Aruba Instant On Access Points vs Fortinet FortiWLC comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Fortinet are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.9, while Fortinet is ranked #27. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 1.9% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Fortinet’s 0.6% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Fortinet users who would recommend it.

Aruba Instant On Access Points

Read 33 Aruba Instant On Access Points reviews

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1,461 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiWLC

Read 3 Fortinet FortiWLC reviews

384 Views
361 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Aruba Instant On Access Points

Fortinet FortiWLC

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Fortinet FortiWLC and Aruba Instant On Access Points are competing in the wireless network management and access points sector. Fortinet has more favorable pricing and support, while Aruba offers advanced features justifying its price.

Features: Fortinet FortiWLC provides robust network management, scalability, and seamless integration within IT environments. Aruba Instant On Access Points offers ease of use, mobile app management, and advanced security features, catering to superior usability.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fortinet FortiWLC is recognized for its straightforward deployment in large-scale networks and responsive customer service. Aruba Instant On Access Points uses a plug-and-play model, simplifying setup without technical expertise, though it provides less extensive support, focusing on user simplicity.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiWLC presents a competitive setup cost, offering solid ROI appealing to budget-conscious buyers. Aruba Instant On Access Points, despite a higher initial investment, provides value through reduced operational complexity and quick ROI due to lower lifecycle costs, reflecting Fortinet's cost-effectiveness versus Aruba’s investment in advanced capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Fortinet FortiWLC Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Fortinet FortiWLC

December 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

Aruba Instant On Access Points

Ranking in Wireless LAN

9th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Fortinet FortiWLC

Ranking in Wireless LAN

27th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant On Access Points is 1.9%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLC is 0.6%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Aruba Instant On Access Points	1.9%
Fortinet FortiWLC	0.6%
Other	97.5%

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

ANKIT GAJJAR

IT Project Manager at CPS TECHNOLOGIES

Have faced challenges with visibility and support while exploring more accessible alternatives

I have been working with Aruba Instant On Access Points for the last five years, implementing the HP Enterprise series grade Wi-Fi in the Surat Diamond Bourse. HP Aruba is easily available in the India market, so sometimes customers are preferring the HP Aruba Central solution. When we talk about Cisco WireWorks, my thoughts about Advanced Threat Detection indicate that Cisco needs to improve the visibility of its products in the India market, as there is very much less visibility right now. I would rate the stability of Aruba Instant On Access Points as the best one. Overall, I rate Aruba Instant On Access Points eight out of ten, as Aruba is a most versatile solution. I can definitely recommend Aruba Instant On Access Points to others.

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Md.Mehedi Hassan

Team Lead Manager at Blue Pill Ltd

Offers a seamless and secure WiFi experience with outstanding customer support

FortiWLC is valuable due to its security features and the seamless WiFi experience it provides. Our customers benefit greatly from the security aspect, especially since they are already using Fortinet for Firewall services. The security features are crucial for their requirements. The stability and ease of use of FortiWLC also add to its effectiveness.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The coverage Aruba provides across the physical area is much better. Most probably because of the new technology, the 4x4 antenna, and everything around it. It's just a much better, easier to use, and easier to manage product."

"It's really easy to set up. And, you don't have to pay for the cloud solution. That's really interesting for our clients. And the other thing is, the roaming is also quite good."

"The virtual Controller feature is valuable."

"The advantages of Aruba Instant On Access Points include using a mobile application to control various aspects, making it a user-friendly solution for home use."

"The most valuable feature of Aruba Instant On Access Points is they are easy to manage."

"It's super user-friendly."

"The product's initial setup phase is too easy."

"Regarding access points, the customer typically considers low-cost plans, and Ruckus Unleashed Access Points are commonly used. These access points are managed through the Microsoft console and can be accessed either with or without ports. The management is done through a controller. The main benefits customers see include cost-effectiveness, especially for those with budget constraints. Aruba, in particular, provides a good user experience. Some customers might choose Huawei, but enterprise access points are also considered. Additionally, the unified access point capabilities are valuable, allowing management from the same account. However, there is a limitation of twenty-five access points, and if a customer requires more, they need to create another site or account. If the customer exceeds twenty-five access points, they need to generate another site or virtual business to manage additional access points, as the external number is limited to twenty-five."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points pros

"FortiWLC is valuable due to its security features and the seamless WiFi experience it provides."

"I rate the overall solution a ten out of ten."

"It's easy to set everything up during implementation."

