52 Ratings
<a href='https://www.trustradius.com/static/about-trustradius-scoring' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener'>trScore algorithm: Learn more.</a>Score 8.4 out of 100
Based on 52 reviews and ratings
52 Ratings
<a href='https://www.trustradius.com/static/about-trustradius-scoring' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener'>trScore algorithm: Learn more.</a>Score 8.3 out of 100
Based on 52 reviews and ratings
Attribute Ratings
- Akamai is rated higher in 2 areas: Likelihood to Recommend, Support Rating
Likelihood to Recommend

9.0
Akamai
90%
15 Ratings

8.8
BIG-IP
88%
13 Ratings
Usability

Akamai
N/A
0 Ratings

9.0
BIG-IP
90%
1 Rating
Support Rating

8.5
Akamai
85%
4 Ratings

7.7
BIG-IP
77%
7 Ratings
Likelihood to Recommend
Akamai
Akamai is a well-established brand name with a great product. It meets and many time exceeds the needs for global content delivery and security management layer at the edge. Fine grain security tuning seems cumbersome as the definition of the app keeps changing. It also requires an investment of time for the setup which doesn't necessarily make sense for smaller scale scenarios. Some products offered by AWS, Azure or the Google Cloud can be more tightly integrated with cloud provider offerings thus easier to configure.

Verified User
Engineer in Engineering
Retail Company, 10,001+ employeesBIG-IP
The product provides a very successful solution for both VPN and Load Balancing, especially for medium and large-sized companies. It can be preferred in small-sized companies, but due to the price and licensing model, I think this would be an unnecessary expense. This product is very successful especially if you have more than 2 servers on the Internet, DMZ side and you are going to balance the load between them. On the local side, if you are managing a large database, this solution of F5 is truly unrivaled.
Network & Security Technical Architect
Vakıf KatılımFinancial Services, 1001-5000 employees
Pros
Akamai
- Content offloading - once rules are set up within Akamai you don't need to even think about how many images or large JavaScript or CSS files (for example) are being served from your own estate, Akamai takes care of it all via rules that are quick, easy and flexible.
- Page caching - for pages that don't change very often Akamai allows you to set up rules, quickly and easily, to serve up your page content for you, which takes even more load away from your origin servers.
- Quick rollback - the Akamai system allows easy testing of rules and changes via a staging system, and also offers a quick rollback option, which is perfect for the rare occasions when something has been set up incorrectly.

Verified User
Manager in Information Technology
Airlines/Aviation Company, 5001-10,000 employeesBIG-IP
- Easy connection: you can connect to your corporate network with two clicks.
- IP restriction: F5 has a list of possible insecure IP numbers, if someone tries to connect using one of these numbers, F5 BIG-IP won't connect.
- Always on feature: Very handy feature, if you install always on, you won't need to click connect.

Verified User
Analyst in Information Technology
Information Technology and Services Company, 501-1000 employeesCons
Akamai
- The interface in their control centre could be a bit more user-friendly with some of the settings in places that you wouldn't expect them to be. The search offsets this problem to an extent but it's still sometimes slower than you'd like to find what you are looking for.
Developer
M and M DirectRetail, 501-1000 employees
BIG-IP
- The appliance had power supply problems, replaced 2 over the 5 years, $3000 each
- The appliance as a hardware device had no support 2 years after we bought them, moved to virtual
- Requires F5 knowledge, their terminology and way of doing things needs training

Verified User
Manager in Information Technology
Hospital & Health Care Company, 51-200 employeesPricing Details
Akamai
General
Free Trial
—Free/Freemium Version
—Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—Entry-level set up fee?
No
Starting Price
—BIG-IP
General
Free Trial
—Free/Freemium Version
—Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—Entry-level set up fee?
No
Starting Price
—Usability
Akamai
No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic
BIG-IP
BIG-IP 9.0
Based on 1 answer
Great customization and easy to use help reference menus
Senior Network Security Engineer
InsightInformation Technology and Services, 5001-10,000 employees
Support Rating
Akamai
Akamai 8.5
Based on 4 answers
Their support documents are excellent and provide a lot of useful information for all their services. The only reason I didn't give them a 10 is that the time it takes for them to respond to an issue could be slightly faster.

Verified User
Employee in Information Technology
Airlines/Aviation Company, 10,001+ employeesBIG-IP
BIG-IP 7.7
Based on 7 answers
On the occasions when we've had to engage f5 support, they have been great. They have always resolved our issues quickly and been easy to work with and professional. The reason I give them a 10 out of 10, however, is because when we've had issues that have crossed over between the f5 BIG-IP, our Cisco switches, and our Microsoft IIS server the f5 support representatives have been extremely knowledgeable about every product and device involved and have been able to troubleshoot end-to-end without having to engage other vendors.
Network Engineer
Kentucky Administrative Office of the CourtsGovernment Administration, 1001-5000 employees
Alternatives Considered
Akamai
We've used -- and considered -- a whole number of CDN offerings. The good news is that almost all of the CDN products on the market are terrific, and will pay for themselves via increased customer satisfaction and lower monthly hosting bills. For some cases, we're still more likely to suggest CloudFlare (which has a free tier) or an integrated offering from a cloud provider, like Cloudfront.
Director of Engineering
NorthOutComputer Software, 51-200 employees
BIG-IP
I can't recall the name of the previous software we used for remote intranet access, but it was much less reliable. F5 BIG-IP is consistent and easy to use--the authentication process happens quickly and reliably via my cell phone's facial recognition feature which is convenient and secure. No need to carry a key fob or enter a verification code. The previous software required email codes be sent and entered to verify access.

Verified User
Professional in Human Resources
Internet Company, 10,001+ employeesReturn on Investment
Akamai
- Akamai RoI improved over a period of times since it comes with heavy costs, however global deliveries in over 100 counties and global web platforms usage helps improve RoI
- With the complex UI challenges, ROI could be impacted negatively when you have to invest in operations and time.
Senior Product Manger, Digital Commerce
Dell TechnologiesComputer Hardware, 51-200 employees
BIG-IP
- Load balancing is a requirement in most serious web environments, and this allows us to keep sites up and running in the event of partial server outages.
- Keeping sites extra secured with the advanced security and routing features is a plus.

Verified User
Technician in Information Technology
Entertainment Company, 51-200 employees