Belden NAC vs PacketFence

BNBelden NAC8.7Visit PacketFence8.5Visit

Higher score BN Belden NAC #5 in Network Access Control Software 8.7/10 Pricing on request ✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Belden

vs

PacketFence #7 in Network Access Control Software 8.5/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit PacketFence

• Belden NAC fits best

  Teams needing event-driven, distributed NAC

• PacketFence fits best

  Budget-conscious teams wanting full-featured NAC

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	BNBelden NAC 8.7/10 Visit ↗	PacketFence 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.7	8.5
Ranking	#5 in Network Access Control Software	#7 in Network Access Control Software
Best for	Teams needing event-driven, distributed NAC	Budget-conscious teams wanting full-featured NAC
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	$5,000/yr
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	30 days
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Cloud, Desktop, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Web, Linux
Integrations	9 integrations	20 integrations
Features Belden NAC 4/4 · PacketFence 4/4
Wired access control	✓	✓
Wireless access control	✓	✓
VPN access control	✓	✓
802.1X support	✓	✓
Specs
Deployment model	Hybrid	Hybrid
Device limit	Not checked yet	250 devices
Our review
Pros	802.1X, RADIUS, VLAN management, and endpoint security checks Event-driven enforcement through APIs, scripts, SNMP, and syslog Distributed, fallback, and high-availability server architecture	802.1X, BYOD, guest access, profiling, posture, and remediation Free GPL-licensed Community Edition with unlimited devices Extensive directory, endpoint, firewall, and network integrations
Cons	Pricing is quote-based through Belden or its resellers There is no free plan or public self-service checkout VPN authentication may require the SwitchViewer add-on	Cloud Starter is limited to 250 registered devices Self-hosted deployment requires internal infrastructure management Enterprise pricing is not listed with the plan details
Our verdict	Belden NAC is network access control software for IT and operational technology environments. It combines network visibility, endpoint discovery, topology visualization, authentication, VLAN-based segmentation, guest access, and… Read the review →	PacketFence is a network access control platform for organizations managing wired and wireless networks. It authenticates, authorizes, profiles, quarantines, and remediates devices through 802.1X/EAP, MAC authentication bypass, RADIUS,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Belden NAC — where it wins

  • 802.1X, RADIUS, VLAN management, and endpoint security checks
  • Event-driven enforcement through APIs, scripts, SNMP, and syslog
  • Distributed, fallback, and high-availability server architecture

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing is quote-based through Belden or its resellers
  • There is no free plan or public self-service checkout
  • VPN authentication may require the SwitchViewer add-on

• PacketFence — where it wins

  • 802.1X, BYOD, guest access, profiling, posture, and remediation
  • Free GPL-licensed Community Edition with unlimited devices
  • Extensive directory, endpoint, firewall, and network integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Cloud Starter is limited to 250 registered devices
  • Self-hosted deployment requires internal infrastructure management
  • Enterprise pricing is not listed with the plan details

• BNBelden NAC8.7/10 · Pricing on request

  Distributed NAC with 802.1X, segmentation, guest access, and event-driven enforcement.

  Visit BeldenFull verdict →
• PacketFence8.5/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A broad NAC platform with strong open-source value and flexible paid support options.

  Visit PacketFenceFull verdict →