Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Ubiquiti WLAN comparison

Cisco and Ubiquiti Networks are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Cisco is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.2, while Ubiquiti Networks is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.0. Cisco holds a 12.3% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Ubiquiti Networks’s 5.1% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 82% of Ubiquiti Networks users who would recommend it.

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Read 119 Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN reviews

12,623 Views
10,448 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Ubiquiti WLAN

Read 45 Ubiquiti WLAN reviews

4,857 Views
4,635 Comparison Views

82% willing to recommend

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Ubiquiti WLAN

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 15, 2025

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and Ubiquiti WLAN compete in the wireless LAN category. Cisco Meraki seems to have the upper hand with its advanced features and ease of management, particularly for larger networks.

Features: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN offers centralized cloud management with intuitive dashboards and comprehensive analytics, ideal for organizations with limited IT staff. It provides advanced features like granular access controls and easy network segmentation. Ubiquiti WLAN is praised for its ease of deployment and affordability, offering a straightforward option for businesses seeking a cost-effective solution without complex setup.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Meraki users often mention improvements needed in technical support and more granular data monitoring. Licensing models are a concern regarding service continuity. For Ubiquiti, enhancements in robust management and monitoring features, as well as support for advanced configuration and troubleshooting, are needed.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Meraki's cloud-based management is favorable for businesses with multiple locations due to its ease and accessibility. Ubiquiti offers an on-premises solution that is simple and cost-effective, appealing to small to mid-sized organizations. Customer service for Cisco Meraki is mixed, whereas Ubiquiti could benefit from clearer documentation and enhanced support.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN may seem expensive due to recurring licensing fees but offers streamlined operations that can offset staffing costs. Ubiquiti is more affordable with a one-time purchase model and no ongoing fees, providing strong ROI in budget-conscious settings where advanced networking features are unnecessary.

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

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. Ubiquiti WLAN

June 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

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

Ubiquiti WLAN

Ranking in Wireless LAN

7th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is 12.3%, down from 12.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubiquiti WLAN is 5.1%, down from 5.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

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…

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Gabriele-Pizzigati

Senior Software and Systems Engineer at SAMU.IT

Managing installations through one interface enhances efficiency but AI features improvement

Ubiquiti Wireless LAN is reliable and offers a good quality product. It provides one interface to manage all installations, allowing me to monitor all customers through the same web interface. The web interface in the controller allows for quick configuration of devices with just one click, which is a significant advantage.

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

"I can control any number of sites globally with a lean IT team."

"What I liked about these is that they worked. I didn't touch them or do anything with them. They were up and running when I came here. Once they are set up and running, you don't have to worry about them."

"We're able to automate as well as manually control as necessary."

"This product offers cloud-based configuration, so you can set it up from anywhere."

"The solution is very easy to use."

"The interface makes it easy to manage."

"Great architecturally based dashboard and the solution is accessible from anywhere."

"I would recommend Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN simply because of the ease of deployment and its reliability."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pros

"The Cloud Key Controller is a valuable feature because it allows me to access the wireless system from the cloud and locally within the same network, enhancing network management."

"The tool's deployment is very easy. The deployment of 15 access points can take a day."

"I have found Ubiquiti WLAN scalable. We have approximately 200 users using the solution in my organization and do not plan to increase usage."

"Ubiquiti WLAN has good performance."

"The most beneficial thing about Ubiquiti is that it is simple to deploy."

"There was a time when we were using Cisco switches and attempting to integrate Ubiquiti UniFi switches into our network infrastructure. Eventually, after some effort, we managed to understand the process. Initially, it was challenging to configure the unified console to manage virtual networks alongside internal networks effectively. We had to comprehend how both systems would integrate carefully. It became apparent that maximizing the usage of Cisco switches required a thorough understanding of how UniFi operates at the backend."

"The solution has a lot of great features."

"The most valuable feature is the level of security on the Wi-Fi network."

More Ubiquiti WLAN pros

Cons

"The Meraki platform needs better on-premises management options."

"Recently I have seen that the Meraki access point, maybe due to congestion, just kicks off my customers, mostly when they are in Zoom meetings or Teams meetings and they have to reconnect."

"I would like to see them improve their support where an assigned engineer can take the case all the way to closure. Usually, you get a different engineer calling regarding the same ticket."

