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Fortinet FortiWLM vs Mist AI and Cloud 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

Fortinet FortiWLM
Ranking in Wireless LAN
15th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Mist AI and Cloud
Ranking in Wireless LAN
13th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLM is 1.9%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Mist AI and Cloud is 2.2%, down from 3.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

Zachary Wheeler - PeerSpot reviewer
Impressive manufacturing quality, highly durable, and very easy to deploy
They need to do more with their marketing. That's what's wrong with them. Nobody knows they do all this other stuff. I love the product. For an enterprise-level system, you never have to explain why you're recommending Fortinet, whereas you might have to do that if you want to use the Ubiquiti Professional or the new Netgear line, but you don't have to explain Fortinet. It has been remarkable to work with. It would be nice if they had some smaller switches or hubs. They should offer two-port, three-port, or four-port devices so that you don't have to buy an eight-port switch, and you don't have to use an unmanaged element, but their product line is very complete, and I can't say enough about it.
RahulSivanandan - PeerSpot reviewer
Analytics and automation simplify wireless management and proactive troubleshooting
The analytics part of Mist AI and Cloud is really helpful, including correlation and event analysis. These features make Mist AI and Cloud stand out in the market. The automation capabilities are quite impressive, making it easy to manage and maintain. Mist AI and Cloud's orchestration is beneficial for troubleshooting and proactive analysis, offering proactive solutions before issues arise. Additionally, the platform is easy to deploy.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"This is the only product on the market currently that supports as many access points for wifi users."
"Seamless roaming by leveraging Virtual Cell is a major advantage which reduces roam times and issues related to roaming. Code stability has been excellent and the hardware quality is second to none."
"Security is the feature we like most from Fortinet. In general, their security architecture is really great, because it involves everything: firewalls, wireless LANs, the user. Everything is really secure."
"At the moment, particularly with the COVID-19 situation, the most valuable feature is probably the IPsec VPN, which is easy to implement with Fortinet."
"For me, the ease of setup and the rugged nature in harsh environments are most valuable. So, durability and ease of use have been its best features."
"If you do have a FortiGate Firewall somewhere in the network, you can connect the wireless controller to that... You get 100 percent visibility from a single point... You can see everything that's connected to the FortiGate, whether it's a switch or a wireless AP or a wireless controller or any other Fortinet product."
"I use Fortinet FortiWLM for wireless communication and the internet."
"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiWLM is the single management pane and integrated controller inside the firewall."
"Mist AI and Cloud have definitely improved the functioning of our organization. The access to the Internet, including its speed and reliability, has significantly improved."
"Mist AI and Cloud is ideal as we move towards the AI world."
"The Marvis feature of Mist AI, an artificial intelligence tool, is very useful."
"The most useful aspect of Mist AI and Cloud is automation capabilities."
"Has an extremely good feature set."
"Multi PSK (Pre-shared Key) is a very good feature in the solution...Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"The tool's best part is the GUI. It is user-friendly and fast due to AI features. The solution can help you fix things with AI, which is impressive."
"It's really easy to provision and support. Those are its main features."
 

Cons

"The platform's pricing needs improvement."
"Improving support and firmware upgrades is necessary."
"In terms of improvements, the price is higher than I would like. A reduction in pricing would be beneficial."
"One of the main features that I see as lacking in any of the Fortinet products is the reporting. If you want to have proper, end-to-end reporting, you must purchase the FortiAnalyzer... If Fortinet could offer some better, built-in reporting, that would be a point of improvement."
"I have used Cisco previously and I don't see any specific differences from Fortinet FortiWLM or other vendors."
"The range needs some improvement and also the stability."
"There is very little publicly available information about Virtual Cell and Single Channel Architecture. Promotion of the overall technology is limited as well. Being more vocal about a product that has many advantages would go a long way to eliminating a lot of the confusion and negative perception about Virtual Cell and Single Channel Architecture."
"There are currently issues with Fortinet's software quality."
"Juniper should integrate all their dashboards instead of having separate dashboards...Since it lacks the integration of dashboards, Juniper needs to improve it."
"There seems to be different versions of standards used in the wireless access points. In the future, it would be helpful if the solution could come up with some kind of universal standard for all devices and all access points."
"The solution lacks documentation."
"There could be more integration."
"Mist AI and Cloud should improve its integrations."
"Mist AI and Cloud should be marketed more and focus on making partners in the industry."
"The solution doesn't provide mail notifications currently."
"There is no local support for Mist in Brazil."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is expensive. I give the solution a one out of ten for the price."
"The price of Fortinet FortiWLM is reasonable compared to the other vendors. We are using a five-year license."
"In the last few years, due in part to the impact of COVID on the market, Fortinet has increased its prices by 35 percent."
"The product is highly expensive. I rate the pricing a ten."
"Fortinet FortiWLM's pricing is regular and competitive."
"Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."
"There is a perpetual license required for this solution and the price could be reduced."
"Licensing costs are reasonable. There are so many different types of licenses with Fortinet, but the licensing and the 24/7/365 support are so reasonable that I automatically include it with every transaction. I never line item it without it. There are no additional costs."
"The price of Mist AI and Cloud is approximately 20 percent less than competitors, such as Aruba and Cisco. However, Cisco has a lifetime warranty for its solutions."
"The solution is expensive in Brazil."
"I rate the pricing a seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is low and ten is high."
"The price is about the same compared to other vendors. There is an add-on license, but it's up to you if you want to buy it or not."
"The price is not cheap, but it's a reliable solution and very easy for management."
"The custom licensing is a little bit expensive and I would rate it 7.5 out of 10."
"The annual cost is a significant issue for us, and it notably contributes to the overall price. We have a customer with nearly fifty-eight access points in a multifunctional building, and while the setup was relatively simple, the yearly licensing cost is substantial. For the specific features we utilize, the licensing amounts to about forty thousand euros annually. This is not a trivial expense and significantly impacts the overall cost, making it quite high."
"Mist AI and Cloud is expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
29%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiWLM?
While the pricing of Fortinet FortiWLM is a bit high, it remains effective. However, the cost could be better if reduced.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLM?
In terms of improvements, the price is higher than I would like. A reduction in pricing would be beneficial.
What do you like most about Mist AI and Cloud?
AI-driven automation helps implement the solution quickly.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Mist AI and Cloud?
Compared with other solutions, Mist AI and Cloud is not that expensive and is considered moderate in pricing. The solution is priced per device.
What needs improvement with Mist AI and Cloud?
The support needs improvement. Since the merger or integration between Mist AI and Cloud and HP, it has affected service quality negatively. The reachability, access, and response time of the suppo...
 

Also Known As

FortiWLM, FortiAP, Fortinet AP/OAP, Meru Wireless LAN
Mist Access Points
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Dartmouth, Hitachi, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Nebraska Furniture Mart, NTT, Okta
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Mist AI and Cloud and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
851,604 professionals have used our research since 2012.