F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs WSO2 Identity Server comparison

The compared F5 and WSO2 solutions aren't in the same category. F5 is ranked #20 in WSG , with an average rating of 8.1, and holds a 1.2% mindshare in the category. WSO2 is ranked #9 in CIaA , with an average rating of 8.0, and holds a 4.3% mindshare. Additionally, 86% of F5 users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of WSO2 users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) and WSO2 Identity Server based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Zscaler, Palo Alto Networks and others in Secure Web Gateways (SWG).

To learn more, read our detailed Secure Web Gateways (SWG) Report (Updated: October 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Secure Web Gateways (SWG)

October 2024

Download the complete report

Helped 815,854 peers since 2012

Categories and Ranking

iboss

Mindshare comparison

Secure Web Gateways (SWG)

Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)

Featured Reviews

Jack Hamm

Vice President of Security and Engineering at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

Sep 20, 2024

We experienced benefits immediately but the report generation is lagging

iboss excels on the networking side but lags slightly behind competitors like Zscaler and Netskope in terms of security feature parity. I'd like to see them accelerate development on the security side, particularly around data loss prevention. Using iboss for DLP instead of traditional endpoint solutions is preferable, but its current feature set requires some clunky workarounds. I'd also like to see better integration of DLP into the platform. Additionally, while it's improving, reporting can be slow at times. This is problematic when generating reports for executives who expect them immediately. I'd like to see further improvements in reporting speed and efficiency.

Read full review

Ashish Kumar Rai

Associate Network Engineer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

Mar 18, 2024

Offers remote access control, good GUI and easy to configure

The use case depends entirely on the client's specific requirements. We configure the APM accordingly. For instance, in some scenarios, we've used F5 for VPN purposes. In others, we've deployed F5 BIG-IP primarily as a load balancer. The choice depends on the enterprise's needs. They might want…

Read full review

Clement Hsieh

Doctoral Researcher at National Chengchi University

Jun 11, 2024

Supports API integrations with different systems

My company uses multi-factor authentication and we tried using it integrating with FIDO Server. It was done to make sure that the multi-factor authentication feature gets used during the authentication process. AI can be used for better authentication, but right now, our company has not used any such feature. I recommend the product to others. It is easy to install and easy to use. Understanding a feature before you integrate a tool with other tools is important. In my company, there is another team with five to six engineers that takes care of the support part of the tool. The product has helped me to meet my security management requirements as per ISO 7001. I rate the tool a nine out of ten.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Iboss is a solution that prevents advanced persistent threats, and has a zero tolerance for attacks."

"The iboss system is highly reliable. The false positive rates are small compared to some other systems we've experienced through other partner agencies who use competing solutions."

"Granular setup, which was able to set different levels of filters using the OUs in the AD."

"Our primary use case for this product is DLP,"

"It was a very easy product to install. It can be deployed very fast."

"iboss is easy to use despite its complexity. Multiple engineers manage it, but it's significantly more straightforward to administer than traditional VPNs and web proxies."

"The security aspect of the solution, particularly the malware behind it, is excellent. That's something that really helped us out. It's not just a simple proxy that just blocks the insights of potential threats that come on behind it. They do malware detection and that helps us a lot."

"Technical support is pretty sharp and very responsive."

More iboss pros

"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."

"The solution is stable and reliable."

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

"The load balancing features are valuable."

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

"The performance of the solution is valuable."

"The tool is reliable and easy to configure."

"Our customers have never complained about the stability"

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

"Comprehensive ecosystem."

"The product provides easy integration between API manager and IT server components."

"The single sign-on procedure itself, as well as the ability to connect to external user sources such as Microsoft Active Directory and LDAP servers, are the solution's most valuable features."

"We use the solution for customer identity management, authenticating customers coming in through a web portal."

"The product's initial setup phase is easy."

"The solution gets the job done, and we don't have to do the main configuration."

