

A10 Networks Thunder ADC and F5 BIG-IP LTM compete in the application delivery and load balancing category. Thunder ADC seems to have the upper hand with its cost-effective licensing system and ease of deployment, while F5 BIG-IP LTM stands out in robust performance and feature set for complex environments.
Features: A10 Networks Thunder ADC offers an all-inclusive licensing system reducing costs, high-performance traffic management, and comprehensive security features like DDoS protection and SSL offloading. It supports virtualization across cloud environments and straightforward setup. F5 BIG-IP LTM provides advanced load balancing, iRules for flexible traffic management, and modular features for complex environments with robust hardware performance.
Room for Improvement: A10 Networks Thunder ADC users highlight concerns about legal issues, limited U.S. support, and challenges with third-party integrations. Improvements are suggested for its web acceleration support, GUI, and support articles. F5 BIG-IP LTM is criticized for high costs and complexity, with requests for flexible pricing, better documentation, and improvements in cloud support and AI-driven reporting.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: A10 Networks Thunder ADC is praised for stability in hybrid cloud environments with consistent support, though users seek faster response times. F5 BIG-IP LTM, mainly deployed on-premises, is lauded for comprehensive support but requires expertise for full utilization, with support regarded as satisfactory but costly.
Pricing and ROI: A10 Networks Thunder ADC offers budget-friendly pricing with embedded licensing that reduces total costs, providing a significant ROI due to efficient management. F5 BIG-IP LTM, although more expensive, offers robust features and performance justifying its cost, with users seeking a clearer and flexible pricing structure, achieving adequate ROI when its features are fully leveraged.
We do see a return on investment and cost reductions after the implementation of A10 Networks Thunder ADC.
The major return on investment is the security of our data.
Their tech support is very responsible, and their response time is very low, providing superb support.
The support we receive from the team is quite excellent.
Customer support is quite good but could be faster.
Overall, my experience with F5 is very good compared to Radware.
I would rate the technical support of F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) nine out of ten.
A10 Networks Thunder ADC can handle growth easily, and I have scaled up during higher traffic periods.
A10 Networks Thunder ADC's scalability is impressive.
In some of our deployments of A10 Networks Thunder ADC, we have employed DDoS and other security features, and for the past few years, we haven't experienced any major incidents.
Most of the time, it just runs in the background without issues.
Having more structured, real-world configuration examples would make a big difference, especially for teams that are new to the platform, helping reduce the initial learning curve for them.
In the vThunder series of A10 Networks Thunder ADC, they have a perpetual license model and a subscription model, but in the Thunder series, the physical appliance does not have a perpetual license model, mainly operating on the subscription model.
Enhanced integration with third-party tools would be beneficial.
I expect faster resolutions when providing contact numbers while raising cases, as other companies typically do.
The pricing of F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) is on the higher side compared to competitors, but it is worth it.
I estimate that I can save around 20 to 30 percent of my budget with A10 Networks Thunder ADC.
The product is costly.
In terms of cost, it can lower both CapEx and OpEx.
Application load balancing in A10 Networks Thunder ADC plays a crucial role in improving application reliability during peak periods.
The standout features in A10 Networks Thunder ADC are definitely its load balancing capability and SSL offloading because these are very crucial and primary features that I seek from any service.
The impact of SSL offloading on reducing server load and latency is very much positive because whatever traffic we receive, we encrypt at our F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) level, which has definitely reduced the additional load and SSL decryption load on the servers, so it has very much helped us and it is very smooth; it will not take much time and will not impact our regular traffic.
R-series has better CPU and memory, leading to higher throughput with minimal downtime, making it a significant improvement over the I-series.
One of the most beneficial features of F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) is its ability to identify compromised traffic and its capabilities in authentication.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) | 13.6% |
| A10 Networks Thunder ADC | 5.6% |
| Other | 80.8% |

| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 13 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 5 |
| Large Enterprise | 13 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 62 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 32 |
| Large Enterprise | 86 |
A10 Networks Thunder ADC delivers efficient load balancing, SSL offloading, and enhanced security to ensure high application availability across cloud and on-premises environments. It optimizes performance and reduces costs while maintaining reliability during peak loads.
A10 Networks Thunder ADC supports enterprises in managing server load and ensuring secure, high-availability application delivery with features like DDoS protection and SSL offloading. Its cloud flexibility, operational efficiency, and advanced traffic management are key attributes, despite areas for improvement in user interface design, documentation examples, and third-party tool integration. Scalability, logging capacity, and automation for virtual appliances need attention, along with pricing adjustments for certain markets.
What are the most important features?In industries such as finance and healthcare, A10 Networks Thunder ADC enables secure, efficient management of server loads and application delivery. Enterprises use its features to protect data, facilitate remote work, and maintain performance amid traffic spikes by hosting applications centrally, ensuring continuous business operations.
F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) specializes in load balancing, iRules, and application security. It provides flexibility and stability, supporting SSL offloading and enhancing application performance and reliability with low downtime.
F5 BIG-IP LTM is designed for efficient traffic management and security. Its intuitive interface allows users to customize traffic through iRules and ensures stable application delivery. Its performance stability and ability to inspect TLS traffic, along with web application firewall features, make it preferred for consistent application delivery. While praised for its capabilities, users note its challenges with complex configuration and management. Calls for streamlined processes, training, support, better logging, and cloud integration highlight areas for improvement.
What are the key features of F5 BIG-IP LTM?F5 BIG-IP LTM is widely used in industries requiring robust application delivery and security, such as finance and healthcare. It supports load balancing and traffic management across different environments and acts as a reverse proxy, helping companies secure their infrastructure against cyber threats while facilitating high availability and scalability.
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