Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Ubiquiti Wireless comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary
Updated on Mar 16, 2022

We performed a comparison between Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and Ubiquiti Wireless based on our users’ reviews in five categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.

  • Ease of Deployment: Users of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN say that the initial setup is straightforward and simple, most similar to a “plug-and-play” system. Ubiquiti Wireless reviewers also say that setup is not overly complex or difficult, and can be completed very quickly.
  • Features: Valuable features of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN include scalability, stability, IOT integration, an excellent interface, multiple types of user groupings and access management, good visibility, a comprehensive dashboard, fantastic network security, ease of installation, and a captive portal feature. The drawbacks users mention is that it lacks customization options, could benefit from heat mapping and better cyber security, and that there is a processing limitation when you have more than three or four SSIDs. Regarding users of Ubiquiti Wireless, users overwhelmingly praise the product's scalability and stability, its reliable hardware and its alarm alerting system, as well as its dual-band feature. Users of Ubiquiti Wireless say that they would appreciate more cloud features, better security for the adaptive portal, and simpler management for guests.
  • Pricing: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN users feel that the pricing could be better, especially with the licensing. In contrast, users of Ubiquiti Wireless state that the pricing is fair, some saying it is reasonable while others even consider it to be excellent.
  • Service and Support: Users of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN have rated service and support to be overall very positive and reliable. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN also has a knowledge base available online. Reviewers of Ubiquiti Wireless rate customer support as satisfactory, but some users feel disappointed that service and support can only be contacted via email or chat and not by phone. However, they do have online resources available, which seem to be sufficient enough for the users who tend to rely on it.
  • ROI: While no Ubiquiti Wireless users mention a direct ROI, users of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN have expressed that the gap in terms of performance, quality, features, and functionality has decreased significantly compared to what it was five years ago.

Comparison Results: Based on the parameters we compared, Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and Ubiquiti Wireless are similar to one another. Overall, PeerSpot users found that both solutions have unique features, including great scalability and stability. Users found Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN to be more expensive, but were generally happy with its service and support. Meanwhile, users of Ubiquiti Wireless are less satisfied with the customer service but happier with the price.

To learn more, read our detailed Wireless LAN Report (Updated: March 2023).
686,748 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"The most useful feature of Juniper Wireless AP is the reporting Marvis.""The most valuable feature of Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) is the ability to troubleshoot ports on the network. Additionally, when there is an update on the APs they are able to reboot quickly reducing downtime. Other solutions have a longer downtime when updates are done.""The simplicity is great.""In terms of reporting, in terms of all the user reports, it's very rich.""The solution is pretty generic and easy to use."

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"The initial setup is pretty straightforward.""The solution is easy to install.""There are many valuable features of Cisco Meraki, including the switches, stacking, and layer 3 routing.""The solution has worked very well in our campus environment.""The product has been very stable over the years.""I have found the scalability to be very good.""The most valuable feature is that the solution is friendly to manage.""The most valuable feature of this solution is the application visibility, which is one of the main features."

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"It is very stable and the equipment lasts quite a long time.""The most valuable feature of Ubiquiti Wireless is the ease of configuration.""Ubiquiti outdoor access points in particular, are really stable, and if there are no obstructions, Ubiquiti works well.""Ubiquiti devices are centrally managed, and you can log into the access points via SSH. If the GUI isn't working for some reason, you can intervene via SSH.""The most valuable aspect of Ubiquiti is the ease of setup. It's easy to set up, secure, and use. It works on an adoption basis. I can pull the system up, design a network, and pull 20 different Ubiquiti units into it.""Easy to use and flexible.""It's very easy to deploy.""The scalability of Ubiquiti Wireless is very good. We can add and transfer access points, it is highly scalable."

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Cons
"Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) could improve if the MIST platform had a built-in master key. This would be an advantage.""I need a bit more time with it before criticizing the features.""If you want to do more specific stuff, it's a bit limited.""The solution is expensive.""Juniper Wireless AP can improve by continually improving its reporting and integration with other systems."

