F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) Reviews

Vendor: F5

4.1 out of 5

15 reviews
87% willing to recommend

What is F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is an access management proxy solution for managing global access to the enterprise networks, cloud providers, applications, and application programming interfaces (APIs). Through a single management interface, BIG-IP APM consolidates remote, mobile, network, virtual, and web access.

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F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is the #5 ranked solution in top SSL VPN solutions, #8 ranked solution in top Network Access Control (NAC) solutions, #10 ranked solution in top Access Management solutions, #11 ranked solution in top Remote Access solutions, and #19 ranked solution in top Web Security Gateways. PeerSpot users give F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) an average rating of 8.2 out of 10. F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is most commonly compared to Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks: F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks. F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 67% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 14% of all views.

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

February 2025

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Featured reviews

Ashish Kumar Rai

Associate Network Engineer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

I'd suggest improved documentation integration directly within the GUI. Right now, finding comprehensive documentation often requires going to external websites like the community portal. In the APM interface itself, they could add direct hyperlinks to relevant online documentation. This would provide easy access to admin guides and other resources when working within the GUI.

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Richard Polyak

Sr. Architect at NBC Universal

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager is scalable. We have somewhere between six and seven hundred people using it daily. Their roles vary. Some are writers, while others are administrators. It all depends on how we deploy it and who's going to use it. The staff required to deploy and maintain F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager is minimal. We do potentially have plans to increase usage of the solution. I'm currently investigating other projects that could benefit from it.

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Clyde Livingston

Senior Process Specialist at Telstra

I use F5 BIG-IP APM to connect to my company's private network and access the tools that I need F5 BIG-IP APM is relatively easy to use. F5 BIG-IP APM disconnects when you leave it for long enough, but that is natural for IT solutions to do. That's a little bit frustrating. I have been using…

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F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) mindshare

Product category:

As of February 2025, the mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category stands at 0.9%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Secure Web Gateways (SWG)

PeerAnalyst reports

Type	Title	Date
Category	Secure Web Gateways (SWG)	Feb 1, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Feb 1, 2025	Download
Comparison	F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs Cisco Umbrella	Feb 1, 2025	Download
Comparison	F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs Zscaler Internet Access	Feb 1, 2025	Download
Comparison	F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks	Feb 1, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks	4.1	11.4%	92%	63 interviews Add to research
Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway	3.9	4.5%	83%	53 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager excels in robust performance and scalability, favored by banks and insurance companies. Key features include SSL VPN for remote access, reliable performance, customization options, and load balancing for seamless traffic management. The tool allows virtual IP creation, enabling non-disruptive server management. It integrates well with authentication systems, supports stickiness, and offers a quick, intuitive GUI. Users appreciate its ease of use, stability, and configurability.

"I rate the overall solution nine out of ten."
"A lot of features are useful to me, including mostly the authentication, SAML, or SSO, with no sign-on."
"Our organization is small - a college with about 3,500 students. We use F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager to protect our site, especially from the Iranian attacks we faced last year. We restrict access to only inside the country."

Room for Improvement

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager needs improvements in cloud services, integration, and marketing strategies. Enhancing the graphical user interface, reporting features, and operational deployment is essential. Automation and direct policy editing require refinement, particularly for MacOS access. Pricing concerns and complex initial setup present challenges. Localized technical support and direct documentation within the GUI are necessary. Users face navigation issues within the interface, and implementing native SSO solutions would eliminate reliance on third parties.

"I have had a lot of issues in the past few months with the agents, which was disappointing."
"If I could copy and paste objects instead of picking and configuring them from scratch each time, it would be great."
"Regarding price, I'm not directly involved in purchasing, but our CIO thinks the product is very expensive. He's considering moving from the tool to Citrix NetScaler WAF because it's cheaper, and we already have Citrix for VDI. We got NetScaler almost free as part of our VDI deal. Three years ago, I convinced him to use the solution because it's better, but now, with budget constraints, he may want to switch."

ROI

Organizations have reported a positive return on investment from F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager, highlighting it provided necessary access during critical times. They experienced substantial financial returns, with some noting a 100% return and emphasizing its effectiveness in saving time and resources.

