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Cisco Meraki MR Wireless vs Fortinet FortiAP comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 1, 2026

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

Cisco Meraki MR Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
17th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
3.5
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiAP
Ranking in Wireless LAN
4th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
17
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

SG
Technical Presales at Vcom Technologies
Cloud-based management transforms branch network operations efficiently
The most useful feature of Cisco Meraki MR Wireless is its cloud-based management. Configuring Cisco Meraki MR Wireless is easy because it's a cloud-based solution. Once you connect it, it gets registered on the cloud. You can configure it through there itself, and you don't need to be at the site while configuring. Layer 7 traffic shaping helps with bandwidth management, and now you have the five gigabit port on the AP itself, so the bandwidth increases. No other wireless OEM provides a bandwidth of five gigabits. I have worked with the Network Analytics feature in Cisco Meraki MR Wireless, and it's used on the cloud. The Meraki controller, which is a cloud-based controller, allows us to manage multiple Cisco Meraki MR Wireless APs and monitor their performance, user connectivity, signal, and the AP performance itself. Regarding security features such as Air Marshal and WIPS, the Meraki 1700 series has the WIPS feature. We have used the WIPS feature to prevent rogue APs and to enable the security features in the wireless itself. You don't need to buy any other separate security devices, making it a very effective and useful feature.
Shahnawaz Nusrat - PeerSpot reviewer
Head Of Technical Operations at ITE
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"As a user of the product, the biggest advantage for me is that it works seamlessly; users can switch between access points, and it works great."
"We benefit from using Cisco Meraki cloud as it makes manageability easier—two people can manage 200 locations efficiently."
"The most useful feature of Cisco Meraki MR Wireless is its cloud-based management."
"The Meraki controller, which is a cloud-based controller, allows us to manage multiple Cisco Meraki MR Wireless APs and monitor their performance, user connectivity, signal, and the AP performance itself."
"Some of the best features with the wireless solution are that you have a cloud console, so you don't have to create or manage your own instance of a controller."
"Cloud management is something I appreciate; it's an easy product to manage in comparison to many others."
"Some of the best features with the wireless solution are that you have a cloud console, so you don't have to create or manage your own instance of a controller."
"Some of the best features with the wireless solution are that you have a cloud console, so you don't have to create or manage your own instance of a controller."
"The product's initial setup phase was easy, especially with FortiGate or your FortiManager in place."
"Fortinet FortiAP's zero-touch deployment feature with FortiManager is utilized in the current deployment, enabling deployment and configuration that is very useful, leading to huge cost savings."
"The setup was straightforward."
"I like FortiAP's performance and stability. The reporting is also quite good."
"I would give FortiAP a rating of ten out of ten so far."
"Fortinet FortiAPs are useful for small to medium-scale companies where there are budget concerns."
"The product's deployment phase is very easy since its documentation part is available in the public domain."
"I always recommend to customers who have a FortiGate firewall to choose Fortinet FortiAP instead of deploying any other wireless controller or OEM because it provides a single posture of security and a single management console, is easy to use, easy to deploy, and offers central management with FortiGate."
 

Cons

"To do that effectively, I really need accurate floor plans, which I don't yet have. Without having the full picture, I'm operating somewhat blind and have to be careful."
"Regarding service support, Cisco Meraki does not provide direct support. When raising incidents or support tickets, the support is not always effective."
"To do that effectively, I really need accurate floor plans, which I don't yet have. Without having the full picture, I'm operating somewhat blind and have to be careful."
"My main concern is that Cisco Meraki MR Wireless is overpriced, has limited functionality, and the hardware is not prepared for any further improvements in terms of features."
"To do that effectively, I really need accurate floor plans, which I don't yet have. Without having the full picture, I'm operating somewhat blind and have to be careful."
"Overall, Cisco Meraki MR Wireless is a bit pricey; that's the main and probably only disadvantage."
"To do that effectively, I really need accurate floor plans, which I don't yet have. Without having the full picture, I'm operating somewhat blind and have to be careful."
"The challenge with Cisco Meraki MR Wireless is that for any Meraki device, you require internet connectivity to get it registered on the cloud."
"Technical support is a pain. Fortinet has to get its act together. If you don't pay for premium service, you will have issues."
"Throughput can be better in terms of other vendors, but currently, it's working fine."
"There is nothing that particularly comes to mind for improvement."
"A point for improvement for Fortinet FortiAP would be improvements in the GUI, which is adequate but could be improved."
"The support offered by the solution has certain shortcomings, making it in areas where improvements are required."
"FortiAP could be a little cheaper."
"The product fails to offer default access points to deal with the areas revolving around configurations."
"FortiAP is very good in an indoor environment, but we are struggling with the outdoor environment."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"On a scale of one to ten with ten being the most expensive, I would rate FortiAP a six."
"Fortinet FortiAP offers a more cost-effective solution compared to Palo Alto and Check Point."
"If I compare it with the other enterprise products, the price is good."
"FortiAP is more expensive than some other options."
"The devices under Fortinet are not expensive. The solution's licensing part is expensive."
"We purchased perpetual licensing, and additional costs may vary depending on the services acquired from Fortinet."
"The product is available at a very comfortable price for my company compared to the other products available in the market. The prices of products from Meraki and Aruba are high compared to those of Fortinet."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business12
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise3
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Meraki MR Wireless?
The cost of Cisco Meraki MR Wireless is high; the price of one AP to the end customer is approximately 50,000 INR.
What needs improvement with Cisco Meraki MR Wireless?
I have utilized Meraki's RF Optimization to some extent. To do that effectively, I really need accurate floor plans, which I don't yet have. Without having the full picture, I'm operating somewhat ...
What is your primary use case for Cisco Meraki MR Wireless?
My use case for Cisco Meraki MR Wireless is in automotive retail. I work with a dealership ownership group that currently operates 95 locations.
What needs improvement with FortiAP?
A point for improvement for Fortinet FortiAP would be improvements in the GUI, which is adequate but could be improved. Additionally, wireless coverage and the mapping area are fairly static and co...
What is your primary use case for FortiAP?
Fortinet FortiAP is currently used mainly on branch deployments because of the single pane of management across the whole branch using the FortiGate, FortiAP, and FortiSwitch. I have utilized Forti...
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Meraki MR Wireless vs. Fortinet FortiAP and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
893,311 professionals have used our research since 2012.