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Aruba Instant On Access Points vs Fortinet FortiAP comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
2.5
Aruba Instant On Access Points are valued for setup ease, no fees, stability, reliability, and promising ROI despite initial costs.
Sentiment score
6.3
Fortinet FortiAP offers high ROI with robust security, minimal maintenance, and 80% cost savings compared to competitors.
I do not have to continuously manage them, and their reliability means they are consistently up and running.
Fortinet FortiAP provides value for money, and I can quantify the savings at about 80%.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.9
Customer service for Aruba Instant On Access Points receives mixed reviews, with efficient support praised, but inconsistency noted.
Sentiment score
7.5
Fortinet FortiAP's customer service experiences vary, with mixed support quality influenced by region, service tier, and training resources.
The technical support from Aruba is rated seven due to limitations, such as support issues when the controller is on the VM side.
There are still issues with the language barrier and the overall quality of support.
We keep a support contract open with Fortinet, so we have instantaneous response from them.
The RMA process is very good, with same-day replacement in our case.
I am not satisfied with Fortinet FortiAP's technical support in India.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.9
Aruba Instant On Access Points excel for small to medium businesses but lack scalability needed for large enterprises.
Sentiment score
6.9
Fortinet FortiAP is scalable, supporting thousands of users, but may require new purchases due to technology constraints.
We have good scalability with Fortinet FortiAP because we have multiple ISPs connected to it through FortiManager.
There could be constraints where a product can't be scaled further without purchasing a new model.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.3
Aruba Instant On Access Points are stable with minor app issues, reliable installation-dependent performance, and no major connectivity problems.
Sentiment score
6.6
Fortinet FortiAP's stability is mixed; some praise performance while others face disconnections and vulnerabilities, influenced by location and setup.
The stability of Aruba Instant On Access Points is generally good.
I have not experienced any issues, outages, or problems and have not had to interfere with them at all.
The stability of the solution is very high.
 

Room For Improvement

Aruba Instant On Access Points need improved integration, scalability, security, pricing, management, range, documentation, and mobile app features.
Fortinet FortiAP needs improvements in wireless functionality, support, outdoor performance, and configuration, despite effective cloud management capabilities.
In future updates, more AI for intelligence and the option for a separate network could be beneficial.
There is not enough focus on security across networking vendors, and they often add features without testing them thoroughly.
The default configuration can be overridden to enhance performance beyond the default settings.
Security is always a concern for any business, and the network should not be compromised easily.
I know they're going up to six soon, which will enhance reliability.
We earlier expected that Fortinet FortiAP could be managed through the cloud, which would be very good, but nowadays, FortiNet is providing FortiAPs with cloud management also.
 

Setup Cost

Aruba Instant On Access Points offer excellent value with no hidden fees, but some users find costs slightly high.
Fortinet FortiAP offers competitive enterprise pricing, though licensing costs can be high, generally rated six to nine out of ten.
The pricing of Aruba Instant On Access Points is competitive compared to Cisco, and they are actually cheaper.
Aruba Instant On Access Points work without a list price, suggesting that they are open source and no additional licensing costs are incurred.
The cost of Aruba Instant On Access Points is reasonable;
The license costs for Fortinet are more affordable when considering licensing costs with other leaders like Cisco.
The pricing is a little bit high, and I would rate it a ten on the scale where ten is the highest price.
Fortinet FortiAP is affordable, not expensive.
 

Valuable Features

Aruba Instant On Access Points offer easy management, superior coverage, cloud setup, robust security, and seamless network integration with remote management.
Fortinet FortiAP excels in integration, management, and security, providing stability and performance for small to medium enterprises.
Customers choose Aruba because it is more stable, has superior radio management, and offers features like mesh and a stateful firewall.
The product is incredibly stable and meets our needs excellently.
The virtual controller feature is very beneficial because it removes the need for a physical controller.
Fortinet FortiAP is effective in protecting against wireless threats.
Compatibility with Fortinet firewalls allows clients to set up new businesses with integrated firewalls and access points, offering a cost-effective solution while providing excellent wireless coverage.
In a FortiGate, especially a Forti wireless environment, it's always easy to troubleshoot problems and it gives better visibility of our environment.
 

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Instant On Access Points
Ranking in Wireless LAN
8th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
32
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiAP
Ranking in Wireless LAN
6th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant On Access Points is 1.4%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiAP is 6.2%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Fortinet FortiAP6.2%
Aruba Instant On Access Points1.4%
Other92.4%
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

Theesula Majuwanagamage - PeerSpot reviewer
Reliable roaming and connectivity with room for more global flexibility
I am responsible for meeting customer expectations with the most appropriate IT solutions. I provide equipment recommendations based on customer needs and availability. Additionally, I have worked with Aruba access points, among other equipment My role involves distinguishing the best products…
Shahnawaz Nusrat - PeerSpot reviewer
Has simplified wireless integration while needing better throughput and captive portal features
The product can be improved depending on the model selected as per requirements. Support is good and throughput is good. What we need to do is select a better product as per our requirement and environment. If proper working is done in terms of wireless heat map or radio connectivity in our environment, I believe it's good. There is always a chance to improve. Throughput can be better in terms of other vendors, but currently, it's working fine. One feature that I still need to explore is the captive portal. When we deploy a unit in a public environment, users need to sign in with a pop-up box to connect.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
9%
Performing Arts
7%
Hospitality Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business22
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise9
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise3
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Instant On Access Points?
It's really easy to set up. And, you don't have to pay for the cloud solution. That's really interesting for our clients. And the other thing is, the roaming is also quite good.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Instant On Access Points?
The cost of Aruba Instant On Access Points is reasonable; however, I do not have information on the exact pricing, such as cost per user or annual license fees.
What needs improvement with Aruba Instant On Access Points?
We can improve Aruba Instant On Access Points by tuning some of the parameters of the radio. The default configuration can be overridden to enhance performance beyond the default settings.
What do you like most about FortiAP?
If we have FortiClient installed on multiple devices, it is seamless to connect with FortiAP. It supports passwordless authentication as well. That is a great thing about it.
What needs improvement with FortiAP?
We earlier expected that Fortinet FortiAP could be managed through the cloud, which would be very good, but nowadays, FortiNet is providing FortiAPs with cloud management also. That requirement has...
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Fortinet FortiAP and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
868,759 professionals have used our research since 2012.