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Aruba Access Points vs Fortinet FortiAP 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.8
Aruba Access Points offer rapid ROI with improved management, security, and reliability, favored by medium-sized and enterprise clients.
Sentiment score
8.0
Fortinet FortiAP offers high ROI with robust security, minimal maintenance, and 80% cost savings compared to competitors.
Because of this security framework, it helps implement a zero touch approach, protecting against unauthorized access and vulnerabilities.
I do not have to continuously manage them, and their reliability means they are consistently up and running.
Fortinet FortiAP provides value for money, and I can quantify the savings at about 80%.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.4
Aruba Access Points support is generally praised for professionalism, though complex issues and HP's ticket system transitions present challenges.
Sentiment score
7.4
Fortinet FortiAP's customer service experiences vary, with mixed support quality influenced by region, service tier, and training resources.
For technical support alone, I would give them a score of nine out of ten.
Aruba's country manager is very responsive and supportive.
We keep a support contract open with Fortinet, so we have instantaneous response from them.
I am not satisfied with Fortinet FortiAP's technical support in India.
The technical support from Fortinet FortiAP is rated 7.5 out of ten.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Aruba Access Points are highly scalable and flexible, suitable for various businesses, with positive user reviews and cloud-enhanced scalability.
Sentiment score
7.4
Fortinet FortiAP is scalable, supporting thousands of users, but may require new purchases due to technology constraints.
Aruba access points integrate well with existing networks via PoE switches.
While scaling up to five hundred users, it may cause some performance issues.
There could be constraints where a product can't be scaled further without purchasing a new model.
We have good scalability with Fortinet FortiAP because we have multiple ISPs connected to it through FortiManager.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Aruba Access Points are highly rated for stability and reliability, despite minor issues after extended use or new firmware.
Sentiment score
7.2
Fortinet FortiAP's stability is mixed; some praise performance while others face disconnections and vulnerabilities, influenced by location and setup.
I have not experienced any issues, outages, or problems and have not had to interfere with them at all.
The stability of the solution is very high.
 

Room For Improvement

Aruba Access Points require improved coverage, security, support, integration, and pricing; users report bugs and inadequate technical support.
Fortinet FortiAP needs enhancements in wireless functionality, affordability, security integration, configuration, automation, compatibility, support, and reporting.
Some customers comment that the shape and size of the access point is a little big, especially the one installed in the guest room.
I would like Aruba to provide integration capabilities for Microsoft Entra ID, Azure Directory, or other identity verification engines like Okta, Google Identity, or Ping Identity.
I know they're going up to six soon, which will enhance reliability.
Security is always a concern for any business, and the network should not be compromised easily.
We earlier expected that Fortinet FortiAP could be managed through the cloud, which would be very good, but nowadays, FortiNet is providing FortiAPs with cloud management also.
 

Setup Cost

Aruba Access Points offer reasonable pricing with potential discounts, though hardware costs and licensing fees can be high.
Fortinet FortiAP offers competitive enterprise pricing, though licensing costs can be high, generally rated six to nine out of ten.
The pricing is reasonable and lower than competitors.
They are priced at half the rate of Juniper access points for basic models.
The license costs for Fortinet are more affordable when considering licensing costs with other leaders like Cisco.
Fortinet FortiAP is affordable, not expensive.
The pricing is much better than Cisco pricing.
 

Valuable Features

Aruba Access Points offer reliability, easy setup, robust features, advanced security, AI optimization, and seamless integration, making them preferred.
Fortinet FortiAP excels in integration, management, and security, providing stability and performance for small to medium enterprises.
The unique selling point of Aruba Access Points is the ClearPass technology which HPE has to offer.
We receive support from Aruba, with assistance from the country manager in providing better quotations and support for projects.
The ease of management with Aruba access points enables customers to connect them directly to their network via a PoE switch and manage them remotely from mobile devices.
Fortinet FortiAP is effective in protecting against wireless threats.
Compatibility with Fortinet firewalls allows clients to set up new businesses with integrated firewalls and access points, offering a cost-effective solution while providing excellent wireless coverage.
FortiAPs are an enterprise-level device capable of handling a large number of users and connections, ensuring quality.
 

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Access Points
Ranking in Wireless LAN
5th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiAP
Ranking in Wireless LAN
9th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Access Points is 1.7%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiAP is 5.6%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

PRADIPJOSHI - PeerSpot reviewer
Pricing competitiveness and remote management have enhanced network flexibility
One of the most valued aspects of Aruba access points is their price competitiveness; they are available at half the price of Juniper access points. Additionally, they do not require any kind of license for implementation. Despite this, many customers have their own firewall, and they can control everything from their firewall, ensuring flexibility. Furthermore, the ease of management with Aruba access points enables customers to connect them directly to their network via a PoE switch and manage them remotely from mobile devices.
Brian M. - PeerSpot reviewer
Enterprise-level control simplifies wireless management and increases reliability
FortiAPs are an enterprise-level device capable of handling a large number of users and connections, ensuring quality. A benefit is their controllability by local firewalls, which simplifies management and eliminates the need to buy separate hardware or virtual appliances. The integration is efficient, allowing for management through the firewall. Firmware updates are also pushed to Fortinet access points. The lack of maintenance needs and their reliability means I almost never experience wireless problems in the campuses where they are deployed.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Access Points?
After we installed the Aruba switches, the work became faster because the network speed improved.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Access Points?
Due to its pricing, Aruba access points provide good value. They are priced at half the rate of Juniper access points for basic models.
What needs improvement with Aruba Access Points?
I would like Aruba to provide integration capabilities for Microsoft Entra ID, Azure Directory, or other identity verification engines like Okta, Google Identity, or Ping Identity. It is important ...
What do you like most about FortiAP?
If we have FortiClient installed on multiple devices, it is seamless to connect with FortiAP. It supports passwordless authentication as well. That is a great thing about it.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for FortiAP?
Fortinet solutions are more cost-effective compared to Cisco. The license costs for Fortinet are more affordable when considering licensing costs with other leaders like Cisco.
What needs improvement with FortiAP?
I cannot pinpoint the exact improvements needed at the moment. However, security is always a concern for any business, and the network should not be compromised easily. There should be alerts to in...
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Access Points vs. Fortinet FortiAP and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.