F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs OpenText Access Manager with Managed Services comparison

F5 and OpenText are both solutions in the Access Management category. F5 is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.4, while OpenText is ranked #22. F5 holds a 2.3% mindshare in AM, compared to OpenText’s 2.3% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of F5 users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of OpenText users who would recommend it.

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Man...

Read 18 F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) reviews

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874 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

OpenText Access Manager wit...

Read 5 OpenText Access Manager with Managed Services reviews

1,107 Views
974 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Man...

OpenText Access Manager wit...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 29, 2026

OpenText Access Manager with Managed Services and F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager APM are both key players in the access management space. While OpenText Access Manager stands out for its cost-effectiveness and strong customer support, F5 BIG-IP APM may have the advantage due to its advanced feature set that justifies its pricing.

Features: OpenText Access Manager provides robust identity management capabilities, seamless user authentication, and integration ease with legacy and modern protocols. It supports single sign-on and multi-factor authentication effectively. F5 BIG-IP APM is recognized for its comprehensive integration with various authentication methods, its powerful SAML and OAuth support, and its scalable security policies. It also excels in remote access with host-checking conditions and strong integration capabilities with multi-factor systems.

Room for Improvement: OpenText Access Manager could enhance scalability to better support larger organizations, improve documentation for complex configurations, and expand support for more modern security protocols. F5 BIG-IP APM might benefit from simplifying its initial deployment process, offer more user-friendly customization options, and reduce the complexity of its vast configuration options to make it more accessible to a wider range of IT teams.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: OpenText Access Manager is noted for its straightforward deployment and effective customer support, contributing to quicker adoption. F5 BIG-IP APM, while offering reliable support, involves a more intricate deployment process due to its extensive configurability, requiring more initial setup but offering significant control and customization potential.

Pricing and ROI: OpenText Access Manager is generally considered more budget-friendly, providing a favorable ROI with lower initial setup costs and efficient maintenance. F5 BIG-IP APM demands a higher initial investment but offers a substantial ROI over time, thanks to its comprehensive capabilities and adaptability, making it attractive for businesses focusing on long-term strategic growth.

To learn more, read our detailed F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. OpenText Access Manager with Managed Services Report (Updated: April 2026).

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. OpenText Access Manager with Managed Services

April 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Man...

Ranking in Access Management

11th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (13th), Network Access Control (NAC) (8th), SSL VPN (5th), Remote Access (12th)

OpenText Access Manager wit...

Ranking in Access Management

22nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Web Access Management (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Access Management category, the mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is 2.3%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OpenText Access Manager with Managed Services is 2.3%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Access Management Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)	2.3%
OpenText Access Manager with Managed Services	2.3%
Other	95.4%

Access Management

Featured Reviews

SÜ

SalihUcpinar

Senior Cyber Security Consultant at KoçSistem

Has provided reliable policy controls and secure web access for large enterprises

I consider Cloudflare when evaluating centralized access control features; Cloudflare utilizes multi-factor authentication and full API support, while F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) needs to enhance its API support. I recommend F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) for large companies such as Tüpraş and Ford. Tüpraş is one of the biggest companies in Turkey, along with other customers such as Tofaş, Euroko, Koç Holding, and more. For on-premises deployment, I would rate it a 10. For cloud deployment, I would rate it a seven. I primarily use it on-premises. I rate F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) eight out of ten.

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Marshalleno Skosan

Senior Specialist: Solution Architecture at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees

A mature, powerful product with good integration capabilities

Since we use it to access a number of mission-critical applications, it means that we have multiple sites. We have independent instances of Access Manager deployed. What's very important for us is to ensure that the configurations across the various sites are 100% aligned. If they had a mechanism to ensure that's the case, that would be great. For example, the worst thing to do is if you run into an issue, and then you fail over to your disaster recovery environment, and then you find out that you've got a missing configuration there, it'll be great if one could easily compare configurations across instances of NetIQ Access Manager to ensure consistency. It's just about ensuring consistent configuration across various instances. Having the ability to easily extract and view and compare and version control configurations would be ideal. If you consider our scenario whereby, let's say, we've got an instance for our retail environment, and for that instance, we've got a disaster recovery environment. We need to ensure the amount of service at each of those sites. Now yes, they serve different purposes, however, for us, it's very important that site A and site B are 100% aligned. And so if there was a way to easily extract the configuration and to compare it across sites, to me, that would just make everything from an operational perspective significantly easier.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The load balancing features are valuable."

"It was very stable, the solution itself."

"The performance of the solution is valuable."

"Our customers have never complained about the stability"

"This is a product that is easy to install and integrate, and it is simple to use."

"The product allows us to create customized portals for your users."

"The most valuable feature is the virtual IP creation. It's our most frequently used feature."

"The F5 Access Policy Manager is something that I have experience with and I am happy with it."

More F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) pros

"It's a very powerful product."

"It's very easy to integrate with applications."

"There are lots of options to customize the solution to your needs."

"The features that we have found most valuable with NetIQ Access Manager are its single sign-on and two factor two second factor database."

"The single sign-on feature is excellent."

