Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Aruba Wireless vs Ubiquiti WLAN comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

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

Aruba Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
147
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Ubiquiti WLAN
Ranking in Wireless LAN
7th
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
44
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Wireless is 17.7%, down from 23.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubiquiti WLAN is 5.1%, down from 6.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN
 

Q&A Highlights

Julia Miller - PeerSpot reviewer
Sep 17, 2018
 

Featured Reviews

Muhammad_Faisal - PeerSpot reviewer
Experience seamless connectivity with top-notch roaming capabilities
The Aruba Wireless solution has excellent roaming capabilities, ensuring seamless connectivity. Once installed, Aruba Wireless works robustly without overheating issues. This is particularly effective compared to other products I've used, like FortiMonitor and FortiAPs, which sometimes heat up. I am very satisfied with the roaming feature, as it ensures connectivity when moving from one location to another. The product's stability, after setting it up, adds to its value.
Gabriele-Pizzigati - PeerSpot reviewer
Managing installations through one interface enhances efficiency but AI features improvement
Ubiquiti Wireless LAN is reliable and offers a good quality product. It provides one interface to manage all installations, allowing me to monitor all customers through the same web interface. The web interface in the controller allows for quick configuration of devices with just one click, which is a significant advantage.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I have found the Access Point (AP) group profile feature extremely useful. It makes deployments look easy."
"It has many features and is integrated with Azure AD and multiple active directories, making authentication easy."
"Aruba Wireless does not have too many distinguishing feature sets. However, tunneling is more flexible in this solution than other solutions, such as Ruckus."
"APs are very easy to configure to the network once they contact the controller."
"The most valuable features are the Instant On capabilities, including the controller."
"The solution is very stable."
"For my organization, the most critical feature of Aruba Wireless is guest management."
"It has helped in making deployments easier."
"The solution is scalable."
"Ubiquiti WLAN has good performance."
"For me, the ease of configuration is a valuable feature."
"Great management interface."
"Firstly, I initially purchased the device to build a VPN, and one very valuable feature for me was the ability to create a layer two VPN, which was available on the legacy ER router. It allowed me to expand a subnet to a remote site, which was essential for my setup. Additionally, I appreciated that the CLI of the router was similar to other Juniper products that I was familiar with."
"The product’s most valuable feature is the workflow-driven setup for the infrastructure component."
"The management features are valuable."
"I use Ubiquiti WLAN because it's cheap and performs well. The range is its best feature for improving network performance."
 

Cons

"Lacks a heat map analysis and a cloud-based wireless controller."
"What needs improvement in Aruba Wireless is its access point, in particular, it should have more flexibility. Aruba Wireless has Campus AP, Instant AP, and Unified AP, but it would be better if the product has a generic access point that you can manage over the cloud, on-premise, etc. Another area for improvement in Aruba Wireless is scalability. In terms of what additional features I'd like to see in the product, I'm unsure if it's already on the roadmap, but if possible, it would be good to have an SD-WAN functionality on the AP in Aruba Wireless."
"Aruba Wireless is a good product, but it still has some issues, especially at the beginning, where there's inconsistent syncing between the cloud and the APs. Sometimes, there's also a little lag when accessing the query."
"There needs to be better visibility on the day-to-day monitoring."
"Aruba Wireless can improve the assigning of access points. We have times that the nearest access point is not assigned but one far away. The integration between access points could improve."
"The product’s performance got worse with newer releases."
"Aruba doesn't match some competitors in wireless signal strength. It isn't in the same class as Cisco Meraki, so I would use Cisco Meraki in situations where I need to cover a large open space. Meraki has more powerful signals going out."
"Sometimes the configuration is difficult."
"Switching devices requires reconfiguration from scratch."
"When they release new products, you should know if there backward compatibility, or do you have to replace the entire forklift, It is useful to understand their strategy and where they are headed."
"The product must provide better warranties."
"There seems to be a drop in service. It's definitely a reliability or stability issue we face."
"The solution should support a larger bandwidth or distance between the access points and the main stations."
"Cloud management is one feature that should be included in the next release. This tool is best suited for small environments, not large and complex ones."
"I think the main area for improvement with Ubiquiti WLAN is that they need to be far more specific in explaining the advantages of one product versus another. They have many access points - over 30. We often get questions about the right product for specific circumstances, and it's difficult to answer them clearly."
"The product's area of concern revolves around its lack of support."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Get multiple bids/quotes, and talk to the representatives about the limitations of the product; pretty standard."
"I think it would be better if they lowered the price."
"I think they should lower their prices."
"It's not expensive. That is the reason we switched to Aruba."
"The price is reasonable."
"Partner had been using Cisco. They switched to Aruba, because of price and functionality, also with an option for adding a SW, like AirWave, Meridian, ClearPass, and Central."
"The pricing has increased and it was always more costly than some of the other solutions available."
"The access points are more cost-effective over some other providers, both in cost per AP and the option of a controller-less environment."
"Ubiquiti WLAN’s price is higher than other competitors."
"Ubiquiti WLAN is fairly well priced and available as a one-time purchase."
"There is no licensing cost for this solution."
"The software to control it is free. The license is when we buy the Cloud Key."
"The tool's licensing costs are life-time charges."
"I rate the pricing an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive."
"It’s an expensive product but has all the essential qualities and functionality."
"Ubiquiti WLAN is cheap. It can work without licensing."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Wireless LAN solutions are best for your needs.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Comparison Review

