Aruba Instant vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Cisco are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.3, while Cisco is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.2. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 2.0% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Cisco’s 12.3% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

Aruba Instant

Read 51 Aruba Instant reviews

2,281 Views
1,722 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Read 119 Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN reviews

12,623 Views
10,448 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Aruba Instant

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 15, 2025

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and Aruba Instant compete in the wireless networking category. Cisco Meraki stands out for its cloud management and analytics, while Aruba Instant is notable for flexibility and cost-effective deployment.

Features: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is recognized for its centralized cloud management, user-friendly platform, and robust security features. It integrates well with other Meraki products and supports remote management with advanced analytics. Aruba Instant offers a cloud-managed solution with strengths in mobility, flexibility, and easy network configuration without additional licenses. It also includes a virtual controller for simplified management and deployment.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Meraki users have noted the need for detailed error logs, enhanced features to match non-cloud offerings, and improvements in technical support and GDPR compliance. There is also a demand for better radio management and enterprise-level features. Aruba Instant requires improved documentation, strengthened roaming capabilities, and enhanced technical support. Users also suggest advancements in cloud management features and smart device integration.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN provides flexible deployment options with public, private, and hybrid cloud solutions, complemented by good customer service, though some issues may require persistence. Aruba Instant offers strong on-premises and cloud deployments with generally satisfactory customer service, though technical support promptness can vary.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is seen as expensive, mainly due to licensing and subscription fees, yet offers high value through feature richness and ease of use. The pricing structure, however, could be more competitive. Aruba Instant is more cost-effective, requiring no licenses and having affordable hardware, which makes it attractive to SMBs seeking flexible pricing models.

To learn more, read our detailed Aruba Instant vs. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant vs. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

June 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 860,168 peers since 2012

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

Ranking in Wireless LAN

10th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Ranking in Wireless LAN

4th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

5.1

Number of Reviews

119

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant is 2.0%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is 12.3%, down from 12.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

Alessandro Salvadori

Sales Engineer at SGE

Comes at a good price and has a good cloud console

We usually sell Aruba Instant where there is no need for more than four or five switches. It is generally recommended for very small companies where we don't need more than three or four switches We are using it only for very small companies. We have had a reduction in time, but it is not that…

Read full review

RezaPradipta

Sr. Officer Network Managed Service Product Management at PT. Indosat Tbk

Streamline network management with a unified dashboard for seamless device integration

The primary use case for Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is mostly for enterprise wireless, including guest Wi-Fi and enterprise Wi-Fi. I use it across various industries with a focus on retail Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN offers a single pane of glass management. It only comes with a controller on the…

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The cost is low, and there is controller-less architecture."

"Works automatically in terms of setup with the product finding its master wifi access point."

"The quick setup and automatic code embedded in one access point is really useful."

"We like being able to merge Aruba Instant to mobile via Bluetooth. You are also able to perform a lot of functions remotely such as creating an SSID IP."

"The technical support from Aruba is of high quality, and I would rate it a ten."

"The most valuable feature of Aruba Instant is its cloud capability, which allows us to manage it through the cloud."

"Aruba Instant is cloud-based, and thus, it improves wireless network performance on cloud platforms. The solution allows network monitoring through devices like mobiles and desktops, which is a feasible option. The tool also has Bluetooth settings so a user can deploy Aruba Instant through a serial number or the Bluetooth option."

"The stability of the solution is very good."

More Aruba Instant pros

"I like the status page Cisco added that shows you the health of the wireless connection."

"The product's most beneficial feature impacting network security is the ability to provide centralized security management."

"Meraki is a decent solution for a small company, and we use it in a pretty typical way. We need Teams and Zoom to work, and we need a high level of security because we want our business to remain confidential."

"With Cisco products and third-party products, integration of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is good."

"The automatic VMware update is very useful because you don't have to worry about outages and planning for VMware updates. It is very advantageous from a management point of view. The ability to restrict and review the clients connected to each of our segments. Additionally, the solution is easy to use."

"The most valuable features include key elements like creating SSIDs, networking configurations, and the ability to manage all devices through a single console."

"It only comes with a controller on the cloud, and this differentiator simplifies network management."

"The solution is stable and reliable."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pros

Cons

"The meshing could use improvement but aside from that nothing else really needs improvement."

"I believe there's room for improvement in monitoring, especially when troubleshooting issues. Currently, there's limited intelligence around monitoring. It needs to improve stability and scalability."

"It is a software characteristic, and it is during the reboot. During the startup of the AP, the AP tells you that you are using the wrong password. However, I have realized that this is not true."

"The product's high cost is an area where improvements are required."

"The product’s GUI must be improved."

"The tool's customer service should improve."

"The wireless coverage should be increased"

"If you need to access the master access point the integration between the two becomes quite expensive."

More Aruba Instant cons

"They could also add some more controls for guest access. For example, when you have a captive portal, it would be nice to limit the amount of time users can stay connected per day. Right now, you can only configure the splash frequency. And you can set the connection for one hour, but you have to use the billing feature."

"In the future, I would like to see IP telephony in Saudi Arabia."

