AirMagnet Survey vs Ekahau Site Survey comparison

NetAlly and Ekahau are both solutions in the Network Modeling and Simulation category. NetAlly is ranked #2 with an average rating of 7.0, while Ekahau is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.1. NetAlly holds a 23.7% mindshare in NM, compared to Ekahau’s 32.1% mindshare. Additionally, 86% of NetAlly users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Ekahau users who would recommend it.

AirMagnet Survey

Read 39 AirMagnet Survey reviews

3,470 Views
1,898 Comparison Views

86% willing to recommend

Ekahau Site Survey

Read 35 Ekahau Site Survey reviews

4,463 Views
2,457 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

AirMagnet Survey

Ekahau Site Survey

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

AirMagnet Survey and Ekahau Site Survey compete in the wireless survey industry. User feedback suggests Ekahau Site Survey has the upper hand due to its advanced features and accuracy, despite its higher cost.

Features: AirMagnet Survey provides a spectrum analyzer, allowing users to troubleshoot and conduct passive and active surveys simultaneously. It supports CAD integration, enhancing workflow efficiency. Ekahau Site Survey features include heatmap creation and an interactive mapping tool with predictive solutions. It offers extensive Wi-Fi planning and roaming analysis capabilities.

Room for Improvement: AirMagnet could improve cloud integration, report customization, and better support for new wireless technologies like LTE and Bluetooth. There is also a need for improved multi-floor alignment. For Ekahau, GPS functionalities for outdoor surveys and handling large project files could be enhanced. Expanding adapter compatibility and better customer report interaction are also needed.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both products support on-premises deployment; Ekahau additionally offers a Hybrid Cloud for flexibility. AirMagnet is noted for its committed real-time support, while Ekahau's Gold Support provides deep knowledge with rapid issue resolution, although users suggest more consistent responsiveness.

Pricing and ROI: AirMagnet is budget-friendly, appealing to smaller businesses, but has high support renewal costs. Ekahau is more expensive due to its superior offerings, suiting larger enterprises. AirMagnet's licensing through adapters is cost-effective compared to Ekahau's Sidekick. Despite cost concerns, both are essential investments for WLAN professionals.

To learn more, read our detailed AirMagnet Survey vs. Ekahau Site Survey Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

AirMagnet Survey vs. Ekahau Site Survey

January 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

AirMagnet Survey

Ranking in Network Modeling and Simulation

2nd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Troubleshooting (8th)

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

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Network Modeling and Simulation category, the mindshare of AirMagnet Survey is 23.7%, down from 31.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ekahau Site Survey is 32.1%, down from 40.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Modeling and Simulation

Featured Reviews

David Olofson

Manager at DD&P Services LLC

It fixes so many problems quickly that we don't regret spending more on high-end tools than most companies

It would be nice to have some more training resources for younger techs. We can use them if we need some assistance, but that usually requires one of us who knows what we're doing to calibrate the programs properly. There's one thing our nXG handhelds do that AirMagnet doesn't do out of the box. The nXG devices can analyze the wired and wireless networks simultaneously and map the networks out. We find it handy. However, if I have that plugged into our older OptiView XG tablets or our laptops, I have no way to analyze both the WiFi and the wired network at the same time and build a single picture with all that data. So far, that's something only our nXG handhelds can do. It would be nice if there were a way to integrate all the network discovery, troubleshooting, and mapping of the WiFi and the wired at the same time. There are almost no products that do that currently. If they managed to do that, they'd probably open up their market pretty quickly.

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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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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The addition of the AirMapper software on the nXG and our AirCheck G2s has helped a lot because we're mostly not drilling down into the data. Local managers only need to see the coverage on their end and whether there are performance bottlenecks. These things are easy enough for us to ascertain with iPerf."

"I would like to rate the product as eight of ten."

"The most valuable features are the survey, spectrum analysis, and reporting."

"It is reliable and easy to use (user-friendly). The heat mapping, passive network surveying, and doing the heat mapping of a building's wireless network allows me to see what level of coverage an area has."

"The AirMagnet Survey allows you to see the list of APs in the live view. It only supports certain adapters, which can be limiting, but it's also beneficial because these adapters are more comparable to real-life devices like laptops. With Ekahau, Sidekick needs to be used for full features, but I find the Sidekick too strong, which can hamper results. Therefore, I prefer AirMagnet's approach because the adapters provide more realistic readings."

"The benefit is with the ease of use of the software, I am able to show the customer, "Here is what your wireless coverage looks like." It is set up in a fashion that non-technical people can understand it."

