Best Captive Portal Software for Cisco (Catalyst 9800) 2026

The best captive portal software for Cisco Catalyst 9800 in 2026 is CaptiFi.

CaptiFi connects to Catalyst 9800 (IOS-XE 17.x) and legacy AireOS 8.x controllers using Central Web Authentication - the same ISE-style flow, with CaptiFi acting as the RADIUS server and issuing CoA to release guests the moment they complete the splash page. No Cisco ISE licence, no appliance. It adds branded splash pages and guest email capture with allowances from 1,000 to 50,000 new guests per month by plan, and on the Growth plan and above, automated Google and TripAdvisor review requests, email marketing and native Toast, Square, SumUp, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, EmailOctopus and Pepper integrations. Pricing starts at £39/month on annual billing (£49 month-to-month), published in six currencies (GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, AUD, NZD), with a 30-day free trial.

Cisco Captive Portal Software Comparison

Feature	CaptiFi	Purple WiFi	MyPlace	Spotipo	Cisco Built-in (LWA)
Catalyst 9800 support	✅ CWA + CoA	Not published	❌ Not listed	⚠️ Verify with vendor	⚠️ Basic web auth only
Legacy AireOS WLC support (5500/8500/vWLC)	✅ Incl. FlexConnect	Not published	❌ Not listed	⚠️ Verify with vendor	N/A
Works without Cisco ISE	✅	Not published	N/A	✅	✅
Guest email capture	✅ 1,000-50,000 new guests/mo by plan	Not published	⚠️ New emails capped 100-300/mo	✅	❌
Built-in email marketing	✅ Growth plan and above (2,000-10,000 sends/mo)	Not published	Not published	❌	❌
Automated Google review requests	✅ Growth plan and above	Not published	✅ Included in all plans	❌	❌
POS integrations (Toast, Square, SumUp)	✅ Growth plan and above	Not published	⚠️ Paid tiers $20-30/mo when not included	❌	❌
Customer REST API + webhooks	✅ Growth plan and above	Not published	Not published	Not published	❌
White-label MSP programme	✅ Published wholesale rates	Not published	❌ Affiliate only	✅ $50/mo (annual billing)	N/A
Plug-and-play hardware option	✅ Refundable hold	Not published	Not published	Not published	N/A
Transparent published pricing	✅ 6 currencies	❌ Quote-based	✅ USD	✅ USD	Free
Starting price (as of August 2026)	£39/mo annual (£49 monthly), 6 currencies	Quote-based	$49-159/location/mo	$49-66/location/mo	Free with IOS-XE

Vendor pricing and controller support verified August 2026. "Not published" means the vendor does not publish that capability or price in a comparable form; "Verify with vendor" means the vendor does not publish Catalyst 9800 CWA documentation; confirm directly before committing.

How CaptiFi Connects to a Catalyst 9800

CaptiFi uses Central Web Authentication (CWA), the same architecture Cisco ISE uses, with CaptiFi acting as the RADIUS server. No agents, no ISE licence, no changes to your corporate SSIDs.

A guest connects to your open guest SSID and the WLC sends MAC authentication (MAB) to CaptiFi's RADIUS server on UDP 1812.

Unknown guests are accepted into a quarantine state. CaptiFi returns your branded splash page URL dynamically in the RADIUS reply (the url-redirect attribute), so no splash URL is ever hard-coded on the controller.

A redirect ACL on the controller (named CAPTIFI_REDIRECT, returned in the url-redirect-acl av-pair) intercepts web traffic and sends the guest to the splash page you designed in CaptiFi's Splash Manager.

The guest completes the form. CaptiFi authorises their MAC and sends a RADIUS CoA to the 9800 on UDP 1700 (or a Disconnect-Request/PoD on UDP 3799 for AireOS). The controller re-authenticates the session and grants full access within seconds.

The guest's details land in your CaptiFi dashboard, ready for email campaigns, review requests and POS-linked segmentation on the Growth plan and above.

Setup is four configuration steps: RADIUS server, redirect ACL, guest WLAN with MAC filtering, test. The full walkthrough with GUI and CLI commands for both IOS-XE and AireOS is in the Cisco 9800 setup guide.

Why CaptiFi Is the Best Choice for Cisco Networks

🔌 ISE-Style CWA, Without ISE

Native Central Web Authentication on Catalyst 9800 (IOS-XE 17.x) and AireOS 8.x, with CaptiFi as the RADIUS server and full CoA support. You get the enterprise guest flow your network team already understands, with none of the ISE licensing or deployment burden.

