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Aruba Airwave vs Fortinet FortiManager comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Fortinet are both solutions in the Network Management Applications category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.2, while Fortinet is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.2. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 5.9% mindshare in NMA, compared to Fortinet’s 5.4% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Fortinet users who would recommend it.
Aruba Airwave
Read 25 Aruba Airwave reviews
  • 1,457 Views
  • 1,384 Comparison Views
91% willing to recommend
Fortinet FortiManager
Read 68 Fortinet FortiManager reviews
  • 5,086 Views
  • 814 Comparison Views
94% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 2, 2025

Aruba Airwave and Fortinet FortiManager compete in the network management sector, each offering unique advantages. While Aruba Airwave is known for its broad vendor compatibility, Fortinet FortiManager stands out for its strong focus on security and automation features.

Features: Aruba Airwave provides rich reporting, zero-touch provisioning, and support for multivendor environments. It's designed for ease of use, accommodating various network products, and offering effective troubleshooting tools. Fortinet FortiManager offers centralized management, integrates well with other Fortinet products, and provides automation tools that simplify deployment and management tasks for up to 100,000 devices.

Room for Improvement: Aruba Airwave could improve its integration with third-party systems, refine synchronization between CLI and GUI, and enhance multi-platform compatibility, though cost remains a user concern. Fortinet FortiManager needs better documentation, improved real-time traffic monitoring, increased compatibility, and more streamlined interfaces.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Aruba Airwave and Fortinet FortiManager are mostly used on-premises, with Fortinet also supporting cloud environments. Aruba's customer service has mixed reviews, with customers noting quicker response times from competitors like Cisco. Fortinet is known for reliable support but could enhance regional availability and technical query management.

Pricing and ROI: Aruba Airwave is considered costly, especially regarding scalability and additional licensing, but provides good ROI through operational efficiency. Fortinet FortiManager is competitively priced relative to other firewalls, appreciated for its flexible licensing and robust security, leading to a positive ROI but there is demand for more competitive future pricing.

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To learn more, read our detailed Aruba Airwave vs. Fortinet FortiManager Report (Updated: July 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Aruba Airwave vs. Fortinet FortiManager
July 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
6.5
Aruba Airwave enhances efficiency, decreases costs and downtime, but requires three years to realize full return on investment.
Sentiment score
6.2
Fortinet FortiManager saves time and reduces costs, offering high returns and suitability for long-term management goals.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.8
Aruba Airwave customer service is responsive and helpful, with language support praised, despite some integration and escalation concerns.
Sentiment score
6.8
Fortinet FortiManager's customer support is generally effective but inconsistent, with variable response times and support quality across regions.
I would rate their technical support as a nine or ten, as it's quite good.
Angie was very kind and communicated well in both Spanish and English, making it pleasant to connect with her.
For more quotes and insights, download the Aruba Airwave report
Fortinet's support has proven to be reliable, particularly as we've been engaged with them since the project's initiation.
They are responsive and resolve issues quickly when I raise a ticket.
The level of support for P2 and P1 is wonderful.
For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiManager report
EZ
reviewer1877184 - PeerSpot reviewerDhanang K. Wardhana - PeerSpot reviewer
DK
MT
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.0
Aruba Airwave excels in scalability for large enterprises, with flexible licensing and tool integration, though resource needs vary.
Sentiment score
7.4
Fortinet FortiManager is scalable and efficient for large environments, with some hardware management limitations but satisfactory overall.
Aruba Airwave is fully scalable, as we have a large number of tenants using the network with approximately six thousand end users.
Aruba Airwave gives good information about SNR value, signal value, and you can get extensive information.
For more quotes and insights, download the Aruba Airwave report
You can raise the capacity as you go, and there is no limit for hardware.
If you are working with a private or public cloud, it is very scalable.
The problem is cloud connectivity and roaming profiles are not working, as there is no option for them.
For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiManager report
reviewer1854369 - PeerSpot reviewerAhmet Bulbul - PeerSpot reviewer
MT
AK
LP
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Aruba Airwave is highly stable, user-friendly, with minimal issues, though crowded spaces occasionally cause performance problems.
Sentiment score
7.9
Fortinet FortiManager is highly stable and reliable, with minor bugs that don't significantly impact its performance.
I have found Aruba Airwave to be stable.
For more quotes and insights, download the Aruba Airwave report
I rate the solution's stability ten out of ten.
95% of the time, there are no problems interacting with other devices.
For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiManager report
reviewer1854369 - PeerSpot reviewerJuan Frias - PeerSpot reviewer
MT
 

