F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition vs F5 Distributed Cloud Services comparison

The compared F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition and F5 Distributed Cloud Services solutions aren't in the same category. F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition is ranked #11 in ADC , with an average rating of 8.8, and holds a 0.5% mindshare in the category. F5 Distributed Cloud Services is ranked #10 in CDN , with an average rating of 10.0, and holds a 2.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of F5 Distributed Cloud Services users who would recommend it.

F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition

Read 7 F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition reviews

1,600 Views
80 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

F5 Distributed Cloud Services

Read 2 F5 Distributed Cloud Services reviews

2,707 Views
487 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition

F5 Distributed Cloud Services

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition and F5 Distributed Cloud Services based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition vs. F5 Distributed Cloud Services Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition vs. F5 Distributed Cloud Services

June 2025

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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 Virtual Edition

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

5.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) (11th)

F5 Distributed Cloud Services

Average Rating

10.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

CDN (10th), Web Application Firewall (WAF) (19th), API Security (6th)

Mindshare comparison

F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition and F5 Distributed Cloud Services aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition is designed for Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) and holds a mindshare of 0.5%.
F5 Distributed Cloud Services, on the other hand, focuses on CDN, holds 2.4% mindshare, up 0.9% since last year.

Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition	0.5%
F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM)	15.3%
NetScaler	13.2%
Other	71.0%

Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)

CDN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
F5 Distributed Cloud Services	2.4%
Cloudflare	19.1%
Akamai	15.0%
Other	63.5%

CDN

Featured Reviews

reviewer2716224

System Administrator at a non-tech company with 501-1,000 employees

Focuses on securing application access with dependable integration

I do not use the load balancing and traffic management features of F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition. I use other container orchestration platforms, but they are not relevant to F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition. I have utilized F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition's ability to integrate with cloud platforms including AWS, Azure, GCP, and Salesforce. I have no idea how this integration has helped my organization manage hybrid or multi-cloud environments. The seamless integration of F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition with existing F5 technologies is not important to me as I do not use other technologies from F5. Financially, we require F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition because we need the product. We don't have anything else that performs the same functions, so we use it without trying alternatives. I just use and manage F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition, though I didn't handle its deployment. I would recommend F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition as a solution to others. I would rate F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition an eight out of ten overall.

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Filip Mikulik

IT Analyst at Atlas.cz, a.s.

Protects web applications with comprehensive security features

All features are valuable. In a multi-cloud or distributed cloud, there are many protection possibilities from data to web application or API protection, including bot mitigation. This is a comprehensive package for web application security. The main benefit is Web App Security, offering a complete security package from DDoS to web application firewall, API protection, and bot mitigation.

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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

"It has DoS layer 7 protection, which not many vendors have."

"The features that I like include LTM and Global Traffic Manager (GTM)."

"I have a specific issue with the network interface connector, the NIC. We're limited to a maximum of two NICs in a virtualized environment. It's a limitation of the tool."

"It's easy to use, and they have good support."

"The advanced web application firewall protection and SSL offloading capabilities of F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition have been utilized in my organization; these features are contributing to our application security and compliance posture."

"The tool's investment is less than a physical device."

"The integration capabilities of the product are easy to use, and there is no complexity involved in it."

"In a multi-cloud or distributed cloud, there are many protection possibilities from data to web application or API protection, including bot mitigation."

"The main benefit is Web App Security, offering a complete security package from DDoS to web application firewall, API protection, and bot mitigation."

"F5 is known for being the best load balancer in the market. Customers with an existing module can easily adopt additional modules without investing in new hardware."

Cons

"On-the-go upgrades are an option that the tool currently lacks, making it an area where improvements are required."

"BIG-IP could improve in supporting microservices, for example, in Docker and Kubernetes environments."

"The tool has limitations with respect to code and RAM."

"I have a specific issue with the network interface connector, the NIC. We're limited to a maximum of two NICs in a virtualized environment. It's a limitation of the tool."

"F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition is a heavy system that needs a lot of CPU, memory, and hard disk."

"It's expensive and could be cheaper."

"The main issue is integration with other parts or products of F5, like on-premise WAF."

"The main issue is integration with other parts or products of F5, like on-premise WAF. There are some problems, mainly from the perspective of implementation and customer expectations, which sometimes differ from reality."

"The pricing could be adjusted to better meet the needs of typical customers in regions like Poland, where the product is considered too expensive."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"My company's customers need to make payments for the licensing charges attached to the product. It is an expensive product."

"The pricing is standard."

"I would rate the pricing a three out of ten, with ten being expensive."

"F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition is an expensive solution, but it's worth the price."

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Insurance Company

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	2

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition?

The integration capabilities of the product are easy to use, and there is no complexity involved in it.

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What needs improvement with F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition?

I believe F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition can be improved because the 25 megabits throughput cap is small.

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What advice do you have for others considering F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition?

My advice for others looking into using F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition is to be aware of the throughput cap and how complex it can be. I would rate this product a 9 overall.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for F5 Distributed Cloud Services?

I am not involved in sales, so I do not deal with the pricing aspect directly. I give the cost of the solution a four out of ten since it is not a cheap product.

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What needs improvement with F5 Distributed Cloud Services?

It's a long way to be perfect, of course, as with all solutions. The main issue is integration with other parts or products of F5, like on-premise WAF. There are some problems, mainly from the pers...

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What is your primary use case for F5 Distributed Cloud Services?

There are two main use cases for Distributed Call Services: DDoS or Distributed attacks protection and WAF web application security or firewall.

See all answers

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Compared 14% of the time

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Compared 12% of the time

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Compared 12% of the time

Cloudflare vs F5 Distributed Cloud Services

Compared 11% of the time

AWS WAF vs F5 Distributed Cloud Services

Compared 3% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition

January 2026

Download F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition product report

Buyer's Guide

CDN

January 2026

Download F5 Distributed Cloud Services product report

Overview

When you need to move faster than hardware allows, BIG-IP Virtual Editions (VEs) deliver the application services you need in a more agile and flexible form factor. Get the scalability, security, and automatability BIG-IP products are known for—all in software designed for use in single-, hybrid-, or multi-cloud architectures.

F5 Distributed Cloud Services excel in enhancing security, optimizing web application delivery, and ensuring robust network performance. Users value its integrated Web Application Firewall, DDoS protection, global server load balancing, and intuitive management interface. It boosts organizational efficiency, reduces operational costs, and scales seamlessly, making it essential for businesses operating in distributed environments.

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition vs. F5 Distributed Cloud Services

June 2025

Free Report: F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition vs. F5 Distributed Cloud Services

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