ISN Free WiFi vs the alternatives
An honest look at how we compare to Powerlynx and a self-managed MikroTik hotspot — the two real alternatives if you're choosing captive-portal software for your own business, ISP, or venue.
ISN Free WiFi vs Powerlynx
Both are cloud-based captive-portal platforms built for ISPs, MSPs, and venue operators, with a no-code branded portal builder and multi-site router management. Where the two differ:
| ISN Free WiFi | Powerlynx | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | One flat rate — R1,500/month, covers 300 concurrent users, unlimited routers, no per-guest fees | Custom/contact for pricing |
| No-code portal builder | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-site / multi-client management | Yes — one login across every branded location you run | Yes |
| Vouchers & data plans | Built in | Voucher payment integrations (1Voucher, OTT) |
| WiFi advertising / monetization | Built in | Marketing/campaign engine using collected guest data |
| SMS verification | Built in, own SMS credit system | Not confirmed |
| Public status page & documented SLA | Yes — live status, published SLA | Not confirmed |
Rows marked "not confirmed" mean we couldn't verify that from Powerlynx's own public materials — check directly with them for the current details of their platform.
ISN Free WiFi vs a self-managed MikroTik hotspot
MikroTik's RouterOS has a built-in basic hotspot/captive-portal feature — it's genuinely capable and widely used, and ISN Free WiFi works alongside your existing MikroTik hardware rather than replacing it. The difference is what's built on top:
- Setup: RouterOS hotspot is configured per router, by hand, in Winbox/CLI. ISN Free WiFi is one dashboard that pushes branding and configuration across every router you add.
- Branding: RouterOS gives you a basic login page template. ISN Free WiFi gives you a no-code branded portal — logo, colors, custom domain — with no HTML editing.
- Monetization: RouterOS has no built-in voucher store, ad delivery, or payment gateway of its own. ISN Free WiFi includes vouchers, data plans, and WiFi advertising out of the box.
- Multi-site: Each MikroTik router is its own island unless you build your own central management. ISN Free WiFi gives you one login across every site and every router.
- Support: RouterOS hotspot support is community/documentation-based. ISN Free WiFi includes a support team and a published SLA.
fibertime, Telkom WiFi, Project Isizwe & Sebenza are solving a different problem
These aren't competitors to ISN Free WiFi — they're a different category of business, and it's worth knowing the difference before you keep searching:
- fibertime is a pay-as-you-go fibre ISP bringing internet access directly to township households, at around R5/day. If you're a resident looking for home internet, that's who you want — not us.
- Telkom WiFi is a national telecom's own retail hotspot network. If you're a Telkom customer looking for one of their hotspots, that's a Telkom product, not ours.
- Project Isizwe is a non-profit that partners with municipalities to deploy free public WiFi in low-income communities — a social initiative, not a commercial product.
- Sebenza runs a rewards-based free WiFi network specifically for taxis and buses, where commuters earn data by watching ads or completing surveys — a niche transit product.
If instead you're a business, ISP, or venue operator who wants to run your own branded guest WiFi — with your logo, your domain, your own vouchers and ads — that's exactly what ISN Free WiFi is for. See how it works.