Fortinet FortiWLM vs Mist AI and Cloud comparison

Fortinet and Juniper are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Fortinet is ranked #16 with an average rating of 8.4, while Juniper is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.7. Fortinet holds a 2.0% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Juniper’s 2.7% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 76% of Juniper users who would recommend it.

Fortinet FortiWLM

Read 25 Fortinet FortiWLM reviews

2,506 Views
2,338 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Mist AI and Cloud

Read 22 Mist AI and Cloud reviews

5,298 Views
3,668 Comparison Views

76% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiWLM

Mist AI and Cloud

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Fortinet FortiWLM and Mist AI and Cloud compete in the wireless network solutions category. Mist AI and Cloud seems to have the upper hand due to its superior automation capabilities and AI-driven network insights, enhancing user experience despite its higher pricing.

Features: Fortinet FortiWLM is praised for centralized management and integrated security features through the Fortinet Security Fabric, seamless roaming leveraging Virtual Cell, and strong hardware quality. Mist AI and Cloud stands out with its AI-driven automation, offering automated configuration suggestions, detailed user experience insights, and Wi-Fi Assurance, which enhances network optimization.

Room for Improvement: Fortinet FortiWLM could enhance its reporting and integration features, automate guest management, and address service contract policies for smaller organizations. Mist AI and Cloud could improve by expanding integration capabilities, addressing pricing concerns, and enhancing local support and documentation for broader accessibility and ease of use.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fortinet FortiWLM deploys on-premises, emphasizing stability within existing infrastructures, with generally favorable customer service acknowledged but variable in response times. Mist AI and Cloud offers deployment flexibility with cloud and on-premises options. Technical support is satisfactory, though complex issues sometimes require escalation, indicating a need for improving first-line support.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiWLM offers competitive pricing with reasonable licensing options, reducing costs through its unified security approach and contributing to a positive ROI. Mist AI and Cloud, while pricier, provides substantial automation features that may justify the investment. Pricing remains a concern for some, especially in regions with high taxation, yet ROI is generally viewed positively due to its capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Mist AI and Cloud Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Mist AI and Cloud

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

Fortinet FortiWLM

Ranking in Wireless LAN

16th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mist AI and Cloud

Ranking in Wireless LAN

8th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

8.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLM is 2.0%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Mist AI and Cloud is 2.7%, down from 3.7% 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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ALEXANDRE VIANNA

CTO at Redeswirelessbrasil

Scalable and AI-driven automation helps in quick implementation

I have a global customer who wants to start the design phase in a big warehouse, but we do not have the equipment to do a site survey. I need support for the access point to implement in a freezer area. I do not have it. The customer tried to send one piece of equipment to Brazil. However, we had a problem because the customer needed to implement it in three months, and it took two months to send one equipment to Brazil.

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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

"Although there are a few steps, the initial setup is pretty straightforward."

"The solution is controlled from one device and one GUI for all devices."

"We're using SD-WAN at all of our locations now, which helps increase and aggregate and lower response time and improve application performance."

"Fortinet FortiWLM is good for tracking assets, monitoring, and overall management."

"The most valuable features are the roaming profile, the mesh, and the performance."

"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."

"I found that It's really good when comparing it to any other product or it is much better in terms of features that the customer requires."

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

More Fortinet FortiWLM pros

"The triangulation feature can be used to determine where a person is in relation to the access point."

"The most valuable aspect is that they operate on small microservices, offering numerous open APIs that enhance the value of our Wi-Fi network. This flexibility allows us to optimize various aspects such as workforce planning and occupancy management. The platform is highly open in the market, providing robust APIs for seamless integration with other tools. Currently, we leverage these capabilities at a building site, incorporating IoT sensors to gather data. The collected data is stored in a centralized location, and we plan to use AI for analysis. This analysis will include insights on peak activity times, humidity levels, temperature variations, and other relevant metrics within the building."

"Mist AI and Cloud is the best solution I have seen in the industry, especially from the artificial intelligence perspective, as it helps businesses."

"AI-driven automation helps implement the solution quickly."

"AI is the most valuable feature."

"Mist is a really good tool that provides essential AI information from an operational point of view, covering both wireless and switching."

"The Marvis feature of Mist AI, an artificial intelligence tool, is very useful."

"Mist AI and Cloud have definitely improved the functioning of our organization. The access to the Internet, including its speed and reliability, has significantly improved."

More Mist AI and Cloud pros

Cons

"Licensing is the only area that I think they are below average. They need enterprise licensing, an all-encompassing license to cover all products for a company."

