AirMagnet Survey vs Ekahau Site Survey comparison

NetAlly and Ekahau are both solutions in the Network Modeling and Simulation category. NetAlly is ranked #2 with an average rating of 6.7, while Ekahau is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.0. NetAlly holds a 18.4% mindshare in NM, compared to Ekahau’s 25.8% mindshare. Additionally, 86% of NetAlly users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Ekahau users who would recommend it.

AirMagnet Survey

Read 39 AirMagnet Survey reviews

3,058 Views
1,678 Comparison Views

86% willing to recommend

Ekahau Site Survey

Read 35 Ekahau Site Survey reviews

4,125 Views
2,212 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

AirMagnet Survey

Ekahau Site Survey

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 2025

AirMagnet Survey and Ekahau Site Survey are prominent tools in the wireless network planning and analysis category. Ekahau appears to have an advantage due to its user-friendly features and frequent updates based on user feedback.

Features: AirMagnet Survey integrates spectrum analysis and supports multiple wireless adapters, enabling efficient dual-band data collection and CAD drawing manipulation. Ekahau Site Survey provides customization, dual-band analysis, and a mature planning module. Its Sidekick tool enhances compatibility and accuracy.

Room for Improvement: AirMagnet Survey could improve cloud service integration and report customization, addressing hardware compatibility and user interface issues. Ekahau could enhance support for multiple file operations, distinguish device types in reports, and improve report details and rendering speed.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both tools primarily deploy on-premises, with Ekahau offering hybrid cloud support. AirMagnet's support is praised for quick responses, while Ekahau's service is noted for excellence, albeit with occasional technical advisory inconsistencies.

Pricing and ROI: AirMagnet Survey, initially competitively priced, can become costly over time due to maintenance and licensing. Ekahau Site Survey is significantly more expensive than AirMagnet but is valued for comprehensive features and ease of use. Both are seen as worthy investments, especially for medium to large-scale deployments.

To learn more, read our detailed AirMagnet Survey vs. Ekahau Site Survey Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

AirMagnet Survey vs. Ekahau Site Survey

April 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

AirMagnet Survey

Ranking in Network Modeling and Simulation

2nd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Troubleshooting (8th)

Ekahau Site Survey

Ranking in Network Modeling and Simulation

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Network Modeling and Simulation category, the mindshare of AirMagnet Survey is 18.4%, down from 32.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ekahau Site Survey is 25.8%, down from 40.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Modeling and Simulation

Featured Reviews

David Olofson

Manager at DD&P Services LLC

It fixes so many problems quickly that we don't regret spending more on high-end tools than most companies

It would be nice to have some more training resources for younger techs. We can use them if we need some assistance, but that usually requires one of us who knows what we're doing to calibrate the programs properly. There's one thing our nXG handhelds do that AirMagnet doesn't do out of the box. The nXG devices can analyze the wired and wireless networks simultaneously and map the networks out. We find it handy. However, if I have that plugged into our older OptiView XG tablets or our laptops, I have no way to analyze both the WiFi and the wired network at the same time and build a single picture with all that data. So far, that's something only our nXG handhelds can do. It would be nice if there were a way to integrate all the network discovery, troubleshooting, and mapping of the WiFi and the wired at the same time. There are almost no products that do that currently. If they managed to do that, they'd probably open up their market pretty quickly.

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ALEXANDRE VIANNA

CTO at Redeswirelessbrasil

Good optimization capabilities, automatic network planning tool and saves time

Ekahau needs to enhance the view of materials and make some adjustments to the reports. Currently, it's possible to make changes to the Word report using Python, but it could be improved. For example, when I create an AP on a survey report, information like the cable view, distance, and support assessments could be enhanced. Only one comment about Ekahau Optimizer. It needs improvement. I tried to upload site products, and for five products, I needed to involve Ekahau's supply chain. When I try to solve that, it's not possible. For example, I uploaded one product for a large bank, and the optimizer didn't finish. I needed to involve Ekahau support, and they sent me the file two or three days after I opened the case.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The predictive survey is the most valuable feature. I use it quite often."

"Clear and easy to use maps."

"We use the solution for Wi-Fi and networks."

"The most valuable features are the survey, spectrum analysis, and reporting."

"Using the products to ensure the safety of our equipment that we have a lot invested in."

"It is reliable and easy to use (user-friendly). The heat mapping, passive network surveying, and doing the heat mapping of a building's wireless network allows me to see what level of coverage an area has."

"The benefit is with the ease of use of the software, I am able to show the customer, "Here is what your wireless coverage looks like." It is set up in a fashion that non-technical people can understand it."

"It allows us to prepare more real designs. Later, we validate them with actual surveys."

More AirMagnet Survey pros

"Ekahau lets you create heat maps without doing the initial survey. It makes the task easier."

"The OEM dashboard has a lot of useful features to troubleshoot the Wi-Fi."

"The most valuable when it comes to this solution for me is the fact that I don't have to go out and do a site survey. With this solution, I can do it all predictably with the usual 90% accuracy."

"I like that our users can send us a floor map. Sometimes it's not feasible to travel to another country where the users are based. So, the floor map is very useful. It's a fantastic product."

"The troubleshooting tools are the most valuable feature of the solution."

"It's easy to plot APs and generate reports."

"The most valuable function is the site survey capability."

"It is a stable solution."

More Ekahau Site Survey pros

Cons

"Less time consumed doing the real surveys."

"It'd be nice if it was cheaper, however, you get value for your money."

"AirMagnet Survey doesn't cover certain devices in the system."

"When you conduct an active survey and then want to use it for design work, it's actually not very useful."