Room For Improvement

Aruba Airwave users seek improved GUI stability, integration, compatibility, and scalability with simplified configurations and reduced licensing costs.
Fortinet FortiManager needs improvement in ease of use, pricing, support, documentation, integration, stability, scalability, and traffic visibility.
The end-to-end users' messages show some details that are not always up-to-date, and sometimes the information from the GUI is not exactly aligned with what's on the website.
I find the price of Aruba Central compared to Aruba Airwave to be more expensive.
When upgrading hardware, there were technical issues with network interfaces and Red Hat, which required escalation to developers.
For more quotes and insights, download the Aruba Airwave report
FortiManager is a good tool, but there is a lack of really advanced documentation.
If you have a couple thousand policies for FortiGate firewalls, it can take a few minutes to receive a response from the remote devices.
In such cases, their CPE or other devices on-site may become unreliable, leading to occasional configuration discrepancies.
For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiManager report
EZ
Ahmet Bulbul - PeerSpot reviewerreviewer1877184 - PeerSpot reviewer
MT
Slawomir Napiorkowski - PeerSpot reviewerDhanang K. Wardhana - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Setup Cost

Aruba Airwave pricing receives mixed feedback, with some valuing flexibility and others finding it costly depending on various factors.
Fortinet FortiManager pricing is generally reasonable, especially for larger deployments, offering cost-effectiveness compared to competitors.
The pricing for Aruba Airwave is acceptable because compared to Cisco, it's slightly cheaper, but not significantly - maybe 5% or 7% less expensive.
For more quotes and insights, download the Aruba Airwave report
Fortinet has the best pricing currently on the market.
It isn't the most expensive solution.
It's neither cheap nor expensive.
For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiManager report
EZ
ChristianBenjamin - PeerSpot reviewerSlawomir Napiorkowski - PeerSpot reviewer
AK
 

Valuable Features

Aruba Airwave enhances network management with real-time monitoring, multivendor compatibility, comprehensive reporting, and robust troubleshooting and orchestration features.
Fortinet FortiManager centralizes management, automates deployments, and enhances security with features like SD-WAN orchestration and cloud synchronization.
It provides near real-time monitoring using AIMON and AURO protocols, which is robust with multiple models and brand support.
Aruba Airwave provides good visibility, offering extensive data on network dynamics, such as access point connections, usage, signal strengths, and potential interference from neighboring Wi-Fi networks.
The most helpful feature I noticed, yet did not utilize, allowed us to add our Cisco switches for monitoring.
For more quotes and insights, download the Aruba Airwave report
I can automate the installation of configurations using different programming languages like Python or HPE, and it's a GUI solution, so it's pretty easy to use, even for basic users.
Without FortiManager, you cannot manage a complex environment across several sites with multiple firewalls.
Setup, setting policies, and reporting were all very easy.
For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiManager report
reviewer1877184 - PeerSpot reviewerreviewer1854369 - PeerSpot reviewerLulzim Islami - PeerSpot reviewer
MT
Slawomir Napiorkowski - PeerSpot reviewerChristianBenjamin - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Airwave
Ranking in Network Management Applications
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiManager
Ranking in Network Management Applications
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
68
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of Aruba Airwave is 5.9%, down from 9.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiManager is 5.4%, up from 4.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Management Applications
 

