Fortinet FortiWLM vs Mist AI and Cloud comparison

Fortinet and Juniper are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Fortinet is ranked #17 with an average rating of 8.4, while Juniper is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.7. Fortinet holds a 2.0% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Juniper’s 2.4% 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 26 Fortinet FortiWLM reviews

2,366 Views
2,199 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Mist AI and Cloud

Read 22 Mist AI and Cloud reviews

4,890 Views
3,335 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

17th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mist AI and Cloud

Ranking in Wireless LAN

9th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

8.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLM is 2.0%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Mist AI and Cloud is 2.4%, down from 3.6% 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

"The firewall integration is very important for the security of the connection."

"We can deploy a tunnel-based VLAN and SSID, for something that happens at the last minute, in a matter of minutes, because of the interaction between the FortiGate, the FortiSwitches, and the FortiAPs."

"I have not faced any issues with stability or downtime."

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

"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiWLM is the single management pane and integrated controller inside the firewall."

"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."

"At the moment, particularly with the COVID-19 situation, the most valuable feature is probably the IPsec VPN, which is easy to implement with Fortinet."

"If you do have a FortiGate Firewall somewhere in the network, you can connect the wireless controller to that... You get 100 percent visibility from a single point... You can see everything that's connected to the FortiGate, whether it's a switch or a wireless AP or a wireless controller or any other Fortinet product."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pros

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

"The most useful aspect of Mist AI and Cloud is automation capabilities."

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

"If you compare wired versus wireless, it's convenient. You don't need to have one place for connectivity. You can move around and it's easier. Sometimes it's a hassle to work with wires, which is why wireless is so convenient."

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

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

"The tool's best part is the GUI. It is user-friendly and fast due to AI features. The solution can help you fix things with AI, which is impressive."

"Multi PSK (Pre-shared Key) is a very good feature in the solution...Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

More Mist AI and Cloud pros

Cons

"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."

"Areas for improvement would be the compatibility with Apple products and cross-platform integration."

"The initial setup is complex and has room for improvement."

"This solution should be easier to set up in a production environment."

"Documentation could be improved."

"The solution should improve user capacity."

"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."

"The guest management features need to be improved by adding automation."

More Fortinet FortiWLM cons

"Juniper should integrate all their dashboards instead of having separate dashboards...Since it lacks the integration of dashboards, Juniper needs to improve it."

"There is no local support for Mist in Brazil."

"In future releases, they need to add some router models. Because currently, it supports only SSR and WAN routers. But adding other routers would be good."

"The solution doesn't provide mail notifications currently."

"The solution lacks documentation."

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

"Sometimes it takes a lot of time for the access point to connect with the cloud."

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

More Mist AI and Cloud cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"There is a perpetual license required for this solution and the price could be reduced."

"The price of Fortinet FortiWLM is reasonable compared to the other vendors. We are using a five-year license."

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

"Fortinet FortiWLM's pricing is regular and competitive."

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

"Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."

"Support contracts typically cost approximately $100.00 per year."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pricing and cost advice

"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."

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

"The annual cost is a significant issue for us, and it notably contributes to the overall price. We have a customer with nearly fifty-eight access points in a multifunctional building, and while the setup was relatively simple, the yearly licensing cost is substantial. For the specific features we utilize, the licensing amounts to about forty thousand euros annually. This is not a trivial expense and significantly impacts the overall cost, making it quite high."

"Mist AI and Cloud is expensive."

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

"The solution's price is too high for the end-users. My customers pay 1,000 USD towards the licensing cost of the solution every year."

"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 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

Educational Organization

31%

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

Retailer

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...

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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 27% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 19% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 14% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 12% of the time

Cambium Networks Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 7% 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 23% 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 5% of the time

More Mist AI and Cloud Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM

March 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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