a true Zero Trust architecture by automatically detecting and blocking identity-based attacks like lateral movement and ransomware. It is designed for mid-to-large enterprises looking to consolidate their identity security without the headache of a rip-and-replace project.

Overview

C

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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Silverfort Features

  • Agentless MFA. Extend multi-factor authentication to any resource, including legacy apps and file shares, without installing software on your endpoints.
  • Service Account Protection. Map and secure your non-human identities automatically to prevent attackers from using service accounts for lateral movement.
  • Unified Identity Visibility. See every authentication and access attempt across your hybrid environment in one centralized dashboard for better auditing.
  • Real-Time Threat Detection. Identify and block suspicious login patterns or brute-force attacks instantly using AI-driven behavioral analytics.
  • Zero Trust Policies. Create and enforce granular access policies based on user risk levels to ensure only authorized people reach sensitive data.
  • Legacy System Security. Protect your older on-premise applications and homegrown tools that don't natively support modern security protocols.
  • Ransomware Prevention. Block the spread of ransomware by stopping unauthorized lateral movement across your network through identity verification.
  • Automated Discovery. Automatically discover all your users, service accounts, and resources to find hidden security gaps you didn't know existed.

Pricing Comparison

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Cisco ISE Pricing

S

Silverfort Pricing

Pros & Cons

M

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
A

Silverfort

Pros

  • Protects legacy systems that other MFA tools cannot reach
  • Fast deployment since no agents are required on servers
  • Excellent visibility into service account activity and risks
  • Integrates easily with existing Active Directory setups
  • Reduces the risk of lateral movement during attacks

Cons

  • Initial configuration of complex policies takes some time
  • Pricing is high and aimed at enterprise budgets
  • Requires deep understanding of your existing identity infrastructure
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