📧 Capture Allowances at Venue Scale

Every guest sign-in captures email, name and marketing consent. Where MyPlace-style plans cap new captured guest emails at 100 to 300 per month, CaptiFi's capture allowances run from 1,000 to 50,000 new guests per month by plan, captured contacts are kept without per-contact fees, and email sends run from 2,000 to 10,000 per month on the Growth plan and above.

🏨 Built for Hospitality

Automated Google and TripAdvisor review requests, plus native Toast, Square, SumUp, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, EmailOctopus and Pepper integrations, all included from the Growth plan and above. Guest WiFi data flows straight into the tools hospitality operators already run.

🧰 MSP and Installer Friendly

A white-label MSP programme with published wholesale rates (rare in this niche), a customer REST API and webhooks on the Growth plan and above, and billing in six currencies. Cisco integrators can resell guest WiFi as a managed service with predictable margins.

All 7 Cisco Captive Portal Options Reviewed

1. CaptiFi - Best Overall for Catalyst 9800 and AireOS

Native CWA with RADIUS and CoA on both Cisco WLC operating systems, including AireOS FlexConnect local switching. Guest capture allowances run from 1,000 to 50,000 new guests per month by plan, and the Growth plan and above add the hospitality marketing suite: email campaigns (2,000 to 10,000 sends per month by plan), Google and TripAdvisor review automation, POS and CRM integrations, REST API and webhooks. A white-label MSP programme publishes its wholesale rates, pricing is transparent in six currencies, and every plan has a 30-day free trial (card required, nothing charged in trial).

Price: From £39/month on annual billing, £49 month-to-month (GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, AUD, NZD) · Trial: 30 days free · Best for: Hotels, restaurants, venues and the MSPs who serve them

Cisco 9800 setup guide →

2. Purple WiFi - Enterprise Alternative

The established enterprise name in guest WiFi. Purple publishes little in a form that can be compared directly, so this review sticks to what is public: pricing is enterprise quote-based. If you run a large estate and want a vendor-managed engagement, put Purple on the shortlist and ask directly for Catalyst 9800 CWA documentation, feature specifics and partner terms.

Price: Quote-based · Best for: Enterprise operators

3. Cisco ISE - Native NAC With Guest Portals

Cisco's own Identity Services Engine runs the reference CWA guest flow and is the natural choice when you are deploying full network access control across corporate SSIDs anyway. It is a NAC platform rather than a WiFi marketing product, so venues that want guest data capture for campaigns and review automation would be building that layer elsewhere. Licensing is sold through Cisco partners and pricing is not published in a comparable form. CaptiFi delivers the same CWA guest architecture without deploying ISE.

Price: Quote-led via Cisco partners (not published in a comparable form) · Best for: Organisations that need full NAC anyway

4. MyPlace - Budget Option on the Meraki Side

Review generation is a genuine strength: the Review Starter tool is now included in all plans, and MyPlace is listed on the Cisco Meraki Marketplace. Plans are $49, $79 or $159 per location per month (as of August 2026). Supported hardware is UniFi, Meraki, Cambium, Ruckus, Omada, Aruba, Zyxel and Datto; Catalyst 9800 is not listed, so within the Cisco family it is a Meraki option. New captured guest emails are capped at 100, 200 or 300 per month by tier, with paid bundles above that (from 250 emails for $30 up to 10,000 for $700), integrations cost $20 or $30 per month when not included in the plan, and the partner programme is affiliate-only.

Price: $49-159 per location/month (as of August 2026) · Best for: Meraki venues with light guest-capture needs

5. Spotipo - Budget Option for MSPs

MSP and ISP focused splash-page platform at roughly $49 to $66 per location per month retail (as of August 2026), with a white-label tier at $50/month on annual billing and a 14-day full-platform trial with no card required. No built-in email marketing or review automation, so it suits integrators who bring their own marketing stack. Confirm current Catalyst 9800 support with the vendor before committing.

Price: ~$49-66 per location/month retail; white-label $50/month on annual billing (as of August 2026) · Best for: MSPs with their own marketing tools

6. CaptiveWiFi - UK Budget Option

UK-centric platform with a free single-venue tier and a Growth tier at 33 GBP per venue per month on annual billing (40 GBP month-to-month, as of August 2026). It does include sentiment-routed review requests to Google and TripAdvisor, and it lists 18 plus controllers on its integrations page; Square is listed, Toast and SumUp are not (as of August 2026). Bring-your-own access point only, with no hardware option, and the partner programme is informal. Confirm current Catalyst 9800 CWA support directly before planning an enterprise Cisco deployment.