Pricing

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) has simplified its licensing, making it easier for enterprises to understand. However, pricing remains expensive, with costs varying based on consumption, especially in cloud environments. Enterprises may incur additional charges for certain features and services. User ratings on cost range from four to eight out of ten, indicating a perception of high expense, reflecting challenges in budgeting accurately due to variable pricing factors.

"I rate the tool's pricing an eight out of ten."
"The tool is a little bit expensive."
"The product is very expensive."

Popular Use Cases

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager is primarily used for remote access VPN, access management, and load balancing. Many utilize it for secure remote connections and Single Sign-On integration, ensuring seamless access to company resources. Organizations employ it for portal access, device management, VPN integration, and traffic direction. It's also used for web app firewall configurations, packet inspection, and handling SSL decryption, supporting scalable and reliable network management solutions.

Service and Support

Users report positive engagement with technical support, praising initial interactions and phone responses. Many are satisfied, rating the service highly. However, concerns exist about long response times and lack of communication during issue resolution. Some users have experienced delays, with unresolved cases taking up to a month. They require support ticket submissions for assistance but haven't consistently reached out recently. Overall, while interactions often start strong, response timing and communication need improvement.

Deployment

Users find F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager's initial setup complex, though some describe it as straightforward. Deployment time varies greatly, taking from months to almost a year. A large team may be necessary, managing multiple components, including network elements and load balancers. Documentation aids in making it easier. Flexibility allows deployment on virtual machines, hardware appliances, or the cloud. Organizations rate ease of setup highly due to strong technical teams.

Scalability

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is praised for its high scalability, supporting users from hundreds to tens of thousands across various organizations. The scalability rating varies between eight to ten, indicating strong performance. Upgrading is easy with virtual machines, although hardware might limit expansion. Its flexibility suits enterprise needs, and deployments are manageable with minimal staff. Traffic management and analytics features enhance independent operations, benefiting organizations significantly.

Stability

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is consistently noted as stable, earning high ratings. Users highlight that it's reliable with minimal complaints about stability issues. It allows seamless remote work, showing good performance without noticeable bugs or glitches. Despite positive feedback, some suggest room for stability improvement. Few experienced issues related to underlying software during deployment, not APM itself. APM effectively managed numerous applications, demonstrating robust performance.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

11%

Computer Software Company

11%

Healthcare Company

Retailer

Educational Organization

University

Insurance Company

Comms Service Provider

Construction Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Non Profit

Energy/Utilities Company

Media Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

Hospitality Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Transportation Company

Legal Firm

Logistics Company

Pharma/Biotech Company

Wellness & Fitness Company

Performing Arts

Compare F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) with alternative products

Learn more about F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

BIG-IP APM can also serve as a bridge between modern and classic authentication and authorization protocols and methods. For applications which are unable to support modern authentication and authorization protocols, like SAML and OAuth with OIDC, but which do support classic authentication methods, BIG-IP APM converts user credentials to the appropriate authentication standard supported by the application.

BIG-IP APM Benefits:

Ease of use
Flexibility
Ability to integrate with other systems
Security features
Granular access control
Responsive and helpful support team

BIG-IP APM Features:

Support for Identity Aware Proxy (IAP) enabling Zero Trust application access
Context-based authorization with dynamic L4/L7 ACLs
Integration with third-party MFA solutions
DTLS 2.0 mode for delivering and securing applications
SAML 2.0 identity federation support
Support for OAuth 2.0 authorization protocol
SSO support for classic authentication (Kerberos, header- based, etc.), credential caching, OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0, and FIDO2 (U2F)
AAA server authentication and high-availability
Integration with leading IAM vendor products (Microsoft, Okta, Ping Identity)
BIG IP Edge Client and F5 Access integrate with VMware Horizon ONE (AirWatch), Microsoft Intune and IBM MaaS360
Risk-based access leveraging third-party UEBA and risk engines (HTTP Connector)

Reviews from Real Users

Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by BIG-IP APM users.

Mahmmoud Rabie, Senior Site Reliability Engineer, writes that BIG-IP APM is "A highly stable solution for load balancing, but the initial setup is complex."

Clyde Livingston, Senior Process Specialist at Telstra, says that BIG-IP APM is "Easy to use, useful access remotely, but lacking stability."

Chris Lam, Senior Solution Consultant at Macroview Telecom Limited, states that BIG-IP APM is "Useful for remote access VPN and VPI integration with VMware.

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) was previously known as F5 Access Policy Manager.