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Kemp LoadMaster vs NetScaler comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Kemp LoadMaster
Ranking in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)
7th
Average Rating
9.4
Number of Reviews
48
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 Kemp LoadMaster is 7.3%, down from 7.8% 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

SB
Dec 13, 2021
Reliable, easy to set up, and can increase your security score
My primary use case of this solution is as a web application firewall Kemp mitigated our cross-scripting vulnerabilities, cookie-related issues, and content security policy issues. Instead of working on each application, we can do everything with Kemp. In addition, using Kemp has raised our site…
Mazhar Khan - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 18, 2024
A effective solution for load balancing with gateway
We used Citrix NetScaler for load balancing in our application, where our users connect via the portal. This portal is load-balanced via a ServiceNet NetScaler. Additionally, our core banking application also runs on this infrastructure Citrix NetScaler has its capabilities and benefits. From a…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten...I rate the technical support a ten out of ten...The initial setup of Kemp LoadMaster is very simple."
"I like that this is a Network Load Balancer that can be used practically with any application in the backend. They have how-to guides on how to set up Kemp NLB with Exchange, but you can use it as well for Sharepoint, RDS, or any other back end server."
"The security features, load balancing, built-in templates, and the easy to implement virtual IPs are great."
"There is a simplicity to the setup and configuration."
"The most valuable features for us are the Load Balancing and Web Application Firewall, as we have a lot of web applications."
"Persistence is very valuable. This holds the connection information of the source and that connection is important to RDP and our APO calls. The connection has to be persisted to the original source to operate properly. We also use the subsections for sub-services to create services inside our services for our API resources, this is most awesome. We would not be able to do this without Kemp and offer this type of sub-service to route based on an API instance. It routes the traffic properly based on the sub-service type."
"Exchange load balancing and reverse proxy for Skype for Business are key features."
"I like the way this solution handles multiple SSLs in different domains while still load balancing."
"From a security standpoint, It is a comprehensive solution in a single box."
"One feature that works really well is the SSL VPN. It's very easy to set up and you can go very granular with it. You can define what user groups get what kind of access and the management overhead is very low."
"The solution is extremely stable."
"The most valuable feature is the content switching."
"What I like most about Citrix NetScaler is its stability, and I didn't see a lot of issues with it."
"Provides resiliency for applications that reside on servers, as well as connectivity to remote applications."
"The solution can scale."
"The GSLB feature allows us to move services between data centers. We can do this in either a planned or unplanned manner. We have experienced service provider outages at our primary data center and GSLB will kick in to automatically modify DNS records to point to a secondary data center (active/passive). We also make use of GeoIP information to point clients to the closest data center for accessing applications."
 

Cons

"I think there should be more visual instructions on how to configure advanced features."
"Some of the support documentation seems to make assumptions that the person installing or configuring is experienced with the product or concepts."
"Certificate installations could be simplified and modernized, and allowed to be monitored for expirations/issues."
"The configuration of the basic services is pretty straight forward but for more complex solutions, there needs to be better documentation or knowledge base articles."
"In the next release, they can introduce 360 views in the same dashboard to make it easier for users to view. The graphical information should be displayed on the dashboard."
"SNMP and/or RESTCONF management, in order to collect many counters, for plotting in a central application need to be improved."
"The auth website of ESP is really lacking. It’s not responsive (mobile friendly) and the procedure of changing the website is difficult. We tend to avoid using pre-auth for that reason."
"I want to have the ability to pull a particular server. The DevOps portion was challenging for me, like if I needed to redirect from one IP to another URL. I needed to look that up, and the knowledge base is not well organized. When I look for information about Kemp on the Internet, I don't find many articles or something like that."
"I feel that Citrix NetScaler's customer support needs to improve."
"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."
"Quality assurance could improve by ironing out security vulnerabilities before releasing upgrades."
"We had some bugs in the previous firmware. These were not big issues, but more testing on the firmware would be key to happier customers."
"The product provides some templates to integrate with applications like MS Exchange, MS SharePoint, SAP Enterprise Portal, and others. However, the last update for these templates was 2013 (lots of applications are running on versions newer then 2013)."
"Currently, the support team's responsiveness is lacking, and the technical personnel on calls often seem unfamiliar with the issues or inadequately trained."
"Maybe creating policies with simple regular expressions."
"Technical support could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Nowadays, going with the virtual appliance is the easiest way and the cost is reasonable."
"Less expensive than Citrix."
"The price is great and the value is definitely there."
"Any decent product will cost money and if you want great support and a great product, then you will want to spend the money on it."
"The license varies according to the number of megabits."
"They have multiple tiers of licensing and you can upgrade it easily."
"Download Kemp's VLM trial and take it for a test drive; you will be impressed."
"​I have control on the licensing and all the prices since I work for a partner.​"
"The price for Citrix ADC here in Mexico was good, when you compare it with F5 and Radware."
"You get the value for your money. There aren't any hidden fees."
"The client pays for the Citrix NetScaler license annually."
"It's not for startups or SOHO."
"I give the price of the solution a seven out of ten."
"Citrix NetScaler's pricing is slightly above average but not overly expensive. I would consider F5 BIG IP to be the most expensive, Citrix NetScaler to be the second most expensive, and then Kemp Load Balancer to be the third."
"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."
"This product is more expensive than some of the competitors."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
62%
Computer Software Company
7%
Government
4%
Financial Services Firm
3%
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 Kemp LoadMaster?
Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten...I rate the technical support a ten out of ten...The initial setup of Kemp LoadMaster is very simple.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Kemp LoadMaster?
LoadMaster is cheaper than some other solutions. It has a perpetual license, so it's a one-time cost.
What needs improvement with Kemp LoadMaster?
My company is really happy with Kemp LoadMaster as a product. My company is also happy with the support we receive from Kemp LoadMaster. I want Kemp LoadMaster to provide users with better reportin...
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

LoadMaster Load Balancer
Citrix ADC, Citrix NetScaler VPX
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Kent County Council, KEMP, SMA Solar Technology AG, RT€ Player , Victrix (Quebec, Canada), Texas A&M, Macmillan Cancer Support, Cisco, Austin Bank
ABB Schweiz, Aer Lingus, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Amnet Technology Solutions, Aramex International, Ascenty, Atos, Autodesk
Find out what your peers are saying about Kemp LoadMaster vs. NetScaler and other solutions. Updated: September 2024.
800,688 professionals have used our research since 2012.