Principal Application Experience Architect at Kemp Technologies
Real User
2020-09-16T20:02:13Z
Sep 16, 2020
Kemp LoadMaster is a vendor designed and supported load balancing platform focused on core load balancing technologies. Kemp supports server load balancing (SLB) and global server load balancing (GSLB). LoadMaster supports edge authentication including two-factor authentication, single sign on (SSO), Kerberos, and LDAP among other models. Kemp LoadMaster also has the ability to provide fully functional web application firewall (WAF) services.
LoadMaster is a software-based solution available as a VM for all major hypervisors, cloud marketplace (AWS, Azure, etc.) and hardware. Kemp simplifies the load balancing technology through a simple to use GUI and over 80 templates for the most commonly used applications.
LoadBalancer.org uses software based on opensource HAProxy and opensource Pound. LoadBalancer.org also utilizes other opensource projects such as STunnel and Ldirectord. You will get the features within the free HAProxy code (and others) with a LoadBalancer.org GUI. This information is documented in their current Administration Manual: http://pdfs.loadbalancer.org/loadbalanceradministrationv8.pdf
This means that the functionality is dependent on the opensource community for updates and there will be a lag for these features to be rolled into LoadBalancer.org's product.
From a performance perspective, both vendors probably have solutions to meet your needs. I also believe that both solutions can support the applications that you plan to load balance. The more important questions to ask yourself are 1) how easy it will be for you to configure and deploy the load balancing technology and 2) how painful will it be for you to manage and support the technology operationally.
First, I believe that you will find both solutions relatively easy to deploy since both vendors focus on core load balancing functionality (SLB and GSLB). Having said that, Kemp offers pre-built application templates for many commonly used applications to make the configuration that much easier: https://kemptechnologies.com/docs/. Kemp focuses on making the work easy for the customer.
Second, for operational support, I cannot speak for LoadBalancer.org's support organization, but Kemp's is stellar with a 99% customer satisfaction feedback rating. As mentioned above, one concern for vendors that rely heavily on opensource code is the delay from an opensource project update to the time those changes get incorporated into a vendor's officially released and supported product. We (the IT industry) have seen problems with this model on a regular basis throughout time. A good example is the delay for all vendors as OpenSSL code was updated from 1.0.1 to 1.1 to 1.1.1 and all of the discovered security vulnerabilities with prior versions.
Major caveat: I work for Kemp. Having said that, I have worked with load balancing technology for over 20 years (starting with Cisco Local Director), and have worked with, and for, multiple load balancing vendors. My goal is to be factual. I have sourced my data where possible and if I have not, I recommend that you fact check my information. Ultimately, I believe with the correct data, you will make the right decision.
No experience with Loadbalancer.org, but having had experience with both F5 and Kemp, I would recommend Kemp by a mile. Their support org is first class and super responsive.
Kemp LoadMaster and Loadbalancer.org compete in the load balancing solutions category. Kemp LoadMaster holds an edge with competitive pricing and exceptional support, while Loadbalancer.org is more feature-rich, offering advanced capabilities that justify its cost.Features: Kemp LoadMaster provides ease of use and deployment with configuration templates for Microsoft applications such as Exchange and Skype for Business, along with Azure integration. It offers intuitive security features like...
Kemp LoadMaster is a vendor designed and supported load balancing platform focused on core load balancing technologies. Kemp supports server load balancing (SLB) and global server load balancing (GSLB). LoadMaster supports edge authentication including two-factor authentication, single sign on (SSO), Kerberos, and LDAP among other models. Kemp LoadMaster also has the ability to provide fully functional web application firewall (WAF) services.
LoadMaster is a software-based solution available as a VM for all major hypervisors, cloud marketplace (AWS, Azure, etc.) and hardware. Kemp simplifies the load balancing technology through a simple to use GUI and over 80 templates for the most commonly used applications.
Kemp is a global organization with 100,000+ deployments and the top rated load balancer on Gartner's Peer Insights with over 150 recent ratings: www.gartner.com/reviews/market/application-delivery-controllers
LoadBalancer.org uses software based on opensource HAProxy and opensource Pound. LoadBalancer.org also utilizes other opensource projects such as STunnel and Ldirectord. You will get the features within the free HAProxy code (and others) with a LoadBalancer.org GUI. This information is documented in their current Administration Manual: http://pdfs.loadbalancer.org/loadbalanceradministrationv8.pdf
This means that the functionality is dependent on the opensource community for updates and there will be a lag for these features to be rolled into LoadBalancer.org's product.
From a performance perspective, both vendors probably have solutions to meet your needs. I also believe that both solutions can support the applications that you plan to load balance. The more important questions to ask yourself are 1) how easy it will be for you to configure and deploy the load balancing technology and 2) how painful will it be for you to manage and support the technology operationally.
First, I believe that you will find both solutions relatively easy to deploy since both vendors focus on core load balancing functionality (SLB and GSLB). Having said that, Kemp offers pre-built application templates for many commonly used applications to make the configuration that much easier: https://kemptechnologies.com/docs/. Kemp focuses on making the work easy for the customer.
Second, for operational support, I cannot speak for LoadBalancer.org's support organization, but Kemp's is stellar with a 99% customer satisfaction feedback rating. As mentioned above, one concern for vendors that rely heavily on opensource code is the delay from an opensource project update to the time those changes get incorporated into a vendor's officially released and supported product. We (the IT industry) have seen problems with this model on a regular basis throughout time. A good example is the delay for all vendors as OpenSSL code was updated from 1.0.1 to 1.1 to 1.1.1 and all of the discovered security vulnerabilities with prior versions.
Major caveat: I work for Kemp. Having said that, I have worked with load balancing technology for over 20 years (starting with Cisco Local Director), and have worked with, and for, multiple load balancing vendors. My goal is to be factual. I have sourced my data where possible and if I have not, I recommend that you fact check my information. Ultimately, I believe with the correct data, you will make the right decision.
1. Kemp Load Master only support SaaS whereas Loadbalancer.org support Windows, Mac & SaaS.
2. Both having Authentication, Automatic Configuration, Content Routing, Content Caching,Data Compression, Health Monitoring, Redundancy Checking etc facility.
No experience with Loadbalancer.org, but having had experience with both F5 and Kemp, I would recommend Kemp by a mile. Their support org is first class and super responsive.
https://www.itcentralstation.c...
IT Central Station has one here that is a comparison: https://tinyurl.com/y6lhtdnr