Cisco ISE License

Reviewed by GoLicense Technical Team ·
Last updated: October 2026

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) helps organizations control network access using identity, device context, and security policies. Selecting the right Cisco ISE license means matching your required capabilities with active endpoint demand and deployment requirements.

Start with the selection guide below to compare licensing options. If you already have a part number or bill of materials, include it in your quote request alongside your ISE version and existing license information.

• Feature tiers: Essentials, Advantage, and Premier
• Additional requirements: Device Administration and virtual appliance licensing, where applicable
• Buying considerations: Required features, active endpoints, deployment design, and subscription term
• Subscription terms: 1, 3, or 5 years (36 months by default); Device Administration and VM licenses are perpetual
• Delivery: To your own Cisco Smart Account, or through your Smart Software Manager (SSM) On-Prem server, formerly Satellite
• Typical order value: Approximately US$1,000 to US$100,000, depending on tier, endpoint count, and term

Request Cisco ISE Pricing: Send your ISE version, expected active endpoint count, required features, and deployment type. If you are unsure which SKU to select, describe your intended use case.

Which Cisco ISE License Do You Need?

Begin with the capabilities your deployment will use. Then check license quantities, infrastructure requirements, and existing entitlements before selecting orderable SKUs.

Higher feature tiers include lower-tier capabilities. Device Administration and virtual appliance requirements should be assessed separately from the feature-tier decision.

The exception is Specific License Reservation (SLR): in SLR mode, a higher tier does not cover lower-tier features, so each tier must be reserved separately.

How Cisco ISE Licenses Are Counted

Essentials, Advantage, and Premier are consumed per active endpoint across the whole deployment, based on RADIUS accounting, not per user, per switch, or per node.

A Device Administration license enables TACACS+ on one Policy Service Node (PSN).

The ISE VM license replaces the older VM Small, Medium, and Large licenses and covers both on-premises and cloud virtual nodes. If it is missing, ISE shows non-compliance warnings, but services are not interrupted.

A 90-day evaluation license covers all features for up to 100 endpoints.

Main Cisco ISE SKUs

The full list of orderable part numbers with current prices is on our Cisco ISE part numbers page.

Example: Licensing a 500-Endpoint Virtual Deployment

Scenario: 500 active endpoints using profiling and BYOD, two virtual ISE nodes (each running the PAN, MnT, and PSN personas), TACACS+ administration of network devices on both PSNs, and a three-year term.

A typical starting bill of materials would be:

• 500 × Cisco ISE Advantage (ISE-A-LIC) for 36 months, under the ISE-SEC-SUB subscription
• 2 × ISE VM license (R-ISE-VMC-K9=), one per virtual node
• 2 × Device Administration (L-ISE-TACACS-ND=), one per PSN running TACACS+

This is a starting point. Final quantities and SKUs depend on the confirmed deployment, growth plans, and existing entitlements.

Prepare These Details for SKU Selection

Provide your ISE version, required capabilities, expected peak active endpoints, node layout, deployment platform, preferred subscription term, and existing entitlements.

For renewals or expansions, include the current license inventory. Also tell us the Cisco Smart Account and Virtual Account where the licenses should be deposited, or whether you use SSM On-Prem.

Cisco ISE Pricing & Quote

Cisco ISE pricing depends on the selected feature tier, required license quantity, subscription term, and support coverage. Virtual appliance and Device Administration requirements may also affect the quotation.

Typical Cisco ISE orders range from approximately US$1,000 for small, short-term deployments to around US$100,000 for large, multi-year Advantage or Premier deployments (prices as of October 2026).

Your quotation states the exact price for the confirmed SKUs and term.

When comparing offers, confirm whether support, platform licenses, Device Administration, taxes, and deployment services are included.

An accurate quotation should distinguish new purchases, renewals, and expansions, and account for usable existing entitlements.

Buying, Delivery and Activation with GoLicense

GoLicense delivers Cisco ISE licenses to your own Cisco Smart Account, so the licenses are registered to your organization and visible in Cisco Smart Software Manager.

For networks without direct internet access, licenses can be served through Smart Software Manager (SSM) On-Prem, formerly known as SSM Satellite.

1. Confirm the Licensing Scope

Share your ISE version, deployment architecture, and Policy Administration Node (PAN) details. Confirm the required coverage, price, delivery timeframe, and activation assistance in your quotation.

2. Share Your Smart Account Details

Send us your Smart Account domain and the Virtual Account where the licenses should be deposited. If you use SSM On-Prem, confirm the Smart Account it synchronizes with.

3. Licenses Are Deposited in Your Account

After the order is processed, the licenses appear in your Virtual Account in Cisco Smart Software Manager.

With SSM On-Prem, synchronize the server with Cisco (online or offline) so the new licenses become available locally.

4. Activate and Verify

In ISE, go to Administration > System > Licensing and register the deployment with a registration token from your Virtual Account, using a direct, proxy, or SSM On-Prem connection.

Then check that the license status is compliant and the counts match your order.

Offline Options: SLR and PLR

For fully air-gapped deployments, Cisco ISE supports Specific License Reservation (SLR).

You generate a request code in ISE (Administration > System > Licensing > Specific License Reservation > Generate Code), reserve the licenses in your Smart Account, and upload the SLR license key back to ISE.

Each license tier must be reserved separately in SLR mode.

Permanent License Reservation (PLR) is available only case by case, with Cisco approval. See our Cisco ISE PLR license page and the PLR activation guide.

Before You Order: Prerequisites and Common Mistakes

Pre-Order Checklist

• Confirm the installed or planned ISE version.
• Identify the features your policies will actually use.
• Review current consumption and expected endpoint growth.
• Document physical, virtual, or cloud deployment requirements.
• Confirm access to your Cisco Smart Account and Virtual Account, or to your SSM On-Prem server.
• Review existing entitlements before purchasing additional capacity.
• Identify connectivity restrictions: direct internet, proxy, SSM On-Prem, or fully offline (SLR).

Common Buying and Activation Issues

Sizing by employee count alone: Users may connect multiple devices. Base the assessment on the applicable endpoint metrics and actual workflows. ISE counts active endpoints across the whole deployment, not employees.

Confusing feature and platform licenses: A feature-tier purchase does not automatically resolve every virtual appliance or Device Administration requirement.

Overlooking existing licenses: Review current entitlements and applicable agreements before adding another order.

Choosing an activation method too late: Confirm the supported workflow for the target release and network restrictions before purchase.

Expanding without reviewing consumption: New policies and features can affect licensing needs. Reassess requirements when changing the deployment.

Assuming tiers stack in SLR mode: With Specific License Reservation, Premier does not cover Essentials and Advantage sessions. Reserve each tier you need.

Related Cisco Licensing Resources

• Improving Security with Cisco ISE
• Cisco ISE License Types Overview
• What is new in Cisco ISE 3.0
• Cisco ISE Smart Licensing – Administrator Guide
• How to Activating PLR License on Cisco ISE
• Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center licenses
• Cisco Secure Network Analytics (SNA)