"Currently, with Meraki, a controller is required to direct guest and user traffic to the internet. Improvement is needed in the portal for enhanced visibility into activities. Additionally, addressing multiple bugs, especially those arising with new releases, is crucial to ensure system stability."

"The technical support for Meraki needs improvements made to the waiting times."

"Cisco Meraki must improve the integration between its own family of products."

"The licensing could be a bit better."

"The solution's mobile application and management of dashboards are areas with shortcomings that need improvement."

"The only thing that always causes problems with Meraki is the license. It's a bit of a bugbear with Meraki, and it remains today. So it's an unusual concept compared to the other products in the marketplace, but then it does cause a bit of a nuisance from time to time."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The setup cost varies based on each organization's requirements but it is within reason."

"Two years ago, I paid INR 12,000 for access points, but now, I will have to pay double the amount, which comes up to INR 24,000, making it a costly product."

"Aruba Instant is a free subscription with a limited lifetime warranty."

"The licensing cost is somewhere around $20,000."

"I rate the product’s pricing a two out of ten."

"There’s no licensing required to use the tool."

"The pricing is reasonable."

"Avoid the Central cloud license if you can."

More Aruba Instant pricing and cost advice

"Having a good price is important when we are providing quotations for projects."

"The price of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN could be improved, it is too expensive. We pay for the solution on an annual basis."

"Users have to pay a yearly license fee for the solution."

"The pricing is based on a subscription and is a bit high at the moment."

"We are on a SmartNet contract. All of our Cisco products are licensed under one contract. I do not think there are any additional costs."

"If you are wondering if Meraki can work for you, contact one of their representatives because they will do onsite trials where you can set up their system. If it does not work, you can send it back to them for no charge."

"The solution could improve the licensing structure and the price is expensive."

"Cisco Meraki requires either a one year or three year license for a standard enterprise license."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Wireless LAN solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Construction Company

Computer Software Company

18%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

Which is better - Ubiquiti WLAN or Aruba Instant?

We researched Ubiquiti and Aruba when looking for a WLAN solution. Ubiquiti offers good WLAN access both indoors and outdoors. It provides an enterprise-level WIFI while remaining cost-effective. U...

See all answers

What do you like most about Aruba Instant?

I find network management features related to monitoring Wi-Fi usage and visited sites particularly valuable. Content filtering is also important to prevent access to malicious or inappropriate web...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Instant?

In my experience, Aruba Instant's price is reasonable compared to premium products like Ruckus, Cisco, or Juniper. However, when compared to entry-level market segments, the price is higher. Overal...

See all answers

What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?

Depends. I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them. Extreme I am not, so unless they have some feature that I need or want, I wouldn't consider them. Do you have expe...

See all answers

Which is better - Cisco Wireless or Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?

Cisco Wireless is very robust, very rugged, and can handle indoor and outdoor coverage extremely well. We found it to be very reliable and to consistently run very efficiently. Cisco Wireless helpe...

See all answers

How does Ruckus Wireless compare to Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?

Cisco’s Meraki Virtual MX is a virtual instance of the Meraki SD-WAN appliance. We liked the Meraki. The Wifi APs are a great feature. The dashboard is a simple interface and easy to learn. It feat...

See all answers

Comparisons

Omada Access Points vs Aruba Instant

Compared 39% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Aruba Instant

Compared 12% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs Aruba Instant

Compared 9% of the time

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs Aruba Instant

Compared 6% of the time

ExtremeCloud IQ vs Aruba Instant

Compared 5% of the time

More Aruba Instant Competitors

Aruba Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 32% of the time

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 13% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 11% of the time

Ubiquiti Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 6% of the time

Fortinet FortiWLM vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 2% of the time

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant

June 2025

Download Aruba Instant product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

June 2025

Download Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN product report

Also Known As

No data available

MR18, MR26, MR32, MR34, MR66, MR72, Meraki Wireless LAN, Meraki WLAN

Overview

Aruba Instant delivers the only controllerless Wi-Fi solution that is easy to set-up, and loaded with security and smarts needed to accelerate your business without breaking your budget.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Cisco Meraki access points are built from the highest grade components and carefully optimized for a seamless user experience. The outcome: faster connections, greater user capacity, more coverage, and fewer support calls. The Cisco Meraki dashboard gives visibility into the network users, their devices, and their applications. Armed with rich analytics, administrators can quickly create access control and application usage policies, optimizing both the end-user experience and network security.

Cisco

Sample Customers

Purdue University, Orlando Magic, Brussels Airport Company, Molecaten Holiday Parks

Advanced Medical Transport, Banco de Guayaquil, Baylor Scott & White Health, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, Calligaris, Children's Hospital Colorado, City of Biel, Del Papa Distributing, Department of Justice, Dimension Data, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Hertz, K&L Gates , LightEdge, Lone Star College System, Management Science Associates, Mindtree, NBC Olympics, Quest, Sony Corporation, The Department of Education in Western Australia, Valley Proteins

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant vs. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

June 2025

Free Report: Aruba Instant vs. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Instant vs. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Aruba Instant vs. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN report.

See our list of best Wireless LAN vendors.

We monitor all Wireless LAN reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.