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Aruba ClearPass Access Control and Policy Management

Features
Ease of use
Ease of management
Quality of support
Affordability
Market presence
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Pricing from
$1,861.03 per 1‑year subscription
Free Trial
Free version unavailable
User corporate size
Small
Medium
Large
User industry
  1. Education and training
  2. Public sector and nonprofit organizations
  3. Healthcare and life sciences

What is Aruba ClearPass Access Control and Policy Management

Aruba ClearPass Access Control and Policy Management is a network access control (NAC) platform used to authenticate users and devices and enforce access policies across wired, wireless, and VPN connections. It is typically used by enterprise IT and security teams to control BYOD, IoT, and managed endpoints using role- and posture-based policies. ClearPass integrates with directory services, certificate services, and security tooling to automate onboarding and policy decisions. It is commonly deployed as an on-premises appliance/VM with centralized policy administration and reporting.

pros

Broad NAC enforcement coverage

ClearPass applies access policies across wired and wireless networks and can integrate with VPN and RADIUS-based access workflows. It supports common enterprise authentication methods (for example, 802.1X/EAP, MAC authentication, and captive portal flows) to handle a mix of managed and unmanaged devices. This makes it suitable for environments with diverse endpoint types such as employee devices, contractors, and IoT. The product focuses on controlling network access rather than full device lifecycle management.

Granular policy and role control

The platform provides centralized policy definition that can incorporate identity, device attributes, and posture signals to determine access. It supports role-based access decisions that can map to network segmentation constructs (such as VLANs and ACLs) depending on the network infrastructure. This enables consistent enforcement across multiple access methods and locations. It is designed for security teams that need auditable, repeatable access rules.

Integration and automation capabilities

ClearPass is built to integrate with enterprise identity sources (for example, Active Directory/LDAP) and certificate services for EAP-TLS style deployments. It also supports interoperability with security and network ecosystems through APIs and connectors, enabling automated responses such as quarantine or restricted access. These integrations help reduce manual ticket-driven access changes. This is a differentiator versus tools focused primarily on endpoint management or RMM workflows.

cons

Complex deployment and tuning

NAC implementations often require careful design of authentication methods, certificate strategy, and switch/Wi‑Fi controller configurations. ClearPass deployments can involve multiple components (policy server, guest/onboarding, posture) and require iterative tuning to avoid user disruption. Organizations without strong network engineering resources may face longer implementation timelines. Ongoing changes (new device types, SSIDs, segmentation) can increase operational overhead.

Not a full endpoint manager

ClearPass primarily controls network access and does not replace endpoint management suites that handle patching, software distribution, remote control, or device configuration at scale. For endpoint protection, it relies on integrations and posture signals rather than acting as an EDR/AV platform itself. Buyers expecting a single tool to manage and secure endpoints end-to-end typically need additional products. This can increase total cost and integration effort.

Licensing and scaling considerations

NAC licensing is commonly tied to endpoint counts and feature modules, which can complicate forecasting for BYOD and IoT growth. High availability and geographically distributed deployments may require additional infrastructure and licenses. Reporting and retention needs can also drive sizing decisions for appliances/VMs. These factors can make budgeting and capacity planning more involved than lighter-weight access control approaches.

Plan & Pricing

Plan / SKU (module & capacity) Price (USD) Key features & notes
ClearPass Access License — 100 concurrent endpoints — 1‑year Subscription (SKU JZ409AAE) $1,861.03 1‑year subscription (E‑STU) for Access (consumed per concurrent endpoint). Listed on HPE Store.
ClearPass Access License — 100 concurrent endpoints — Perpetual / E‑LTU (SKU JZ436AAE) $2,658.62 Perpetual (non‑expiring) license for 100 concurrent endpoints. Listed on HPE Store.
ClearPass Access License — 100 concurrent endpoints — 3‑year Subscription (SKU JZ418AAE) $4,577.14 3‑year subscription for Access (100 endpoints). Listed on HPE Store.
ClearPass Access License — 100 concurrent endpoints — 5‑year Subscription (SKU JZ427AAE) $7,323.43 5‑year subscription for Access (100 endpoints). Listed on HPE Store.
ClearPass Access License — 500 concurrent endpoints — E‑LTU (SKU JZ401AAE) $9,714.75 Perpetual license for 500 concurrent endpoints (HPE Store listing).
ClearPass Access License — 1K concurrent endpoints — 1‑year Subscription (SKU JZ411AAE) $10,985.15 1‑year subscription for 1,000 concurrent endpoints (HPE Store listing).
ClearPass Onboard License — 100 users — 1‑year Subscription (SKU JZ445AAE) $1,861.03 Onboard (device provisioning) 100‑user 1‑year subscription (HPE Store listing).
ClearPass Onboard License — 100 users — Perpetual / E‑LTU (SKU JZ436AAE) $2,658.62 Onboard perpetual license for 100 users (HPE Store listing).
ClearPass Onboard License — 500 users — 1‑year Subscription (SKU JZ446AAE) $8,892.73 Onboard 500‑user 1‑year subscription (HPE Store listing).
ClearPass Onboard License — 500 users — Perpetual / E‑LTU (SKU JZ437AAE) $12,703.90 Onboard 500 users perpetual (HPE Store listing).
ClearPass Policy Manager (platform) — virtual / hardware appliances (various sizes; contact sales or authorized reseller) Contact / Request quote HPE Store lists appliance / virtual appliance models and some prices; larger SKUs and many appliance models require reseller quotes or are listed with reseller pricing.

Notes: Prices and SKU availability are taken from HPE / Aruba official storefront listings (HPE Store) and show multiple licensing options: subscription (E‑STU) for 1/3/5 year terms and perpetual (E‑LTU) SKUs. Many higher‑capacity SKUs and some software components are listed on HPE Store but may require a quote or are offered by authorized resellers via the storefront.

Seller details

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE) — Aruba Networking
Spring, Texas, USA
1939
Public
https://www.arubanetworks.com/
https://x.com/arubanetworks
https://www.linkedin.com/company/aruba-a-hewlett-packard-enterprise-company/

Tools by Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE) — Aruba Networking

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