"It's very easy to implement everything."

"I would rate the solution's stability eight or nine out of ten."

More WSO2 Identity Server pros

Cons

"I am currently doing a PoC of the zero trust aspect of it. Compared to other similar solutions, it is hard to get around each feature. It takes a while to get used to it."

"The dashboards for local use could be better."

"I'd like to see them accelerate development on the security side, particularly around data loss prevention."

"The area I would like to see improvement in is the ability with in the reporter to navigate directly to the content the user is traversing. It is kind of there, but it's not perfect. Quite frequently, I receive links that lead me to pages with error messages."

"Iboss is growing so fast that it is often hard for them to keep up with the challenges."

"Sometimes when you call in support, you get someone who is just following a sheet. It feels like a runaround. You feel that you are running into that support wall."

"Its pricing could be better."

"SSL decryption: We had issues with learners using apps instead of using web browsers. This type of encryption is tough for any appliance in a BYOD environment."

More iboss cons

"Cloud services are something that F5 Access Policy Manager could do better"

"We do not have knowledgeable support teams locally."

"Integrating identity providers and single sign-on solutions can simplify user authentication and access control."

"The technical support’s response time must be improved."

"The operational deployment is not great."

"I'd suggest improved documentation integration directly within the GUI. Right now, finding comprehensive documentation often requires going to external websites like the community portal."

"The solution’s GUI looks very old."

"Regarding price, I'm not directly involved in purchasing, but our CIO thinks the product is very expensive. He's considering moving from the tool to Citrix NetScaler WAF because it's cheaper, and we already have Citrix for VDI. We got NetScaler almost free as part of our VDI deal. Three years ago, I convinced him to use the solution because it's better, but now, with budget constraints, he may want to switch."

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

"The high availability architecture has to be improved."

"Sometimes working with the code is difficult because I search for documentation about the code and how to work with the code, which is where I believe they should improve, by providing some documentation on how to work with the code."

"This solution requires extensive knowledge to be used effectively as certain areas of its use are not user friendly."

"The solution seems to be pretty outdated."

"The price of the product is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"The solution could improve its development from a user perspective."

"I found the initial setup to be very complex."

"This solution does not have BPM workflows already integrated, we had to integrate the BPM module externally. They do not provide full-featured auditing and certification modules out of the box."

More WSO2 Identity Server cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We have not priced the solution recently, but they were competitive with other vendors in the past."

"The overall pricing for iboss is very competitive and transparent."

"It is expensive compared to one of its competitors."

"It is probably in line with other solutions, but I do not deal with the financial side."

"It is not expensive, and it is also not cheap. iboss is priced right in the sweet spot for the number of features it offers."

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

"The product is very expensive."

"The tool is a little bit expensive."

"Recently, they have simplified the licensing"

"WSO2 Identity Server is not an expensive solution."

"I have found the solutions license is priced competitively compared to others."

"I rate the product price an eight out of ten. There is a need to pay more for the extra features provided by the solution."

"At this time we are working with the open-source version."

"They should bring in some good pricing models to host the marketplace."

"We have to take their support, but that is a minimal charge if I'm comparing it to other identity managers."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Secure Web Gateways (SWG) solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

815,854 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

10%

Financial Services Firm

17%

Computer Software Company

13%

Government

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about iboss?

Content filtering is the most useful feature of iboss.

See all answers

What needs improvement with iboss?

I have the same complaint about them that I have about other software companies. Sometimes when you call in support, ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for iboss?

We are a PreK-12 public school district, and we use iboss to filter internet content for our students at home and sta...

See all answers

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 ...

See all answers

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

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

See all answers

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

Regarding price, I'm not directly involved in purchasing, but our CIO thinks the product is very expensive. He's cons...

See all answers

What do you like most about WSO2 Identity Server?

The product provides easy integration between API manager and IT server components.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for WSO2 Identity Server?

