F5 BIG-IP vs. Kemp LoadMaster

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
BIG-IP
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
F5 BIG-IP software from Seattle-based F5 Networks is a load balancing and application protection solution suite available on cloud or via virtual editions, on a subscription or perpetual licensing basis. The BIG-IP suite of products supports a wide range of security and application performance needs. The suite includes BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) traffic management and optimization, BIG-IP DNS, BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) identity and password protection, BIG-IP Application…N/A
Kemp LoadMaster
Score 8.1 out of 10
N/A
LoadMaster from Kemp Technologies in New York is an application delivery controller.
$1,720
per year
Pricing
F5 BIG-IPKemp LoadMaster
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
VLM-500
1,720
per year
VLM-500
2,000
perpetual license
VLM-3000
3,050
per year
VLM-3000
4,000
perpetual license
VLM-MAX
7,610
per year
VLM-MAX
10,000
perpetual license
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BIG-IPKemp LoadMaster
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details——
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
F5 BIG-IPKemp LoadMaster
Considered Both Products
BIG-IP
Chose F5 BIG-IP
Kemp is getting more mature but F5 is still superior. While the Kemp UI is easier F5 allows for more option and customization. I still feel Kemp is strong due to their no-cost lab license.
Kemp LoadMaster
Chose Kemp LoadMaster
Kemp LoadMaster is easier to implement and operate, all while being less expensive. Although some competitors offer more functionality, most of our customers don't need it.
Chose Kemp LoadMaster
[Selected for] good business performance and noticeable price advantage.
Chose Kemp LoadMaster
When we looked at other load balancers, we ran into some issues. For some of the free ones, these don't necessarily perform as well - which is probably why they are free. When looking at some of the other brands, some are too complicated to use - they may have a ton of advanced …
Chose Kemp LoadMaster
They all do the same thing, just present the functions in a different way and cost more/less. We have found that the virtual load balancers offer the same performance at the throughput that we need. While a dedicated appliance would be necessary in some applications, we don't …
Chose Kemp LoadMaster
Better performance, cheaper, and more reliable.
Chose Kemp LoadMaster
Kemp support is unlike we have seen from any other tech vendor. It truly is outstanding, and they even helped us resolve issues with our VMware environment that had nothing to do with the Kemp deployment. That combined with the pricing flexibility and the option to deploy into …
Chose Kemp LoadMaster
KEMP Loadmaster was chosen by the VP for reduced price alone. I was thoroughly against it in the beginning (as I was a hugh F5 supporter) until i got used to it.
For a much reduced price, it performs just as well as a F5; after you get used to the WebUI configuration tool.
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
F5 BIG-IPKemp LoadMaster
Virtual Private Network
Comparison of Virtual Private Network features of Product A and Product B
F5 BIG-IP
7.1
10 Ratings
15% below category average
Kemp LoadMaster
-
Ratings
AES 256-bit Encryption7.77 Ratings00 Ratings
Kill Switch6.44 Ratings00 Ratings
Multi-Platform Support6.55 Ratings00 Ratings
Split Tunneling6.84 Ratings00 Ratings
IP Address Masking7.76 Ratings00 Ratings
No-Logs Policy7.35 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple Server Locations7.55 Ratings00 Ratings
Automatic Wi-Fi Protection5.83 Ratings00 Ratings
Simultaneous Connections7.68 Ratings00 Ratings
Customer Support Services8.08 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
F5 BIG-IPKemp LoadMaster
Small Businesses
Avast Small Business Solutions
Avast Small Business Solutions
Score 8.4 out of 10
NGINX
NGINX
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Check Point Quantum Security Gateway
Check Point Quantum Security Gateway
Score 9.2 out of 10
NGINX
NGINX
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Check Point Quantum Security Gateway
Check Point Quantum Security Gateway
Score 9.2 out of 10
NGINX
NGINX
Score 9.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
F5 BIG-IPKemp LoadMaster
Likelihood to Recommend
8.9
(116 ratings)
9.1
(63 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.6
(2 ratings)
8.6
(4 ratings)
Usability
9.1
(2 ratings)
9.0
(25 ratings)
Support Rating
6.3
(6 ratings)
9.8
(28 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.1
(1 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
F5 BIG-IPKemp LoadMaster
Likelihood to Recommend
F5
I really do think it's well suited for any placement on the edge, especially with the WAF portion. APM is a whole different module unto itself that allows for VPN Connect connectivity, web top access. So it really is for these modules anyway, an edge appliance for us and not really usable in the interior of the network.