"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiWLC is the overall high quality."

Cons

"While it is mostly scalable, there are some limitations."

"It is suitable for smaller organizations, but it may not be the best choice for large enterprises."

"When there are a lot of people connected, especially during video streaming demonstrations, the connection can get a bit choppy."

"The product's machine or equipment can cater to around 20 connections and cannot go beyond 50 simultaneous connections, because of which I think the tool's scalability is limited."

"If there's a way to get a floor map of our office space so we can place the access points on a map to be able to see what's what, where everything is going, where the most traffic is being connected, that would be a nice feature."

"The Unifi Controller is slower compared to other options like Aruba."

"The solution should include higher speed and lesser cost."

"The pricing could be a little cheaper."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points cons

"Fortinet FortiWLC is not simple to configure when compared to other solutions. The design could be better."

"One thing that is lacking is, compared with some other brands, the signal is a bit weaker. Ruckus has much wider signal coverage."

"However, for massive implementations, Fortinet should consider reducing the price to make it more affordable."

"For massive implementations, Fortinet should consider reducing the price to make it more affordable."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is expensive."

"I rate the product's pricing a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive."

"It is competitively priced. It was at a price point that made sense for me to put in my home, and that says something. The cost of the solution includes everything we need to manage and upgrade our Wi-Fi network, including the mobile management app. Having the licensing and all the functionality built into the base price of the product is really important for me. There are no extra costs for the security feature or automatic software/firmware updates, which is really important to me."

"Its price is fair. It is not really cheap, and it is also not expensive. It is in the middle."

"It's a cost-effective solution."

"Aruba Instant On Access Points are license-free. It's a very good and cheap solution for wireless networks. It can be compared with solutions from Ubiquiti and TP-Link, but it is in a different class. Aruba Instant On Access Points are cheaper than those from Cisco, Ruckus, and Motorola. It's perhaps the cheapest one. They do not use licenses, so it is a solution from the box. You don't need to pay extra money or deal with hidden payments."

"There is a need to make yearly payments towards the standard licensing charges associated with the product. There are some additional costs associated with the product since I have seen customers who purchase three-year or five-year plans."

"It needs a license."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points pricing and cost advice

"The price of Fortinet FortiWLC is high. The solution will be out of the market for us because the price is too high for the features it provides."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Hospitality Company

Performing Arts

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	23
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	9

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Instant On Access Points?

When comparing pricing with Cisco, Aruba Instant On Access Points are competitively priced, making them affordable solutions for SMBs, rather than being higher priced.

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What needs improvement with Aruba Instant On Access Points?

I believe that software usability could be improved.

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What is your primary use case for Aruba Instant On Access Points?

My clients mostly request Aruba Instant On Access Points for use cases involving IoT utilization, bandwidth utilization, and user interference monitoring. All products are monitored from HP Aruba C...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiWLC?

I cannot disclose the license price, however, I recommend Fortinet reduce its pricing for massive implementations.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLC?

Until now, I have not observed any issues. However, for massive implementations, Fortinet should consider reducing the price to make it more affordable.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiWLC?

We are resellers of FortiWLC, and our customers mainly use it in enterprise settings, particularly for chemical companies.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 16% of the time

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Compared 12% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Compared 10% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Compared 9% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Compared 8% of the time

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Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points vs Fortinet FortiWLC

Compared 34% of the time

Fortinet FortiWLM vs Fortinet FortiWLC

Compared 26% of the time

Omada Access Points vs Fortinet FortiWLC

Compared 23% of the time

Aruba Instant vs Fortinet FortiWLC

Compared 17% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Access Points

January 2026

Download Aruba Instant On Access Points product report

Buyer's Guide

Wireless LAN

December 2025

Download Fortinet FortiWLC product report

Overview

Ingredients for success.

Fast 802.11ac Wave 2, secure employee and guest access, easy-to-use web, and mobile app management.

Say yes to secure Wi-Fi access.

Pre-built access control lists (ACLs) and built-in firewall in the access points prevent malicious traffic from entering your network – we call it “hassle-free” security.

Never drop an important call.

With Instant On, voice and video business applications are automatically prioritized, so you stay connected with your peers.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Fortinet controllers for infrastructure Wi-Fi manage authentication and encryption of our enterprise-class infrastructure access points. These controllers are powered by Fortinet’s System Director operating system for seamless mobility and high-density environments.

Fortinet

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Fortinet FortiWLC

December 2025

Free Report: Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Fortinet FortiWLC

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