I rate the product price an eight out of ten. There is a need to pay more for the extra features provided by the solu...

See all answers

What needs improvement with WSO2 Identity Server?

The solution's licensing model could be more flexible, and pricing could be improved.

See all answers

Comparisons

Zscaler Internet Access vs iboss

Compared 16% of the time

Cisco Umbrella vs iboss

Compared 15% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs iboss

Compared 10% of the time

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform vs iboss

Compared 10% of the time

Netskope vs iboss

Compared 8% of the time

More iboss Competitors

Citrix Gateway vs F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

Compared 12% of the time

Ivanti Connect Secure vs F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

Compared 10% of the time

CyberArk Privileged Access Manager vs F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

Compared 7% of the time

Aruba ClearPass vs F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

Compared 5% of the time

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

Auth0 vs WSO2 Identity Server

Compared 14% of the time

Microsoft Entra ID vs WSO2 Identity Server

Compared 11% of the time

Amazon Cognito vs WSO2 Identity Server

Compared 11% of the time

CyberArk Privileged Access Manager vs WSO2 Identity Server

Compared 10% of the time

ForgeRock vs WSO2 Identity Server

Compared 7% of the time

More WSO2 Identity Server Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

iboss

November 2024

Download iboss product report

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

November 2024

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) report

Download F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) product report

Buyer's Guide

WSO2 Identity Server

October 2024

Download WSO2 Identity Server product report

Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform

F5 Access Policy Manager

No data available

Learn More

iboss

WSO2

Overview

iboss offers a comprehensive security platform designed for diverse use cases such as web filtering, data loss protection, corporate proxy services, and URL filtering.

iboss integrates advanced features to address dynamic security needs, leveraging its strength in SASE, ZTNA, AI initiatives, and cloud integration, while ensuring seamless operations for remote work. It excels in historical forensics, malware protection, and flexible cloud deployments. Users benefit from comprehensive traffic scanning, robust malware detection, and PaaS capabilities that reduce hardware management. An intuitive admin console ensures efficient management with content filtering and low false positives. SSL decryption enhances security, while DLP protects data in AI conversations. Deployment is rapid and scalable, allowing effortless integration with emerging technologies.

What features does iboss offer?

Granular Web Filtering: Provides precise control over web content access.
Traffic Scanning: Monitors data through multiple ports for security breaches.
Malware Detection: Ensures superior protection against malware threats.
PaaS Capabilities: Eliminates need for hardware management.
SSL Decryption: Enhances data protection by decrypting secure connections.
DLP Capabilities: Safeguards data during AI interactions.

What benefits and ROI should users consider?

Scalability: Adapts quickly to growing demands and emerging tech integration.
Rapid Deployment: Reduces time to implement security measures.
User-Friendly Admin Console: Facilitates efficient operations management.
Low False Positives: Increases accuracy of threat detection systems.

iboss finds significant application in sectors such as education, where web filtering for K-12 is crucial, and in corporate environments requiring robust proxy services and URL filtering for network security. Its adaptability is essential in scenarios demanding flexible, decentralized security frameworks, particularly for remote work setups.

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.

WSO2 Identity Server can be used to simplify identity and access management (IAM) related activities in the enterprise. The product is based on open standards and open source principles. WSO2 Identity Server comes with seamless, easy to use integration capabilities that help connect applications, user stores, directories and identity management systems.

Sample Customers

More than 4,000 global enterprises trust the iboss Cloud Platform to support their modern workforces, including a large number of Fortune 50 companies.

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

Nutanix, ELM, AlmavivA, BDigital, StubHub, M-creations, MedVision360

Buyer's Guide

Secure Web Gateways (SWG)

October 2024

Download Free Report

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Zscaler, Palo Alto Networks and others in Secure Web Gateways (SWG). Updated: October 2024.

DOWNLOAD NOW

815,854 professionals have used our research since 2012.

We monitor all Secure Web Gateways (SWG) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.