Fortinet FortiWLM vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi comparison

Fortinet and WatchGuard are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Fortinet is ranked #17 with an average rating of 9.0, while WatchGuard is ranked #24 with an average rating of 7.0. Fortinet holds a 1.9% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to WatchGuard’s 0.4% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of WatchGuard users who would recommend it.

Fortinet FortiWLM

Read 27 Fortinet FortiWLM reviews

2,259 Views
2,088 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Read 7 WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi reviews

531 Views
431 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiWLM

WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Fortinet FortiWLM and WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi compete in wireless network management and security. WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi has an upper hand with its robust security features.

Features: Fortinet FortiWLM's valuable features include sophisticated wireless LAN management, seamless integration with Fortinet's Security Fabric, and enhanced network visibility. WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi excels in advanced security capabilities, Threat Detection and Response, along with simplified cloud-based management.

Room for Improvement: Fortinet FortiWLM requires improvements in simplifying deployment processes, enhancing user interface for ease of use, and providing more detailed reporting options. WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi could benefit from better integration with non-WatchGuard products, expanding feature sets in complex setups, and reducing its initial deployment complexity.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi offers straightforward cloud-based deployment and responsive customer service. Fortinet FortiWLM has comprehensive setup options but can be complex, requiring more expertise, though it is supported by reliable customer service.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiWLM provides cost-effective solutions with strong ROI through integration capabilities. WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi may have higher initial costs, but its security features often justify the investment.

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

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM vs. WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

April 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 FortiWLM

Ranking in Wireless LAN

17th

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 May 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLM is 1.9%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi is 0.4%, down from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

Zachary Wheeler

President / CEO at Secure Solutions Center LLC

Impressive manufacturing quality, highly durable, and very easy to deploy

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. It would be nice if they had some smaller switches or hubs. They should offer two-port, three-port, or four-port devices so that you don't have to buy an eight-port switch, and you don't have to use an unmanaged element, but their product line is very complete, and I can't say enough about it.

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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.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"This is the only product on the market currently that supports as many access points for wifi users."

"With Fortinet, there is a feature called Network-In-Control. It's the AP controller that decides what the clients are going to connect to... Even though your phone sees, let's say, two APs, since the wireless controller has visibility into and access across all the APs, it knows the best AP for the client to connect to. This way, the controller makes sure that none of the APs is over-crowded, and the spectrum is used properly."

"The most valuable features of this solution are its speed, reliability, and integration with the firewall."

"The most valuable feature is the ability to connect and broadcast to different networks without using a VLAN or a layer two switch, which allows you to easily create guest networks."

"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."

"Seamless roaming by leveraging Virtual Cell is a major advantage which reduces roam times and issues related to roaming. Code stability has been excellent and the hardware quality is second to none."

"The greatest advantage is the security fabric Fortinet offers."

"The security is a valuable feature."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pros

"The solution has been stable."

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

"Cloud analytics that provide all its attributes."

"The configuration part of WatchGuard is very flexible."

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

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

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

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."

"There are currently issues with Fortinet's software quality. We have concerns regarding the frequent updates needed because of short software cycles."

"Areas for improvement would be the compatibility with Apple products and cross-platform integration."

"Improving support and firmware upgrades is necessary."

"Documentation could be improved."

"There are currently issues with Fortinet's software quality."

"The pricing model can be improved to encourage use by small business and individuals and the hardware could stand to be redesigned."

"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."

More Fortinet FortiWLM cons

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

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

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

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

"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."

"Inability to import a user with one click."

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

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

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

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

"In the last few years, due in part to the impact of COVID on the market, Fortinet has increased its prices by 35 percent."

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

"For indoor access points, there is a one-time cost, upfront, whereas outdoor access points have an annual fee."

"Support contracts typically cost approximately $100.00 per year."

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

More Fortinet FortiWLM pricing and cost advice

"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."

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

"WatchGuard is on the upper scale for pricing."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

12%

Non Profit

11%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

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

What do you like most about WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi?

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

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi?

WatchGuard is on the upper scale for pricing.

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

Comparisons

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Compared 26% of the time

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Compared 13% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 10% of the time

Cambium Networks Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 10% of the time

More Fortinet FortiWLM Competitors

Ruckus Wireless vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Compared 41% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Compared 33% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Compared 27% of the time

More WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM

April 2025

Download Fortinet FortiWLM product report

Buyer's Guide

WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

April 2025

Download WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi product report

Also Known As

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

No data available

Overview

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

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

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

Portsmouth Grammar School, HILOTEC

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM vs. WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

April 2025

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

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiWLM vs. WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

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