Aruba Instant vs Fortinet FortiWLC comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Fortinet are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.3, while Fortinet is ranked #25. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 2.0% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Fortinet’s 0.2% 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 51 Aruba Instant reviews

2,352 Views
2,281 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiWLC

Read 3 Fortinet FortiWLC reviews

370 Views
337 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: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant vs. Fortinet FortiWLC

June 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

10th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Fortinet FortiWLC

Ranking in Wireless LAN

25th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant is 2.0%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLC is 0.2%, down from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

Alessandro Salvadori

Sales Engineer at SGE

Comes at a good price and has a good cloud console

We usually sell Aruba Instant where there is no need for more than four or five switches. It is generally recommended for very small companies where we don't need more than three or four switches We are using it only for very small companies. We have had a reduction in time, but it is not that…

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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

"Works automatically in terms of setup with the product finding its master wifi access point."

"The access it grants to wifi is the solution's most valuable feature."

"Aruba's mobility features, which facilitate seamless switching between wireless access points, are also quite impressive. Users don't even notice the transition, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted experience."

"The tool's most valuable feature is Captive Portal, which we employ for our guest network. It enables us to create a separate virtual subnet for guests, ensuring their network traffic remains isolated from our office network. Another valuable feature is its role-based access control. This functionality allows us to assign different access privileges to users based on their roles within the organization."

"The simplicity of the dashboard is one of the most valuable features. It's easy to use, and manage and the security features are robust. We can block unauthorized connections and create secure SSIDs."

"I've worked with other products, but I prefer Aruba because of its cost and simplicity."

"The solution is stable, and we are satisfied."

"Aruba Instant is cloud-based, and thus, it improves wireless network performance on cloud platforms. The solution allows network monitoring through devices like mobiles and desktops, which is a feasible option. The tool also has Bluetooth settings so a user can deploy Aruba Instant through a serial number or the Bluetooth option."

More Aruba Instant pros

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

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

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

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

Cons

"The security features must be improved."

"The product's high cost is an area where improvements are required."

"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."

"The product’s GUI must be improved."

"It would be better if Aruba Instant could provide more security for customers."

"In a corporate environment or a larger network, where more advanced filtering or MAC-based filtering is needed, I don't think the IAPs would be sufficient."

"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."

"The captive portal through Facebook doesn't work."

More Aruba Instant cons

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

"However, 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."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There’s no licensing required to use the tool."

"We pay about $300 per access point."

"I rate the product’s pricing a two out of ten."

"I personally would rather pay that little bit more and get what I need because I know what I'm getting, as opposed to going for something cheaper that's not as manageable and doesn't give as much."

"The product has increased its pricing by at least 30 percent."

"The cost was affordable."

"It is not expensive. Its price is fair. You get many features with the normal licensing. If I look at Cisco, it is very expensive if I need similar things."

"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."

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

15%

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Construction Company

Financial Services Firm

10%

Non Profit

10%

Comms Service Provider

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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...

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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.

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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 14% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Aruba Instant

Compared 12% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs Aruba Instant

Compared 9% of the time

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs Aruba Instant

Compared 7% of the time

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Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points vs Fortinet FortiWLC

Compared 51% of the time

Fortinet FortiWLM vs Fortinet FortiWLC

Compared 49% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant

July 2025

Download Aruba Instant product report

Buyer's Guide

Wireless LAN

June 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

June 2025

Free Report: Aruba Instant vs. Fortinet FortiWLC

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