"Improving support and firmware upgrades is necessary."

"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."

"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."

"In the next release, they could improve by adding a controller-less server, or architecture that is provided in other solutions, such as Aruba. This would be a great benefit for customers."

"The range needs some improvement and also the stability."

"The interface could certainly do with some improvement. We have other customers with WiFi networks, and they always use Ubiquiti. With Ubiquiti, it's a much better user interface, and it is much easier to configure."

"There is very little publicly available information about Virtual Cell and Single Channel Architecture. Promotion of the overall technology is limited as well. Being more vocal about a product that has many advantages would go a long way to eliminating a lot of the confusion and negative perception about Virtual Cell and Single Channel Architecture."

More Fortinet FortiWLM cons

"Configuration could be improved."

"There could be more integration."

"It would be beneficial to have support for the Chinese language."

"There are some technical issues that may require attention"

"Currently, the solution lacks the ability to configure with other solutions from other vendors."

"The solution lacks documentation."

"The solution has various licensing policies. It will be easy to use if it is an open single license."

"The inter-functionality with other vendors was a negative for us."

More Mist AI and Cloud cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"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."

"The solution is expensive. I give the solution a one out of ten for the price."

"Licensing costs are reasonable. There are so many different types of licenses with Fortinet, but the licensing and the 24/7/365 support are so reasonable that I automatically include it with every transaction. I never line item it without it. There are no additional costs."

"The solution is fairly priced."

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

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

More Fortinet FortiWLM pricing and cost advice

"The price of Mist AI and Cloud is approximately 20 percent less than competitors, such as Aruba and Cisco. However, Cisco has a lifetime warranty for its solutions."

"The custom licensing is a little bit expensive and I would rate it 7.5 out of 10."

"Mist AI and Cloud is expensive."

"The price is not cheap, but it's a reliable solution and very easy for management."

"Depending on the features, I think it's quite reasonably priced, especially considering the facilities of the product."

"The price is about the same compared to other vendors. There is an add-on license, but it's up to you if you want to buy it or not."

"The price of this product is approximately the same as competing products in the market."

"The solution is expensive in Brazil."

More Mist AI and Cloud pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

31%

Computer Software Company

17%

Retailer

Financial Services Firm

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?

The pricing for Fortinet products has increased. While historically there was a bundle price available, it's now gone, making Fortinet less affordable than before. However, they are not the most ex...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLM?

There are currently issues with Fortinet's software quality. We have concerns regarding the frequent updates needed because of short software cycles. More cloud orientation like that seen in compan...

See all answers

What do you like most about Mist AI and Cloud?

AI-driven automation helps implement the solution quickly.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Mist AI and Cloud?

The price is very high in Brazil because of the high tax. The solution is expensive in Brazil.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Mist AI and Cloud?

There are many aspects of AI, and how acquisitions are proceeding, particularly between Juniper and Aruba, remains unclear. From a Juniper perspective, there is a need for further improvements in t...

See all answers

Comparisons

Aruba Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 26% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 19% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 11% of the time

More Fortinet FortiWLM Competitors

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Mist AI and Cloud

Compared 34% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs Mist AI and Cloud

Compared 24% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Mist AI and Cloud

Compared 11% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Mist AI and Cloud

Compared 5% of the time

ExtremeCloud IQ vs Mist AI and Cloud

Compared 4% of the time

More Mist AI and Cloud Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM

February 2025

Download Fortinet FortiWLM product report

Buyer's Guide

Mist AI and Cloud

February 2025

Download Mist AI and Cloud product report

Also Known As

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

Mist Access Points

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

Mist AI uses a combination of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science techniques to optimize user experiences and simplify operations across the wireless access, wired access, and SD-WAN domains.

Data is ingested from numerous sources, including Juniper Mist Access Points, Switches, Session Smart Routers, and Firewalls for end-to-end insight into user experiences. These devices work in concert with Mist AI to optimize user experiences from client-to-cloud, including automated event correlation, root cause identification, Self-Driving Network™ operations, network assurance, proactive anomaly detection, and more.

Juniper also leverages Mist AI for next-generation customer support. It is the foundational element behind Marvis, the industry’s first AI-driven Virtual Network Assistant, which provides extensive insight and guidance to IT staff via a natural language conversational interface.

With Mist AI, operators save time and money with faster problem resolution and fewer onsite visits. Users benefit from a network infrastructure that is more predictable, reliable, and measurable.

Juniper

Sample Customers

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

Dartmouth, Hitachi, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Nebraska Furniture Mart, NTT, Okta

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Mist AI and Cloud

January 2025

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