Aruba Instant vs Fortinet FortiWLC comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Fortinet are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.6, while Fortinet is ranked #27. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 2.2% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Fortinet’s 0.6% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Fortinet users who would recommend it.

Aruba Instant

Read 52 Aruba Instant reviews

2,107 Views
2,023 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiWLC

Read 3 Fortinet FortiWLC reviews

384 Views
361 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Aruba Instant

Fortinet FortiWLC

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Fortinet FortiWLC and Aruba Instant compete in the wireless networking solutions category. Aruba Instant is often deemed superior due to its comprehensive feature set and ease of management, while Fortinet FortiWLC is favored for pricing and customer support.

Features: Fortinet FortiWLC provides strong scalability, integrated security features, and flexible growth capacity. Aruba Instant offers centralized platform management, advanced automation, and seamless integration into existing IT infrastructures.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Aruba Instant has a streamlined deployment model with substantial automation capabilities, reducing setup time and enhancing operational efficiency. Customer service is praised for its promptness and effectiveness. Fortinet FortiWLC's deployment is straightforward but might require more manual configuration. Its customer service is recognized for immediate issue resolution.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiWLC is known for its competitive pricing and solid ROI, appealing to projects focusing on long-term cost-efficiency. It offers lower upfront costs, making it attractive for cost-sensitive projects. Aruba Instant, while potentially more expensive initially, tends to offer a better ROI through long-term performance and advanced features, suitable for resource-rich projects.

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

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant 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

Ranking in Wireless LAN

11th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

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 is 2.2%, up from 2.1% 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	2.2%
Fortinet FortiWLC	0.6%
Other	97.2%

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

SreejeshSoman

Technical Consultant at Vertex Techno Solutions (B) Pvt Ltd

Has supported mid-market deployments with cloud-based centralized management and reliable wireless performance

I faced challenges earlier with a limitation of 50 APs in single sites, but that has enhanced to 100 numbers, eliminating that challenge for Aruba Instant On team. Additionally, some features are not listed in the cloud management platform and still require offline access, so enhancing the cloud management features would be better for us.

Read full review

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.

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

"You don't have to deal with licenses."

"The quick setup and automatic code embedded in one access point is really useful."

"The most valuable feature of Aruba Instant is its cloud capability, which allows us to manage it through the cloud."

"We like being able to merge Aruba Instant to mobile via Bluetooth. You are also able to perform a lot of functions remotely such as creating an SSID IP."

"The deployment guides that we get from Aruba are excellent."

"In terms of stability, Aruba Instant is the best on the market."

"The coverage of the solution is great."

"The most valuable features of the solution are in the areas like routing and VLAN."

More Aruba Instant pros

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

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

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

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

Cons

"The wireless coverage should be increased"

"Doesn't support enough access points in one cluster."

"An important missing feature is the console port, which allows direct management without the cloud."

"The only issue we've had is getting equipment supplies. The availability of the APs that I want to use has been an issue. It took almost two months to get them the first time. I've ordered a few more for another client, and they're still on back order. It has been over a month now."

"It is a software characteristic, and it is during the reboot. During the startup of the AP, the AP tells you that you are using the wrong password. However, I have realized that this is not true."

"For on-premises, I would rate the scalability a seven out of ten. For on-prem, if I want to integrate two more controls, and I want to extend my network , and add a couple of access points that need to be integrated with my network, I have to do the configurations and all. So that will be each and every time, as and when the users expand, the Wi-Fi solution expands; I need to do the configuration settings on all other controllers."

"The Central cloud management (optional) is far behind the competition in features, ease of use, and dependability. I have tried Aruba Central a few times over the years and, in my option, it is not where it needs to be for serious consideration in production environments."

"The meshing could use improvement but aside from that nothing else really needs improvement."

More Aruba Instant cons

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

"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."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution's pricing is reasonable."

"The tool's pricing is neither cheap nor expensive."

"In my region right now, Aruba Instant comes with a default two-year cloud access license."

"It's a one time cost, including the upgrades, but you have to pay on a yearly basis if you want support. The price is in the middle in comparison to that of competitors' products."

"The setup cost varies based on each organization's requirements but it is within reason."

"Some aspect of the price of Aruba Instant is very economical because if the customer is requiring more features the customer needs to pay a higher amount."

"Aruba Instant is a free subscription with a limited lifetime warranty."

"The cost was affordable."

More Aruba Instant 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

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	31
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	14

No data available

Questions from the Community

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 Aruba Instant?

I find network management features related to monitoring Wi-Fi usage and visited sites particularly valuable. Content filtering is also important to prevent access to malicious or inappropriate web...

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

In my experience, Aruba Instant's price is reasonable compared to premium products like Ruckus, Cisco, or Juniper. However, when compared to entry-level market segments, the price is higher. Overal...

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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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Aruba Instant On Access Points vs Aruba Instant

Compared 14% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Aruba Instant

Compared 12% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Aruba Instant

Compared 9% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs Aruba Instant

Compared 9% of the time

More Aruba Instant Competitors

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points vs Fortinet FortiWLC

Compared 42% of the time

Fortinet FortiWLM vs Fortinet FortiWLC

Compared 29% of the time

Omada Access Points vs Fortinet FortiWLC

Compared 29% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant

December 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Wireless LAN

December 2025

Download Fortinet FortiWLC product report

Overview

Aruba Instant delivers the only controllerless Wi-Fi solution that is easy to set-up, and loaded with security and smarts needed to accelerate your business without breaking your budget.

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

Purdue University, Orlando Magic, Brussels Airport Company, Molecaten Holiday Parks

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

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant vs. Fortinet FortiWLC

December 2025

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