Answer a few questions and see a complete network from each brand side by side: gateway, WiFi, switch, cameras and storage, with one total for each.
The tool builds all three from the same answers. This table is what to know before you look at the totals.
| Feature | UniFi | TP-Link Omada | HPE Instant On (Aruba) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Offices that want network and cameras in one app, and plan to grow | Budget-minded offices that want managed WiFi, VLANs and a firewall | Very small offices that want simple, app-managed WiFi |
| How it is managed | UniFi apps on your own gateway, with optional remote access through a free ui.com account | Free Omada Cloud Essentials, a hardware controller or a software controller you host | The Instant On app and web portal, up to 50 devices per site |
| WiFi in this tool | WiFi 7 (U7 range) | WiFi 7 (EAP7 range) | WiFi 6 (Instant On AP25) |
| Gateway | UniFi Cloud Gateway or Dream Machine, chosen for people, speed and cameras | ER707-M2 (2.5G) or ER8411 (10G) | Instant On SG1004 (1 Gbps). Faster connections pair with a router from another maker |
| Switch ports | PoE switches from 8 to 48 ports, with 2.5G and 10G options | PoE+ switches from 8 to 24 ports, with 2.5G options | Gigabit PoE+ switches from 8 to 24 ports |
| Cameras in this tool | UniFi Protect in the same app, or Reolink if you prefer | Reolink, in its own app. Protect is available as an option | Reolink, in its own app. Protect is available as an option |
| Licensing | No license fee for the network or camera apps | Cloud Essentials is free. IPS and deep packet inspection need the paid Cloud Standard plan | No subscription for the core features |
UniFi
Choose UniFi when cameras or growth are likely.
Network, cameras and door access share one dashboard, and the gateway can record the cameras. It costs more per part than Omada, and you pay for that in return for one place to manage everything.
TP-Link Omada
Choose Omada when price matters most.
You get WiFi 7 access points, 2.5G PoE switches and a VPN router for noticeably less. Cameras are a separate system, so budget for a Reolink recorder and a second app.
HPE Instant On (Aruba)
Choose Aruba Instant On for a small, simple office.
Very small sites with no cameras get app-managed WiFi from a large vendor. Expect WiFi 6 access points and gigabit switches, and street prices that vary by seller.
For the full story, read our UniFi and Omada comparison, or plan a UniFi-only network in the UniFi Network Configurator.
Results from the tool itself, with equipment totals at prices checked in October 2026. Open any of them to change a part.
About 1,500 sqft, no cameras
A small professional office with a handful of laptops and a printer. The question here is mostly price, and how simple it is to run.
UniFi costs about $57.03 more than Omada here, and keeps the network, and cameras if you add them, in one dashboard.
Open this blueprintAbout 3,000 sqft, standard camera coverage
A growing office that wants its entrances and shared areas covered. Cameras change the answer, because UniFi records them in the same system and the others need a separate one.
With about 6 cameras, one app for the network and the cameras saves the most day-to-day work.
Open this blueprintAbout 5,000 sqft, remote access and backup
A medical office with many wired devices, staff who connect from home and patient data to protect. Backup is a yearly service, so it is shown apart from the equipment total.
UniFi costs about $233.08 more than Omada here, and keeps the network, and cameras if you add them, in one dashboard.
Cloud backup adds $3,960 a year, on top of every total above.
Open this blueprintAll three brands are sized with the same rules, so the totals are comparable. They are starting points drawn from how we spec jobs, not guarantees. Check the details on site.
Dense layouts and busy rooms get more access points, and concrete, metal and glass need more than the table shows.
Above 16 cameras the tool says so and suggests a site visit, because placement and retention matter more than the count.
Every build is checked for PoE power (the switch must feed the access points and cameras), switch ports, the gateway's internet port against your speed, and multi-gig ports for WiFi 7. A build that fails says so, instead of hiding it.
Equipment only: gateway, access points, switch, cameras and storage. It leaves out tax, shipping, cabling, mounting and installation. Yearly services such as backup are shown apart, so the two never mix.
UniFi uses list prices from the same data as our UniFi tool. Omada and Reolink prices were checked in October 2026. Instant On sells through resellers, so those are street prices, and the tool marks them.
How the comparison works, what the prices mean and what it leaves out
It depends on what you want to run. UniFi suits offices that want the network, cameras and later door access in one app. Omada usually costs less for the same WiFi and switch ports, so it suits budget-minded offices with no cameras or with Reolink cameras. Aruba Instant On suits very small offices that want simple, app-managed WiFi and nothing else. The tool sizes all three for your answers and shows the totals together, so the choice is about your situation rather than a brand name.
Read the UniFi vs Omada comparisonEvery brand is sized the same way: the same number of access points for your floor space and the same number of cameras for your coverage level. Each stack then gets a gateway, access points, a switch with enough ports and PoE power, and optional cameras and storage. The same checks run on all three, so a build that runs out of PoE power or ports is flagged whichever brand it is.
UniFi prices come from the same product data as our UniFi Network Configurator, which uses UniFi Store list prices. Omada, Aruba and Reolink prices were checked in October 2026 against the manufacturer or a current retail listing. Instant On sells mostly through resellers, so those prices are street prices and the tool marks them. Every total is before tax, shipping and installation, and sellers change prices, so confirm before you order.
Open the UniFi Network ConfiguratorOften, because Omada access points and switches list for less. The tool shows the real difference for your answers rather than a rule of thumb. With cameras, the camera system you pick moves the total as much as the network brand does, so use the Build tab to switch between UniFi Protect and Reolink and watch the totals change.
Yes. HPE sells Instant On secure gateways, and the tool uses the SG1004 for connections up to 1 Gbps. For 2.5G or 10G internet, the tool pairs Instant On access points and switches with a router from another maker, and it says so. You can also keep your internet provider's router, which costs nothing but gives up the firewall features of a gateway.
Compare small business firewallsYes, but you lose the single dashboard, which is most of the reason to pick one brand. The tool keeps each build within one brand, except where a mix is the normal answer: an Instant On build on a faster router, and cameras that run in their own system. Where a build mixes makers, the checks say which app manages which part.
UniFi Protect cameras record to a UniFi gateway or recorder and are managed in the same UniFi ecosystem. Reolink PoE cameras record to a Reolink recorder with its own app, at a lower price per camera, and they plug into the recorder rather than the switch. Both record locally with no subscription. Choose Protect for one place to manage everything, and Reolink to spend less on cameras.
See the camera comparisonThe core features of all three work without a subscription. Omada Cloud Essentials is free, and its paid Cloud Standard plan adds features such as intrusion prevention. UniFi has no license fee for the network or camera apps. Cloud backup is a separate yearly service, and the tool lists it apart from the equipment total so one-time and yearly costs never mix.
No. It is a starting point for planning. Building materials, layout and existing cabling can all change what you need, and the tool cannot see your floor plan. If you want a second opinion, send the build to our Miami team from the Save tab and we will tell you what we would change, with no obligation.
Talk to our teamWe plan, cable, mount and configure business networks for Miami offices, and we can review your blueprint against your floor plan first. No pressure: the list is yours to keep either way.
Or call us: (305) 741-4601
We respond within 2 hours
