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Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Secure Client (includ...
Average Rating
8.6
Number of Reviews
69
Ranking in other categories
SSL VPN (3rd), Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (3rd), ZTNA as a Service (7th), Cisco Security Portfolio (5th)
F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Man...
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
118
Ranking in other categories
Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) and F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) is designed for SSL VPN and holds a mindshare of 14.3%, up 13.2% compared to last year.
F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM), on the other hand, focuses on Application Delivery Controllers (ADC), holds 15.3% mindshare, down 16.5% since last year.
SSL VPN
Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)
 

Featured Reviews

SameerBali - PeerSpot reviewer
Dec 18, 2023
Offers good stability, easy to use and good support
We use AnyConnect in several ways. Like integrated with our firewall, like host checking, permission-based access, and time-based access controls For our company's needs, AnyConnect is sufficient and very easy to use.     All Cisco equipment tends to be expensive compared to newer options from…
John Bayangos - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 11, 2023
Reliable with good support and useful load-balancing features
We usually use the product for load balancing, as a web server, and for web traffic We're hosting a website for our company, and the solution has helped a lot with load balancing.  The load-balancing features are great. You can do several different types, depending on the application.  The…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"It's a very scalable solution. We are using the maximum licensing they offer, and it's very affordable given the value."
"The ability to add multiple two-factor authentication options for the user to choose from when they log in has helped increase the security of our network, especially with so many people working remotely."
"I like that it is really easy to use, it's a simple product. It can connect remotely with a secure network."
"For our company's needs, AnyConnect is sufficient and very easy to use."
"It is easy to handle, you can have it on Windows, Mac, and Linux."
"Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client's most valuable feature is the ability to connect to our enterprise applications, on-premise applications, and cloud any place in the world"
"It is an easy system to set up."
"Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client provides a secure way for users to access our systems remotely."
"It is very intuitive, easy to deploy, and manage."
"The occasion in which we needed technical support, we didn't have problems with them, because they always answered our questions without any trouble."
"The most valuable feature is the F5 LTM (Local Traffic Manager). This is the part of the product most organisations will be using most. It provides the core functionality to be able to load balance services and the means and the intelligence to be able to load balance based on advanced logic, e.g., TCL scripting."
"Bandwidth optimization and capacity awareness of the bandwidth are valuable features. Its video streaming capabilities are also very useful."
"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"Along with load balancing, we perform a lot of packet inspections, URL rewriting, and SSL interceptions via iRule."
"We use F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager to balance traffic."
"NetFlow balancing and traffic balancing are good features."
 

Cons

"We'd like the product to be cheaper."
"You do need technical expertise to set up the product."
"Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client could improve by optimizing the use of the system resources, it is heavy on the resources. Additionally, there could be more transparency."
"We don't have the correct visibility to see the quantity of licenses we are consuming or not consuming."
"The security could be improved."
"This solution doesn't address the seal of trust as a concept for a traditional VPN clients. I think that it is a dying product."
"There is a speed limit for VPNs because of the encryption."
"There are some issues with connectivity and latency that should be improved."
"The user experience for dashboards and reports can be improved. They should make dashboards and the reporting system easier for users. They need to add more reports to the dashboard. Currently, for complicated reports, I have to do the customization. It should have more integration with network firewalls to be able to gather all the information required for traffic management."
"Technical support could be faster. It's something I'd like to see them work on in the future."
"Internet and cloud support could be improved."
"To improve the product, they could add more load balancing solutions in Kubernetes."
"If they made it easier for engineers to get F5 training then it would be better."
"A lot of functions that are attributed to iRules can actually be simple profile changes. iRules do have a certain performance impact. Therefore, instead of writing simple iRules, they can create certain profiles for classes that will perform the same function."
"They need to develop the reporting tools further."
"One area for improvement with F5 BIG-IP LTM could be its pricing, which some may find on the higher side."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing depends on the requirement, so proper planning and an RF analysis help to properly size the solution and get the best pricing."
"We pay for an annual subscription. Additionally to the subscription, we thought in order to connect this solution to the Active Directory we had to purchase a Cisco ACS, Access Control System. It turns out we did not actually need it."
"The solution is reasonably priced and costs $600 for a five-year license in our scenario."
"Sometimes there is a problem with the number of licenses for the end-user. The number of concurrent users is limited due to a valid license."
"It is not a free solution and the user needs to buy license."
"The solution is based on an annual licensing model and is expensive."
"The price is okay."
"I would rate the pricing for the license of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client around four to five out of ten. It's not the cheapest option, but it's also not overly expensive."
"It could be priced a little less, especially on the virtual side. It gets a bit expensive, but you get what you pay."
"The solution is quite expensive if we compare it with the competition."
"F5 is expensive."
"Compared to using open-source products, the prices are not cheap."
"They are expensive."
"I use a yearly subscription, which is the most expensive one now compared to its competitors."
"If you are planning to use security features, better to go for strong hardware and the best bundle license, which is great for web security."
"It is quite expensive as a product. Because it is very stable, it is also expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
45%
Computer Software Company
18%
Government
5%
Financial Services Firm
5%
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
15%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
The tool is user-friendly, robust and easy to use in any environment.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
My company has a three-year or a four-year license. In scenarios attached to a solution where the product may be reaching an end-of-support or end-of-life phase, Cisco provides OS support in such e...
What needs improvement with Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
The security of the product has certain shortcomings, making it an area where improvements are required.
What do you like most about F5 BIG-IP?
The support from F5 BIG-IP LTM is good.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for F5 BIG-IP?
There are a few licensing options available for F5 BIG-IP LTM. You can have a perpetual license which is a lifetime license. You then only need to renew the support, if you choose to open a ticket ...
What needs improvement with F5 BIG-IP?
In the LTM solution, it would be beneficial to have more algorithms for traffic segmentation or the ability to create user-defined algorithms rather than being restricted to predefined ones.
 

Also Known As

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client
F5 BIG-IP, BIG-IP LTM, F5 ASM, Viprion, F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition , Crescendo Networks Application Delivery Controller, BIG IP
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

MST, Molina Healthcare, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Arup, New South Wales Rural FireService
Riken, TransUnion, Tepco Systems Administration, Daejeon University, G&T Bank, Danamon, CyberAgent Inc.
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