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

F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) vs NetScaler comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 6, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Man...
Ranking in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
118
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NetScaler
Ranking in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
85
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2024, in the Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) category, the mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) is 15.3%, down from 16.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetScaler is 16.1%, up from 12.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)
 

Featured Reviews

it_user850398 - PeerSpot reviewer
Apr 5, 2018
Versatile, easy to use; the iRule feature is key for me
Previously we had an IdP on a Linux server. However, this was a pain to configure. With the F5 this has become easy. Therefore, more and more of our applications are now transferred to SAML I really like the ease of use of it in general. If I were to choose one in particular, perhaps it would be…
AC
Dec 22, 2021
User-friendly setup with content switching and integrated caching features
We used this mostly for disaster recovery plan (DRP), for global service load balancing, and Citrix Access Gateway.  What I found most valuable from Citrix ADC were the Content Switching and Integrated Caching features which were the things we commonly installed for our customers. The only thing…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"BIG-IP can do anything. It's like a Swiss Army knife."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is IP Intelligence."
"NetFlow balancing and traffic balancing are good features."
"LTM."
"The solution is robust and reliable."
"The initial setup is easy."
"Bandwidth optimization and capacity awareness of the bandwidth are valuable features. Its video streaming capabilities are also very useful."
"Initial setup is easy and pretty standard."
"Easy, user-friendly setup with content switching and integrated caching features."
"The most valuable feature is the SSL VPN."
"High availability, performance, and security are the main pillars. It enhances the security for accessing the applications."
"Citrix NetScaler offers robust security features, including SmartAccess and customizable policies, making it a reliable choice for safeguarding user data."
"Helped us a lot with load balancing."
"I find all of it to be valuable, because of the flexibility that is built into this product."
"I like the monitoring ability as it enables me to identify when an internal (load-balanced) resource is having issues before it becomes a problem in production."
"Provides resiliency for applications that reside on servers, as well as connectivity to remote applications."
 

Cons

"F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager is sometimes a bit cumbersome to deal with some builds, although that's gotten significantly better over the years."
"There is room for improvement in the user interface."
"The price for F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager is very high. This aspect could be improved."
"For a future release, I would like to see more features in the cloud."
"The auto logout feature after three minutes is terrible. I wish they would make that longer, since it is not a feature that we can change."
"This is a very expensive solution."
"There are issues with F5 BIG-IP but they are minor issues not affecting production and services. Sometimes the operations and the facility systems fail. However, there is an alert action from the windows. An ordeal for the manager."
"The solution could improve the documentation."
"If one device or switch fails, the failover to another device is not seamless which is painful."
"Technical support sometimes takes a little longer because of the multilevel ticket priority."
"Citrix ADC is a complex product, and it takes time to understand these things. But the documentation is poor, and the deployment is difficult. Integration could also be better because what I find is that you cannot easily integrate the panel in the second sector. What I have found is that in the last index, there is a limitation when getting validated. Technical support could also be better."
"Some of our customers have questioned the security of this solution lately, wondering whether it is safe or not, so enhancements in this respect would be good."
"I think there is always room for improvement in this type of solutions. For example, I think the GUI should be easy to understand."
"Manageability and adaptability can also be challenging for end customers."
"I would like to see support for scripting, like "iRule", which gives you the option to implement any configuration which is not available out of the box."
"Getting to use some of the advanced tools, even with the assistance of Citrix support, can be challenging."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Check other vendors like Cisco, Citrix or A10 Networks. There are plenty in the market with which you can achieve same thing."
"We have found the pricing and licensing on AWS to be competitive."
"BIG-IP LTM isn't a cheap solution - I'd rate its pricing as three out of five."
"Security should be involved in any base license. When you bring on F5, you only have default license. Then, the ASM product license has to be purchased. It would be great if F5 could include the ASM in the base license."
"F5 pricing is too high, compared to Citrix."
"Great product for the money. But they can get really expensive, so get what meets your needs."
"It is quite expensive as a product. Because it is very stable, it is also expensive."
"The price of the solution is sometimes expensive."
"Licensing is adequate. I wanted to have a more prominent license, but until I do they don't give enough support. The additional cost would be too much."
"It is an enterprise solution. Thus, its costs are reasonable."
"The license for Citrix NetScaler is on an annual basis and it is reasonably priced."
"When compared to other solutions, the cost is high."
"Citrix ADC could improve the price and make it less expensive, other competitors have a better prices. This would allow Citrix ADC to keep dominating the market."
"Its price is comparable to others and affordable."
"The solution is undoubtedly very good, but it is expensive."
"I give the price of the solution a seven out of ten."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) solutions are best for your needs.
800,688 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
15%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Government
9%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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.
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

F5 BIG-IP, BIG-IP LTM, F5 ASM, Viprion, F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition , Crescendo Networks Application Delivery Controller, BIG IP
Citrix ADC, Citrix NetScaler VPX
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Riken, TransUnion, Tepco Systems Administration, Daejeon University, G&T Bank, Danamon, CyberAgent Inc.
ABB Schweiz, Aer Lingus, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Amnet Technology Solutions, Aramex International, Ascenty, Atos, Autodesk
Find out what your peers are saying about F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) vs. NetScaler and other solutions. Updated: September 2024.
800,688 professionals have used our research since 2012.