A10 Networks Lightning ADC vs A10 Networks Thunder ADC comparison

A10 Networks Lightning ADC and A10 Networks Thunder ADC are both solutions in the Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) category. A10 Networks Lightning ADC is ranked #17, while A10 Networks Thunder ADC is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.3. A10 Networks Lightning ADC holds a 0.5% mindshare in ADC, compared to A10 Networks Thunder ADC’s 5.0% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of A10 Networks Lightning ADC users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of A10 Networks Thunder ADC users who would recommend it.

A10 Networks Lightning ADC

Read 3 A10 Networks Lightning ADC reviews

180 Views
114 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

A10 Networks Thunder ADC

Read 22 A10 Networks Thunder ADC reviews

2,100 Views
1,550 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

A10 Networks Lightning ADC

A10 Networks Thunder ADC

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 2024

A10 Networks Thunder ADC and Lightning ADC are application delivery solutions, with Thunder ADC focusing on on-premises environments and Lightning ADC suited for cloud-native deployments. Lightning ADC seems to have the upper hand in cloud environments due to its flexibility.

Features: Thunder ADC offers hardware and software load balancing, high availability, and advanced traffic management. It provides comprehensive security features like SSL inspection and DDoS protection, supporting traditional data centers. Lightning ADC supports microservices, containerized applications in multi-cloud settings, and features a lightweight, scalable architecture, enabling rapid deployment and integration across various cloud platforms.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Thunder ADC involves traditional installation processes, offering extensive configuration options typical of on-premises solutions. Lightning ADC streamlines deployment with automation tools for cloud environments, enhancing efficiency. Both products offer dedicated customer support, with Lightning ADC allowing for faster updates and improved flexibility.

Pricing and ROI: Thunder ADC requires an upfront hardware investment and maintenance, leading to longer ROI timelines associated with infrastructure updates. Lightning ADC's subscription-based pricing model reduces initial costs and provides a cost-effective solution for businesses seeking scalability and adaptable expense management.

To learn more, read our detailed A10 Networks Lightning ADC vs. A10 Networks Thunder ADC Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

A10 Networks Lightning ADC vs. A10 Networks Thunder ADC

June 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

A10 Networks Lightning ADC

Ranking in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)

17th

Average Rating

7.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

A10 Networks Thunder ADC

Ranking in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)

10th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) category, the mindshare of A10 Networks Lightning ADC is 0.5%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of A10 Networks Thunder ADC is 5.0%, up from 4.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)

Featured Reviews

RONALDO DE MELO

Sales Account Executive at l8

Efficient application security while optimizing connections

The initial setup is simple; it is not complex. The configuration itself is simple and can be done in a couple of hours. However, the migration of the system to A10 Networks takes longer due to critical applications. Clients prefer to move them one by one, which is why it takes a significant amount of time. The configuration itself is simple, especially for this application.

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RonaldoDE Melo

Sales Account Executive at L8 Group

Protects connection and servers from direct access with control access feature

The initial setup is very simple. The issue is that it achieves high output across all its features, specifically the output ports. This affects the customer's solution because sometimes, the customer is even aware of the user's activity on certain servers. If you have all the necessary information, we can quickly deploy the solution within two to three days. The size of the Thunder ADC depends on its configuration. For example, the cache converter typically includes more than two rack units, often requiring at least three rack units for adequate space. I rate it a ten out of ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"What I like about Lightning ADC, is that instead of having a big appliance sitting in front of the Kubernetes cluster, Lightning can pretty much go inside of Kubernetes."

"Our clients appreciate that this is a security enabled solution."

"It allows you to secure the application while balancing the connections for many other customers, reducing CPU usage and server load."

"The solution is user-friendly and the CLA troubleshooting is easier compared to other solutions."

"We have two appliances and I'm able to move my application from one appliance to another. I don't have to move my whole A10 to be active on the other side or to be passive on the other side. If an application is having a problem, I can just move it using a command."

"We do have the option of creating virtual chassis, so that gives it a bit more security. If we find an application which is not going to play well in the main pool, we can easily create a virtual chassis and have that application in that virtual chassis. With the virtual chassis we can also create system partitions and have a test system for test applications, and have the others elsewhere."