"The dashboard could be a bit better. I'd like to see more information about the whole controller and APs. It should be as simple and convenient."

"Its licensing can be better."

"It is expensive. Juniper seems to have a lot more to offer for future expansion. Juniper has some features that are not there in this solution."

"It lags a bit in providing reports for Wi-Fi performance."

"The only concern is when the license has expired and it will no longer function, the entire network goes down, without any notification, or warning."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN cons

"When I started to upgrade, the controller for Unbuntu was really struggling to start up, however, that has since been solved."

"If they can integrate or release a single platform because, currently, there are two different platforms for switches and routers. So, maintaining just one unified platform, like, for example, unifying the models or brands, and avoiding separate platforms for edge switches, edge routers, and other Ubiquiti products, would simplify the integration and implementation process."

"During the configuration, we cannot get information on the network level from the regular interface."

"Largely we're happy with the product, however, the firmware deployments could maybe be managed a little bit differently."

"Ubiquiti WLAN would be improved with the addition of individual AP configuration, which would allow for fine-tuning of individual access points and logins."

"The solution should support a larger bandwidth or distance between the access points and the main stations."

"The solution is stable but could improve."

"A potential improvement could be the addition of artificial intelligence features, similar to what Ruckus offers."

More Ubiquiti WLAN cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Since it's been acquired by Cisco, it's an even higher cost."

"At this price point, I would not mind seeing a four-way channel, instead of a 3x3 or a 4x4, like they do in the Cisco Aironet system with their other brand. For the same price point in this other Cisco brand, it is a lot cheaper, and you can get a slightly better throughput than you can with these."

"The platform is expensive."

"The solution is pretty expensive."

"The price is on the high side when compared to Aruba."

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

"Its licensing is on a yearly basis. It can be for three, five, or ten years. I'm happy with the pricing. You basically pay for what you get. It is that simple. When you look at Ubiquiti or Aruba, Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN far outweighs what you get. If you're in the UK, Ubiquiti gives a three-year or five-year warranty, whereas here in the UAE, they only give a one-year warranty, which is no good to me. Who buys a piece of equipment with only one year warranty on it? It doesn't make sense."

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

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pricing and cost advice

"Ubiquiti WLAN is a low-priced product."

"Its cost is reasonable."

"I would rate the solution's pricing a nine out of ten. It is high."

"The tool's price is good and falls somewhere in the middle."

"The tool's licensing costs are life-time charges."

"Ubiquiti WLAN is cheap. It can work without licensing."

"When comparing the price of Ubiquiti WLAN to Aruba the price is reasonable."

"This product is more cost-effective than some others on the market."

More Ubiquiti WLAN pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

18%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Government

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

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...

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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...

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Is Ubiquiti Wireless better than Ruckus Wireless WAN?

Ubiquiti Wireless is extremely easy to set up and is an excellent option for small businesses, offering enterprise features for a one-time fee and no ongoing licensing fees. Ubiquiti Wireless is ve...

See all answers

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 Ubiquiti WLAN?

Anyone can buy the product off the shelf and configure it.

See all answers

Comparisons

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

Cisco Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Competitors

Fortinet FortiAP vs Ubiquiti WLAN

Compared 20% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs Ubiquiti WLAN

Compared 18% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs Ubiquiti WLAN

Compared 12% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Ubiquiti WLAN

Compared 9% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Ubiquiti WLAN

Compared 7% of the time

More Ubiquiti WLAN Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

June 2025

Download Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN product report

Buyer's Guide

Ubiquiti WLAN

June 2025

Download Ubiquiti WLAN product report

Also Known As

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

No data available

Overview

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

UniFi is a revolutionary Wi-Fi system that combines Enterprise performance, unlimited scalability, a central management controller and disruptive pricing.

Ubiquiti Networks

Sample Customers

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

NASCAR Grand-AM, Maritime Parc, Outdoor Music Festival, One Republic Tour, British Armed Forces, Arcadia School District, Bartlett School District, Universidad del Azuay, Estelar Hotels, Intercontinental Bali, Moscow - Enforta, Miami - Sling Broadband, Manhattan - MST, Ecuador - Aire.EC

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. Ubiquiti WLAN

June 2025

Free Report: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. Ubiquiti WLAN

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