Ekahau Site Survey vs iBwave Wi-Fi comparison

Ekahau and iBwave are both solutions in the Network Modeling and Simulation category. Ekahau is ranked #1 with an average rating of 7.9, while iBwave is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.5. Ekahau holds a 25.8% mindshare in NM, compared to iBwave’s 10.7% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Ekahau users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 89% of iBwave users who would recommend it.

Ekahau Site Survey

Read 35 Ekahau Site Survey reviews

4,210 Views
2,257 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

iBwave Wi-Fi

Read 12 iBwave Wi-Fi reviews

1,289 Views
772 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Ekahau Site Survey

iBwave Wi-Fi

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

Ekahau Site Survey and iBwave Wi-Fi are competing products in the wireless network design and analysis category. While Ekahau is favored for its pricing and support, iBwave takes the lead with a broader range of features, making it ideal for users seeking extensive capabilities.

Features: Ekahau Site Survey stands out with its intuitive interface, making it user-friendly and quick to deploy. It allows for effective network planning, providing comprehensive reports. It also features AutoCAD layer import for detailed network diagrams. iBwave Wi-Fi excels with advanced design and simulation capabilities like 3D modeling, which offer detailed network visualizations. The accuracy of its simulations is a significant advantage. It also has impressive heatmap generation capabilities, allowing for precise signal coverage predictions.

Room for Improvement: Ekahau could benefit from enhancing its simulation accuracy to match iBwave and expanding its feature set to include more advanced modeling options. Improving integration with other network analysis tools would also be beneficial. iBwave Wi-Fi, on the other hand, might improve by simplifying its complex deployment process and offering more user-friendly navigation. It could also benefit from better integration with third-party hardware to enhance compatibility.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Ekahau Site Survey offers a straightforward setup process with seamless deployment, backed by readily available support. It focuses on enabling quick implementation with minimal hassle. iBwave Wi-Fi involves a more structured deployment model with comprehensive documentation and tailored service, focusing on in-depth customer engagement and detailed support.

Pricing and ROI: Ekahau Site Survey provides a competitive setup cost, facilitating a quicker ROI due to its accessible price point and immediate results. iBwave Wi-Fi demands a higher initial investment, which is justified by its extensive features and long-term value. Users who require robust, feature-rich solutions may find the trade-off in initial costs worthwhile for the depth and accuracy of iBwave's offerings.

To learn more, read our detailed Ekahau Site Survey vs. iBwave Wi-Fi Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Ekahau Site Survey vs. iBwave Wi-Fi

April 2025

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Helped 849,963 peers since 2012

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

Ekahau Site Survey

Ranking in Network Modeling and Simulation

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

iBwave Wi-Fi

Ranking in Network Modeling and Simulation

3rd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Network Modeling and Simulation category, the mindshare of Ekahau Site Survey is 25.8%, down from 40.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of iBwave Wi-Fi is 10.7%, down from 12.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Modeling and Simulation

Featured Reviews

ALEXANDRE VIANNA

CTO at Redeswirelessbrasil

Good optimization capabilities, automatic network planning tool and saves time

Ekahau needs to enhance the view of materials and make some adjustments to the reports. Currently, it's possible to make changes to the Word report using Python, but it could be improved. For example, when I create an AP on a survey report, information like the cable view, distance, and support assessments could be enhanced. Only one comment about Ekahau Optimizer. It needs improvement. I tried to upload site products, and for five products, I needed to involve Ekahau's supply chain. When I try to solve that, it's not possible. For example, I uploaded one product for a large bank, and the optimizer didn't finish. I needed to involve Ekahau support, and they sent me the file two or three days after I opened the case.

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Gopi R S

Senior Radio Frequncy DAS Design Engineer at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees

Enhanced accuracy in design projects with advanced three-dimensional modeling and great support

I am using iBwave Wi-Fi for a project where we are designing on campus. It is used for large venue designs such as a university campus, and my work involves optimizing and validating the designs for accuracy before site surveys Using iBwave Wi-Fi, I am able to provide more accurate results for…

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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 most valuable function is the site survey capability."

"The OEM dashboard has a lot of useful features to troubleshoot the Wi-Fi."

"Ekahau lets you create heat maps without doing the initial survey. It makes the task easier."

"We are satisfied with the way this product is working."

"There are some survey tools that are a little easier to use, but the benefit of using the Ekahau is that it is very configurable. If you go into a building that has solid cement walls, instead of traditional walls, you can configure it for that. It is much more configurable than the other ones."

"The most valuable when it comes to this solution for me is the fact that I don't have to go out and do a site survey. With this solution, I can do it all predictably with the usual 90% accuracy."

"I don't handle the software that much. I'll do some of the testing with our CTO. It is primarily him and I. He has commented before that he likes the fact that with two licenses, we can set it up so that when we're on a large facility, he can see where I am and I can see where he is. That's for sure is very handy in large venues."

"The solution is user-friendly and it provides a good output that can be measured, and I can describe and pinpoint any inaccuracy shortfalls."

More Ekahau Site Survey pros

"I find the high-quality Heatmap generation, multi-floor, and wire mapping features to be most valuable."

"The stability and feature set of the application are top notch and can't be matched."

"iBwave Wi-Fi's tech support is great. They pick up their phones. I have no complaints."

"It can speed up design."

"The solution's 3D imaging is amazing."

"The most valuable features of iBwave Wi-Fi include the critical three dimensional modeling capabilities, which are necessary for tasks like locating access points, determining their height, and cable routing."

