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Aruba Wireless vs Ubiquiti UniFi comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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 Wireless
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
151
Ranking in other categories
Wireless LAN (1st)
Ubiquiti UniFi
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
Wi-Fi Hotspot Software (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Enterprise Networking solutions, they serve different purposes. Aruba Wireless is designed for Wireless LAN and holds a mindshare of 12.3%, down 17.1% compared to last year.
Ubiquiti UniFi, on the other hand, focuses on Wi-Fi Hotspot Software, holds 26.8% mindshare, down 34.0% since last year.
Wireless LAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Aruba Wireless12.3%
Ruckus Wireless10.8%
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN9.3%
Other67.6%
Wireless LAN
Wi-Fi Hotspot Software Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Ubiquiti UniFi26.8%
Purple WiFi35.0%
Guest Internet Solutions27.5%
Other10.700000000000003%
Wi-Fi Hotspot Software
 

Featured Reviews

CK
Network Administrator at Nippon Express Canada Ltd.
Wireless network has supported long-term reliable access and simplifies RF optimization
I have experience with Cisco products and the Cisco brand. The product is mainly a hardware product. Regarding the software part, I don't have a lot of experience. Aruba Wireless was not too difficult to set up. When compared with other products such as Cisco, they also have products with wireless controllers, and it's similar to that. I think it should be recommended for both bigger and smaller companies based on the feedback and our experience. I believe there should be AI functions that might help us in some cases of cybersecurity matters, detecting threats regarding security would be better with AI. For this role, I have more than twenty years of experience. I would rate Aruba Wireless eight out of ten overall.
NN
IT Manager at Handi Quilter, Inc.
Has provided reliable long-term video storage without ongoing fees
You pay more upfront for Ubiquiti UniFi, but you don't receive substantial support, which is problematic. They previously provided setup support but discontinued this service, though you save money overall by not paying monthly fees. I would rate Ubiquiti UniFi's support zero because they've always had inadequate support. Trying to get someone on the phone is nearly impossible, and although they now have a support plan, emergency help is frustratingly difficult to find when the company doesn't provide it.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Aruba is an excellent option for campus wireless."
"With our Aruba configuration, we have a robust, rock-solid, enterprise wireless environment, that is literally maintenance free."
"With the powerful feature in ClearPass, AirWave, MM and other subsystems, this centrally managed Wi-Fi solution offers the University members and guests a unified user experience, enabling IT staff to administer all component, particularly in search of a technical issue."
"It's a stable solution; we haven't had any issues, and it's reliable with good performance."
"Overall, it's a very strong solution."
"The most valuable feature is the client match."
"We are satisfied and think that the security features in Aruba Wireless are good; when compared with Cisco and FortiGate, Aruba Wireless is comparable to Cisco and better than FortiGate."
"I think Aruba Wireless' Wi-Fi 6 capability is something that really makes a difference. We used to have bottlenecks. Each user has one laptop on one mobile device, so that equals 40 devices connecting to one AP. The Wi-Fi 5 series couldn't handle the traffic during peak hours, and when I say "peak hours," I mean Monday at 11 a.m. We used to see a lot of packet drops, but we haven't seen that problem at all since we moved to Wi-Fi 6."
"The most beneficial aspects of Ubiquiti UniFi are pricing, because it is significantly cheaper compared to major enterprise vendors such as Cisco, Aruba, or Fortinet."
"The UniFi controller is user-friendly and it is very easy to manage."
"The advantage of Ubiquiti UniFi is that you can have on-premise storage and avoid all cloud fees, allowing you to keep building your storage, adding more video storage units, and store video for up to three years and nine months without paying external fees."
"Firmware can be pushed or manually updated."
"Overall, the suite of tools is quite useful."
"The cloud management has revolutionized the way we provide services to clients, onsite trips have almost ceased and once complicated changes are made in minutes."
"The cloud management has revolutionized the way we provide services to clients, onsite trips have almost ceased and once complicated changes are made in minutes."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is how it is centralized."
 

Cons

"My main concern about this product is the price."
"I would like to see a faster web interface in the controller and more troubleshooting tools, including real-time troubleshooting tools."
"The user interface could be improved in Aruba Wireless. This would make the setup easier."
"MAC authentication against an external Radius server while using 802.1X. This feature will help the L2 devices to authenticate via external Radius servers."
"There is a lot of information for users about the product, but it needs to be better organized so that solutions are easier to find."
"We have 64 AP's around the site and with more and more students bringing in their wireless devices, we are only now starting to see some cracks."
"The Return Material Authorization procedure is time-consuming and needs improvement."
"Needs improvement in point-to-point deployment products."
"A more powerful heatmapping application in the controller would assist in more reliable WiFi modeling."
"The one bad part, it is almost nonexistent and relies on a user community."
"After a couple of years, the Access point reached EOL and no support was available for Controller updates."
"The level of support is limited. When I am stuck with any technical issues, it takes a long time to fix."
"Setting up IP generation for something like guest access is pretty confusing and should be improved."
"I don't like the concept of the QoS, Quality of Service configuration because it doesn't give very granular configuration access to prioritize network traffic."
"Better pre-purchase docs, as I have to contact support via chat for some things that should already be in documents."
"Email support is slow. Community support is good, but it can be spotty."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licencing can be surprising and needs improvement. Look into all features, what you need versus what you want, and know that nothing comes without some kind of license."
"Aruba is probably cheaper than Cisco, and yet you get all the things that you want."
"Besides paying for the APs, you need to pay a license each year for their use. Therefore, watch out for that and do the best you can to keep costs down.​"
"Aruba is less expensive than Cisco."
"The pricing is fair and similar to other products."
"I think they should lower their prices."
"I don't know the exact costs associated with Aruba Wireless, but I have a rough idea, and it's not too cheap, though it's less costly than Cisco Wireless. Pricing for Aruba Wireless is moderate. It's a three out of five."
"Pricing support has always been cost-effective."
Information not available
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Comparison Review