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"We have used technical support for some issues but not many times.""The initial setup was simple. However, the full deployment could be easier.""They could also add some more controls for guest access. For example, when you have a captive portal, it would be nice to limit the amount of time users can stay connected per day. Right now, you can only configure the splash frequency. And you can set the connection for one hour, but you have to use the billing feature.""Quality of technical support varies.""The price could be slightly better, but then again, we negotiate deals every time so the market price isn't really relevant.""The technical support from Cisco is good, but they can improve themselves in some areas. Sometimes it takes a while to provide a solution or an answer to our problem.""Cisco offers pretty expensive devices.""It is super expensive for what you get. I just wish it was less expensive."

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"The network setup could be a little easier and more straightforward.""Everything needs to be professionally done.""Ubiquiti is also slow to adopt new technologies. We are transitioning to Wi-Fi 6, and there aren't many products. They have mostly Wi-Fi 5 products, but there are only two Wi-Fi 6 products. It's okay for places we have already equipped, but it's a bit hard for new places.""We use different models of the solution but in some cases, the security could improve in the adaptive portal, be a little more robust, and easier to use.""We'd like the solution to be more stable and have fewer firmware upgrades.""This product has issues with scalability and ease of manageability at scale. Security also needs to be improved, when compared to its competitors. Ubiquiti Wireless doesn't have any support that you can call. They only have an online portal where you can access support documentation, but it's not great. You have to figure out issues and solutions for yourself.""Their stock is a bit low compared to others, making it difficult to purchase.""This might not be the best solution for a very large organization."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "We pay maybe 1000 SEK per year, per access point."
  • "Juniper Wireless AP's price is a little more expensive than other solutions, but you get what you pay for."
  • "The pricing is something Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) can work on. The pricing is very high compared to the competition."
  • More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Meraki is a very good solution, but the price is quite high for small markets."
  • "It is expensive."
  • "I don't deal with pricing directly, however, it's my understanding that it is around $40 per unit."
  • "Its price is high and should be reduced."
  • "It is expensive, but it is a good product."
  • "Its licensing is on a yearly basis. It can be for three, five, or ten years. I'm happy with the pricing. You basically pay for what you get. It is that simple. When you look at Ubiquiti or Aruba, Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN far outweighs what you get. If you're in the UK, Ubiquiti gives a three-year or five-year warranty, whereas here in the UAE, they only give a one-year warranty, which is no good to me. Who buys a piece of equipment with only one year warranty on it? It doesn't make sense."
  • "It is super expensive for what you get. You also have to buy a license every year. Otherwise, it stops working."
  • "Since it's been acquired by Cisco, it's an even higher cost."
  • More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "I like the fact that it offers enterprise features at a cheap price. If you compare it with Cisco, it has most of the features that Cisco has been offering but at a lesser price. I am satisfied with its price."
  • "The price has been fair for what I have been using it for. There is no license for this solution."
  • "There are no licensing fees for this solution, but the cost is on the higher side."
  • "This solution is cheaper compared to others."
  • "The price of the solution is high and could be cheaper."
  • "The product is around $300 or $400 depending on the device. It's a one-time fee. There aren't ongoing licensing costs."
  • "We don't buy directly. We have our finance department that buys things. My speculation on the price is that because we buy from private companies and because the product is imported, people tend to give us at higher prices. This is due to the fact that it is government procurement. So, sometimes, they are not paid directly, and they have to go through the whole administrative process before they are paid. So, they tend to compensate by increasing the price, but I won't be able to say what is the exact price."
  • "It's a cost-effective solution."
  • More Ubiquiti Wireless Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:In terms of reporting, in terms of all the user reports, it's very rich.
    Top Answer:It is a very expensive product. Not every company could afford a device like this. The cost is around 1.2 lakhs, or… more »
    Top Answer:I haven't had any issues with the product. The solution is expensive. That is why we have a very minor deployment.
    Top Answer:Depends.  I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them.  Extreme I am not, so unless they have… more »
    Top Answer:Cisco Wireless is very robust, very rugged, and can handle indoor and outdoor coverage extremely well. We found it to be… more »
    Top Answer:Cisco’s Meraki Virtual MX is a virtual instance of the Meraki SD-WAN appliance. We liked the Meraki. The Wifi APs are a… more »
    Top Answer:Ubiquiti Wireless is extremely easy to set up and is an excellent option for small businesses, offering enterprise… more »
    Top Answer:For me, Ubiquiti was easy to install, configure, set up, and maintain, while also providing solid coverage and better… more »
    Top Answer:Ubiquiti Wireless offers a wide range of WLAN products. We tested their devices before ultimately choosing Cisco Meraki… more »
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series), Mist Access Points
    MR18, MR26, MR32, MR34, MR66, MR72, Meraki Wireless LAN, Meraki WLAN
    Learn More
    Overview

