Portnox Cloud
Portnox Cloud is a cloud-native network access control solution providing automated device discovery, authentication, and policy enforcement to secure your corporate network and distributed workforce.
Tailscale
Tailscale is a zero-config VPN software that creates secure mesh networks between your devices and cloud resources using the WireGuard protocol to simplify remote access and internal connectivity.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Portnox Cloud | Tailscale |
|---|---|---|
| Website | portnox.com | tailscale.com |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Freemium |
| Starting Price | $??/month | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 30 days free trial | ✓ 0 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✓ Has free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2007 | 2019 |
| Headquarters | Austin, USA | Toronto, Canada |
Overview
Portnox Cloud
Portnox Cloud helps you secure your entire network infrastructure without the headache of managing on-site hardware or complex appliances. You can gain full visibility into every device connecting to your network, whether they are managed corporate laptops, personal mobile devices, or unmanaged IoT hardware. By moving network access control to the cloud, you eliminate the need for local servers and simplify the way you manage authentication across multiple locations.
You can enforce strict security policies and automate responses to non-compliant devices in real-time. The platform integrates directly with your existing cloud identity providers like Microsoft Entra ID or Google Workspace to streamline user onboarding. Whether your team is working from a central office or a home coffee shop, you can ensure only authorized users and healthy devices access your sensitive digital assets.
Tailscale
Tailscale makes creating a secure network between your computers, servers, and cloud instances as easy as installing an app. It builds a private mesh network—called a tailnet—that connects your devices directly to each other using the WireGuard protocol. This means you can access your home office computer from a coffee shop or connect to a private database in the cloud without managing complex firewall rules or centralized VPN gateways.
You can manage identity and access through your existing providers like Google, Microsoft 365, or GitHub, ensuring that only authorized users can reach your sensitive resources. It handles the difficult parts of networking, like NAT traversal and key rotation, automatically in the background. Whether you are a developer connecting to a local test environment or an enterprise securing thousands of endpoints, it provides a stable, encrypted connection that works across any provider or location.
Overview
Portnox Cloud Features
- Cloud-Native RADIUS Authenticate users and devices instantly using a globally distributed RADIUS service that requires zero on-premises hardware setup.
- Endpoint Risk Assessment Check the health and compliance of every device before granting access to ensure they meet your security standards.
- IoT Device Fingerprinting Identify and profile headless IoT devices automatically so you can apply specific access policies based on device type.
- Dynamic VLAN Assignment Place users into the correct network segment automatically based on their identity, location, and current device risk level.
- Guest Access Management Create secure, time-limited access for visitors and contractors without compromising your internal corporate network security.
- Automated Remediation Isolate or block non-compliant devices automatically and provide users with clear instructions on how to fix security issues.
Tailscale Features
- Zero-Config Mesh VPN. Connect your devices directly to one another without manual port forwarding or complex firewall rules.
- Single Sign-On Integration. Use your existing identity providers like Google, Microsoft 365, or Okta to authenticate users and devices.
- MagicDNS. Access your devices using short, easy-to-remember names instead of tracking changing IP addresses across your network.
- Tailscale SSH. Manage SSH access to your servers using your tailnet identity instead of distributing and rotating static SSH keys.
- Split DNS. Configure specific DNS servers for different domains so your internal queries stay private while public traffic flows normally.
- Exit Nodes. Route all your internet traffic through a specific trusted device on your network to stay secure on public Wi-Fi.
- Subnet Routers. Expose entire existing networks to your tailnet so you can access legacy devices that cannot run the software.
- Access Control Lists. Define granular security policies in code to restrict which users can access specific devices or ports.
Pricing Comparison
Portnox Cloud Pricing
- Cloud-native RADIUS (802.1X)
- MAC-based authentication
- Basic device visibility
- Integration with cloud directories
- Standard reporting and alerts
- Everything in Basic, plus:
- Endpoint risk monitoring
- IoT fingerprinting
- Dynamic VLAN assignment
- Automated policy enforcement
- Advanced threat response
Tailscale Pricing
- Up to 3 users
- Up to 100 devices
- MagicDNS
- Tailscale SSH
- Community support
- Admin console access
- Everything in Personal, plus:
- Up to 10 users included
- User & group management
- Basic access control lists
- Email support
- 1 identity provider
Pros & Cons
Portnox Cloud
Pros
- Fast deployment without needing on-site hardware
- Seamless integration with Microsoft Entra ID
- Excellent visibility into unmanaged IoT devices
- Intuitive management interface saves admin time
Cons
- Public pricing is not readily available
- Initial configuration requires solid networking knowledge
- Reporting customization could be more flexible
Tailscale
Pros
- Extremely simple setup process for all devices
- Reliable connectivity even behind strict firewalls
- Generous free tier for personal projects
- Minimal impact on system performance and battery
- Seamless integration with existing identity providers
Cons
- Requires a third-party identity provider login
- Limited advanced routing features for complex setups
- Mobile app can occasionally drain battery
- Admin console lacks some deep auditing logs