it_user212721 - PeerSpot reviewer
President at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Mar 24, 2015
Cisco vs. Aruba Wireless Solutions
Cisco or Aruba Networks? If you are considering wireless access solutions, this is a common question that you are probably asking. You probably have sales people knocking at your door. How do you make sense of all the stories that you are presented with. If you have done any research, you are…
 

Answers from the Community

Vinny Govender - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Applications Specialist at bioMérieux
Jul 26, 2022
Jul 26, 2022
1 Ruckus 2 Aruba 3 Cambium It depends on your enviroment. Greetings
2 out of 9 answers
AH
IT Admin at a educational organization with 51-200 employees
Nov 15, 2021
Hi, You can purchase WiFi access points from any of the above vendors. But it must be a commercial access point as in AP a few connect to the limited devices and a few can connect large devices with a single AP. It will totally depend on your work environment and access point signals covering the area. In the hall, AP can cover a large area but there is a concrete wall between two rooms or a corridor then it can down the signal to 50 DBM. So, when deciding on a WIFI/AP keep all these things in mind.
EK
Partner / Owner at Bimel Elektronik Mamuller Paz. Ltd.
Nov 15, 2021
If you want high performance and stability, you should definitely go with Ruckus Wireless.  Ruckus Wireless APs have: - Adaptive antenna technology (called BeamFlex) This technology analyzes different paths to reach the client and electronically turns itself to a directional antenna, choosing the path that gives the best performance to reach each specific client. If the client is mobile or if the environment changes (such as a warehouse) the selection of paths/direction also changes instantly. Transmitting in a directional way allows a good Signal-to-Noise Ratio and also causes less interference for other nearby APs outside the path of the directional transmission. - ChannelFly technology This technology chooses the best channel based on performance rather than background scanning for noise. - Polarization Diversity This technology allows the clients not to lose signal strength when held at different angles (important for mobile devices such as tablets and telephones). - Better receive sensitivity compared to the competitors All these features make Ruckus Wireless a better choice than any other competitor (better performance, better coverage area, more stable and surprise-free communication especially in not so easy conditions such as noise, too many clients, too much traffic).
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Comms Service Provider
14%
Computer Software Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
6%
University
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business77
Midsize Enterprise47
Large Enterprise77
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise1
 

Questions from the Community

What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?
Depends. I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them. Extreme I am not, so unless they have some feature that I need or want, I wouldn't consider them. Do you have expe...
Aruba Wireless or Ruckus Wireless?
At my organization, we researched Ruckus Wireless among other solutions but ultimately chose Aruba wireless. What did we like about Ruckus? First, it was very easy to use, and anybody with minimal...
How does Cisco Wireless compare with Aruba Wireless?
On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three hours, the basic framework can be set up. Step-by-step instructions are availabl...
What needs improvement with Ubiquiti UniFi?
The major issue I see is connected with troubleshooting, which is my main concern. Troubleshooting capabilities are limited, and some advanced features are missing. For example, enterprise Wi-Fi so...
What is your primary use case for Ubiquiti UniFi?
My major use case for Ubiquiti UniFi is enterprise Wi-Fi.
What advice do you have for others considering Ubiquiti UniFi?
I currently work with Fortinet products like FortiGate and FortiSwitch, though I do not have experience with FortiAP in the past two years. I am planning to buy the FortiSwitch Data Center in a few...
 

Also Known As

Aruba WLAN, HP WLAN, HP Wireless, Aruba Instant On AP Series Access Point
UniFi
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Consulate Health Care, Los Angeles Unified School District, Science Applications International Corp (SAIC), San Diego State University, KFC, ACTS Retirement-Life Communities
NASCAR Grand-AM, Maritime Parc, Outdoor Music Festival, One Republic Tour, British Armed Forces, Arcadia School District, Bartlett School District, Universidad del Azuay, Estelar Hotels, Intercontinental Bali, Moscow - Enforta, Miami - Sling Broadband, Manhattan - MST, Ecuador - Aire.EC
Find out what your peers are saying about Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Ruckus, Cisco and others in Wireless LAN. Updated: May 2026.
894,807 professionals have used our research since 2012.