"Using the products to ensure the safety of our equipment that we have a lot invested in."

"The heat maps are quite good, and some features are easy to use."

More AirMagnet Survey pros

"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."

"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 to make sure that we weren't leaving trouble behind us as we were doing it."

"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."

"Ekahau Site Survey is user-friendly."

"Ekahau Site Survey can be crucial for troubleshooting our Wi-Fi network."

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

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

More Ekahau Site Survey pros

Cons

"When you conduct an active survey and then want to use it for design work, it's actually not very useful."

"AirMagnet Survey needs to support Wi-Fi 6E otherwise they can lose to the competition. They also need to allow better grouping of SSIDs to one AP, removing the need to filter manually. At the moment, you can filter by channel or SSID, but grouping all those SSIDs together is a difficult task."

"It would be nice to have some more training resources for younger techs. We can use them if we need some assistance, but that usually requires one of us who knows what we're doing to calibrate the programs properly."

"But it's definitely a more expensive solution than other ones."

"Printouts are JPEG printouts. The AirMagnet software is proprietary. I can't send my customers a file, because it is AirMagnet file, even for building projects. I can only send JPEGs or screenshots of heat maps."

"The surveying features are in need of improvement, along with general usability."

"I would say some of our newer techs that are going out to job sites can be a little bit intimidated by the interface."

"The throughput should be more advanced in the future. They need to add more versions of WiFi than just one."

More AirMagnet Survey cons

"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."

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

"The GPS feature could be improved."

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

"I find the power button hard to access with just one hand."

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

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

"It would be better if it provided clear visibility. It would be better if it accommodated large physical sites like a warehouse with a ceiling height of more than twelve to fifteen feet. In such situations, we were unable to provide better coverage."

More Ekahau Site Survey cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"For technical support, you need an annual license, but it is not worth it."

"The pricing needs improvement."

"This product is very expensive."

"The moment we began needing more of the vendor's support, the cost became very high; we switched to another solution."

"The tool's pricing is medium."

"There is an annual cost of the solution. There are some additional charges, such as support and maintenance."

"The licensing of AirMagnet Survey is different when compared to Ekahu. It is a third of the cost of Ekahau but there are no dedicated laptops to the Sidekick. AirMagnet allows you to license an adapter and share that adapter."

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

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

"The pricing is high."

"The pricing could be lower because the Huawei radial planning is free for the partner. When I asked my boss about buying Ekahau and the USB key, it was complicated because of the high cost, which is €5,000."

"Ekahau Site Survey is a really expensive solution."

"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."

"Since we are an academic institute, we get better prices and discounts from Cisco, but not Ekahau."

"We pay a licensing fee."

More Ekahau Site Survey pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

14%

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about AirMagnet Survey?

We use the solution for Wi-Fi and networks.

See all answers

What needs improvement with AirMagnet Survey?

AirMagnet Survey needs to support Wi-Fi 6E otherwise they can lose to the competition. They also need to allow better grouping of SSIDs to one AP, removing the need to filter manually. At the momen...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for AirMagnet Survey?

We use AirMagnet Survey, for site verifications after the wireless system has been installed. We conduct pre and post-install surveys with it. We have reduced the use since now our customers requir...

See all answers

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 ...

See all answers

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

The pricing and licensing of Ekahau are costly.

See all answers

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

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Compared 5% of the time

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Compared 4% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

AirMagnet Survey

February 2025

Download AirMagnet Survey product report

Buyer's Guide

Ekahau Site Survey

February 2025

Download Ekahau Site Survey product report

Overview

AirMagnet Survey PRO enables network professionals to design, deploy, and validate Wi-Fi 6 networks for optimal performance, security, and compliance. It also calculates the ideal quantity, placement, and configuration of APs for a successful wireless LAN deployment. AirMagnet Survey PRO goes beyond simply verifying RF coverage by plotting actual end-user network performance in terms of connection speed, throughput, and packet statistics by allowing you to use any Wi-Fi adapter or AirMapper™ Site Survey on the AirCheck™ G2 and EtherScope® nXG. Survey PRO helps you get Wi-Fi installations right the first time, preventing costly rework and user complaints.

NetAlly

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

Sample Customers

Houston Methodist Hospital, Love's Travel Stops

Presidio, Planet Earth, Ruckus

Buyer's Guide

AirMagnet Survey vs. Ekahau Site Survey

January 2025

Free Report: AirMagnet Survey vs. Ekahau Site Survey

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