"Printouts are JPEG printouts. The AirMagnet software is proprietary. I can't send my customers a file, because it is AirMagnet file, even for building projects. I can only send JPEGs or screenshots of heat maps."

"But it's definitely a more expensive solution than other ones."

"I would say some of our newer techs that are going out to job sites can be a little bit intimidated by the interface."

"The throughput should be more advanced in the future. They need to add more versions of WiFi than just one."

More AirMagnet Survey cons

"The support is an area in need of improvement."

"It would be better if it provided clear visibility. It would be better if it accommodated large physical sites like a warehouse with a ceiling height of more than twelve to fifteen feet. In such situations, we were unable to provide better coverage."

"I wish there were a competitor to keep Ekahau Site Survey's pricing in line, but there's none."

"Ekahau needs to enhance the view of materials and make some adjustments to the reports."

"Ekahau would benefit by making improvements to lag time."

"The report generation has room for improvement and is missing small details."

"In all of our buildings, whenever we deploy wireless access points, we also have to deploy wireless intrusion detections. The Ekahau Site Survey tool doesn't allow us to differentiate between the access point and the intrusion detection device. That's because they're the same devices, but they're configured differently for the type of usage. That's one area that I would ask them to improve. They should allow the identification of access points versus wireless intrusion detection."

"The cloud takes a lot of time to upload the site survey, and we regularly face issues with syncing to the optimizer."

More Ekahau Site Survey cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is an annual cost of the solution. There are some additional charges, such as support and maintenance."

"The moment we began needing more of the vendor's support, the cost became very high; we switched to another solution."

"For technical support, you need an annual license, but it is not worth it."

"The pricing needs improvement."

"This product is very expensive."

"The licensing of AirMagnet Survey is different when compared to Ekahu. It is a third of the cost of Ekahau but there are no dedicated laptops to the Sidekick. AirMagnet allows you to license an adapter and share that adapter."

"The tool's pricing is medium."

"We pay $6,000 yearly for the licensing, but each piece of hardware, the Ekahau Sidekick, is $5,000."

"We pay a licensing fee."

"That's a tricky thing. When it started off, we had one three-year license and one one-year license because we have two devices. Now, from my understanding, we can only renew every year or get a one-year license, and that cost varies. Being a government organization, we get a different cost than commercial. We have deployed it on Surface Pro tablets. So, the only other cost would be the hardware cost."

"The solution is priced fairly for the features that you receive."

"I believe that it is approximately $2,000 per year for us. I know we pay for it on an annual basis."

"The pricing is quite expensive. Not all companies can afford it"

"The solution is less costly than one of its competitors."

"This solution is not cheap. If you only need an occasional site survey, you are better off contracting a wireless engineering professional that has one."

More Ekahau Site Survey pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Government

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

14%

Educational Organization

10%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about AirMagnet Survey?

We use the solution for Wi-Fi and networks.

See all answers

What needs improvement with AirMagnet Survey?

AirMagnet Survey needs to support Wi-Fi 6E otherwise they can lose to the competition. They also need to allow better grouping of SSIDs to one AP, removing the need to filter manually. At the momen...

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What is your primary use case for AirMagnet Survey?

We use AirMagnet Survey, for site verifications after the wireless system has been installed. We conduct pre and post-install surveys with it. We have reduced the use since now our customers requir...

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What do you like most about Ekahau Site Survey?

We reviewed the maps as a team and determined if any changes needed to be made or if we could just replace APs as they are. We got into this by upgrading our access points to Meraki, and we wanted ...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Ekahau Site Survey?

The pricing and licensing of Ekahau are costly.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Ekahau Site Survey?

Ekahau could be improved by adding three-dimensional modeling, as we currently cannot view APIs in a three-dimensional perspective. They need to include backhaul features and improve the ease of in...

See all answers

Comparisons

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NetAlly EtherScope nXG vs AirMagnet Survey

Compared 3% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs AirMagnet Survey

Compared 3% of the time

Wireshark vs AirMagnet Survey

Compared 3% of the time

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iBwave Wi-Fi vs Ekahau Site Survey

Compared 30% of the time

RedSeal vs Ekahau Site Survey

Compared 5% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Ekahau Site Survey

Compared 4% of the time

More Ekahau Site Survey Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

AirMagnet Survey

May 2025

Download AirMagnet Survey product report

Buyer's Guide

Ekahau Site Survey

May 2025

Download Ekahau Site Survey product report

Overview

AirMagnet Survey PRO enables network professionals to design, deploy, and validate Wi-Fi 6 networks for optimal performance, security, and compliance. It also calculates the ideal quantity, placement, and configuration of APs for a successful wireless LAN deployment. AirMagnet Survey PRO goes beyond simply verifying RF coverage by plotting actual end-user network performance in terms of connection speed, throughput, and packet statistics by allowing you to use any Wi-Fi adapter or AirMapper™ Site Survey on the AirCheck™ G2 and EtherScope® nXG. Survey PRO helps you get Wi-Fi installations right the first time, preventing costly rework and user complaints.

NetAlly

Over 12 years in the making, ESSTM maintains its reputation as the easiest to use, enterprise-grade Wi-Fi design and maintenance tool for Wi-Fi professionals. With crystal clear heat maps and easy-to-use reports, ESS makes it simple to optimize Wi-Fi.

ESS allows you to plan and create Wi-Fi networks according to your performance and capacity requirements—taking into consideration the increasing amount of wireless clients and applications such as VoIP, HD video streaming and web browsing.

Ekahau

Sample Customers

Houston Methodist Hospital, Love's Travel Stops

Presidio, Planet Earth, Ruckus

Buyer's Guide

AirMagnet Survey vs. Ekahau Site Survey

April 2025

Free Report: AirMagnet Survey vs. Ekahau Site Survey

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