Fortinet FortiAP vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi comparison

Fortinet and WatchGuard are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Fortinet is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.5, while WatchGuard is ranked #24 with an average rating of 7.0. Fortinet holds a 6.2% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to WatchGuard’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of WatchGuard users who would recommend it.

Fortinet FortiAP

Read 16 Fortinet FortiAP reviews

3,085 Views
3,085 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Read 7 WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi reviews

466 Views
457 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiAP

WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi and Fortinet FortiAP compete in the secure wireless networking solutions category. Fortinet FortiAP seems to have the upper hand with its feature set, though WatchGuard offers competitive pricing and support advantages.

Features: WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi includes a straightforward policy management system, real-time visibility, and compatibility with various network environments. Fortinet FortiAP offers robust security integration, advanced RF management, and seamless integration with other Fortinet products.

Room for Improvement: WatchGuard could focus on increasing its advanced security features and RF management capabilities. Fortinet FortiAP may benefit from simplified deployment processes and more intuitive user interfaces. Both can improve broader third-party integrations for even more versatility.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi is easy to deploy with intuitive setup processes and responsive support, facilitating smooth implementation. Fortinet FortiAP requires more technical expertise due to its sophisticated deployment, but it ensures efficient implementations for high-capacity networks. While WatchGuard offers simplified deployment, Fortinet excels in technical support for adept teams.

Pricing and ROI: WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi is competitive concerning initial setup costs and provides strong ROI with lower entry fees and favorable ongoing expenses. Fortinet FortiAP involves a higher initial investment but promises substantial long-term ROI through enhanced network security and extensive capabilities. WatchGuard is cost-effective initially, whereas Fortinet's features justify its higher price for those prioritizing long-term performance and security.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiAP vs. WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiAP vs. WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

September 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

Fortinet FortiAP

Ranking in Wireless LAN

6th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Ranking in Wireless LAN

24th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiAP is 6.2%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi is 0.5%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiAP	6.2%
WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi	0.5%
Other	93.3%

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

Shahnawaz Nusrat

Head Of Technical Operations at ITE

Has simplified wireless integration while needing better throughput and captive portal features

The product can be improved depending on the model selected as per requirements. Support is good and throughput is good. What we need to do is select a better product as per our requirement and environment. If proper working is done in terms of wireless heat map or radio connectivity in our environment, I believe it's good. There is always a chance to improve. Throughput can be better in terms of other vendors, but currently, it's working fine. One feature that I still need to explore is the captive portal. When we deploy a unit in a public environment, users need to sign in with a pop-up box to connect.

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WarrenWilliams

Senior Account Manager at Bralin Technology Solutions

A solution that offers excellent support and makes it easy to manage networks

To utilize the solution properly, you need some training and guidance on that. Getting it working is easy, but if you're going to use it with feature sets that make WatchGuard worthwhile to use, it's probably not the easiest to set up. I'd rate the initial setup a seven out of ten. The time taken to deploy the solution depends on the project scope you're doing. Do you need ten WiFi access points or one? You could deploy the solution in an hour. We need one person to deploy the solution. But the number of people required for deployment depends on where the access points are deployed. Like, if it's the ceiling or whatever. The way we do it, we usually have an on-site technician who sets up the backend. We usually have two people when deploying the solution, but you can do it with one person. We have a team that manages the solution. But if you have ten people on a site to manage the solution, 15 minutes daily is enough.

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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

"I would give FortiAP a rating of ten out of ten so far."

"The pricing is reasonable for what it offers."

"The setup was straightforward."

"The solution supports recent security components like encryption or hashing algorithms. We can control the APs from FortiGate Firewalls and integrate those APs into FortiGate. You don't have to purchase a separate controller for it."

"Fortinet FortiAPs are useful for small to medium-scale companies where there are budget concerns."

"Fortinet FortiAP provides value for money, and I can quantify the savings at about 80%."

"The product's initial setup phase was easy, especially with FortiGate or your FortiManager in place."

"The most valuable aspect of Fortinet FortiAP is the support."

More Fortinet FortiAP pros

"It makes it easy to obtain all information about the client experience."

"The solution has been stable."

"The configuration part of WatchGuard is very flexible."

"We like that WatchGuard works and integrates directly with the firewalls we use."

"They're very easy to set up and get running."

"Cloud analytics that provide all its attributes."

"The Wi-Fi security features of this solution have been great for our customers who need to strictly control access to their network."

Cons

"The product fails to offer default access points to deal with the areas revolving around configurations."

"The wireless functionality is not the best."

"The security integration between the network and firewall has room for improvement."

"There is nothing that particularly comes to mind for improvement."

"FortiAP is very good in an indoor environment, but we are struggling with the outdoor environment."

"There could be constraints where a product can't be scaled further without purchasing a new model."

"The support offered by the solution has certain shortcomings, making it in areas where improvements are required."

