Cisco Meraki vs Aruba Instant On: cloud-managed Wi-Fi

Meraki vs Instant On: cloud-managed Wi-Fi for SMBs

Cisco Meraki and Aruba Instant On target the same segment: SMBs seeking enterprise-grade Wi-Fi without requiring in-house technical expertise. Both are cloud-managed through a web or mobile dashboard, support Wi-Fi 6/6E, and offer PoE+ APs. Their philosophies differ, however: Meraki combines premium positioning with mandatory recurring licensing, while Instant On provides an affordable platform with free cloud management for the life of the product.

Product range and pricing

• Aruba AP-22 (Wi-Fi 6, 2×2): €180 excluding tax. Free Instant On management for the life of the product.
• Aruba AP-25 (Wi-Fi 6, 4×4): €350 excluding tax. Free Instant On management.
• Aruba AP-27 (Wi-Fi 6E, 2×2): €500 excluding tax. Free Instant On management.
• Meraki MR36 (Wi-Fi 6, 2×2): €700 excluding tax + Enterprise license at approximately €150/AP/year.
• Meraki MR46 (Wi-Fi 6, 4×4): €1,100 excluding tax + license.
• Meraki MR57 (Wi-Fi 6E): €1,350 excluding tax + license.

5-year TCO (10 APs)

• Aruba AP-25 Instant On: 10× €350 = €3,500 total over 5 years, with no licensing fees.
• Meraki MR46: 10× €1,100 + 10× €150 × 5 years = €11,000 + €7,500 = €18,500.
• Difference: Aruba saves €15,000 over 5 years. Meraki costs 5.3× more.

Features

Aruba Instant On

• 4 SSIDs per AP, VLANs, basic QoS, captive portal, and scheduled Wi-Fi.
• iOS/Android mobile app + web portal.
• Analytics: top apps, top devices, and bandwidth per client.
• Mesh Wi-Fi, with 1 AP connected by cable and the others connected wirelessly.
• Limitations: a maximum of 25 sites per account, no SAML SSO, and no public API.

Cisco Meraki

• The Meraki Dashboard (web) is widely regarded as the best on the market: a single pane of glass for Wi-Fi + MS switches + MX firewalls + MV cameras.
• 16 SSIDs per AP, VLANs, advanced QoS, Auto-RF, and BLE location services.
• Comprehensive REST API with Splunk/Webex/Microsoft integrations.
• Meraki Auto VPN, enabling one-click connectivity between sites.
• Limitation: a license is mandatory, and the equipment becomes inoperable after 30 days without a valid license.

Verdict

• SMBs with fewer than 50 users, tight budgets, and straightforward multi-site requirements: Aruba Instant On. Unbeatable value for money.
• Multi-site SMBs and mid-market companies with 20+ sites requiring a unified dashboard: Cisco Meraki. The dashboard justifies the premium.
• Franchises and retailers with 50+ stores: Meraki, for zero-touch deployment + a mature API.
• Coworking spaces and hospitality businesses: Aruba Instant On, for simplicity + cost efficiency.