    Juniper Wireless Access Points work in conjunction with Juniper Mist Cloud Services and Mist AI to deliver premier wireless access capabilities. The Juniper Mist Edge extends microservices to the campus to bring agility and scale while enabling new applications at the edge.

    Cisco Meraki access points are built from the highest grade components and carefully optimized for a seamless user experience. The outcome: faster connections, greater user capacity, more coverage, and fewer support calls. The Cisco Meraki dashboard gives visibility into the network users, their devices, and their applications. Armed with rich analytics, administrators can quickly create access control and application usage policies, optimizing both the end-user experience and network security.
    Ubiquiti Wireless is connecting Everyone, Everywhere
    Offer
    Learn more about Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points
    Learn more about Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
    Learn more about Ubiquiti Wireless
    Sample Customers
    Information Not Available
    Advanced Medical Transport, Banco de Guayaquil, Baylor Scott & White Health, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, Calligaris, Children's Hospital Colorado, City of Biel, Del Papa Distributing, Department of Justice, Dimension Data, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Hertz, K&L Gates , LightEdge, Lone Star College System, Management Science Associates, Mindtree, NBC Olympics, Quest, Sony Corporation, The Department of Education in Western Australia, Valley Proteins
    NASCAR Grand-AM, Maritime Parc, Outdoor Music Festival, British Armed Forces, Arcadia School District, Moscow - Enforta
    Top Industries
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company19%
    Government8%
    Educational Organization7%
    Comms Service Provider6%
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider20%
    Non Profit10%
    Educational Organization10%
    Financial Services Firm8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company19%
    Comms Service Provider13%
    Government7%
    Educational Organization6%
    REVIEWERS
    University14%
    Energy/Utilities Company14%
    Educational Organization14%
    Hospitality Company11%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company15%
    Comms Service Provider15%
    Government7%
    Manufacturing Company6%
    Company Size
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business30%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise54%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business54%
    Midsize Enterprise21%
    Large Enterprise25%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business28%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise55%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business64%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise21%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business37%
    Midsize Enterprise18%
    Large Enterprise45%
    Buyer's Guide
    Wireless LAN
    March 2023
    Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Networks, Cisco, Ruckus and others in Wireless LAN. Updated: March 2023.
    686,748 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is ranked 2nd in Wireless LAN with 48 reviews while Ubiquiti Wireless is ranked 1st in Wireless WAN with 38 reviews. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is rated 8.0, while Ubiquiti Wireless is rated 7.8. The top reviewer of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN writes "Highly reliable, effective site blocking, and beneficial reports". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Ubiquiti Wireless writes "Attractive pricing and good for home use and small businesses, but not easily scalable and lacks security features". Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is most compared with Aruba Wireless, Cisco Wireless, Mist AI and Cloud, Ruckus Wireless and Fortinet FortiWLM, whereas Ubiquiti Wireless is most compared with Ruckus Wireless WAN, Cambium Networks Wireless WAN, Aruba Wireless, Fortinet FortiWLM and ExtremeCloud IQ.

    We monitor all Wireless LAN reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.