it_user212721 - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 24, 2015
Cisco vs. Aruba Wireless Solutions
Cisco or Aruba Networks? If you are considering wireless access solutions, this is a common question that you are probably asking. You probably have sales people knocking at your door. How do you make sense of all the stories that you are presented with. If you have done any research, you are…
 

Answers from the Community

Julia Miller - PeerSpot reviewer
Sep 17, 2018
Sep 17, 2018
I'd have to say Aruba over Ubiquiti - Ubiquiti, to me, is more of a poor persons' Wi-Fi system and not really reliably suited for the serious commercial market. Here in the Bahamas we have Aruba for our local university campus and are now deploying the same for the local cable company. It is simply a night and day comparison in my opinion. Also, Aruba has many more features and is well suited f...
2 out of 18 answers
AP
Aug 29, 2018
Aruba. But Cisco Meraki is better. El mié., 29 de ago. de 2018 09:32, Nick Regan from IT Central Station < site-admin@itcentralstation.com> escribió:
MF
Aug 29, 2018
I like both. Aruba are more expensive than Ubiquiti. And support for Aruba (Paid support) would probably be better. But for the price I lean towards Ubiquiti products. Mike Fulton | IT Consultant P: (317) 972-7094 Ext. 25628 | C: (317) 450-5010 9702 East 30th Street | Indianapolis, IN 46229 mfulton@19thcapital.com | www.qualityco.com [cid:image002.png@01D41828.764419C0] DOING BUSINESS AS QUALITY COMPANIES STATEMENT OF CONFIDENTIALITY: The information in this message is privileged and confidential and is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that you are prohibited from disseminating distributing or copying the information contained in this message. If you have received this message in error please notify the sender immediately and destroy all copies of the original message.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Computer Software Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?
Depends. I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them. Extreme I am not, so unless they have some feature that I need or want, I wouldn't consider them. Do you have expe...
Aruba Wireless or Ruckus Wireless?
At my organization, we researched Ruckus Wireless among other solutions but ultimately chose Aruba wireless. What did we like about Ruckus? First, it was very easy to use, and anybody with minimal...
How does Cisco Wireless compare with Aruba Wireless?
On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three hours, the basic framework can be set up. Step-by-step instructions are availabl...
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 - Ubiquiti WLAN or Aruba Instant?
We researched Ubiquiti and Aruba when looking for a WLAN solution. Ubiquiti offers good WLAN access both indoors and outdoors. It provides an enterprise-level WIFI while remaining cost-effective. U...
What do you like most about Ubiquiti WLAN?
Anyone can buy the product off the shelf and configure it.
 

Also Known As

Aruba WLAN, HP WLAN, HP Wireless, Aruba Instant On AP Series Access Point
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Consulate Health Care, Los Angeles Unified School District, Science Applications International Corp (SAIC), San Diego State University, KFC, ACTS Retirement-Life Communities
NASCAR Grand-AM, Maritime Parc, Outdoor Music Festival, One Republic Tour, British Armed Forces, Arcadia School District, Bartlett School District, Universidad del Azuay, Estelar Hotels, Intercontinental Bali, Moscow - Enforta, Miami - Sling Broadband, Manhattan - MST, Ecuador - Aire.EC
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Wireless vs. Ubiquiti WLAN and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.