"It helps with the efficiency of application deployments and data security."

"The ADCs are pretty straightforward and easy to use. There is a GUI base where you can go in and see everything, but they also have a CLI base where you can use a command and get the information that you want, very fast."

"It is very useful to have a simple dashboard where you can login and look into what your traffic patterns are, then look and see what times of day you're experiencing the heaviest traffic. You can quickly identify if you are possibly having a security issue or security breach. It makes it very easy to use the box."

"The Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB) is simple to use."

"Compared to F5, which I used about six years ago, the A10 is much easier when routing. You don't have to use the wildcard bits to route it between the different segments. It's much less troublesome to configure."

More A10 Networks Thunder ADC pros

Cons

"The support from A10 should be improved."

"We would like to see some improvement in the rapidity with which we can customize security facts within the solution."

"A10 documentation is not as open and accessible as AWS and Azure documentation is."

"The interface and integrated custom applications can be a bit difficult."

"A graphical dashboard for analyzing performance is needed."

"It scaled well for our numbers, up to 3 million subscribers for our most crowded region but I would like to see the same scalability numbers for the virtualized version as well."

"The user interface is what people complain about most of the time, particularly if they don't use it very often. Then they complain that it's a bit clunky."

"We are starting to do a lot with containers and how the solution hooks into Kubernetes that we haven't explored. I'm hoping that they have a lot of hooks into Kubernetes. That would be the part for improvement: Marketing use cases with containers."

"Traffic flow issues are very difficult, as there's no means for us to analyze the traffic coming in or out of the appliance without technical support."

"There is room for improvement in the GUI. I just migrated from the 2.7 software train to the 4.1, and there are still people on 2.7. The latter is a very old GUI if you compare it to F5. It's not as easy to use and a lot of things are missing. They've made a lot of improvements in the 4.1 step, but compared to the ease of use of F5, it's still quite difficult. For people who haven't got a lot of experience, the GUI can be quite challenging."

"The solution should add automation features in the next release."

More A10 Networks Thunder ADC cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"We did try out the solution’s Harmony analytics and visibility controller for its one-year trial. Due to the cost, we chose not to keep it onsite."

"It is $7000 per unit for the support annually."

"We previously had F5 and switched because of costs."

"One of the main reasons for switching away from Cisco was the licensing model. A10 gives you global server load balancing for free, while Cisco charged a significant licensing fee for that."

"The price is good they are very comparative."

"The price of A10 Networks Thunder ADC depends on capacity and the customer's requirement. They have several offerings. They have different price models and options to choose from. Additionally, you need to subscribe to support for the hardware appliances."

"For the hardware and license, we paid $35,000 per box, which was a one-time cost. Then, for the Gold Support on the two boxes, we pay $9400 annually."

"The price of the maintenance support is too expensive."

More A10 Networks Thunder ADC pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Computer Software Company

19%

Financial Services Firm

14%

University

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

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Which is the best DDoS protection solution for a big ISP for monitoring and mitigating?

I would recommend A10 Networks due that it delivers high performance in a small form factor to reduce OPEX with significantly lower power usage, rack space, and cooling requirements compared to oth...

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Do you recommend A10 Networks Thunder ADC?

I do recommend A10 Networks Thunder ADC. It's very user-friendly, easy to configure, and flexible. It is a very useful solution - especially now, when a lot of employees are working remotely. I hav...

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What do you like most about A10 Networks Thunder ADC?

A10 Networks Thunder ADC is an easy-to-use and flexible solution.

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Comparisons

NetScaler vs A10 Networks Lightning ADC

Compared 54% of the time

Fortinet FortiADC vs A10 Networks Lightning ADC

Compared 46% of the time

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F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) vs A10 Networks Thunder ADC

Compared 25% of the time

NetScaler vs A10 Networks Thunder ADC

Compared 19% of the time

Fortinet FortiADC vs A10 Networks Thunder ADC

Compared 13% of the time

Radware Alteon vs A10 Networks Thunder ADC

Compared 9% of the time

Kemp LoadMaster vs A10 Networks Thunder ADC

Compared 7% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)

June 2025

Download A10 Networks Lightning ADC product report

Buyer's Guide

A10 Networks Thunder ADC

June 2025

Download A10 Networks Thunder ADC product report

Also Known As

Lightning ADS

Thunder ADC, AX Series

Overview

A cloud-native, software-defined solution that provides integrated advanced load-balancing, performance optimization, application security and per-application analytics to increase operational agility and application performance.

