F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs Fortinet FortiNAC comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Man...
Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (16th), SSL VPN (4th), Remote Access (10th), Access Management (6th)
Fortinet FortiNAC
Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)
3rd
Average Rating
7.6
Number of Reviews
45
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2024, in the Network Access Control (NAC) category, the mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is 1.2%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiNAC is 21.0%, up from 14.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Access Control (NAC)
Unique Categories:
Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
0.4%
SSL VPN
8.1%
No other categories found
 

Featured Reviews

MR
May 12, 2023
A highly stable solution for load balancing, but the initial setup is complex
We use the product for load balancing. We use it to read, understand, and direct traffic The solution helps us to distribute the load. Stickiness is the most valuable feature of the product. The solution’s automation is not good. The solution’s GUI looks very old. I have been using the…
Bruno Moreira - PeerSpot reviewer
May 9, 2023
Easy to use and monitors the antivirus performance
Fortinet FortiNAC's documentation should be improved because there's not much debugging or troubleshooting documentation for the Fortinet FortiNAC. We had to open a ticket with Fortinet for an issue we faced on the FortiNAC. During this ticket handling, we were able to learn a lot of troubleshooting comments which are not properly documented. If it is documented, it's only internally on Fortinet, not as a public document. Fortinet FortiNAC must work around this and allow partners access to those troubleshooting documents. I would like to see a more refined way to customize the portals. We are not able to do a lot of customization on the Fortinet FortiNAC portals. We cannot change anything or create a title for the Fortinet FortiNAC portal as we can on other portals.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"In my opinion, the GUI is perfect with the configuration options provided. F5 BIG-IP has given customization options and policy configuration tools in the GUI. It's good and good enough to work."
"Stickiness is the most valuable feature of the product."
"The product allows us to create customized portals for your users."
"Our customers have never complained about the stability"
"This is a product that is easy to install and integrate, and it is simple to use."
"We have seen a return on investment from F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager. It provided access at a time when we didn't have it."
"The load balancing features are valuable."
"The solution is stable and reliable."
"Provides containment and security and and carries out file analysis for cyber theft."
"The most valuable aspect of Fortinet FortiNAC is the control it offers."
"The product's most valuable feature is its ability to protect devices connected to network service."
"Fortinet FortiNAC has good user account customization."
"It's easy to connect to a VPN without any hassles."
"The most valuable features are usability and security."
"When it works, it's great. It keeps things off the network which are supposed to be off the network."
"The product offers good profiling features and can support various vendor products."
 

Cons

"Cloud services are something that F5 Access Policy Manager could do better"
"We do not have knowledgeable support teams locally."
"The initial setup was complex."
"Integrating identity providers and single sign-on solutions can simplify user authentication and access control."
"I'd suggest improved documentation integration directly within the GUI. Right now, finding comprehensive documentation often requires going to external websites like the community portal."
"The solution is quite costly."
"The price of this product can be improved."
"F5 BIG-IP APM disconnects when you leave it for long enough, but that is natural for IT solutions to do. That's a little bit frustrating."
"The product could be more user-friendly in terms of GUI."
"Technical support could improve their response times."
"The GUI in Fortinet FortiNAC could improve."
"The user interface and the product's intuitiveness could be improved."
"The solution's licensing price should be improved."
"The technical support is bad. We've had to escalate to Tier 2 and Tier 3. My customer relationship manager on the other side of this has stopped returning phone calls and emails, because there has been such a constant back and forth."
"We have some stability issues with the solution, the network drops out too often."
"Fortinet FortiNAC's documentation should be improved because there's not much debugging or troubleshooting documentation for the Fortinet FortiNAC."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is very expensive."
"Recently, they have simplified the licensing"
"The tool is a little bit expensive."
"The price is fair and reasonable for our clients."
"The licensing fees are a little bit high."
"It's a pricey solution."
"It is a reasonable product."
"I rate Fortinet FortiNAC's pricing an eight out of ten."
"It's a subscription-based license, which is based on the usage and number of concurrent users."
"The product itself is inexpensive, but the licensing is expensive."
"The pricing is similar to that of other solutions."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
32%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Government
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?
In my opinion, the GUI is perfect with the configuration options provided. F5 BIG-IP has given customization options and policy configuration tools in the GUI. It's good and good enough to work.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?
The tool is a little bit expensive. I rate the pricing a six out of ten.
What needs improvement with F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?
I'd suggest improved documentation integration directly within the GUI. Right now, finding comprehensive documentation often requires going to external websites like the community portal. In the AP...
What is the biggest difference between Aruba ClearPass and FortiNAC?
I've done quite a lot of work with ClearPass, and not a lot with FortiNAC/Bradford. ClearPass incorporates a number of different functions including ClearPass Guest for creating complex wireless g...
How does Cisco ISE compare with Fortinet FortiNAC?
Cisco ISE uses AI endpoint analytics to identify new devices based on their behavior. It will also notify you if someone plugs in with a device that is not allowed and will block it. The user exper...
What do you like most about Fortinet FortiNAC?
The support responds to our queries within two to four hours.
 

Also Known As

F5 Access Policy Manager
FortiNAC, Bradford Networks, Bradford Networks Sentry, Network Sentry Family
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

City Bank, Ricacorp Properties, Miele, American Systems, Bangladesh Post Office
Isavia, Pepperdine University, Medical University of South Carolina, Columbia University Medical Center, Utah Valley University
Find out what your peers are saying about F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. Fortinet FortiNAC and other solutions. Updated: May 2024.
787,779 professionals have used our research since 2012.