NetScaler and Cloudflare Web Application Firewall compete in the application delivery and security space. NetScaler has the upper hand in integration with Citrix products, while Cloudflare stands out for ease of use and affordability.
Features: NetScaler offers flexible deployment options and a TriScale architecture that supports a "pay-as-you-grow" model, reducing initial costs. It integrates robustly with Citrix products and excels in SSL offload and traffic management. Cloudflare Web Application Firewall offers comprehensive protection with minimal configuration, accurate managed rulesets, and consistent updates, ensuring high security with less manual intervention.
Room for Improvement: NetScaler users point to a lack of innovation, complexity in customization, and the need for better documentation and seamless version updates. Cloudflare's documentation is seen as overwhelming, with a desire for updated rule sets and improved integration. Some users also want more responsive customer service.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: NetScaler is typically deployed on-premises or in private clouds, offering detailed control over deployments though its technical support receives mixed reviews. Cloudflare aligns with public and hybrid clouds, emphasizing scalability with minimal infrastructure costs. Its customer service is generally responsive, but more detailed guidance is sometimes needed for complex cases.
Pricing and ROI: NetScaler is considered expensive due to separate licensing and support agreements, though many cite favorable ROI due to its robust features. Cloudflare provides transparent, flexible pricing often perceived as affordable and competitive, delivering strong ROI thanks to its SaaS model that avoids upfront infrastructure costs.
My experience with the pricing or licensing of Cloudflare Web Application Firewall is that many features can be accessed for free, so the pricing is definitely reasonable.
I would rate the technical support with Cloudflare as excellent every time I've had to contact them.
The technical support of Cloudflare Web Application Firewall rates between five and seven at maximum.
The scalability of Cloudflare Web Application Firewall rates between 8 to 9, as it depends upon the use cases and what exactly the client needs.
The stability of Cloudflare Web Application Firewall deserves a perfect 10 out of 10.
The product can improve by having more multitenancy capability, which is currently not available.
I think they're doing a good job with DNS and as support for any domains that I create or that my clients create, it's mandatory for me to ensure they have Cloudflare as their DNS provider.
They need to improve their support because getting a response for basic requests took around 48 hours, which is too long.
The custom rules and the geo-redundant geographical rule feature, which allows me to implement geographical rules for customers, add significant value.
Cloudflare Web Application Firewall's advanced reporting and analytics tools add a layer that we're able to visualize and see before it actually hits the local firewall.
The best features of Cloudflare Web Application Firewall are multiple, including the WAF, rate limiter, and bot attack protection.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Cloudflare Web Application Firewall | 5.8% |
| NetScaler | 4.2% |
| Other | 90.0% |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 15 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 6 |
| Large Enterprise | 6 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 45 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 23 |
| Large Enterprise | 57 |
Cloudflare Web Application Firewall's intuitive dashboard enables users to build powerful rules through easy clicks and also provides Terraform integration. Every request to the WAF is inspected against the rule engine and the threat intelligence curated from protecting over 27 Million websites. Suspicious requests can be blocked, challenged or logged as per the needs of the user while legitimate requests are routed to the destination, agnostic of whether it lives on-premise or in the cloud. Analytics and Cloudflare Logs enable visibility into actionable metrics for the user.
NetScaler is an advanced application delivery controller providing load balancing, SSL offloading, and enhanced network performance. Users benefit from its robust security features, seamless Citrix integrations, and cost-effective infrastructure.
Designed to optimize and secure application delivery, NetScaler offers high availability and supports data centers with its load balancing and reverse proxy capabilities. It ensures effective traffic management and provides valuable insights into network health while integrating easily with Citrix products. Users appreciate its centralized management via ADM and flexible deployment options tailored to their infrastructure needs. However, there is room for improvement in its management tools, interface, and documentation, alongside a need for security enhancements and better licensing flexibility.
What are the most important features of NetScaler?NetScaler is implemented across sectors like healthcare, finance, and education to guarantee secure remote access, enhance application network management, and support virtual desktops. Its application gateways and VPN access capabilities make it ideal for industries needing secure and efficient connectivity solutions.
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