"I would like to have automation capabilities that would help us reduce the configuration steps."

More Fortinet FortiAP cons

"One of the things is if you buy it with a certain subscription, you can't easily change the subscription level."

"The solution can be scaled but it has limitations from my experience."

"The support response can be time-consuming because sometimes issues are very sensitive and require instant attention."

"Inability to import a user with one click."

"I don't think they're available at the best price."

"The price of this solution needs to reviewed, as it is currently high enough to deter customers from trying it."

"If a client device had issues with authentication due to out of date browser or similar difficulties, it would be nice to have the ability to migrate the client onto the portal via one click."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"If I compare it with the other enterprise products, the price is good."

"The product is available at a very comfortable price for my company compared to the other products available in the market. The prices of products from Meraki and Aruba are high compared to those of Fortinet."

"We purchased perpetual licensing, and additional costs may vary depending on the services acquired from Fortinet."

"The devices under Fortinet are not expensive. The solution's licensing part is expensive."

"On a scale of one to ten with ten being the most expensive, I would rate FortiAP a six."

"FortiAP is more expensive than some other options."

"Fortinet FortiAP offers a more cost-effective solution compared to Palo Alto and Check Point."

"WatchGuard is on the upper scale for pricing."

"The solution is priced high compared to competitors. However, for the features that are included in the solution, the price becomes more reasonable."

"Your licensing and cost, as would be required for many other solutions, being considered for eighty to two hundred and eighty different physical locations, is just about the same amount per access point."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

11%

Government

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

12%

Non Profit

12%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about FortiAP?

If we have FortiClient installed on multiple devices, it is seamless to connect with FortiAP. It supports passwordless authentication as well. That is a great thing about it.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for FortiAP?

Fortinet FortiAP is affordable, not expensive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with FortiAP?

See all answers

What needs improvement with WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi?

The support response can be time-consuming because sometimes issues are very sensitive and require instant attention. Also, when an incident occurs, the impact can be significantly huge. A recent p...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi?

We use WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi because we have used different tools as well, like Ubiquiti. The complexity of Ubiquiti is much more compared to WatchGuard, which provides more flexibility and is ea...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi?

We recommend using WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi, but when incidents occur, it can be very difficult to identify why they happen. Normally, the issues are simple to fix, but we recently faced a major inc...

See all answers

Comparisons

Aruba Access Points vs Fortinet FortiAP

Compared 24% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Fortinet FortiAP

Compared 18% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Fortinet FortiAP

Compared 14% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiAP

Compared 12% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs Fortinet FortiAP

Compared 12% of the time

More Fortinet FortiAP Competitors

Ubiquiti WLAN vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Compared 36% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Compared 23% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Compared 21% of the time

Fortinet FortiWLM vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Compared 20% of the time

More WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiAP

October 2025

Download Fortinet FortiAP product report

Buyer's Guide

WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

September 2025

Download WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi product report

Overview

Fortinet FortiAP provides wireless network access for industries such as banking, healthcare, and logistics. It enhances connectivity with FortiGate and FortiSwitch, ensuring secure data exchange in settings like offices and malls.

Fortinet FortiAP is integral for managing connected devices across sectors. It integrates seamlessly with Fortinet products, enhancing security and connectivity. Users benefit from a unified console that simplifies configuration and monitoring without additional controllers. The support for passwordless authentication and cloud visibility adds value, while its use in environments like shopping centers and offices facilitates secure data sharing and access.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiAP?

Integration with FortiGate and FortiAnalyzer: Simplifies network management and monitoring.
Passwordless Authentication: Enhances security and accessibility.
Cloud Dashboard: Provides comprehensive visibility over network activities.
Direct Control from FortiGate: Eliminates the need for separate controllers.
SSID Customization: Supports tailoring of wireless access.

What benefits should users expect from Fortinet FortiAP?

Efficient Network Management: Centralized control and configuration simplify operations.
Comprehensive Reporting: Transparent insights for improved decision-making.
Secure Access: Protects data through advanced security measures.
Seamless Connectivity: Improves user experience with simplified networking.

In industries like banking and healthcare, Fortinet FortiAP is deployed to enhance network security and provide reliable access. Retailers leverage its capabilities in shopping centers, while warehouses benefit from its reliable connectivity to support seamless operations. Managed service providers use it to deliver tailored solutions, ensuring effective network segmentation and coverage.

Fortinet

WatchGuard is a global leader in network security, secure Wi-Fi, and network intelligence products and services for SMBs and Distributed Enterprises worldwide. Our mission is to make enterprise-grade security accessible to companies of all types and sizes through simplicity, making WatchGuard an ideal solution for distributed enterprises and SMBs. WatchGuard is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.

WatchGuard

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Portsmouth Grammar School, HILOTEC

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiAP vs. WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

September 2025

Free Report: Fortinet FortiAP vs. WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

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