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Fortinet FortiWLM vs Ubiquiti Wireless 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

Fortinet FortiWLM
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
Wireless LAN (16th)
Ubiquiti Wireless
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
76
Ranking in other categories
Wireless WAN (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Enterprise Networking solutions, they serve different purposes. Fortinet FortiWLM is designed for Wireless LAN and holds a mindshare of 1.9%, down 2.1% compared to last year.
Ubiquiti Wireless, on the other hand, focuses on Wireless WAN, holds 39.7% mindshare, up 39.9% since last year.
Wireless LAN
Wireless WAN
 

Featured Reviews

Mohammad Talha Talkin Alam - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
Alejandro Del Rosal - PeerSpot reviewer
Software controller is very nice and provides excellent performance
Ubiquiti products are really good. I am a B2B wholesaler, and my type of business requires profit to sell to my installers or for my installers to sell to the end customers. Right now, Ubiquiti doesn't offer that. They are selling the product on their website. We face difficulties with Ubiquiti's supply chain because their products are usually out of stock. I would recommend Ubiquiti Wireless as a brand. However, we are no longer recommending it in my business. I am a wholesaler who recommends installing wireless or network solutions for other companies. I no longer recommend Ubiquiti Wireless because it is not profitable. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We're using SD-WAN at all of our locations now, which helps increase and aggregate and lower response time and improve application performance."
"The security is a valuable feature."
"I found that It's really good when comparing it to any other product or it is much better in terms of features that the customer requires."
"The greatest advantage is the security fabric Fortinet offers."
"The Fortinet FortiWLM system can be controlled through the cloud controller, which is convenient when the solution is not installed in our environment, as it allows us to manage the entire WiFi or access points and provides more adaptability."
"The most valuable features are central management and the many other features available."
"The most valuable features are the roaming profile, the mesh, and the performance."
"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."
"It's a well priced solution and as far as I'm concerned, it's enterprise class."
"The pricing of the solution is excellent. It offers a great value."
"The product is extremely stable."
"It has a user-friendly interface."
"This access point provides internet to every lab on campus, including the computer laboratory"
"The most valuable feature of Ubiquiti Wireless is the ease of configuration."
"We have found the product to be scalable."
"We have not had an issue with Ubiquiti Wireless since we have been using it. The solution is highly reliable."
 

Cons

"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."
"Technical support is very poor. We are not satisfied with the technical support because there is not any direct person from Fortinet for any troubleshooting, which we expected."
"One area that needs improvement is the configuration aspect, which is more challenging compared to other products, despite Fortinet FortiWLM being a popular brand in Sri Lanka."
"They need to do more with their marketing. That's what's wrong with them. Nobody knows they do all this other stuff. I love the product. For an enterprise-level system, you never have to explain why you're recommending Fortinet, whereas you might have to do that if you want to use the Ubiquiti Professional or the new Netgear line, but you don't have to explain Fortinet. It has been remarkable to work with."
"There is very little publicly available information about Virtual Cell and Single Channel Architecture. Promotion of the overall technology is limited as well. Being more vocal about a product that has many advantages would go a long way to eliminating a lot of the confusion and negative perception about Virtual Cell and Single Channel Architecture."
"I have used Cisco previously and I don't see any specific differences from Fortinet FortiWLM or other vendors."
"The solution should improve user capacity."
"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."
"The control system can be improved by making it easier."
"The biggest downfall is support."
"One of the Ubiquiti access points broke down, and it can't be used. It's still down now, so overall Ubiquiti hasn't been a good experience for me."
"There should be an easier way to contact the support. If we need to do something on it, it will be easier and faster if there is a support number to call. Currently, their support is mostly through email or chat. If there is a hotline that you can call directly, that would be good. It will really help a lot. They should also include more after-sales support. They can maybe also provide more details on what's happening with the network."
"The solution has very good product lines. However, it feels like some models overlap. For example, a new model is announced after three months, and another new model is announced shortly after. So, the release cycle feels too short, and some features overlap. Overall, the products are very good and reliable."
"The solution needs to improve its features and offer more to the customer."
"Its stability could be better."
"I would like to see more cloud features that some of the other competitors such as Cisco Meraki have that are very nice."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is expensive. I give the solution a one out of ten for the price."
"The price of Fortinet FortiWLM is reasonable compared to the other vendors. We are using a five-year license."
"The product is highly expensive. I rate the pricing a ten."
"For indoor access points, there is a one-time cost, upfront, whereas outdoor access points have an annual fee."
"In the last few years, due in part to the impact of COVID on the market, Fortinet has increased its prices by 35 percent."
"Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."
"Licensing costs are reasonable. There are so many different types of licenses with Fortinet, but the licensing and the 24/7/365 support are so reasonable that I automatically include it with every transaction. I never line item it without it. There are no additional costs."
"The solution is fairly priced."
"If you do not have a big budget, you can use Ubiquiti, it is cost-effective."
"The price has been fair for what I have been using it for. There is no license for this solution."
"Right now the product is less expensive and of higher quality than other solutions."
"It's a cost-effective solution."
"Ubiquiti Wireless is affordable."
"All the vendors' prices have gone up, so Ubiquiti has gotten more expensive. In terms of price versus performance, they're still well priced, but they are more expensive than entry-level products like Tenda and TP-Link."
"The most valuable aspect of Ubiquiti is the price. Compared to competing solutions like Cisco Aironet, HP Aruba, ExtremeWireless, or Ruckus, Ubiquiti is the cheapest by far. It's not even close. That's their biggest selling point."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Healthcare Company
7%
Computer Software Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Real Estate/Law Firm
7%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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.
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.
Is Ubiquiti Wireless better than Ruckus Wireless WAN?
Ubiquiti Wireless is extremely easy to set up and is an excellent option for small businesses, offering enterprise features for a one-time fee and no ongoing licensing fees. Ubiquiti Wireless is ve...
Which is better - Cambium or Ubiquiti Wireless?
For me, Ubiquiti was easy to install, configure, set up, and maintain, while also providing solid coverage and better handoffs between APs. This is especially relevant if you are using Apple produc...
Which is better - Ubiquiti Wireless or Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?
Ubiquiti Wireless offers a wide range of WLAN products. We tested their devices before ultimately choosing Cisco Meraki. Ubiquiti devices have good outdoor performance and the connection is very st...
 

Also Known As

FortiWLM, FortiAP, Fortinet AP/OAP, Meru Wireless LAN
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
NASCAR Grand-AM, Maritime Parc, Outdoor Music Festival, British Armed Forces, Arcadia School District, Moscow - Enforta
Find out what your peers are saying about Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Ruckus, Cisco and others in Wireless LAN. Updated: May 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.