Comparing UniFi and Cisco Meraki Licensing Costs for Wi-Fi and Cameras
How UniFi and Meraki Handle Licensing
Cisco Meraki MR access points require a per-access-point license to operate. A reply in a Reddit licensing thread notes that Meraki equipment stops working if the license is unpaid, while UniFi equipment needs no subscription to work.
You buy UniFi hardware once, and UniFi access points need no license. For example, a Wi-Fi 7 U7 Pro is $189 on the Ubiquiti store as of October 2026. Typical Meraki MR license costs are reported in a range of $100 to $350 per access point based on unconfirmed third-party figures.
Wi-Fi License Costs Over Five Years
Meraki MR access points require an ongoing per-access-point license, reported by unconfirmed reseller and third-party figures read in October 2026 at about $89 per access point per year. For example, a CDW 3-year Enterprise license is $266.99.
Looking at license costs only with hardware excluded, running 10 access points on Meraki MR at about $89 to $196 per year costs about $4,450 to $9,800 over five years, against $0 for UniFi. One company worked out it could replace every access point every two years with UniFi and still spend less than Meraki licensing.
Security Camera License Fees
Meraki MV cameras need a per-camera license. Reseller figures from late 2026 show a CDW Enterprise 1-year license is $476.99, MV Sense analytics are about $80 per year, and a cloud archive is about $157 per year.
For 16 cameras on Meraki MV at about $457 per year on a 5-year term, the license alone is about $36,600, against $0 for UniFi. An inn with 20 access points and 24 cameras carries two per-device license lines on Meraki and Verkada, paying roughly $1,800 to $3,900 per year for Wi-Fi plus $3,600 to $5,300 per year for cameras.
Migrating from Meraki to UniFi
A 13-location company facing almost $200,000 to renew end-of-life Meraki gear and licenses replaced firewalls, switches, access points, cameras and environmental sensors with UniFi for about $120,000 with no recurring costs. An integrator who sells both preferred the UniFi dashboard as faster and deeper than Meraki's.
Limits and Considerations for UniFi
UniFi comes with specific limits compared to Cisco or Meraki. Support is thinner than from Cisco or Meraki, so users who move buy paid support for main sites and keep spares on the shelf. With UniFi, the business or its IT provider owns patching and uptime.
Hardware availability and stability require attention. UniFi parts sell out within minutes of restock, switch ports have been reported failing at rates up to 5 percent on some models by one estimate, and updates occasionally break things.
IT Support for Charleston and the Lowcountry
CloudCentric is a managed IT provider in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, serving businesses across Charleston and the Lowcountry. We help business owners and managers evaluate network hardware and manage ongoing uptime, patching, and equipment replacements. Call us at (844) 422-7000 to discuss your technology needs.