ExtremeCloud IQ vs Fortinet FortiWLM comparison

The compared Extreme and Fortinet solutions aren't in the same category. Extreme is ranked #11 in NMA , with an average rating of 8.5, and holds a 2.8% mindshare in the category. Fortinet is ranked #14 in Wireless LAN , with an average rating of 9.0, and holds a 1.9% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Extreme users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Fortinet users who would recommend it.

ExtremeCloud IQ

Read 76 ExtremeCloud IQ reviews

2,716 Views
489 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiWLM

Read 27 Fortinet FortiWLM reviews

2,127 Views
1,957 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

ExtremeCloud IQ

Fortinet FortiWLM

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between ExtremeCloud IQ and Fortinet FortiWLM based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Fortinet and others in Network Management Applications.

To learn more, read our detailed Network Management Applications Report (Updated: June 2025).

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Network Management Applications

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

ExtremeCloud IQ

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (11th), Network Access Control (NAC) (12th), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (20th)

Fortinet FortiWLM

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Wireless LAN (14th)

Mindshare comparison

ExtremeCloud IQ and Fortinet FortiWLM aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. ExtremeCloud IQ is designed for Network Management Applications and holds a mindshare of 2.8%, down 2.9% compared to last year.
Fortinet FortiWLM, on the other hand, focuses on Wireless LAN, holds 1.9% mindshare, down 2.1% since last year.

Network Management Applications

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

KristianLarsen

Senior Consultant at Mikla IT

Helps resolve network-related issues quickly and is reasonably priced

The tool has both advantages and weaknesses because it has several pieces of software on which it has been working because of buyouts. The tool has several branches of software versions, and you can consolidate it into ExtremeCloud, but it also has the disadvantage that sometimes people can get issues because the software on the hardware is different than they expected, especially if it is not converted to the tool used. The tool has simplified things, but it also adds a complexity that sometimes stumps some users. In the future, I think the tool’s onboarding setup of a new tenant could be smoother or faster. I also think that they could provide a simpler setup for first-level support so that it can be easier for them to have a support dashboard that would help them. I am talking about customer support organizations, so you usually have a high turnaround, but you need to have something that is easier to use and where you don't need so much training.

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Mohammad Talha Talkin Alam

Assistant Manager - IT at PDS Limited

Reliable network creation and management with an efficient setup process

My primary use case involves creating SSIDs and defining VLANs within the VLAN using Fortinet FortiWLM. I have been working with Wi-Fi access points for network connectivity I primarily use Fortinet FortiWLM for creating SSIDs and defining VLANs. While there isn't much focus on security, layer…

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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

"Whenever I have a concern, question, or just need a refresher the helpful staff at AeroHive is there to help me. By far, the ]best relationship I have ever had with a vendor."

"a true controller-less approach, where each Access Point is 100% independent from the management system."

"It allows me to see APs and clients that are having issues, allowing for faster support response and less downtime."

"It is more cost effective and gives more flexibility."

"The most valuable feature is the centralized management capability."

"ExtremeCloud IQ is a complete package with the pilot and the co-pilot feature that gives me full visibility of the network."

"HiveManager is incredibly useful for managing APs and switches from one cloud interface."

"Its configuration and deployment are the most valuable."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pros

"The product is a stable solution."

"We can deploy a tunnel-based VLAN and SSID, for something that happens at the last minute, in a matter of minutes, because of the interaction between the FortiGate, the FortiSwitches, and the FortiAPs."

"Fortinet FortiWLM is good for tracking assets, monitoring, and overall management."

"I use Fortinet FortiWLM for wireless communication and the internet."

"Although there are a few steps, the initial setup is pretty straightforward."

"We're using SD-WAN at all of our locations now, which helps increase and aggregate and lower response time and improve application performance."

"Having the single pane of glass, by using the Fortinet Security Fabric, allows us to tighten security, and more easily and quickly create additional VLANs to help protect data. Rules in the firewall mean we can protect data and systems so that, should anything go wrong, any security issue is held to an individual device."

"Security is the feature we like most from Fortinet. In general, their security architecture is really great, because it involves everything: firewalls, wireless LANs, the user. Everything is really secure."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pros

Cons

"Pricing could be improved. It could be lower."

"An area for improvement in ExtremeCloud IQ is its technical support. Support could be better, especially when you need help concerning ExtremeCloud IQ and WinG."

"The product could support multi-vendor infrastructures."

"A room for improvement in ExtremeCloud IQ is roaming. My team is facing roaming issues with the solution, particularly when using VoIP over WiFi. For example, VoIP sometimes breaks when you walk around the customer site. In terms of what I'd like to see in the next release of the solution, right now, the inventory for ExtremeCloud IQ is awful. There's no stock, and you must wait a year and a half for new stocks. It's awful."

"For me, the only issue is the potential delay in the tool statistics updating in real time after making changes."

"The tool has simplified things, but it also adds a complexity that sometimes stumps some users."

"Having a wizard for customers who are just starting might be helpful."

"Pricing is a bit expensive."

