What users are saying about

Citrix ADC Formerly NetScaler ADC vs BIG-IP

Citrix ADC
125 Ratings
BIG-IP
52 Ratings

Citrix ADC

125 Ratings
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Score 8 out of 100

Based on 125 reviews and ratings

BIG-IP

52 Ratings
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Score 8.2 out of 100

Based on 52 reviews and ratings

Attribute Ratings

  • Citrix ADC is rated higher in 1 area: Likelihood to Recommend
  • F5 BIG-IP is rated higher in 1 area: Usability
  • Citrix ADC and F5 BIG-IP are tied in 1 area: Support Rating

Likelihood to Recommend

8.5

Citrix ADC

85%
20 Ratings
8.4

BIG-IP

84%
12 Ratings

Usability

8.0

Citrix ADC

80%
1 Rating
9.0

BIG-IP

90%
1 Rating

Support Rating

7.7

Citrix ADC

77%
7 Ratings
7.7

BIG-IP

77%
7 Ratings

Likelihood to Recommend

Citrix ADC

Citrix Netscaler can be a powerful network appliance for environments that are fully committed and open to utilizing a network appliance that isn't made by a traditional network vendor. Administrator user experience has improved over the years and will continue to improve with the flexibility of virtual and physical appliances available for medium and large enterprises.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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BIG-IP

Again, protection of enterprise data via VPN solution can be easily achieved with BIG IP. Despite its shortcomings, it has been very reliable as I use it daily to acess the coporate websites and do my work. I can imagine getting frustrated if the connection is not stable . Thankfully, Big IP is a very stable VPN client.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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Pros

Citrix ADC

  • Flexibility. NetScaler assumes its admins know a bit about networking and in-depth details surrounding the applications they are configuring access for/to. This being so, the range of configuration options is very broad allowing various versions' combinations of protocol patterns, expressions, rules etc., all to the benefit of the admin.
  • Granularity. Having such a broad range of configuration options available, while still allowing simple options to be configured simply. The GUI is well-stylized and navigation has a good flow.
  • Ease of control. For load-balancing of simple services right out of the box, NetScaler makes it pretty easy, compared to the range of options available in the surrounding GUI and under the hood.

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Jacob Corzine | TrustRadius Reviewer
Jacob Corzine
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BIG-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.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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Cons

Citrix ADC

  • The documentation could use an overhaul with specific examples related to the command line as well as GUI. Explanations in the documentation would also be helpful.
  • Being able to have more than just one routing table would allow the ability to leverage security.

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Josh Bugbee | TrustRadius Reviewer
Josh Bugbee
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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

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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Pricing Details

Citrix ADC

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

Citrix ADC

Citrix ADC 8.0
Based on 1 answer
Improve on the specifics I mentioned previously and could be a 10/10 product. It is also a confusingly branded product that I have supported in two large enterprises where IT departments are unsure if the product belongs to the Citrix remote access support team or the Network infrastructure support team (it should be the later) and typically under utilized.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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BIG-IP

BIG-IP 9.0
Based on 1 answer
Great customization and easy to use help reference menus

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Alan Matson, CCNA:S, MCP | TrustRadius Reviewer
Alan Matson, CCNA:S, MCP
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Support Rating

Citrix ADC

Citrix ADC 7.7
Based on 7 answers
Overall, our organization's experience with Citrix support is that support can be hit or miss. Oftentimes it takes multiple attempts and much longer than desirable to obtain a viable solution for issues experienced with their products. It would be great to see Citrix invest time, effort, and almighty dollars into improving their support and bug fix process across the board.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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BIG-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.

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Paul Luchini | TrustRadius Reviewer
Paul Luchini
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Alternatives Considered

Citrix ADC

Our company uses both Citrix ADC and F5 BigIP. This is mostly due to team preference. F5 seems to require the use of separate types of devices to do multi-site load balancing while Citrix ADC functionality is the same software on all devices you implement.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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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.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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Return on Investment

Citrix ADC

  • It has saved a tremendous amount of money and manpower by allowing for broad support without the need for a VPN.
  • The security functions within Netscaler enabled our business to pass additional IT-based audits.
  • Having a full Citrix stack from front to back makes our business look more professional both to our users and outsiders.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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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.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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