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Fortinet FortiWLM vs Mist AI and Cloud comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 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 FortiWLM
Ranking in Wireless LAN
17th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
27
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
22
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLM is 1.9%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Mist AI and Cloud is 2.3%, down from 3.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

Zachary Wheeler - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
ALEXANDRE VIANNA - PeerSpot reviewer
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"With Fortinet, there is a feature called Network-In-Control. It's the AP controller that decides what the clients are going to connect to... Even though your phone sees, let's say, two APs, since the wireless controller has visibility into and access across all the APs, it knows the best AP for the client to connect to. This way, the controller makes sure that none of the APs is over-crowded, and the spectrum is used properly."
"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."
"Security is the feature we like most from Fortinet. In general, their security architecture is really great, because it involves everything: firewalls, wireless LANs, the user. Everything is really secure."
"I use Fortinet FortiWLM for wireless communication and the internet."
"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."
"The greatest advantage is the security fabric Fortinet offers."
"Seamless roaming by leveraging Virtual Cell is a major advantage which reduces roam times and issues related to roaming. Code stability has been excellent and the hardware quality is second to none."
"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiWLM is the single management pane and integrated controller inside the firewall."
"Mist AI and Cloud is the best solution I have seen in the industry, especially from the artificial intelligence perspective, as it helps businesses."
"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."
"Mist is a really good tool that provides essential AI information from an operational point of view, covering both wireless and switching."
"The triangulation feature can be used to determine where a person is in relation to the access point."
"It's really easy to provision and support. Those are its main features."
"Multi PSK (Pre-shared Key) is a very good feature in the solution...Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"I have a very good experience with the solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"The AI deployment process involves adding access points and placing them in the designated area. The AI system automatically adjusts channel selection and transmission power without any issues with stability or throughput. It has improved network performance."
 

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."
"The initial setup is complex and has room for improvement."
"The solution should improve user capacity."
"The range needs some improvement and also the stability."
"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."
"This solution should be easier to set up in a production environment."
"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."
"The pricing for the solution is expensive and can be improved."
"Configuration could be improved."
"The user experience should be improved. It's not user-friendly."
"There are some technical issues that may require attention"
"It would be beneficial to have support for the Chinese language."
"If there's one thing I'd like to change, it's the pricing. They are quite expensive, but honestly, it's justified by the value they provide. However, for a simple Wi-Fi connectivity with basic security needs, there are alternatives in the market that offer comparable features at a more budget-friendly price."
"Mist AI and Cloud should improve its integrations."
"Currently, the solution lacks the ability to configure with other solutions from other vendors."
"The solution lacks documentation."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."
"The product is highly expensive. I rate the pricing a ten."
"In the last few years, due in part to the impact of COVID on the market, Fortinet has increased its prices by 35 percent."
"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."
"To save yourself from increased setup and maintenance costs, I highly recommend undertaking a proper site survey from the beginning."
"The solution is fairly priced."
"There is a perpetual license required for this solution and the price could be reduced."
"Support contracts typically cost approximately $100.00 per 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 custom licensing is a little bit expensive and I would rate it 7.5 out of 10."
"Mist AI and Cloud is expensive."
"Depending on the features, I think it's quite reasonably priced, especially considering the facilities of the product."
"I rate the pricing a seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is low and ten is high."
"The price of this product is approximately the same as competing products in the market."
"The solution is expensive in Brazil."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
31%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Retailer
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiWLM?
While the pricing of Fortinet FortiWLM is a bit high, it remains effective. However, the cost could be better if reduced.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLM?
In terms of improvements, the price is higher than I would like. A reduction in pricing would be beneficial.
What do you like most about Mist AI and Cloud?
AI-driven automation helps implement the solution quickly.
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.
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...
 

Also Known As

FortiWLM, FortiAP, Fortinet AP/OAP, Meru Wireless LAN
Mist Access Points
 

Overview

 

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
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Mist AI and Cloud and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
849,190 professionals have used our research since 2012.