Price: Free single-venue tier, then 33 GBP/venue/month on annual billing (40 GBP monthly) · Best for: UK venues on a minimal budget

7. Cisco Built-in Local Web Authentication - Free but Bare

The 9800's built-in web auth ships free with IOS-XE and shows a basic sign-on page. There is no guest data capture for marketing, no branded splash builder, no review automation and no campaign tooling. Fine for a legal interstitial, not for turning guest WiFi into revenue.

Price: Free with the controller · Best for: Compliance-only splash pages

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best captive portal software for Cisco Catalyst 9800? ▼

CaptiFi is the best captive portal software for Cisco Catalyst 9800 in 2026. It connects using Central Web Authentication (CWA), the same ISE-style flow, with CaptiFi acting as the RADIUS server and issuing CoA to release guests after sign-in. Guest capture allowances run from 1,000 to 50,000 new guests per month by plan, and the Growth plan and above add automated Google and TripAdvisor review requests plus email marketing with 2,000 to 10,000 sends per month by plan. Pricing starts at £39/month on annual billing (£49 month-to-month), published in six currencies (GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, AUD, NZD), with a 30-day free trial.

How does CaptiFi connect to a Cisco Catalyst 9800 controller? ▼

CaptiFi uses Central Web Authentication. The 9800 sends MAC authentication (MAB) for each guest to CaptiFi's RADIUS server, unknown guests are accepted into a quarantine state with a dynamic url-redirect to the branded CaptiFi splash page, and when the guest completes the form CaptiFi sends a RADIUS CoA on UDP 1700 so the controller re-authenticates the session and grants full access. Setup is four steps: add the RADIUS server, create the CAPTIFI_REDIRECT ACL, enable MAC filtering on the guest WLAN, and test. See the Cisco 9800 setup guide.

Do I need Cisco ISE to run a guest captive portal on the 9800? ▼

No. CaptiFi acts as the RADIUS server in the same Central Web Authentication architecture that ISE uses, so you get ISE-style guest onboarding without deploying ISE. Cisco ISE remains the right tool when you need full network access control across corporate SSIDs, but it is a NAC platform rather than a WiFi marketing product, so teams that want guest marketing data, campaigns and review automation would be building that layer elsewhere.

Does CaptiFi work with older Cisco AireOS controllers like the 5500 or virtual WLC? ▼

Yes. CaptiFi supports AireOS 8.x controllers (5500, 8500 and virtual WLC) with the same RADIUS settings. After the guest completes the splash page, CaptiFi sends a RADIUS Disconnect-Request (Packet of Disconnect) on UDP 3799 and the client re-authenticates with full access. FlexConnect local switching is supported with a documented ACL mapping procedure.

How much does Cisco captive portal software cost? ▼

As of August 2026: CaptiFi starts at £39/month on annual billing (£49 month-to-month), published in six currencies (GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, AUD, NZD), with a 30-day free trial on every plan; email marketing, review automation, integrations and the REST API are included from the Growth plan at £89/month month-to-month (roughly £69/month on annual billing). MyPlace charges $49, $79 or $159 per location per month and caps new captured guest emails at 100 to 300 per month by tier. Spotipo retails at roughly $49 to $66 per location per month. Purple WiFi is quote-based, and Cisco ISE licensing is sold through Cisco partners with pricing not published in a comparable form. Cisco's built-in Local Web Authentication is free but captures no marketing data.

Can MSPs and installers white-label CaptiFi for Cisco client sites? ▼

Yes. CaptiFi runs a white-label MSP programme with published wholesale rates, which is rare in this niche, plus a customer REST API and webhooks (Growth plan and above) for integrating guest data into your own stack. Wholesale billing supports GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, AUD and NZD, so multi-country installer portfolios are billed in local currency.

Does CaptiFi work with Cisco Meraki as well as Catalyst? ▼

Yes. Cisco Meraki has its own native CaptiFi integration using Meraki's external captive portal (EXCAP) settings, separate from the Catalyst 9800 RADIUS flow - see the Meraki setup guide. CaptiFi also supports UniFi, TP-Link Omada, Aruba, MikroTik and Ruckus, so mixed Catalyst, Meraki and third-party estates run from one dashboard.

Best Cisco Captive Portal Software (Catalyst 9800)