Read full review
Kemp Technologies
Loadmaster is very powerful and flexible load balancer. Variety of options allows to create a complex network of rules and routes. During our website rollout Loadmaster allowed us to run multiple generations of the website simultaneously and seamlessly by doing the content switching on the fly. Powerful API allows easy integration into any development lifecycle.
Read full review
Pros
F5
  • 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.
Read full review
Kemp Technologies
  • Where the LoadBalancer excels is the multiple levels at which you can load balance servers. We currently use layer 7 LB, but others are available as well.
  • I particularly like the ability for the LB to know when servers are down, and if all are offline then you can create a redirect to a static HTML page or some other destination that is more informative.
  • The ease in which a service can be created and deployed using already pre-canned templates makes it a very convenient setup process.
Read full review
Cons
F5
  • I think the policy configuration that had some improvements on the ASM word things, improvements may be on the signatures that would be good because it's a little bit confusing on the ASL, how they are updated and deployed, and this staging. So that's something that could be.
Read full review
Kemp Technologies
  • Ability to 'clone' existing Virtual Services for rapid deployment of similar ones.
  • A better API for ease of automation.
  • Simplification of Certificate management.
  • Better explanations of Kemp implementations of industry standard protocols like VRRP (or CARP)
  • More control over device factory reset configuration and forcibly breaking HA pairs at boot time
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
F5
Only way to to this type of tasks
Read full review
Kemp Technologies
I'm very pleased with the support I've received as well as the quality of the product.
Read full review
Usability
F5
Great customization and easy to use help reference menus
Read full review
Kemp Technologies
Kemp makes it very easy to setup, configure and manage the LoadMaster without needing a lot of help from their engineers. The interface is very easy to understand and intuitive to use. We like how it is not complicated - I can easily have one of my techs login and they can figure out how to setup/configure virtual services for load balancing without needing a manual or tech support.
Read full review
Support Rating
F5
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.
Read full review
Kemp Technologies
Support has been easy to deal with; I have only need[ed] to contact them a few times during setup. Once its been in place and operational, we have not need[ed] to mess with the system [which] is a huge advantage. I like system[s] that do not break and require constant attention in a production environment.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
F5
implementation is fine
Read full review
Kemp Technologies
The installation was straight forward. Once i installed it, their technical support team helped me with configuration
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
F5
F5 BIG-IP is my first F5 product that I have stared to work, and it brings me more experience doing a lot of migration upgrades from old code version to new code. The way F5 has all configuration help us to develop scrips to improve our process.
Read full review
Kemp Technologies
We chose Kemp LoadMaster because it is 1/10 the price of the competition and MUCH easier to deploy and configure and WORKS. We have had ZERO issues with the product since installation. Their engineers and their sales team have both reached out post-install to check in and see if everything is working as expected.
Read full review
Return on Investment
F5
  • Having a load balancer of F5 helps to address large traffic limit on organisation's application
  • This means that organisation gets a lot of revenue due to the usage of their application
  • Hence provide a very positive impact onthe inverment or ROl of the organisation
Read full review
Kemp Technologies
  • We used Kemp LoadMaster for many projects. For a lot of customers, load balancers were too expensive or too complicated before we introduced Kemp products.
  • It's not a overly complicated product, so we were able to train many engineers on it and have them get a certification.
Read full review
ScreenShots