IronWiFi vs Aruba ClearPass
ClearPass is powerful, but do you really need all that? Let's figure out if a simpler approach might work better for you.
Aruba ClearPass is an enterprise NAC platform providing wired and wireless access control, device profiling, and posture assessment, requiring significant investment in hardware and licensing. IronWiFi is a cloud-native WiFi authentication service that covers 802.1X RADIUS, captive portals, and OpenRoaming at a fraction of the cost, deploying in 30 minutes with no on-premise appliances. Contact sales for pricing.
What Does Aruba ClearPass Actually Do — and Do You Need It?
Look, ClearPass is a seriously capable NAC platform - we won't pretend otherwise. But here's the thing: as of 2026, if you mainly need WiFi authentication, you might be paying for a lot of features you'll never touch. IronWiFi gives you cloud WiFi auth without the complexity or the big price tag.
How Much Does Aruba ClearPass Cost in 2026?
| Cost Component | IronWiFi | Aruba ClearPass |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware/Infrastructure | None (cloud) | On-prem appliances required |
| Access Licenses | Included | Per-device licensing |
| SAML Authentication | Included | Included |
| SCEP | Included | Included (Onboard module) |
| Cloud PKI | Included | On-prem only (Onboard) |
| Posture/OnGuard | N/A | Additional per-device cost |
| Guest Module | Included | Additional per-device cost |
| Annual Support | Included | 15-20% of license |
| Deployment Time | 30 minutes | 4-8 weeks |
| 1,000 Devices Year 1 | Contact sales | Contact HPE Aruba |
| 3-Year TCO | Contact sales | Contact HPE Aruba |
How Do the Features Compare?
| What You Get | IronWiFi | Aruba ClearPass |
|---|---|---|
| WiFi 802.1X Authentication | ✓ | ✓ |
| EAP-TLS / PEAP / TTLS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Captive Portal | ✓ | ✓ |
| Guest Management | ✓ | ✓ |
| Microsoft Entra ID / Okta / Google | ✓ Built-in | ✓ |
| OpenRoaming | ✓ WBA Partner | Limited |
| Cloud-Native | ✓ | ✗ On-prem only |
| Wired NAC | ✗ | ✓ |
| Device Profiling | Basic | ✓ Advanced |
| Posture Assessment | ✗ | ✓ |
| OnGuard Agent | ✗ | ✓ |
| Policy Manager | Basic | ✓ Advanced |
| Aruba Ecosystem Integration | RADIUS only | ✓ Deep |
| Multi-Vendor Support | ✓ 45+ vendors | ✓ |
| Cloud PKI | ✓ Included | ✓ Onboard (on-prem) |
| SCEP | ✓ Included | ✓ Onboard |
| SAML Authentication | ✓ Included | ✓ |
| BYOD Enrollment | ✓ | ✓ Onboard |
| Compliance Certifications | SOC 2, GDPR | SOC 2, ISO 27001 |
| AI-Powered Intelligence | ✓ AI Center | ✗ |
When Does ClearPass Make More Sense Than IronWiFi?
- You need to control both wired and wireless access from one place
- Checking device health is a must (antivirus status, patch levels, encryption)
- Your compliance team requires the OnGuard agent on endpoints
- You've got lots of IoT devices that need advanced profiling
- You're running an all-Aruba shop and want everything tightly integrated
- You have a dedicated team to manage your NAC
When Is IronWiFi a Better Fit?
- WiFi authentication is really what you're after
- You don't need posture assessment or the OnGuard agent
- You want transparent, predictable pricing (contact sales for a custom quote)
- You'd rather skip the on-prem appliances and go cloud-native
- You're interested in OpenRoaming or Passpoint down the road
- You've got access points from different vendors, not just Aruba (in 2026, IronWiFi supports 45+ vendors)
- You want to be up and running in 30 minutes, not 4-8 weeks
So, Which One Should You Pick?
If you need the full NAC package - wired and wireless control, posture assessment, deep Aruba integration - then ClearPass is worth the investment. But if you're really just looking for solid WiFi authentication, IronWiFi gets you there at about 95% less cost as of 2026, with none of the on-prem complexity. Here's a good gut check: if you're mainly buying ClearPass for WiFi RADIUS, you might be overbuying.
Ready to See How Simple WiFi Authentication Can Be?
Try IronWiFi free for 14 days. It works great with your Aruba APs, and there's nothing to install on-prem.