"Compared to other tools, iBwave Wi-Fi provides 95% accuracy and generates heatmaps."

"The 3D Coverage is a good feature that shows the signal propagation in three dimensions."

Cons

"The report generation has room for improvement and is missing small details."

"The support is an area in need of improvement."

"Most features are there, but the network adapter support should be better. Ekahau should support all laptops and versions. There's an issue with the driver too."

"The only issue is the price. The overall price is a bit high, especially compared to our other vendor. Ekahau is considered expensive."

"Our CTO was not real happy with their support."

"Ekahau Site Survey is an expensive solution, and its pricing should be improved."

"They should improve the iPad application because it's unstable. Also, Ekahau could be better integrated with other vendors."

"Ekahau could be improved by adding three-dimensional modeling, as we currently cannot view APIs in a three-dimensional perspective."

More Ekahau Site Survey cons

"Areas of improvement would include more functionality in the Mobile App, expanded reporting features, and some shortcut features."

"It would be good if we could involve a visual while designing the backhaul."

"iBwave Wi-Fi doesn't have a distributor feed platform."

"It would do iBwave well to become more involved with their clients."

"I would like to be able to see two buildings at the same time so that you can create a campus view."

"iBwave Wi-Fi could be improved by adding a plot for overall improvement, allowing us to see where we are failing in design parameters, similar to features in Ekahau."

"I am currently looking for an alternative due to my reluctance with the reliability of this product."

"The cost of the solution could be improved. It's extraordinarily expensive."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We pay $6,000 yearly for the licensing, but each piece of hardware, the Ekahau Sidekick, is $5,000."

"The solution is less costly than one of its competitors."

"This solution is not cheap. If you only need an occasional site survey, you are better off contracting a wireless engineering professional that has one."

"We pay a licensing fee."

"The pricing is quite expensive. Not all companies can afford it"

"I believe that it is approximately $2,000 per year for us. I know we pay for it on an annual basis."

"The pricing is high."

"Ekahau Site Survey is a really expensive solution."

More Ekahau Site Survey pricing and cost advice

"I advise others to treat the cost as you would any tooling cost and use the monthly option as needed."

"iBwave Wi-Fi is an expensive solution, but it is worth the cost."

"The solution's pricing is cheap."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Educational Organization

10%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Educational Organization

13%

Computer Software Company

10%

Construction Company

10%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Ekahau Site Survey?

We reviewed the maps as a team and determined if any changes needed to be made or if we could just replace APs as they are. We got into this by upgrading our access points to Meraki, and we wanted ...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Ekahau Site Survey?

The pricing and licensing of Ekahau are costly.

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What needs improvement with Ekahau Site Survey?

Ekahau could be improved by adding three-dimensional modeling, as we currently cannot view APIs in a three-dimensional perspective. They need to include backhaul features and improve the ease of in...

See all answers

What do you like most about iBwave Wi-Fi?

Compared to other tools, iBwave Wi-Fi provides 95% accuracy and generates heatmaps.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for iBwave Wi-Fi?

Both iBwave Wi-Fi and Ekahau are costly tools. They're considered high in cost because the license needs to be renewed yearly.

See all answers

What needs improvement with iBwave Wi-Fi?

iBwave Wi-Fi could be improved by adding a plot for overall improvement, allowing us to see where we are failing in design parameters, similar to features in Ekahau.

See all answers

Comparisons

AirMagnet Survey vs Ekahau Site Survey

Compared 62% of the time

RedSeal vs Ekahau Site Survey

Compared 5% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Ekahau Site Survey

Compared 3% of the time

More Ekahau Site Survey Competitors

Forsk Atoll vs iBwave Wi-Fi

Compared 13% of the time

AirMagnet Survey vs iBwave Wi-Fi

Compared 10% of the time

RedSeal vs iBwave Wi-Fi

Compared 8% of the time

More iBwave Wi-Fi Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Ekahau Site Survey

April 2025

Download Ekahau Site Survey product report

Buyer's Guide

Network Modeling and Simulation

April 2025

Download iBwave Wi-Fi product report

Overview

Over 12 years in the making, ESSTM maintains its reputation as the easiest to use, enterprise-grade Wi-Fi design and maintenance tool for Wi-Fi professionals. With crystal clear heat maps and easy-to-use reports, ESS makes it simple to optimize Wi-Fi.

ESS allows you to plan and create Wi-Fi networks according to your performance and capacity requirements—taking into consideration the increasing amount of wireless clients and applications such as VoIP, HD video streaming and web browsing.

Ekahau

iBwave has been the industry standard software for designing indoor wireless network for over 13 years. Used by hundreds of operators, OEMs, enterprises and system integrators around the world. The iBwave Wi-Fi Suite is a powerful Wi-Fi network design solution that gives you a significantly more productive way to design carrier-grade indoor Wi-Fi networks. Consisting of a mobile app, a powerful PC based software and 10GB of cloud connectivity to easily share and synchronize project information.

Key Features include:

Advanced 3D Predictive design
Advanced capacity planning
Calibrated prediction for extremely accurate prediction results
Ability to model incline surfaces
Comprehensive reporting
Cloud connectivity to easily share and access projects anytime
Free read-only project viewer for customers and project partners

iBwave

Sample Customers

Presidio, Planet Earth, Ruckus

ARRIS

Buyer's Guide

Ekahau Site Survey vs. iBwave Wi-Fi

April 2025

Free Report: Ekahau Site Survey vs. iBwave Wi-Fi

Find out what your peers are saying about Ekahau Site Survey vs. iBwave Wi-Fi and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

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