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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
15th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
24
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Mist AI and Cloud
Ranking in Wireless LAN
8th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
21
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 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 3.6% 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

"The most valuable features of this solution are its speed, reliability, and integration with the firewall."
"Fortinet FortiWLM is good for tracking assets, monitoring, and overall management."
"This is the only product on the market currently that supports as many access points for wifi users."
"The most valuable features are the roaming profile, the mesh, and the performance."
"The Fortinet FortiWLM system can be controlled through the cloud controller, which is convenient when the solution is not installed in our environment, as it allows us to manage the entire WiFi or access points and provides more adaptability."
"The setup was easy."
"It's a solid product."
"For me, the ease of setup and the rugged nature in harsh environments are most valuable. So, durability and ease of use have been its best features."
"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."
"Multi PSK (Pre-shared Key) is a very good feature in the solution...Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"It's really easy to provision and support. Those are its main features."
"The most useful aspect of Mist AI and Cloud is automation capabilities."
"AI is the most valuable feature."
"Ability to control the access points by groups."
"I have a very good experience with the solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"Mist AI and Cloud is the best solution I have seen in the industry, especially from the artificial intelligence perspective, as it helps businesses."
 

Cons

"The solution should improve user capacity."
"I would always wish pricing would be a little better."
"The guest management features need to be improved by adding automation."
"The pricing for the solution is expensive and can be improved."
"Areas for improvement would be the compatibility with Apple products and cross-platform integration."
"When using the FortiGate as the wireless controller, you cannot have automatic user registration, which is something that they should offer."
"The pricing model can be improved to encourage use by small business and individuals and the hardware could stand to be redesigned."
"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 solution doesn't provide mail notifications currently."
"Juniper should integrate all their dashboards instead of having separate dashboards...Since it lacks the integration of dashboards, Juniper needs to improve it."
"The solution has various licensing policies. It will be easy to use if it is an open single license."
"There seems to be different versions of standards used in the wireless access points. In the future, it would be helpful if the solution could come up with some kind of universal standard for all devices and all access points."
"There could be more integration."
"Regarding opportunities for improvement in Mist, it is notable for its robust cloud portal and integration of artificial intelligence into various services, creating a highly efficient environment for work. However, a drawback lies in the cost associated with its WiFi offerings. With a pricing range of twelve hundred to fifteen hundred dollars for a single Access Point, exclusive of the subscription, it is acknowledged as a relatively expensive solution in the realm of WiFi services. Despite this drawback, the positive attributes of Mist make it a noteworthy option."
"Sometimes it takes a lot of time for the access point to connect with the cloud."
"There is no local support for Mist in Brazil."
 

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."
"Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."
"The solution is expensive. I give the solution a one out of ten for the price."
"The price of Fortinet FortiWLM is reasonable compared to the other vendors. We are using a five-year license."
"There is a perpetual license required for this solution and the price could be reduced."
"Fortinet FortiWLM's pricing is regular and competitive."
"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 product is highly expensive. I rate the pricing a ten."
"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 is not cheap, but it's a reliable solution and very easy for management."
"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's price is too high for the end-users. My customers pay 1,000 USD towards the licensing cost of the solution every year."
"Mist AI and Cloud is expensive."
"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."
"Depending on the features, I think it's quite reasonably priced, especially considering the facilities of the product."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Educational Organization
29%
Computer Software Company
18%
Retailer
6%
Financial Services Firm
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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?
Most of our customers are global companies. There is no local support for Mist in Brazil. There is no equipment for trial. It's very difficult to sell or implement the product. I need a box with me...
 

Also Known As

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

Learn More

 

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: January 2025.
831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.