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Fortinet FortiAP vs Ubiquiti WLAN comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 8, 2024

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 FortiAP
Ranking in Wireless LAN
12th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
12
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 February 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiAP is 3.8%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubiquiti WLAN is 5.0%, down from 7.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

Yati Gharat - PeerSpot reviewer
Integrates well with Fortinet products, but there are signal issues in the outdoor environment
FortiAP is very good in an indoor environment, but we are struggling with the outdoor environment. That is where we are having certain issues. We are not 100% happy with it. With the indoor environment, we are okay, but we are facing some issues when certain voice-related calls go from wireless points. There are certain drops, and we have faced these issues on an ongoing basis. We also have other vendors such as Aruba and Meraki, and we do not face any issues when there is a Teams or Zoom meeting going on. It could be that FortiAP is okay, but that particular device or appliance is not capable of handling that much load of voice and video. This might be the issue. RF Spectrum Analysis helps to understand what is the coverage and hotspots related to a particular access point, but then when we bought it, we did heat mapping through different vendors. If there are any rogue APs, we can identify them with RF Spectrum Analysis. We can see what the coverage area is, but there are some issues with that. Some of the offices have thick glasses, or the cabins are different, so in the RF coverage, what is shown is not what we get on the practical grounds. There are some issues with signal performance. It has the basic functionality that is mostly used, but there are certain devices that are not able to interconnect. When there is any issue or problem, if the administrator can get some information about that, that will be good. With Meraki and Aruba, we get certain beautiful things. If those can be integrated into this solution, it will be more beneficial, but we understand that being a security company, Fortinet's focus is on security.
Geoff Rubin - PeerSpot reviewer
Useful for network management and far more competitive than the other leading American brands
As an importer and distributor, we don't spend any time installing Ubiquiti WLAN products ourselves. We only resell the products to installers and don't do any installations directly. From my knowledge, though, the installation process is extremely straightforward. We get very few technical questions from our customers who do the installations. Based on our experience as distributors, I can say that virtually every installation we deal with now is centered around the UniFi Gateway. Although we don't handle installations directly, more companies rely on Ubiquiti gateways instead of standard options like FortiGate switches as routers. With the new UDM Pro Max product, Ubiquiti WLAN has covered the whole spectrum from home installations to the largest possible enterprise installations.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I would give FortiAP a rating of ten out of ten so far."
"If we have FortiClient installed on multiple devices, it is seamless to connect with FortiAP. It supports passwordless authentication as well. That is a great thing about it."
"The setup was straightforward."
"The integration is efficient, allowing for management through the firewall."
"We really don't need to call technical support. Any time we have had to call, they've been great."
"The solution supports recent security components like encryption or hashing algorithms. We can control the APs from FortiGate Firewalls and integrate those APs into FortiGate. You don't have to purchase a separate controller for it."
"The pricing is reasonable for what it offers."
"I like FortiAP's performance and stability. The reporting is also quite good."
"The web interface in the controller allows for quick configuration of devices with just one click, which is a significant advantage."
"The initial setup was very straightforward."
"I have found Ubiquiti WLAN scalable. We have approximately 200 users using the solution in my organization and do not plan to increase usage."
"Ubiquiti WLAN's most valuable features are that it works well in a hybrid environment and isn't heavy on resources."
"The most beneficial thing about Ubiquiti is that it is simple to deploy."
"The most valuable feature of Ubiquiti WLAN is its stability."
"The Cloud Key Controller is a valuable feature because it allows me to access the wireless system from the cloud and locally within the same network, enhancing network management."
"The solution works well and in the short time I have used it, I've enjoyed its capabilities."
 

Cons

"The product fails to offer default access points to deal with the areas revolving around configurations."
"The improvement factor could be in APs. Also, it could have a control, like MAC address."
"There is room for improvement in the product by expanding the number of SSIDs that can be broadcast."
"FortiAP could be a little cheaper."
"Technical support is a pain. Fortinet has to get its act together. If you don't pay for premium service, you will have issues."
"The wireless functionality is not the best."
"There is nothing that particularly comes to mind for improvement."
"I would like to have automation capabilities that would help us reduce the configuration steps."
"Largely we're happy with the product, however, the firmware deployments could maybe be managed a little bit differently."
"The strength of the signal from the access points could be improved."
"There is room for improvement in providing the flexibility to change the default management VLAN from VLAN one to another for enhanced security."
"During the configuration, we cannot get information on the network level from the regular interface."
"The solution could improve by having a cloud version. A cloud version is the easiest to configure anywhere in the world."
"The solution should support a larger bandwidth or distance between the access points and the main stations."
"A potential improvement could be the addition of artificial intelligence features, similar to what Ruckus offers."
"The product’s bandwidth could be better."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"On a scale of one to ten with ten being the most expensive, I would rate FortiAP a six."
"If I compare it with the other enterprise products, the price is good."
"We purchased perpetual licensing, and additional costs may vary depending on the services acquired from Fortinet."
"The devices under Fortinet are not expensive. The solution's licensing part is expensive."
"FortiAP is more expensive than some other options."
"The product is available at a very comfortable price for my company compared to the other products available in the market. The prices of products from Meraki and Aruba are high compared to those of Fortinet."
"Fortinet FortiAP offers a more cost-effective solution compared to Palo Alto and Check Point."
"I rate the pricing an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive."
"The tool is affordable."
"The tool's price is good and falls somewhere in the middle."
"Ubiquiti WLAN is a low-priced product."
"It is a cost-effective solution."
"Ubiquiti WLAN is cheap. It can work without licensing."
"Ubiquiti WLAN is less expensive than Ruckus, but its price could be improved to make it more affordable and accessible."
"Ubiquiti WLAN is fairly well priced and available as a one-time purchase."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
9%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Educational Organization
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about FortiAP?
If we have FortiClient installed on multiple devices, it is seamless to connect with FortiAP. It supports passwordless authentication as well. That is a great thing about it.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for FortiAP?
The pricing for Fortinet FortiAP is good compared to other competitive vendors.
What needs improvement with FortiAP?
The radio band support could be improved, especially for legacy devices. We have faced issues where older devices are not able to connect to the access point, often receiving messages that the pass...
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.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
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 Fortinet FortiAP vs. Ubiquiti WLAN and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.