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 22, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Feb 22, 2025	Download
Comparison	F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs Cisco Umbrella	Feb 22, 2025	Download
Comparison	F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs Zscaler Internet Access	Feb 22, 2025	Download
Comparison	F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks	Feb 22, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks	4.1	11.4%	92%	62 interviews Add to research
Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway	3.9	4.5%	83%	53 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

Users find F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager's SSL VPN, login, and portal access most valuable. The platform is robust, handling complex issues efficiently, with a stable, easy-to-use interface. It supports remote access, enhances application performance, and integrates well with various systems. Customization, scalability, and load balancing features are highlighted. It is reliable, configurable, and works with multiple authentication vendors. Strong performance and virtual IP creation are also frequently utilized features.

"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 (APM) needs improvements in cloud service integration with other products, reporting features, and management aspects. Users find initial setup complex and technical support response slow. The GUI is outdated, costly, and technical documentation lacks integration. Customers desire better marketing and free single sign-on options. Automation and deployment require enhancements with additional features for network access. Price concerns exist compared to competitors like Citrix NetScaler.

"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

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager provided a significant return on investment as it offered access when previously unavailable. Users consistently report positive returns, with some indicating a full 100% investment recovery. The platform proves to be beneficial, offering time and cost savings. Many agree that its use is advantageous.

Pricing

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager has improved its licensing simplicity compared to previous years but remains complex when deployed on the cloud due to unpredictable consumption costs. Users find the solution expensive, often requiring additional payment for certain features and services. While specific numbers were not disclosed, cost ratings vary, with some rating it four out of five or six to eight out of ten, indicating that pricing is viewed as relatively high by enterprises.

"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

Organizations primarily use F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager for secure remote access and traffic management. It facilitates VPN access, integrates with VMware, provides load balancing, enables SSO through third-party solutions, and supports user access management. Companies utilize its features for controlling device access, configuring web application firewalls, and managing traffic via virtual IPs. F5 APM adapts to diverse use cases like VPN functionality and network/load traffic balancing, making it indispensable for access management.

Service and Support

Many users generally appreciate F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) support, rating it highly. They find initial setups assisted well and the phone service excellent. However, there are concerns about prolonged response times, lack of updates, and insufficient communication. Some have experienced delays in issue resolution, which have been disappointing. Improving timeliness and communication is suggested by those who have previously engaged with support services.

Deployment

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) setup experiences vary. Some find it straightforward using available documentation, while others consider it complex and time-consuming, requiring months to implement and a large maintaining team. Deployment time can depend on the project's nature and company resources. The process allows flexible implementation across virtual machines, hardware appliances, or cloud. Some rate the ease of setup highly, attributing success to their strong technical teams.

Scalability

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) demonstrates high scalability, effectively supporting increased user counts prompted by changing work conditions. Organizations experience smooth expansion from small licenses to larger setups, although hardware limitations might arise. Multiple enterprises utilize F5 BIG-IP APM with thousands of employees, finding it efficient for varied roles. User feedback highlights easy upgrades, effective performance with minimal staff, and valuable load testing capabilities, making F5 BIG-IP APM suitable for enterprise environments.

Stability

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is praised for its strong stability, with many users giving it a perfect score of ten. Customers report no crashes or glitches during use, and it's noted for being reliable over long-term implementations. While some suggested that stability could be improved, most users find it dependable. It's effectively employed across numerous applications, though some did experience issues with underlying software during deployment.

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%

Computer Software Company

11%

Government

11%

Educational Organization

Healthcare Company

Retailer

University

Insurance Company

Comms Service Provider

Non Profit

Construction Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Media Company

Energy/Utilities Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Hospitality Company

Transportation Company

Legal Firm

Pharma/Biotech Company

Wellness & Fitness Company

Logistics 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.