A10 Networks

A10 Networks Thunder ADC is a dynamic application delivery controller and advanced load balancer. Thunder ADC is a value-added solution provided by A10 Networks specializing in robust, trusted, scalable application services for cloud, hybrid, edge cloud, and on-premise environments focused on improving business processes and keeping infrastructures safe. The solution consistently provides server availability, improves content delivery, and protects at-risk applications. A10 Networks Thunder ADC easily controls hybrid and multi-cloud deployments using a Polynimbus strategy to minimize difficulties and costs for IT processes, facilitating overall improved business results.

A10 Networks Thunder ADC is effective for small to medium businesses (SMBs) to large enterprises. Service providers and cloud operators are all using A10 Network ADC to manage their large and fast-growing group of business-critical applications.

A10 Networks Thunder ADC supplies L4-7 load balancing with numerous layers of security using DNS and web app firewalls, comprehensive support for advanced encryption, single sign-on (SSO) authentication, and high-performance Perfect Forward Secrecy and Error Correction Code (PFS/ECC). Thunder ADC is designed upon A10 Networks Advanced Core Operating System (ACOS®) platform to provide consistent, efficient application performance and trusted security for any environment.

A10 Networks Thunder ADC Benefits

Consistently accessible: A10 Networks Thunder ADC employs numerous load balancing protocols to evenly distribute workloads to all servers and works to ensure constant application functionality. User requests are monitored to ensure loads are directed to the appropriate server so that there is always a proper response delivery to content. This process ensures the applications are consistently available.
Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB): To ensure business processes are fully optimized at all times, A10 Networks Thunder ADC employs a dynamic Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB) process to augment server load balancing capabilities throughout global data centers for high availability and improved user experience and application tolerance.
Fast content delivery: A10 Networks Thunder ADC conquers the general WAN latencies, chatty policies, and redundant software programs to ensure quick and responsive service. Employees receive a fast, excellent end-user experience while the organization's business leaders get exceeded SLA mandates and increased productivity with teams working remotely and a step up on the competition.

A10 Networks Thunder ADC Features

Detailed Analytics: When deployed with A10 Networks Harmony Controller, Thunder ADC delivers a large selection of detailed aggregate and per-request reports in real time. The reports include popular URLs, error and health indicators, latencies, and end-to-end response times. The data is further dissected to deliver per-app reporting, availability alerts, and performance.
API Coverage: Thunder ADC utilizes A10 Networks REST-based aXAPIs to structure all features with 100 percent API coverage. The resulting interface is then used to seamlessly integrate custom or third-party management solutions, such as VMware or other SDN platforms, OpenStack, Microsoft SCVMM, or other cloud orchestration systems. There are also software plug-ins available for private clouds utilizing VMware’s vRealize Orchestrator.
Comprehensive Management Controls: Thunder ADC is fully supported by A10 Networks Harmony Controller and can be deployed in software or as a software-as-a-service (SaaS). This controller functions as a native management platform that organizes and distributes application-centric service protocols and configuration data to numerous Thunder appliances and device cluster infrastructures throughout numerous multi-cloud environments. Users can instantly identify, audit and track every appliance using critical operational metrics, such as CPU, disk usage, device partitions, and end users. The A10 Networks Harmony Controller will also complete configuration backups and restore operations, and will schedule regular software upgrades.

A10 Networks

Sample Customers

Handle Financial

123inkt.nl, Bentley University, Box, Brainshark, Buienradar, Capgemini, CGN/LSN & NAT64, Chengdu Telecom, Club One, Code Ready, CRC Health Group, Cyso, Deutsche Telekom, Earth Class Mail, Excite, FFF Enterprises, Florence County, Framingham State University, From30

Buyer's Guide

A10 Networks Lightning ADC vs. A10 Networks Thunder ADC

June 2025

Free Report: A10 Networks Lightning ADC vs. A10 Networks Thunder ADC

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