innernet vs Portnox Cloud: 2026 Comparison
innernet is a free network access control tool. Portnox Cloud is a commercial network access control tool by Portnox. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best network access control fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of NIST CSF 2.0 coverage, core features, company size fit, deployment model, here is our conclusion:
Teams building zero-trust networks on a shoestring budget should evaluate innernet for its WireGuard foundation, which delivers encryption and peer authentication without the licensing overhead of commercial mesh VPN platforms. The 5,279 GitHub stars and active maintenance indicate genuine adoption among engineering teams rather than security-first buyers. Skip innernet if your org needs centralized policy enforcement, audit logging, or vendor support; this tool prioritizes network connectivity over access control visibility, making it better suited to DevOps infrastructure than security-gated access.
Mid-market and enterprise security teams managing mixed infrastructure (on-prem, cloud, OT) need Portnox Cloud because it enforces least-privilege access at command level rather than just network segment level, catching lateral movement that traditional NAC misses. Cloud-native deployment with zero maintenance overhead and vendor-agnostic controls across NAC, ZTNA, and RADIUS means you're not locked into a single vendor's infrastructure stack. Skip this if your primary concern is endpoint detection and response; Portnox prioritizes access enforcement over post-breach forensics, and lacks the detection depth needed for organizations treating endpoint compromise as their threat model.