"The most valuable features of NetIQ Access Manager are SSO and Multi-Factor Authentication."

"The integration is quite easy because there are a lot of options for integrating with different applications, so it is very versatile."

"I would recommend NetIQ Access Manager; it is a very, very good alternative to Microsoft, Micro Focus is very big and offers good technical services, and the solution is very good, fast, simple to operate, and has very good production time to market."

More OpenText Access Manager with Managed Services pros

Cons

"The initial setup was not easy."

"F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager has room for improvement in integration with other products."

"The solution is quite costly."

"The price of this product can be improved."

"We do not have knowledgeable support teams locally."

"F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is not user-friendly and operates slowly."

"The operational deployment is not great."

"The initial setup was complex."

More F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) cons

"Occasionally, it's very difficult to get the solution running."

"There is a major release going from version three to four or four to five. There seem to be issues up front, and then once you get to the third or fourth service pack to address those various issues, you're fine again."

"The application portal could be improved with more options and easier customization."

"I would love to see the upgrade procedure handled more effectively. I would prefer to have OVS installation possibilities, although the upgrade procedures should include the OS as well. You should be able to use the whole application as an appliance."

"In terms of what could be improved, I would say the security of the infrastructure and the server and the working networking device."

"Having the ability to easily extract and view and compare and version control configurations would be ideal."

"Classification of junctions and new versions of applications, such as APIs, can be added to enable the use of more devices that utilize biometrics for Multi-Factor Authentication to improve the solution."

"The application portal could be improved with more options and easier customization."

More OpenText Access Manager with Managed Services cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I rate the tool's pricing an eight out of ten."

"The tool is a little bit expensive."

"The product is very expensive."

"Recently, they have simplified the licensing"

"The price of the solution is average."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

12%

Transportation Company

Consumer Goods Company

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	9

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?

In my opinion, the GUI is perfect with the configuration options provided. F5 BIG-IP has given customization options and policy configuration tools in the GUI. It's good and good enough to work.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?

F5 products are more expensive than other solutions but are valued for their quality and reliability, akin to purchasing a Bentley as opposed to an Audi.

See all answers

What needs improvement with F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is not user-friendly and operates slowly. Additional features for architecture such as Anycast would be beneficial. The ability to run the Anycast feature woul...

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Compared 4% of the time

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Compared 18% of the time

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Compared 15% of the time

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Compared 10% of the time

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Compared 9% of the time

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Compared 5% of the time

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Product Reports

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F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

April 2026

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) report

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Buyer's Guide

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Also Known As

F5 Access Policy Manager

No data available

Overview

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.

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.

OpenText Access Manager with Managed Services streamlines application access with integration versatility and support for multi-factor authentication, helping to manage access control across web and cloud applications.

Through strong application integration, OpenText Access Manager with Managed Services supports single sign-on, federated protocols, and multi-factor authentication. This helps organizations manage infrastructure access and create security patches efficiently. Despite its strengths, there is room for improvement in portal customization, upgrade procedures, and administration at the platform level. The product is valuable for both cloud and on-premises deployments, offering flexible control over access based on user groups or time.

What are the key features?

Integration Versatility: Adapts easily to different applications with robust integration capabilities.
Single Sign-On: Simplifies user access across applications with a streamlined process.
Multi-Factor Authentication: Enhances security through comprehensive authentication methods.
Federation Protocol Support: Facilitates trusted connections between organizations without breaches.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Enhanced Security: Strong protocols ensure high-level protection and trust.
Efficient Access Control: Streamlined processes save time and reduce administrative overhead.
Customizable Integration: Flexible options cater to diverse application needs.
Scalable Deployment: Adaptable for both on-premises and cloud environments.

OpenText Access Manager with Managed Services is implemented across multiple industries to control access for web and cloud applications. Technology firms use it for authentication and access management, while healthcare organizations apply it to satisfy stringent security requirements. Retail companies benefit from secure customer data handling, and financial institutions use it for multifaceted banking applications. Different industries appreciate its robust security protocols and integration capabilities, ensuring a trusted environment for secure data access and management.

OpenText

Sample Customers

City Bank, Ricacorp Properties, Miele, American Systems, Bangladesh Post Office

Bancomext, Bouwend Nederland, Camera dei Deputati, CGT, Coopservice Group, Court of Appeals of Georgia, Etnic, European Automotive Manufacturer, FDM Document Dynamics, Hainan Province Information Center, Highland Community College, Huntington Bank, Johnsonville Sausage, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Mazars, Mexico's Tax Administration Service, Owens Community College, Pasco Risk, RDC, School District of Hartford, Senckenberg Nature Research Society, Sheetz, Spanish Public Employment Service, SUNY Orange County Community College, Swisscard, The Municipality of Siena, The University of Westminster, UMB Financial Corporation Invests in Identity Management, University of Dayton, University of Groningen, Vodacom, World Wide Technology

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. OpenText Access Manager with Managed Services

April 2026

Free Report: F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. OpenText Access Manager with Managed Services

Find out what your peers are saying about F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. OpenText Access Manager with Managed Services and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.

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