Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

F5 Advanced WAF vs NetScaler comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

F5 Advanced WAF
Ranking in Web Application Firewall (WAF)
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
60
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NetScaler
Ranking in Web Application Firewall (WAF)
11th
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
106
Ranking in other categories
Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) (1st), Network Management Applications (4th)
 

Featured Reviews

YUSUF  TAIWO - PeerSpot reviewer
Oct 26, 2023
Ensures a robust and unified security approach for our clients
My clients often seek a comprehensive security solution for their hybrid environments, with both cloud and on-premise web applications. To address this, I recommend combining F5 Advanced WAF for web application security with Fortinet solutions, including FortiGate, FortiSign, and FortiAnalyzer, for…
DEMİRHAN ÇAVUŞOĞLU - PeerSpot reviewer
Feb 7, 2024
A tool for centralized management including inventory and sales tracking
Citrix ADM provides centralized management for various internal programs, including inventory and sales tracking, communication tools, and office programs such as Teams and Azure We wouldn't have comprehensive insights into our system without Citrix ADM. It provides us with essential information.…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It protects and mitigates damage in the network."
"The most valuable features of this solution are the WAF protection, Data Safe, and the seven-layer DDoS."
"The most valuable feature is that it is secure."
"It is easy to obtain dashboard compliance because security policy views are included."
"F5 Advanced WAF helps our engineers to learn the complete configuration, including fundamental and advanced policies."
"Good dashboard and reporting."
"The valuable features vary from customers to customers. Some customers are okay with the basic features of the WAF, and some customers use advanced WAF with a few other features."
"There is no need to worry about updating signatures because WAF will automatically update the signatures for you."
"I find all of it to be valuable, because of the flexibility that is built into this product."
"NetScaler Gateway: Why? Availability/Security: We delivered more than 200 applications thru Xenapp. This feature give us the possibility to deliver the applications anywhere. Currently, 30% of access is made through our NetScaler Gateway (Internet connections)."
"Citrix NetScaler offers robust security features, including SmartAccess and customizable policies, making it a reliable choice for safeguarding user data."
"Just one solution can handle thousands of users... So, it is a very convenient tool to use."
"Scalability is great. One of the best features of NetScaler is that it can scale out."
"The most valuable feature of Citrix NetScaler was the seamless integration. Additionally, the UI is good."
"We have good customer support."
"SSL Offload"
 

Cons

"The deployment side is quite complex."
"The accuracy of the automatic learning feature needs improvement."
"One thing that can be improved, is to increase the quantity over predefine policy."
"Support is a little slow."
"F5 Advanced WAF could improve the reporting. It's a bit difficult to populate, them. If you're not so familiar with the functions, such as where to find the logs and other settings."
"More legacy protocols should be added to the solution."
"You have to buy another module with an extra license, to have the authentication feature."
"I would like to see the API Protection improved."
"I think there is always room for improvement in this type of solutions. For example, I think the GUI should be easy to understand."
"The configuration for its web application firewall is complicated."
"The main areas for improvement would be around documentation and support. If a feature can be used in two or three ways, show that feature being used in all of those ways. Documentation seems to only cover the primary use case and leaves you to either run through trial and error or consult the user community. In terms of support, I have never actually had them solve any of my issues. I have always solved them myself and then provided the resolution to support."
"The customization has always been a key area where some improvements are required. In the beginning, everything was for customizing the outer shell of it. You had to use the command-based utility and you had to do a lot of manual work. They have improved it a little bit and now there are some GUI-based functionalities that can be used. However, more can be done that doesn't require a lot of intervention. Right now there are some features, there are some customizations that can be done, but it's still very tedious, very cumbersome, a lot of work. So that could be simplified."
"Their upgrades are not very backward compatible, and sometimes they mess up."
"The vendor provides frequent patches, however, the security of the website has room for improvement."
"The product could be improved by making it easier to use and easier to implement."
"If one device or switch fails, the failover to another device is not seamless which is painful."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of F5 Advanced WAF could improve it is expensive."
"There are various plans available for Fortinet FortiWeb Cloud WAF as a Service, including a trial version."
"As far as the pricing of F5 Advanced WAF I would rate it a four out of five depending on what features I am looking for. Imperva is more expensive."
"It is a little bit costly, but it has all the features that are required."
"It is expensive. Its price should be better. Its licensing is on a yearly basis. Its licensing is also based on the model. There are no additional costs."
"F5 Advanced WAF pricing structure should be adjusted to meet the need of small to medium-sized companies."
"The pricing of F5 Advanced WAF is more expensive than other solutions like Radware and CD18, it is quite high."
"Its price is fair. We have done a couple of deals where they were able to give some kind of discount to the customers. The price was initially high for the customers, but after a couple of negotiations, it came within their budget. They were happy with that."
"When compared to other solutions, the cost is high."
"Costly product and complicated licensing."
"Its licensing cost is much higher than other products, but it is acceptable because it is a one-time investment, and we are getting our requirements fulfilled when we buy this product. So, there is no issue with the pricing."
"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing an eight or nine out of ten."
"Regarding pricing, while it's expensive, I can't comment on the exact ROI without a budget analysis. However, in terms of service quality, it's worth the price."
"It all depends on the features that will be used and the number of accesses."
"The licensing costs for this solution vary depending on which model is being used."
"The solution is undoubtedly very good, but it is expensive."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Web Application Firewall (WAF) solutions are best for your needs.
815,854 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
17%
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about F5 Advanced WAF?
It's a fairly easy-to-use and user-friendly tool. My administrators and team also like its ability to customize the rules per the requirements.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for F5 Advanced WAF?
I don't have direct knowledge of the pricing. From what I know, it is not too expensive compared to other solutions.
What needs improvement with F5 Advanced WAF?
The product could be more user-friendly for administrators. The user interface could be easier.
What do you like most about Citrix ADC?
The most valuable feature for us is the application firewalling in Citrix NetScaler, ensuring only valid traffic enters our environment.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Citrix ADC?
After deployment, Citrix Netscaler shifted to a subscription-based license scheme for support, which is slightly more expensive.
What needs improvement with Citrix ADC?
Citrix NetScaler is a robust product, but mastering it requires significant learning and training due to its complexity. While it could be easier to manage, it is like transitioning from driving a ...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Citrix ADC, Citrix NetScaler VPX, NetScaler Console, NetScaler Web Application Firewall
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

MAXIMUS, Vivo, American Systems, Bangladesh Post Office, City Bank
ABB Schweiz, Aer Lingus, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Amnet Technology Solutions, Aramex International, Ascenty, Atos, Autodesk
Find out what your peers are saying about F5 Advanced WAF vs. NetScaler and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
815,854 professionals have used our research since 2012.