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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
6.0
Aruba Access Points offer cost-effective improvements, operational efficiency, and user preference, with reduced management needs and favorable total ownership costs.
Sentiment score
6.3
Fortinet FortiAP offers high ROI with robust security, minimal maintenance, and 80% cost savings compared to competitors.
This is why we do not require technical support, as the solution remains simple without AI implementation.
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
6.7
Aruba Access Points' support is generally efficient and responsive, though complex issue handling can be inconsistent across regions.
Sentiment score
7.5
Fortinet FortiAP's customer service experiences vary, with mixed support quality influenced by region, service tier, and training resources.
A company called ACT is very good at support.
For technical support alone, I would give them a score of nine out of ten.
Because we work with different HP products, such as servers, storage, and high-end switches, technical assistance is only needed when there are issues on the compute side.
We keep a support contract open with Fortinet, so we have instantaneous response from them.
The RMA process is very good, with same-day replacement in our case.
I am not satisfied with Fortinet FortiAP's technical support in India.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.4
Aruba Access Points are praised for their robust scalability, flexible deployments, and efficient handling of increasing demands.
Sentiment score
6.9
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.
Scalability and expandability are adjusted from day one based on expansion and growth projections.
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 valued for stability, rated 7-10, with minor issues after prolonged use.
Sentiment score
6.6
Fortinet FortiAP's stability is mixed; some praise performance while others face disconnections and vulnerabilities, influenced by location and setup.
The failure rate is very rare.
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 better coverage, security, support, pricing, integration, and licensing clarity to enhance competitiveness and user satisfaction.
Fortinet FortiAP needs improvements in wireless functionality, support, outdoor performance, and configuration, despite effective cloud management capabilities.
Everyone discusses AI, but for providing wireless access to users, AI only plays its part when analytics are needed.
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.
Security is always a concern for any business, and the network should not be compromised easily.
I know they're going up to six soon, which will enhance reliability.
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 competitive pricing with manageable licensing fees, cheaper than Cisco and Huawei, providing good overall value.
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.
When comparing pricing between Aruba Access Points and Forti, I find Aruba to be on the higher side.
The license costs for Fortinet are more affordable when considering licensing costs with other leaders like Cisco.
The pricing is a little bit high, and I would rate it a ten on the scale where ten is the highest price.
The pricing is much better than Cisco pricing.
 

Valuable Features

Aruba Access Points provide cost-effective, secure, scalable connectivity with AI Insights, guest authentication, and seamless third-party integration.
Fortinet FortiAP excels in integration, management, and security, providing stability and performance for small to medium enterprises.
We receive support from Aruba, with assistance from the country manager in providing better quotations and support for projects.
Additionally, they do not require any kind of license for implementation.
Price-wise, they are cheaper than Cisco and other options.
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.
Fortinet FortiAP is effective in protecting against wireless threats.
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
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
39
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiAP
Ranking in Wireless LAN
6th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Access Points is 2.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiAP is 6.2%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Aruba Access Points2.5%
Fortinet FortiAP6.2%
Other91.3%
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.
Shahnawaz Nusrat - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business20
Midsize Enterprise9
Large Enterprise11
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise3
 

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?
When comparing pricing between Aruba Access Points and Forti, I find Aruba to be on the higher side.
What needs improvement with Aruba Access Points?
AI is a buzzword here without substance. In a practical sense, nobody is working with AI or willing to work with AI features. Everyone discusses AI, but for providing wireless access to users, AI o...
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 needs improvement with FortiAP?
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 env...
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Access Points vs. Fortinet FortiAP and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
872,706 professionals have used our research since 2012.