More ExtremeCloud IQ cons

"The guest management features need to be improved by adding automation."

"The initial setup is complex and has room for improvement."

"Improving support and firmware upgrades is necessary. Firmware upgrades and bug improvements need to be tested well."

"The roaming of Fortinet FortiWLM could improve when comparing it to other solutions. We are missing some of the functionality in the controller. Additionally, they should offer more logs instead of using FortiAnalyzer because all the users will not be using the same thing."

"Licensing is the only area that I think they are below average. They need enterprise licensing, an all-encompassing license to cover all products for a company."

"I have used Cisco previously and I don't see any specific differences from Fortinet FortiWLM or other vendors."

"The pricing for the solution is expensive and can be improved."

"One of the main features that I see as lacking in any of the Fortinet products is the reporting. If you want to have proper, end-to-end reporting, you must purchase the FortiAnalyzer... If Fortinet could offer some better, built-in reporting, that would be a point of improvement."

More Fortinet FortiWLM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is so cost-effective that it leaves no room for competition with other vendors."

"The product pricing is reasonable."

"For example, if you compare Aruba vs Aerohive, you need to check which licences from Aruba you need to match the functionality of Aerohive (usually you need at least three types of licences and a controller with redundancy). The same goes with Cisco, where you need buy additional licences for central management, firewall, spectral analysis, WIPS, PPSK, etc. Aerohive has a very simple model - one licence for all the functionalities - and you can believe that there are many. One licence makes it easy to maintain, scale, renew and you can plan your costs 10 years in advance."

"Extreme is twice as cheap compared to Cisco due to the currency exchange. Normally, I think Cisco would be a little bit more expensive, but there wouldn't be that much of a difference."

"Price-wise, it is a reasonable tool."

"Customers need to pay a yearly licensing fee for ExtremeCloud IQ, which is a little bit expensive."

"Although the pricing is a bit high, I consider Aerohive to be well worth the money."

"I am not involved in the price, but I am sure that it is not cheap."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pricing and cost advice

"To save yourself from increased setup and maintenance costs, I highly recommend undertaking a proper site survey from the beginning."

"There is a perpetual license required for this solution and the price could be reduced."

"Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."

"The price of Fortinet FortiWLM is reasonable compared to the other vendors. We are using a five-year license."

"If a customer already is a FortiGate customer, the cost to go to the FortiAP is incredibly affordable, because you already have the controller."

"Fortinet would do something with their pricing model to attract smaller business users and eliminate the mandatory service contracts."

"The solution is fairly priced."

"Fortinet FortiWLM's pricing is regular and competitive."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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...

See all answers

What do you like most about ExtremeCloud IQ?

The Client 360 feature provides a comprehensive view of your clients and their activities, including the devices they use. Additionally, a feature called Network 360 offers a 360-degree view of the...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ExtremeCloud IQ?

The licensing was a challenge due to budget constraints, and I used ExtremeCloud IQ without a license for a period. The documentation and training courses were also costly, impacting how easily I c...

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What do you like most about Fortinet FortiWLM?

The security is a valuable feature.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiWLM?

While the pricing of Fortinet FortiWLM is a bit high, it remains effective. However, the cost could be better if reduced.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLM?

In terms of improvements, the price is higher than I would like. A reduction in pricing would be beneficial.

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 14% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 12% of the time

Ubiquiti Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco DNA Center vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 9% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate Cloud vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 7% of the time

More ExtremeCloud IQ Competitors

Aruba Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 24% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 16% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 11% of the time

Cambium Networks Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 10% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 10% of the time

More Fortinet FortiWLM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

ExtremeCloud IQ

July 2025

Download ExtremeCloud IQ product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM

July 2025

Download Fortinet FortiWLM product report

Also Known As

Aerohive Networks, Aerohive HiveManager, HiveManager, ExtremeCloud , ExtremeSecurity

FortiWLM, FortiAP, Fortinet AP/OAP, Meru Wireless LAN

Overview

ExtremeCloud is a resilient and scalable cloud-based network management solution offered by Extreme Networks as a subscription service.

The network is your platform of engagement for clients and staff. We have designed ExtremeCloud to provide superior user experience by empowering you and the applications that drive your business. The combination of Extreme Networks’ smart wired and wireless edges and the elasticity, resilience and scalability provided via state-of-the-art datacenters distributed strategically for worldwide availability allows you to respond to the changing needs of your business, at the speed of cloud, through a simple, multi-site aware user interface.

Extreme

Consolidate security and wireless LAN management with our integrated wireless solutions. Single-pane-of-glass management for security and access without the need to add point products simplifies deployment and reduces management complexity. These solutions are highly scalable to support even the largest organizations and distributed enterprises.

Fortinet

Sample Customers

Henry Ford Health System, Baltimore Ravens, Brandili, Federal University of Alagoas, CEDAE, Caxias do Sul, UNISC Concurrency, CenturyLink Field, Louisiana College, Cricket Tasmania Stadium, Moscow Internet Exchange

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

Buyer's Guide

Network Management Applications

June 2025

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