No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs Fortinet FortiWLC 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Instant On Access Points
Ranking in Wireless LAN
6th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
33
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiWLC
Ranking in Wireless LAN
27th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.4
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant On Access Points is 2.3%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLC is 1.0%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Aruba Instant On Access Points2.3%
Fortinet FortiWLC1.0%
Other96.7%
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

ANKIT GAJJAR - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Project Manager at CPS TECHNOLOGIES
Have faced challenges with visibility and support while exploring more accessible alternatives
I have been working with Aruba Instant On Access Points for the last five years, implementing the HP Enterprise series grade Wi-Fi in the Surat Diamond Bourse. HP Aruba is easily available in the India market, so sometimes customers are preferring the HP Aruba Central solution. When we talk about Cisco WireWorks, my thoughts about Advanced Threat Detection indicate that Cisco needs to improve the visibility of its products in the India market, as there is very much less visibility right now. I would rate the stability of Aruba Instant On Access Points as the best one. Overall, I rate Aruba Instant On Access Points eight out of ten, as Aruba is a most versatile solution. I can definitely recommend Aruba Instant On Access Points to others.
Md.Mehedi Hassan - PeerSpot reviewer
Team Lead Manager at Blue Pill Ltd
Offers a seamless and secure WiFi experience with outstanding customer support
FortiWLC is valuable due to its security features and the seamless WiFi experience it provides. Our customers benefit greatly from the security aspect, especially since they are already using Fortinet for Firewall services. The security features are crucial for their requirements. The stability and ease of use of FortiWLC also add to its effectiveness.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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."
"Between simplicity, price point, and my sales rep, who was the one that said he had a good experience with Aruba, I was sold."
"The product is incredibly stable and meets our needs excellently."
"When an error or alert happens, I receive it in the application, and I do not have to be there to know if something is wrong."
"It's a good solution and a good technology."
"I would rate the stability of this solution a ten out of ten."
"Its performance is very good. It suits small and medium sites very well."
"It's super user-friendly."
"I rate the overall solution a ten out of ten."
"The security within the access point and the controller is the solution's most valuable aspect."
"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiWLC is the overall high quality."
"FortiWLC is valuable due to its security features and the seamless WiFi experience it provides."
"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiWLC is the overall high quality."
"It's easy to set everything up during implementation."
 

Cons

"The tool's pricing is not good."
"Improvement as per customer requirements."
"If anything, its reporting could be improved."
"When there are a lot of people connected, especially during video streaming demonstrations, the connection can get a bit choppy."
"I would like to see a feature that blocks, increases, or decreases bandwidth capacity for devices."
"The customer service and support are terrible."
"The Unifi Controller is slower compared to other options like Aruba."
"The tool is priced high."
"One thing that is lacking is, compared with some other brands, the signal is a bit weaker. Ruckus has much wider signal coverage."
"The price of Fortinet FortiWLC is high. The solution will be out of the market for us because the price is too high for the features it provides."
"However, for massive implementations, Fortinet should consider reducing the price to make it more affordable."
"One thing that is lacking is, compared with some other brands, the signal is a bit weaker."
"For massive implementations, Fortinet should consider reducing the price to make it more affordable."
"Fortinet FortiWLC is not simple to configure when compared to other solutions. The design could be better."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Its price is fair. It is not really cheap, and it is also not expensive. It is in the middle."
"The price of Aruba Instant On Access Points is reasonable. They are competitively priced. I've even used it in my home at one time because of the low price."
"There is a need to make yearly payments towards the standard licensing charges associated with the product. There are some additional costs associated with the product since I have seen customers who purchase three-year or five-year plans."
"You buy it for $165 an AP, which is what we paid."
"It needs a license."
"I rate the product's pricing a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive."
"The product's price falls on the cheaper end of the spectrum. The price of the product is one of the biggest benefits that it offers."
"It's a cost-effective solution."
"The price of Fortinet FortiWLC is high. The solution will be out of the market for us because the price is too high for the features it provides."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Wireless LAN solutions are best for your needs.
893,221 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Construction Company
7%
Computer Software Company
6%
Comms Service Provider
20%
University
12%
Outsourcing Company
12%
Construction Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business23
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise9
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Instant On Access Points?
When comparing pricing with Cisco, Aruba Instant On Access Points are competitively priced, making them affordable solutions for SMBs, rather than being higher priced.
What needs improvement with Aruba Instant On Access Points?
I believe that software usability could be improved.
What is your primary use case for Aruba Instant On Access Points?
My clients mostly request Aruba Instant On Access Points for use cases involving IoT utilization, bandwidth utilization, and user interference monitoring. All products are monitored from HP Aruba C...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiWLC?
I cannot disclose the license price, however, I recommend Fortinet reduce its pricing for massive implementations.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLC?
Until now, I have not observed any issues. However, for massive implementations, Fortinet should consider reducing the price to make it more affordable.
What is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiWLC?
We are resellers of FortiWLC, and our customers mainly use it in enterprise settings, particularly for chemical companies.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Fortinet FortiWLC and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
893,221 professionals have used our research since 2012.