Featured Reviews

Ahmet Bulbul - PeerSpot reviewer
Reports generation remains efficient while support and updates require attention
The biggest problem for not using Aruba Airwave extensively now is that HP is not upgrading this tool. They're not investing money and time into it, which is why we're not using it. I find the price of Aruba Central compared to Aruba Airwave to be more expensive. Customers start to complain and get annoyed about the license price. For example, when customers have 500 access points and features about access point licenses, moving to Central requires purchasing new licenses. This makes customers annoyed and complaining about this situation. It's hard to move from on-premises to Central because they always compare costs. If Aruba gave free licenses, they could move. But going to cloud and Central means more investment, and their budget doesn't cover the new investment. This creates problems for local partner companies.
Read full review
Damitha Anuradha - PeerSpot reviewer
Manage multiple devices with ease but experience complexity in deployment and limited AI features
I use Fortinet FortiManager to manage multiple devices in a single location. Although it does not provide a security posture itself, it depends on the firewall policies and settings in their respective firewalls. Fortinet FortiManager is primarily meant for the management of devices Fortinet…
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
8%
Educational Organization
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Airwave?
I would rate the stability a nine out of ten.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Airwave?
The pricing for Aruba Airwave is acceptable because compared to Cisco, it's slightly cheaper, but not significantly - maybe 5% or 7% less expensive.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Aruba Airwave?
My general opinion on Aruba Airwave is that it's acceptable, but it's not ideal because we are accustomed to Cisco. We didn't use Aruba much, but once you set it up, you probably don't need to worr...
See all answers
What do you like most about Fortinet FortiManager?
The most valuable feature is the centralized management console.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiManager?
Regarding the price of Fortinet FortiManager, I need to get that information from my management, as they handle purchasing.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiManager?
There is room for improvement in Fortinet FortiManager because there is no option for roaming profiles, and the cloud console is not available, which is different compared to Cisco Meraki, and the ...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Aruba ClearPass vs Aruba Airwave Logo
Aruba ClearPass vs Aruba Airwave
Compared 11% of the time
Cisco Catalyst Center vs Aruba Airwave Logo
Cisco Catalyst Center vs Aruba Airwave
Compared 9% of the time
Alcatel-Lucent OmniVista vs Aruba Airwave Logo
Alcatel-Lucent OmniVista vs Aruba Airwave
Compared 9% of the time
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Fortinet FortiGate Cloud vs Fortinet FortiManager Logo
Fortinet FortiGate Cloud vs Fortinet FortiManager
Compared 69% of the time
Fortinet FortiOS vs Fortinet FortiManager Logo
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Compared 9% of the time
Cisco DNA Center vs Fortinet FortiManager Logo
Cisco DNA Center vs Fortinet FortiManager
Compared 7% of the time
AlgoSec vs Fortinet FortiManager Logo
AlgoSec vs Fortinet FortiManager
Compared 5% of the time
Zabbix vs Fortinet FortiManager Logo
Zabbix vs Fortinet FortiManager
Compared 3% of the time
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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Aruba Airwave
July 2025
Aruba Airwave reportDownload Aruba Airwave product report
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiManager
July 2025
Fortinet FortiManager reportDownload Fortinet FortiManager product report
 

Overview

Offering granular visibility into wired and wireless networks, AirWave is the only management platform designed with mobile devices and apps in mind. By proactively monitoring the health and performance of all things connected, AirWave lets IT gain the insights they need to support the digital workplace.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Fortinet FortiManager is used for centralized management of FortiGate firewalls, utilizing zero-touch deployment techniques to optimize configuration and deployment, reducing installation time and errors while improving network security and efficiency.

By centralizing policy management and monitoring across devices and locations, Fortinet FortiManager enhances security and operational efficiency. Automation tools simplify management, control, and consistent configuration across environments. It offers scalability for managing large numbers of devices, beneficial for organizations seeking unified threat protection and streamlined administration from one console. The platform integrates effortlessly with Fortinet products, supporting zero-touch provisioning, SD-WAN, and traffic analysis. Although intuitive, the graphical interface and overall performance require refinement, alongside enhanced support and documentation for troubleshooting and configuration.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiManager?
  • Centralized Management: Streamlines device configuration across multiple systems.
  • Automation Tools: Simplifies implementation and maintenance of configurations.
  • Zero-Touch Provisioning: Reduces setup time and minimizes errors.
  • SD-WAN Support: Enhances wide-area network efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Traffic Analysis: Monitors network traffic for improved security insights.
  • Policy Pushing: Facilitates efficient deployment of security rules.
What benefits and ROI should users look for in reviews?
  • Operational Efficiency: Reduces installation time and configuration errors.
  • Scalability: Supports management of numerous devices.
  • Improved Security: Centralized management enhances threat protection.
  • Time Savings: Automation reduces manual intervention needs.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Simplified administration can lower management costs.

Fortinet FortiManager is implemented across diverse industries like telecommunications, finance, and healthcare, where centralized management and enhanced security are crucial. Its ability to streamline processes and integrate with existing Fortinet products makes it ideal for organizations looking to maintain robust network security standards.

Fortinet
 

Sample Customers

Henkel, University of Findlay, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Iowa
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Buyer's Guide
Aruba Airwave vs. Fortinet FortiManager
July 2025
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